2025 was the year I_______.
The Blot: Issue #1
I’m starting a new newsletter for 2025!
But I don’t want you reading a newsletter that isn’t adding value.
So, here’s what you can expect from The Blot:
A letter once a month, filled with creative inspiration and applicable knowledge that will take a maximum of 10 minutes to read.
Applied creativity: Art in real world applications.
Artist spotlight: Showcasing an artist’s work and what you can learn from them.
An inspirational thought that will help you stay motivated to pursue a life of creativity.
Bonus!
This looks like Tony Stark’s garage.
From the desk of Applied Creativity.
The Ferrari Museum in Maranello and Modena Italy looks like Iron man’s garage:
I don’t know where the inspiration for Tony Stark’s house was taken from but I wouldn’t be surprised if they looked at the Ferrari museums when designing it. The way Ferrari lines the cars ranging from old to new reminds me of how Tony lines up his suits. You can see the history of how he improved each new suit he made.
I’d highly recommend looking at more pictures of the Ferrari museums if you are ever in need of design inspiration for classy modern architecture. I personally struggle with interior design, so when I find a well designed interior space like this I’m sure to save it for later.
Artist Spotlight
From the Department of Style Shaping.
This month’s spotlight is on an artist I have obsessively studied for the past 3 months.
Spec is a digital artist that I have learned 3 things from.
1. Use the RGB sliders to find your colors.
When painting digitally, it can be hard to achieve energetic colors. When painting traditionally, they mix their paint on their pallets they have to keep adding and subtracting different hues. By doing this they get natural hue variation. This can be tedious to mimic digitally. But because Spec uses the RGB sliders to pick his colors, the hue is never quite the same. This way it looks like it came from a natural painting process and is more visually exciting.
Before when I used the hue cube, my art looked flat and stagnant because I didn’t have to change the hue to change the value. But by using the RGB sliders you can achieve a natural, and energetic look to your digital art.
Before when I used the hue cube, my art looked flat and stagnant because I didn’t have to change the hue to change the value. But by using the RGB sliders you can achieve a natural, and energetic look to your digital art.
2. Make simple, bold choices with your shapes.
It can be hard to stylize art well. But if I had to recommend a place to start, I'd recommend studying Spec’s art. It is easy to see the style choices Spec makes with his shapes. Like how he squares off his circles and exaggerates and warps the proportions of his vehicles and props.
3. Use illustration shorthand.
The small details Spec adds to his work, makes a character sheet look like a finished piece of art.
Two of my biggest problems is that I love to make characters without backgrounds and I tend to over illustrate. It can be underwhelming or overwhelming but neither way is enticing to viewers. Spec adds shapes to frame his subject. The shape is simple and draws the viewer to the focal point of the subject. Spec also adds details like health bars and stats. These little clues (although not overly detailed) gives the viewer context of what they are looking at and why they should care. It sparks curiosity. What is this art for? Is this a game? Are there more characters that he’s made for this world?
I recommend looking over Spec’s Instagram page to see what you can take from his art to improve your own.
https://www.instagram.com/_spec/
“2025 was the year I ______”
From the department of Inspiration & Motivation
Five years from now in 2030, what is the one goal that you are going to look back on and wish you accomplished?
I wish I learned that skill.
I wish I made my YouTube channel.
I wish I started my business.
What is the one thing that you want to remember about 2025?
Instead of writing a long list of stereotypical resolutions you are going to forget about by March, focus on the goal that will change your life 5 years down the line. What's that one step you need to take that will move you closer to your bigger goal?
A goal like:
Going full time with your passion.
Getting that dream job.
Publishing a book.
Pick a goal that you can't accomplish in one year, work backwards and make the first step towards your final goal your resolution for 2025.
BONUS:
If you want more helpful art content like this once a month and want to be the first to be notified about new art, consider subscribing to The Blot!
You are free to unsubscribe at any time (but you won’t want to.)
This email is sponsored by absolutely no one, so I hope you’ll consider buying something from my shop to support me!
