I started my daily sketches back in mid November, with the goal of producing new sketches or art updates every weekday-- allowing for weekends off and various other interference. Though it was a little early, that new routine was my resolution for the New Year. I've done pretty well so far: though some of my sketches came on weekends or as double updates, there have been 33 weekdays since I started my sketch challenge, and I've produced 31 sketches. I'm thrilled by that statistic.

When Christmas came, though, I knew my holiday break would be a challenge.

I spent eleven days visiting family over Christmas and New Years, six of which were in the company of my 5 year old niece and my 18 month old nephew. And, as expected, in the midst of the chaos it was hard to find the time to draw every day-- but I was surprised just how successful I was. Best-selling author and artist Austin Kleon says that you find time where you find loose change: in the cracks. When the family had downtime, I grabbed my sketchbook and spent a while drawing. My niece got an art kit for Christmas (I love seeing kids get art supplies, by the way) and when she would sit down to draw, I would draw with her. Eventually, I decided to forego my sketchbook and use some of the same materials as her.

And you know what? It was a lot of fun. It was educational. Having time constraints on my art forces me to work simply and efficiently. Using unlikely materials encourages me to experiment and test myself. I discovered I'm still godawful at drawing in pen but I really enjoy watercolor. And when I get the chance, I'm excited to sit down with my watercolors here at home and see what I can do.

Now, while we're on the subject of watercolors, let's talk materials. In college I attended a lecture by world famous fantasy artist Donato Giancola. The biggest piece of advice I walked away with? "Buy the nice brushes." I think a common misconception is that a great artist should be able to create great art no matter what materials they use. And while that's true to an extent, materials matter.

Case in point: painting with my niece I was using a kid's box of craft watercolors, heavy printer paper, and a single brush. (To be fair, my niece was incredibly sweet and offered me the nice brush with real bristles. Bless her heart.) Although it's been almost four years since I've worked with watercolor, I felt the difference in the materials already. Printer paper soaks up water immediately because it's made to absorb ink and dry fast. Watercolor paper is much, much heavier, and made in such a way that it holds the water, allowing it to sit on top for longer so the pigment can flow. Kids' paint sets come with cheap, weak pigments, which I discovered made it hard to get any sort of vibrance or darker values. Plastic brushes shed water, whereas watercolor brushes are made to wick up water, which holds pigment on the brush longer and allows for longer strokes on the paper.

This is just one (extreme) example of the differences between cheap and professional materials. Am I saying an artist can't do great art with bad materials? Of course not. Odds are, their experience will allow them to adapt enough to overcome their challenges and meet with success. However, the point I'd like to make is that there's a reason professional grade materials are expensive. It's because they're well made-- and they work better.

I've been fortunate over the years to have supportive family and friends who have fostered my interest in art. They went out of their way in search of high quality materials-- both traditional and digital-- to help me learn and grow. And I still have most of the supplies that have been given to me-- things like paper, colored pencils, and watercolors, that I've used over the years and am eager to explore further as I become a more prolific artist.

All of that said, I don't want the message of this post to be that it's necessary to spend a lot of money on art materials in order to become an artist. Every material presents its own strengths and limitations-- and the only way to learn those are to experience them for yourself. Play with your tools, explore their capacity for mark-making. Find new materials and new uses for them. And though it doesn't hurt to settle down with something that you're comfortable with, never let the safety of a familiar style or medium prevent you from exploring new possibilities.

I don't regret the challenges that my holiday presented to my daily art project. It was invigorating. I rekindled my love for graphite and watercolor. And as I return to the daily grind, I look forward to the new possibilities that circumstances have presented to me.

I can't wait to make some great art this year, and see just how far I can push myself.

Below: new art since my last blog update.

P.S: Yeah, Material Girl has definitely been stuck in my head all day.

And I am a Material Girl