How I became an artist - my story (old funny drawings inside:)

Today I will tell you my story:) The story of how I became an artist.

It's different from the most traditional way. I mean - lots of artists draw since they were babies. I didn't. I didn't attend art school as a child and I have no art higher education. The only art-class thing I ever attended as a schoolkid was a class of ukrainian traditional art, called Petrikovskaya painting. If you don't know how it looks - I added one of my old paintings below. Flowers, fruits in a specific national style. It was fun, but it didn't last long. I had problems mastering math, phisics and chemistry, and when my parents learned about the low score - I was forbidden to engage in painting. Must admit that I wasn't upset too much. I wasn't that good at drawing as other girls were (yep, we had no boys in the group) and felt a bit defective. 

I graduated as an art critic from Kyiv Academy of Fine arts and Architecture. My faculty was the only one "non-creative", I mean all the others were artists, graphic desighners, sculptors, and my facultee was the only one that studied art, nor created. And for all 5 years of education I had no idea that I'll have a desire to create art myself one day. I remember that I always said that I can do almost anything: dancing, singing, playing guitar, but I can't draw and never could. And thought I never will, untill...

Until my boyfriend asked me to marry him. I agreed, and the preparation to wedding began. I must admit that I'm a really anxious and nervous person. The slightest stress immediately causes me sleeping problems. Wedding wasn't a slight stress for me, it was really HUGE. So I felt like I was going mad most of time. I was looking for a way to calm down and suddenly an idea came out of blue (it was about 4 a.m. and I was still awake) - I have to get somewhere oil paints and start drawing! I still don't know why the idea came to me, but that day I waited for the rest on night untill the art stores opened and bought myself some art supplies.

Despite the fact I had an education according to which I should knew what materials are needed for every species of art - I missed a lot of things. I chose oil and I bought paints, canvas and one brush. I had no palette, no solvent. And I yet didn't knew that painting with oil is a messy bussiness. For a couple of times I used regular sunflower oil as a solvent, it worked, but the paintings smelled funny. I also had no solvent to clean my brush, and yet didn't knew any lifehucks, so my first brush spoiled really quickly. 

Did I calm down? No, but since than I had an occupation that kept me busy most of time. My first paintings were horrible, really horrible, but it was a nice form of meditation and art therapy. So I continued till wedding:)

After the honey moon I tryed drawing again. Paintings were still horrible, but I still loved the process. And one day my already husband said, that may be I have to go to some classes to study how to do everything correctly and than, may be, start earning with my art. I was shocked. Not about the classes, but about his thoughts that I could make painting my emolument. But he really belived in me and that made me do the same, belive in myself. So, I went to drawing classes.

And again, it was really hard for me to master the traditional, academical art techniques. Most times I came home from classes really whacked, I felt like everyone in my group were doing better than me. But I kept going. I was drawing more than 10 hours a day, trying to understand how it works. 

The biggest problems I had with watercolor. We had to draw nature, fruit, pitchers, flowers, and I just could not handle with material. It was spreading in all directions, I hated it. At some point my teacher waved his hand and said that once all that is that bad - I'd better continue to engage in pencil drawing. When I came home, I kept thinking about what to do. I already had a good set of watercolor, I did not want to give up the opportunity to paint with it. And I tryed to paint a scence from ome of my favorite cartoons - "Hobbit", year 1977. I added ink outline and suddenly it worked! I understood that may be I will never draw still life with watercolor, but it's a wonderful material for just painting fairy-tales.

By that time Christmas came, and my husband presented me with graphic tablet, so I could start creating digital art. So it was: my husband supported me, and my mom also did. She saw in my drawings something special I couldn't, and still can't see myself, it's what mothers do. Now she's also on steemit, by the way, telling about her animals (@animal-shelter), I hope she'll read to these words:) You're the best, mom:)

So, I started mixing digital art and traditional. I can't show you my first attempts in traditional art, I already don't have them, but digital is here. This was my first time I took graphic tablet in my hands. Since then, I have a tradition: from time to time I paint master Yoda that to see if I improved my skill.

I remember the exact day when my first drawing was bought and when I recieved my first comission. For almost three years I was only studying and trying to belive that one day I'll be able to earn with my art and that my mom and husband would be no longer the only persons, who love the stuff I do. And that day came, I've managed:) A year ago I also graduated computer graphics courses, and now I work as a freelance concept artist and illustrator. 

So, that's how my way to art looks like:) I'm still learning, learning every day to improve my skills, and it's already easier, but still not simple for me. I don't think it'll ever become simple, but I already know, that working hard on your dream gives results. I take creativity and ability to draw like muscles: you have to train regulary to get improved:)

Thanks for reading, I whish you lots of happiness and inspiration!:)