Staying Sharp

One of the challenges posed by being a professional artist, is to actually produce your own work while moving the whole ‘professional’ part of the operation forward. I never tire of doing my own work, but often it is simply a matter of being too tired to do anything after getting through client work and life commitments.

My preferred outlet is working with traditional media, since there are no distractions, no browser windows or email interruptions when you’re at an easel or drawing board. Traditional media also distils your decision making into the limited tools at hand, whether those are pencils, brushes, or nibs, ink or oils paint. Whatever your chosen medium. Here are a few oil sketches I recently managed in an effort to stay sharp.