Chatted with a portrait artist in Portland who changed how I think about showing my work

I used to only post my finished digital pieces with clean white backgrounds, thinking that's how you get noticed. But this artist I met at a coffee shop downtown said she always shows her process shots because people connect more with the messy middle. She had like 3 layers of sketches and color tests before the final piece. Now I'm wondering if I've been hiding the wrong parts of my art on Instagram.

2 comments

2 Comments

jordan65328d ago

The messy middle" is a great way to put it. I've been guilty of posting all my finished art with that clean white background too, like I'm trying to pretend I just Photoshop-birthed a perfect painting out of thin air. My process shots would probably just be me staring at a screen with coffee stains and 47 abandoned layers named "ugh." Maybe I should start showing the sketches where I forgot to draw the other hand or the one where the face looks like a melted potato.

kim.wren28d ago

My coffee mug collection makes me feel better about my abandoned layers, @jordan653.