On Learning & Unlearning: March Watercolor & Digitizing Workshops

Hello Guys! 🙂
It’s been a whiiiiiiiiiiile. OMG. I’ve been wanting to blog for so long.  I would end up writing my thoughts in the middle of the night on my sketch book…as in in the middle of all my sketches just for me to save my thoughts for later.  But, we have good news, we have upcoming workshops in February & March:

February 19, 2017 Watercolor Doodles, 1-5pm, Hey Kessy UP Town Center (6 slots only)

March 5, 2017 Digitizing Workshop, 1-5pm, Fully Booked BGC (Php 3,500.00) (NEW) (10 slots max)

March 19, 2017 Watercolor Doodles, 1-5pm, Fully Booked Alabang Town Center (Php 2,700.00) (17 slots max)

Sign up below or you save this link: bit.ly/GGworkshops 🙂
Full course descriptions & the list of materials are on that page.

But wait.  What I really wanted to talk to you about briefly (yeah right & I’ll end up spewing more words than usual) are the stuff I’ve been experimenting on the past few weeks.

I’ve been reflecting on this quote:
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” – Pablo Picasso

I’ve been grateful to have received digital work as assignments the past few months.  I definitely enjoyed the process and learned a lot.  However, at the same time, the more I found myself more scared to paint.  I wondered why.  Every time I attempted to do so, I just felt so pressured which is just so ironic because I was just practicing and it wasn’t even client work.

After n attempts and mixing up mediums, I realized what my problems are:
(a) I was scared I’ll waste my favorite watercolor paper
(b) I was scared I will make an artwork that I will not be happy about

It’s just so funny that I had those thoughts when in fact I always believe that people are creative but when they are just:

(a) afraid to draw because they think they’re not good at drawing
(b) afraid to practice drawing because (see first reason)

…and the vicious cycle goes on.

Yoga Buddies!
Materials Used: Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils, Watercolors on Watercolor Paper

So I wondered why this is the case.  I was busy experimenting with colored pencils this time as well as watercolors.  I was not doing it on my favorite watercolor paper.  In fact, I was doing it on my sketch book which can hold very little amount of paint.  There was no pressure of coming up with something I will be satisfied about.  I just kept on experimenting & experimenting until I felt comfortable with my process.  I concluded that just in case I find myself in a creative block again, aside from doing other things (chores, walking around, talking to people), I should somehow change my medium & canvas as well!

But I continued to wonder.

What’s the reason behind all this fear of failure?  I kept on drawing random imperfect circles leaning towards the right–one of my favorite basic shapes aside from the asymmetrical trapezoid.

Then it dawned upon me: we were always trained to get it right the first time.  Our system has punished us for doing things differently, we were trained to follow and we’ve heard “No. That’s not how you do it.” in our lives several times.  As much as my teenage self would have probably typed in all caps and asked why society is that way.  I get it now that we need those in order to function as a society.  We need order.  We need a system.  However, outside of that, for us to grow, we also need to think outside the box.  We need to UNLEARN and RETHINK a lot of the  things we’ve LEARNed while growing up.

We need to constantly inculcate in our brains that it’s okay if you sketch & you don’t draw your lines perfectly in one go.  After all, unlike medicine, surgery, or math, in art, you don’t have to get it right the first time.  It’s okay to check if two unlikely colors are going to produce a new lovable hue. It’s okay not to have a system when going about things in order to build a new workflow.

Woops. I typed too fast and now we have 710 words and counting.

*Oops*

Anyway, I really hope that the workshops will be one of the venues where people can learn and unlearn things–get ourselves out of our comfort zones and talk about our fears and work on them. 🙂

XOXO,

Mommy Tippy 😀

P.S. Speaking of getting out of your comfort zones, as requested, we will be having Digitizing Workshops too where participants will learn how to create digital files out of their brush lettering work, sketches and the like.
For instance, before I created the graphics for Masungi Georeserve & National Geographic below, I sketched them on paper first.

Sketch vs. Final Artwork. One of the pages I did for @masungigeoreserve & @natgeoexplore. ???????? Definitely grateful for all the projects last year including this one which has helped me go out of my comfort zone: using more browns & blacks (and still managing to blend it with pink & purple) ????, drawing landscapes & more animals than usual, and still getting to inject my palette & characters. Thank you so much again to the team who worked with me on this. ?? – P.S. Thank you so much to those who attended the workshop today @_fullybooked in GB5. New scheds have been posted on bit.ly/GGworkshops

A photo posted by The Googly Gooeys (@googlygooeys) on Jan 15, 2017 at 4:03am PST

Also, before I submitted my file to Ayala Malls, I did the lettering for these on paper first:

A video posted by The Googly Gooeys (@googlygooeys) on Dec 7, 2016 at 4:25am PST

We will only be accepting 7-10 students to ensure that we’re able to attend to everyone.

Sign up for a class below.
See you guys around and I really hope to get to pour more thoughts on this blog more often! 🙂

P.S.
More pensive posts here:
Focus on Your Own Breath: Of Art & Exercise
You Are Worthy of Your Dreams
Finding Your Own Art Style