Starving Artist Tag Q&A

I love writing blog posts like these as they are fun and require little preparation hehe.

I first found out about the "Starving Artist Tag" through watching Sadiesavestheday's Youtube video about it. I thought it would be really fun to do so I decided to take part. 

What's a Starving Artist Tag?

I'm not sure where the name came from originally but no, it's not a series of questions about how broke artists are (although on some days there might be some truth to that 😅). It's mainly a series of questions asking the artist about how they got into art, their process, their inspirations and so on.

So let's get started!

1. What's your favourite experience as an artist?

My favourite experience is the process of coming up with an idea, experimenting with it using different tools and working through them until I find something that works. Another thing I love is when you can finally add colour to the art piece. I normally do an initial pencil sketch before I start adding paint but, I have a bad habit of rushing through the sketching process because I love the painting so much. 

2. What's your least favourite experience as an artist?

I think self-doubt for sure. Especially when working to a brief or for a client, I always go through the emotions of feeling inferior before starting the project but, it always turns out well in the end. It's easy to compare yourself to others when now you can get access to an array of incredibly talented artists by only a few clicks away. When I'm in a funk I normally distance myself from social media and try to spend more time outside being inspired by my surroundings. 

3. What are your dreams/goals for your art? 

My main goal is to be able to make art freely for the rest of my life whatever that looks like. I think the worst thing would be if my hands were cut off or something like that so I couldn't paint anymore, that would really suck. 

4. What's your favourite medium and why?

Right now, it's pencil and watercolour paints. I love the finish it leaves as well as how easy it is to blend colours. I used to paint more with acrylics and I've also dabbled in oils and digital painting. I would love to get into painting with gouache as I love the smooth finish you can achieve with it. 

5. What inspired you to do art/ Why do you love it?

I was first inspired when I was a kid and would often doodle animals all over my textbooks. In elementary up until secondary school, I would lock myself away in my room for hours on end drawing my favourite anime characters. I had a classmate who also loved drawing and we would spend copious amounts of time creating our own fan art of our favourite characters. We even created our own monthly magazine where we would print on our home printers and share with our family and just each other. 

After that, there was a long gap where I didn't paint or draw anything at all and only got back into art after following a few of my favourite artists on youtube. I realised it wasn't too late for me to get back into my childhood passion. 

6. What's the favourite piece you ever made and why is it special?

I have a few favourite pieces that I vaguely remember from my childhood, but there was one piece that I remember I'd painted like it was yesterday. Sadly, I don't have a copy of it anymore but it was a still life piece of glass objects and a vase but blown up onto a large canvas. It was part of my GCSE art exam that I'd submitted for and I was so proud of it. I'd spent so many hours on it and it ended up looking so perfect that I couldn't believe that I had painted it.

7. Who/ What are your biggest artistic influences?

A lot of YouTubers to be honest. But just to name a few:

- Kelsey Beckett

- Holly Exley

- Lioba Brückner

I could a file on my laptop called "Inspiration" which is just teeming of incredible images that inspire me. So there are a few artists in there that I can't remember the names of sadly.  

8. What did you learn from being a fulltime artist?

I'm not yet fulltime but, I've been on the fence about whether or not to quit my day job in order to pursue this art thing fulltime. I've learned so much even up until now but, so far since starting I've learned that the sooner you start the better and to be hardworking and consistent in everything you do. 

9. What do your family and friends think of you being an artist?

Actually, they are all really supportive! I remember my dad telling me that it's a shame to waste your passion or talent and to give up on your childhood dreams if you have the chance to start. That was the biggest push that had motivated me to want to start painting again. All of my family are incredibly creative so it makes sense that they would be so supportive. My husband has always been supportive and has been an incredible rock in my life whenever I go through times of self-doubt. 

10. Was becoming an artist your childhood dream? If not what is?

Since I was very young all I wanted to do was make art and be able to spend as much time on art as I could, whatever job role that would turn into. 

11. What advice can you give to people who want to be more artistic or creative?

The advice that helps me a lot is to not pressure yourself to be amazing so quickly. An important part of the process is to enjoy the process! If you want to start painting, you are probably going to spend a lot of time perfecting your style so make sure you enjoy it. 

12. Were you supported to pursue art as a child?

Of course! My family has always been supportive. I remember my parents used to take us to art classes all the time. They probably thought it was better than getting a babysitter and we seemed to really enjoy it. 

13. Do you make money off your art?

Yes, I do. 

14. What do you want to improve on/aspire to be with your future art?

I really want to make a very comprehension artbook one day. I want to be able to have a really hefty body of work so I can look back on and also for other people to enjoy. I want to make something that I'm proud of. 

15. What feelings do you try to express in your art?

Melancholy. Haha no, I'm just kidding. When I paint people, I really want to show a certain beauty where the painting is telling you their life story. When I paint food or objects I want them to look really delicious and inviting,  almost enabling the viewer to touch it. 

16. What is your favourite thing to paint and why?

My most favourite things to paint are models or women that inspire me through their hard work or their beauty or even both! There's this certain attitude that you can portray through a painting, much like a photograph but with way more control for the artist. I love creating background stories to the people I paint and I love that you can give them interests and personalities that people can relate to. 

17. What's the strangest thing I've painted?

I didn't paint it but I sculpted it from clay. One time for a school art project I was trying to go out of my comfort zone and try my hand at sculpting. I was trying to sculpt a head and it ended up looking a little too realistic, like a real severed head. So my sisters would often take it and place it in random areas throughout the house in order to scare me or my mum for giggles. It worked most of the time.

18. Have you ever been hung up after you started a commission? How did handle it?

Fortunately, this hasn't happened to me yet. So far I've been really diligent at nipping it in the bud before the issue becomes serious, which has helped me to avoid situations like this. So far, all of the clients I've worked with have been great! I think a lot of the time when you're starting out you're willing to take on any project, even the ones that just sound terrible for the exposure. It's easy to fall victim to bad working conditions when you're desperate and have bills to pay. That's one reason why I've been debating whether or not to go fulltime as for now I can rely on my day job to keep the lights on and the hot water running.

19. Do you admit that paint smells good?

Ummmm... No. I'm more of a paper person, to be honest. hehe.

20. What would you tell your younger self?

Don't you ever give up!

If you want to take part in the tag, here are the questions:

The Starving Artist Tag
1. What's your favorite experience as an artist? 
2. What's your least favourite experience as an artist?
3. What are your dreams/goals for your art?
4. Whats your favourite medium and why?
5. What inspired you to do art/why do you love it?
6. What's the favourite piece you ever made and why its special?
7. Who/what are your biggest artistic influences?
8. What did you learn from being a full-time artist?
9. What do your family and friends think about you being an artist?
10. Was becoming an artist your childhood dream? If not what is?
11. What advice can you can give to people who want to be more artistic or creative?
12. Were you supported to pursue art as a child?
13. Do you make money off your art?
14. What do you want to improve on/aspire to be with your future art?
15. What feelings do you try to express in your art?
16. What is your favourite thing to paint and why?
17. What's the strangest thing you've painted?
18. Have you ever been hung up after you started a commission, and how did you handle it?
19. Do you admit that paint smells good?
20. What would you tell your younger self?