Welcome to the 4th week of Shalloe Gallery Christmas sponsored by the newsletter . This is the last week of celebration, and so i share my last set of gifts to you.
If you’ve missed out on this event you can find week one here
It was a little difficult to figure out what i wanted to cover for the big number 12, so contrary to previous weeks post i will tackle each number in ascending order. Leaving my most important list till last!
10 Unexpected Tools You Need As An Artist
At my studio space and on my desk i have a clear plastic toolbox to keep all my main equipment in for easy access. I have what you’d stereo-typically expect , however from the past few years and especially working in mixed media, i’ve gathered some unexpected essentials that i always have on hand. This list has probably come too late for your Christmas shop, but definitely includes things you should take into consideration if you’re looking to update your equipment or even kick start your career.
A Glue Gun, I am sure by now you know it is by far my most favourite tool. Useful for quick fixes, but also effective to use as a hack to build up texture on a canvas with more precision and without using all of your paint. But is versatile enough that you can use it for fun things like making glue sculptures.
Ball of string. In all my years drawing, circles still suck however using a string tied to a pencil is still my go to compass because you can use it for any length. But string in general is useful to tie a scroll of paper or for hanging work.
Spirit Level, an edition so important to help you keep high standards of display. You should want your work to look as good as possible and it will lose its impact if all the viewers are focused on the fact it looks wonky.
Measuring Tape, it’s hard to go wrong with a measuring tape and a sturdy ruler combo
Stapler & Staple Gun. A beautiful quick fix, and a must have when working with canvas to keep it tight on the frame.
Scalpel, easier to use then scissors with better precision when cutting complicated shapes, but also useful to sharpen pencils to a fine point, and to make delicate carvings/adjustments to 3D work
Sticky Notes. Cover your wall with plans, use sticky notes as reminders and placeholders for future work.
Carpet Tacks, are way easier to hammer than normal nails, so i have a packs on hand for all hanging occasions.
Spray Paint. A quick spritz of spray paint can add so much depth and colour to a work in an instant. i keep a black and bronze on hand so that i can lightly dust a work to make it slightly darker and more aged.
A Jar, to keep all odds and ends neatly away and for quick clear up.
11 Trials Every Artist Must Face
Or to be less dramatic, 11 things i think every artist should have a go at to become a “Master of the Arts”
Draw yourself as a cartoon. Or in some sort of comic book style. Artists are pushed into self portraiture, encouraged to draw themselves every couple years as a test of skill and to see any style changes. But drawing yourself as a cartoon highlights another skill, the ability to suss out key features and make something that is unlike you and impossible (proportion wise) to look exactly like you.
Make a Clay Pot, it’s such an interesting activity and a project you can really get into, but if that is an unrealistic standard a suitable substitute would be to…
Make a Wax Sculpture, casting your hand in wax is an easy and fun activity to do in a group. But learning how to manipulate and work quickly with a material is a useful skill.
Try to Recreate Your Skin Colour, Trying to recreate your own skin tone in paint can be difficult, it’s a good way to get into and understand colour theory.
Stitch a Pattern, learning to stitch a pattern either into fabric or thorough paper.
Design an Outfit, create designs to an outfit you’d want to wear, and if you have the resources actually try and make a garment of clothing.
Redraw an Image, Draw the same image everyday for a week using different materials, its a way to see what different decisions you make based on what your’e using.
Redraw an Image Part 2, Draw the same object everyday from different perspectives.
Draw your Ceiling, or floor, practice perspective with drawing something directly above or below you.
Draw People in Public, when you draw people on a train or in a coffee shop you have to learn how to quickly sketch shapes as they shift positions and choose important features as you cannot guess how long the subject of your work will be there for.
Create a Piece of Work in your Dreams If you are a lucid dreamer and capable of consciously manipulating your dreams in your sleep, try creating or planning a piece of work, hopefully when you wake up you’ll be able to write down these plans. Since in dreams your thought process is slightly skewed you might come up with something completely impossible, but it would be a fun project to get as close a you possibly could to recreating it.
12 Song Christmas Playlist
December’s Playlist
So you’re looking for some different/new music to get into? Then the Shalloe Gallery Spotify Playlist is the one for you.
For the big number 12 i wanted to do something special that would last, and so we launch Shalloe Gallery’s Monthly Playlist!
As part of the newsletter i shared songs or music artists that i was inspired by or listening to. A fun way of sharing new songs i came across or more nostalgic pieces i like to come back to. I tried to chose different genres of song so that hopefully there is at least something everyone would like. To make this process easier, i have created a spotify account. I aim to update monthly with at least 5 songs. but as this is the maiden voyage and to stick to theme there are bonus tracks. Click this link here
But that’s a wrap! Thank you for joining Shalloe Gallery on this Christmas countdown.
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