You're A Better Artist Than You Think

You're A Better Artist Than You Think

By Chris OatleyArtsVisual ArtsDesign
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You're A Better Artist Than You Think episodes

  • 10 Tips for Drawing Animals

    Today on You're A Better Artist Than You Think:

    Charlotte Belland, art educator and author of "Draw All The Animals," offers tips on a variety of animal drawing challenges, including comparative anatomy, creature design and making confident lines.

    PLUS: A gesture drawing workflow that applies to humans too!

    00:00 Episode Start

    00:08 Introduction

    00:16 Tip #1: Compare Your Own Anatomy

    01:54 Tip #2: Keep It Light

    02:18 Tip #3: Wait For The "Nouns"

    03:06 Tip #4: Keep A Steady Pace

    03:33 Join The Magic Box Brush Club

    04:02 Please Like And Subscribe

    04:18 Tip #5: Don't "Nod"

    10:25 Tip #6: Draw Animals At Home

    11:51 Tip #7: Push It Until It Breaks

    15:36 Tip #8: Ask How It Works

    18:16 Tips 1-8 Re-Cap

    19:29 Tip #9: Speak In Your Own Language

    21:34 Tip #10: Beware The "Hairy Line"

    22:42 Best/ Worst Advice

    23:39 Who's Your Favorite Muppet?

    25:11 The Magic Feather

    31:13 Blooper

    Join The Brush Club! https://DigitalArtBrushes.com

    More podcast episodes and articles: https://HowToBecomeAProfessionalArtist.com

    Order "Draw All The Animals": http://www.shopccad.org/shop/draw-all-the-animals-by-charlotte-belland

    33 min
  • Sketchbooks Vs. Screens: Which Makes You More Creative?

    How paper sketchbooks help you think in creative ways that screens simply can't.

    PLUS: Why six months of sketching literally changes how you see!

    ...with special guest Roland Allen, author of The Notebook: A History Of Thinking On Paper.

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    00:00 Episode Start

    03:15 Why We Don't Love Our Devices

    03:45 How Paper Helps Us Think

    08:39 Why Is The "Blank Page" Inspiring?

    13:02 Fascination With Process

    14:32 "Easy To Get Right, Hard To Get Wrong..."

    16:22 How Paper Empowers Artists

    23:36 The Problem Of Impermanence

    25:24 How Sketchbooks Change Your Brain

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    Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

    Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think" on all major podcast platforms: http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

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    If you like our show, please comment, subscribe, thumbs-up, ring the bell, write a review, share with a friend, etc.

    Those efforts really do make all the difference in whether our show actually finds the artists and storytellers we're here to inspire and support.

    34 min
  • How Building A Studio Saved Her Art Career...

    How and why illustrator Amanda "Din" Duarte (Disney Lorcana, Ubisoft, Blizzard) left her solo freelance career to form a virtual studio that now employs over 40 creative professionals.

    PLUS: Burn out or burn it all down?

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    00:00 Episode Start

    08:52 Freelancing Vs. Running A Studio

    10:26 "The Fear Of Failing Everyone"

    13:25 Knowing When To Pivot

    17:00 Finding The Right Artist For The Job

    21:52 Best/ Worst Advice

    26:41 Who Is Your Favorite Muppet And Why?

    27:26 The Magic Feather

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    Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

    Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think" on all major podcast platforms: http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

    Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

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    If you like our show, please comment, subscribe, thumbs-up, ring the bell, write a review, share with a friend, etc. Those efforts really do make all the difference in whether our show actually finds the artists and storytellers we're here to inspire and support.

    Thank you for listening!

    32 min
  • Why Brushes Matter (with Procreate's Kyle Webster)

    Procreate's Kyle Webster, the Internet's favorite digital art brush builder, on why brush choice matters more than many artists realize.

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    00:00 Episode Start

    02:40 Why Brushes Matter At Studios

    08:45 Why Brushes Matter For Beginners

    09:27 Why You Should "Audition" Your Digital Art Brushes

    10:55 Why Brushes Matter for Artistic Style

    13:45 Why Brushes Matter To Kyle

    15:44 How Brushes Inspire New Styles

    18:09 Why Brushes Matter for Workflow

    21:04 Why Brushes Matter for Speed

    21:55 Best/ Worst Advice

    26:51 Who's Your Favorite Muppet And Why?

    28:49 The Magic Feather

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    Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

    Subscribe: http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

    Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

    34 min
  • Writing Comics For Kids (with Shawn Pryor)

    Shawn Pryor, author of over sixty published books and graphic novels (most for all ages), offers insights on outlining, working with artists and the essential role of conflict in story development.

    01:55 An Expansive Bibliography

    03:09 Finding Something To Say

    04:37 The "Conflict List"

    07:17 Developing The Outline

    11:32 Placing The Act Breaks

    13:56 The First Draft Transition

    15:27 Working With Artists

    21:00 Common Problems With Comic Scripts

    22:09 When Is A Script Finished?

    23:59 Best/ Worst Advice

    25:44 Who's Your Favorite Muppet?

    26:06 The Magic Feather

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    Subscribe to You're A Better Artist Than You Think: http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

    Get FREE digital art brushes every month for a year when you join The Magic Box Brush Club at http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

    Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

    Connect with Shawn: https://ShawnPryor.com

    29 min
  • Solve Plot Problems with "Mirrored" Story Structure (with KM Weiland)

    KM Weiland, author of "Creating Character Arcs" and "Structuring Your Novel" reveals how to solve plot problems using "chiastic" or "mirrored" story structure.

    Plus: Understanding "The Thematic Lie" and building the most important structural "beat" in storytelling!

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    00:00 Episode Start 02:15 Introduction To "Mirrored" Storytelling 03:04 The Hook And Resolution 03:37 The "Normal" World & The "New" World 05:13 Mirrored Story Structure in "Toy Story" 06:40 Join The Magic Box Brush Club 07:06 How Act Breaks Mirror Each Other 10:25 The Thematic Lie 15:47 The Midpoint As A Mirror 28:51 Solving Story Problems With "Mirrored" Structure 31:07 Structural Timing 34:46 Why Story Structure Matters 40:30 Making Story Structure Your Own 42:59 Best/ Worst Advice 44:46 What Was Your Personal Midpoint As An Artist? 48:19 Mindset Shift 51:34 The Magic Feather 57:14 End Credits

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    SPOILER WARNING: This conversation contains major spoilers for Toy Story and minor spoilers for The Godfather and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

    Find KM Weiland's books and blog at http://HelpingWritersBecomeAuthors.com and learn more about our mentorship program The Clockwork Heart at http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

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    Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

    Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think": http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

    Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

    59 min
  • Can't Find Time For Art? Try This...

    In this episode of You're A Better Artist Than You Think: Why "time management" so rarely works for artists and four tips for a more effective solution.

    As creative people, we care a lot about time because our projects require so much of it. Furthermore, many, if not most of us want to spend more time working on our creative projects, not less. Even when we're successful in implementing "time management" strategies, the strategies themselves are not.

    That's because "time management," as it's commonly understood, is not the solution, but rather, priority management. With these four priority management tips, you'll learn how to give your best energy to what matters most in your creative life.

    00:00 Intro/ Theme Music

    00:17 Can't Find Time For Art? Try This...

    00:56 Get Free Digital Art Brushes Every Month!

    01:24 Give Your Best To Your Project

    16:48 Tip #1: Make Early Easier

    18:30 Tip #2: Plan For Smooth Transitions

    29:16 Tip #3: Optimize Your Workspace

    43:26 Tip #4: End With Preparation

    Get new digital art brushes with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year at http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

    43 min
  • 12 Tips For Finishing Ambitious Creative Projects (with Victoria Ying)

    Victoria Ying, animation visual development artist (Tangled, Frozen, Big Hero 6) and comics creator (City Of Secrets, Harvey winner Hungry Ghost) joins for today's episode of You're A Better Artist Than You Think!

    Learn how to avoid overwhelm, burnout and art-related injuries, set realistic deadlines and push through the boredom when attempting ambitious, creative projects.

    Plus: Why routines aren't for everyone...

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    00:00 Episode Start 00:22 Tip #1: Start Small 04:04 Tip #2: Accept The Boredom 06:41 Tip #3: Know Your Timelines 09:25 Tip #4: Practice Finishing 11:11 Tip #5: Routines Aren't For Everyone: 14:21 Tip #6: Find The Friction 16:17 Tip #7: Work With What Ya' Got 17:44 Tip #8: Break Down Deadlines 19:27 Tip #9: Mind Your Body 21:56 Tip #10: The Longer The Project, The More Opportunity For Setbacks 27:32 Tip #11: Just Get To The End 28:36 Tip #12: Find Your People 32:42 Best/ Worst Advice: 34:16 Who's Your Favorite Muppet? 34:46 The Magic Feather: 36:09 Read/Watch/Play/Listen

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    Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

    Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think": http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

    Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

    50 min
  • Jim Henson's Creative Legacy (with Karen Falk)

    The Jim Henson Company Archives' Director and Historian Karen Falk offers insights into Jim's creative process, his collaborative style of leadership and the evolution of his characters.

    If you're listening on one of the audio-only platforms like Apple Podcasts or Spotify, I do want to encourage you to check out the video version on our YouTube channel where we'll feature images from the new edition of Karen's book titled "Jim Henson's: Imagination Illustrated" as well as photos and video clips from my visits to various Henson exhibits.

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    00:00 Intro

    00:11 Theme Music

    00:35 Interview Begins

    00:58 Jim Henson's Imagination Illustrated

    03:19 More Than Muppets

    06:02 Jim's Personal Touch

    07:13 Jim's Fearlessness

    08:32 Jim Henson The Character Designer

    09:20 From 2D To 3D

    10:30 A More Professional Finish

    13:12 Jim Henson's Character Designers

    14:27 Jim Henson The Director

    16:14 Controlled Chaos

    17:04 Joining The Jim Henson Company

    18:22 Jim's Red Book Blog

    20:35 Puppet Preservation

    22:06 The Museum Partners

    26:47 Character Design Evolution

    30:30 The Historical Record

    31:40 The Jim Henson Legacy

    35:11 Karen's Unique Perspective

    38:06 Credits

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    Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

    Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think": http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

    Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

    41 min
  • Interacting With Color: Insights From Josef Albers

    Author Fritz Horstman of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation reveals how color "lies" to our eyes and why that matters to artists.

    PLUS: Changing our relationship to color from "painful" to "playful."

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    00:37 What Josef Albers Means To Present-Day Artists

    01:24 Interaction Of Color

    02:28 Science Vs Experience

    03:51 Color Relativity

    04:58 Playing With Color

    06:04 Homage To The Square

    06:49 The Personification Of Color

    07:50 Rothko And Albers

    11:15 Interacting With Color

    15:11 Let Color Come To You

    16:16 How To Play With Color

    18:18 Color Intervals

    18:48 The Illusion Of Transparency

    19:45 Color And Music

    21:27 How Color Distorts Proportion

    22:55 To Open Eyes

    24:56 No "Favorite" Colors

    26:29 Developing Your Tolerance For Ambiguity

    26:58 Color For Non-Artists

    27:47 The Magic Feather

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    Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

    Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think": http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

    Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

    33 min

About You're A Better Artist Than You Think

From the publisher's feed

In "You're A Better Artist Than You Think," host Chris Oatley (Disney, DreamWorks, Sony Pictures Animation) explores the mindset, strategies and practices of professional artists from a wide range of creative fields.

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