For the budding artists out there, you’re not alone when you experience periods of inspirational drought. If you’re lucky, they last for days, but they typically stretch to weeks or months of just sheer boredom and a lack of motivation when faced with the prospect of creating work. And looking for inspiration is hard, especially if you have limited time and money. Luckily, there’s a whole pool of inspiration (and talent) that’s available for us on our phones; we’re talking about Instagram. So here are five artists we feel definitely help us kickstart our creative projects – and if you’re one of those people who just “can’t art”, well, these accounts will make your feeds even prettier anyway.
@moonothing
You’ve probably seen Kim Daehyun’s work floating around on Tumblr. The minimalist, black-and-white style of his work is definitely benefitting from the current “clean aesthetic” craze – but his art isn’t just here as a fad. His illustrations typically invoke images of introspection and calm, or maybe even a slight existentialist experience, but they’re all visually striking in their own way.
@kuvshinov_ilya
Here’s the brilliant thing about Japan-based, Russian illustrator Ilya Kuvshinov: she can do anything. Literally; just take a quick glimpse at her Instagram and you’ll see a whole host of different styles – all gorgeous in their own way, but evidently different. Similarly, don’t force yourself into a bubble when it comes to art, sometimes it’s better to just try everything and see which works best. Fortunately for Kuvshinov, the answer is…everything.
@valeriechuaart
Any medium can be a powerful weapon in the right hands, and luckily for us, Valerie Chua’s weapon-of-choice is watercolour. Be prepared for some serious art (and life) envy when you scroll through her feed, although her primary use of pastels and overall choice of a medium that creates “softer” lines will definitely calm you down eventually. Just look at those blooms!
@_picolo
Moving a little more into comic books, Brazil-based freelance illustrator Gabriel Picolo is probably most well known for his re-imaginations of the Teen Titans characters as modern-day superpowered teenagers, although we wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve seen his remarkable Icarus and the Sun series. His style is an interesting mix of cartoonish facial features and very realistic shading for clothing, and his creations are typically in black-and-white, although there is the occasional coloured illustration if you scroll enough.
@ultraaviolets
Of course, it wouldn’t be right to make a list like this without a sprinkle of local talent. The great thing about @ultraaviolets is that their works are not only quirky, modern and able to bring a brilliant burst of colour into your life – they also have merchandise! So if you love a print or a drawing, you might just be able to wear it and continue to support the brand. For those who prefer something a little more old-school, they also provide sticker packs; for something a little more modern or subtle, try their phone cases or socks.
You must be logged in to post a comment.