I freaking hate being in "artist puberty", where you're not a beginner but you're not a pro

My art style is copying your art style cuz I love you

I used to try forcing a style to magically come to me. Took some time to realize, that there always was a certain tone to my art and that there has never been the need to seek for something I always had. (sry for any language mistakes - my english is not flawless ^^') Love your work as always :D

You are so lucky that you have supportive parents. I started drawing when I was 5 but as I grew older my family disapproved of my dream to do art whether it was painting or design. They wanted me to become a doctor or a lawyer. But ever since I started hurting myself and people complimenting me of my talent, they suddenly had a change of heart. I think it's because of that that I unconsciously burn and rip my paintings and drawings apart whenever I get depressed. I was honestly scared to start painting again but ever since watching your videos, I've had a little bit courage...sooo...thank you for the inspiration amd motivation.

I can't think of some emotional speech, so I'll just put it simply: Thank you.

I think I rely on outside approval too much

My glassblowing professor gave me some great advice when I first went to college. He said every great artist will work to master one type of 2D art, and one type of 3D art. For him, he studied both drawing and glassblowing. For me, I studied painting and ceramics. And after all these years, I'm starting to see how right he was. Studying both 2D and 3D helped change the way I see things in my work, helped me come up with new ideas, and helped me just feel more well-rounded as an artist. There are plenty of artists who don't do things this way, which is totally fine, of course. Gotta do what's best for you.

Hey Robin, just wanted to say that you are awesome and i'm not an artist, but want to be a writer. I write every day and could find myself in stuff you said in previous two videos. A lot of stuff you said really got to me, i realized that i was doing a lot of stuff wrong. My point is that what you said can also aply to writing and maybe other arts like singing, dancing etc.

I had a very strange childhood. A lot of my memories are about moving with my mother, or getting yelled at by my father. I used art as a tool to vent, and the imagery was often rather gory or violent. I'm not a particularly violent person, but the feelings I associate with family and home, are. I draw all the time, and have become known for my anatomy and breaching the boundaries of it. My way of art will always be a little bit darker and lost, but I don't mind. It's the way I am, and the way I speak, and I don't want to change that.

This was such a stunning video, visually (as always) but also just the sincerity and honesty. I can't put into words how comforting and encouraging and helpful this and all of your videos are 💕 Thanks for sharing!

I draw really odd, not at all realistic humanoid creatures. I never properly studied anatomy, and I found myself struggling and getting frustrated with that fact. I tried to do some more anatomically-correct people, and they turned out awful. I wanted to force myself into realism, when more abstract and surreal imagery comes to me more naturally. I've since accepted and expanded my skills, and am definitely more satisfied--BUT IM GLAD I TRIED.

Clonts! was listening you talk and started surfing the internet for images and realised a style that i've been wanting to do all my life. i love blurred images. i want to make blurry portraits... like a fond memory you have of someone you love but gets softer over time because you keep reliving them. Thank you for sharing your memory of your father.

😩this made me cry😭 But I'm really happy your doing something you love. Your father would be really proud of you ❤️

I love the idea to make art based on what your thoughts drift to! That's one of my favorite things about free-styled art, like mixed media and art journaling. You can do it with other art mediums and styles, of course, but I like just playing around with color and shapes sometimes - they say a lot about whatever thoughts I have that may not be in my conscious mind. I heard that Jung liked to ask his patients to draw mandalas as a therapy tool, to express what was troubling them in an abstract way.

Why is it important to find an art style. I honestly don't really worry about it because it doesn't faze me.I have my own ideas and I really can't see a similarity in all my art. It's all looks very different

is there a wave painting tutorial on this channel , if not can there be one :D

I always felt pushed to do realistic pictures to be good or something traditional such as landscapes. Recently I've loved painting fairy like women or something of that sort.

I love your beautiful honesty!

Loved your video. Very real, practicle and warm. Very helpful. I'm just beginning to paint, getting to the point of wanting to create, not just copy. I'm 65, whatever that means. I was drawn to you because I love water! Want to express this love by painting it. Will look forward to following you. I have already benefited by watching just two of your videos. Thank you.

In the last few years I've redefined "style" as "all the mistakes one has never managed to correct." Meaning, that when one makes enough attempts to emulate their influences or different styles, eventually many habits accumulate in your process. Although many people consider "style" as something to be intentionally sought after, I think it is rather the habits that never go away no matter how hard you try. Suddenly you discover that you are not painting like your heroes, or any combination, but like yourself. Finally.

When I took 2D studio art last year so I learned how to do still life, realism and "attempted" oil pastel portrait stuff. When I entered I mostly did abstract art and birds and now I draw portraits BUT I struggle making real people I only create people. And I cannot make people whenever I just start creating someone in my head or look at the paper and see someone. It is impressive to hear someone put these major changes into words.

so good 👌👌👌👌

So sorry you lost your dad sweetheart ❤ my daughter ( now aged 12 ) lost her dad unexpectedly in his sleep in Oct 2014 when she was 9.. so we can relate to the roller coaster journey you have been on. We don't believe he's gone just transitioned to a different dimension. I really love your ocean / water pieces. They are all water in motion. Alive, healthy and oxygenated😉

Wow. Many art youtubers have good content but a dry personality which turns off the viewers, but you have an amazing personality and a unique humor that just engages me even more! Keep up the good work, Robin.

Excellent video; very informative and inspiring. I have always struggled with style. Particularity, with how I want my final product to look. I've always been drawn to hyper realism. How they so delicately depict the details, yet it's never too crowded. It's always just right. It's like you're staring at a photograph, and I love how you can just get lost in the painting's world. I feel for this reason, I've always looked down at and hated my cartoonish style. I wanted it to be realistic like all of the other works I see. Even now, I've been practicing and practicing realism to no avail; it always ends up cartoony looking. I see other artist's realism works and I think "I wish my work could be just as good". In my second year of university, that's where things started to change. We were allowed to explore and paint what we wanted as long as we followed the assignments guidelines. During our self portrait assignment, I was introduced to the German Expressionist Max Beckmann. My painting professor thought he would be a good mentor artist to follow, and so I did. She felt my realistic drawing style coupled with my harsh, abstract (as she called them) shadows and highlights found in my digital work would make a very unique, stylized portrait. She didn't want me to keep trying to be a realist, but instead embrace both styles I had. Beckmann had a similar style to his portraits as well. When I turned in the final product, she loved it. Everyone loved my dramatic lighting and my use of shadows and colours. It was my best work thus far. But I still wasn't satisfied with it. I felt it could have been so much better, and in the back of my mind, I still wished it were more realistic. Then came the "In the style of" assignment as our final project for the first semester. Once again, with my professor's guidance, Beckmann was chosen as the artist I would mimic. I remember her walking by everyone one day, making sure everything was good (this was a small class of ten), and she stopped at me. She made a comment that I still haven't forgotten. Just like Beckmann, I spent more time on my composition and sketch than I did the actual painting. I wasn't sure what to think. Once again, everyone loved the final product. The background was simplistic while my main subject was done with the abstract shading. This one even made it into the annual show held at the art gallery. But once again, I just wasn't satisfied. There was always something more I felt could be done, but I never knew what. Fast forward to the end of the second semester when it was time to do a series. We had to balance both content and composition, and I was drawing a complete blank. I could not, for the life of me, come up with a new and interesting idea my professor would approve of. Around this time, I was diagnosed with chronic depression. My professor noticed something was up one day, and during out private chat she suggested I put my feelings on canvas for my series if I was capable of doing it without breaking down. So I did. I noticed a very distinct change in my paintings. The shading was similar to when I used Beckmann as an inspiration, but the images itself were dark. I did another self portrait, but this time I had left out the eyes and mouth, just making them black voids. Needless to say, many found it creepy. My other three paintings, while not self portraits, were similar. During our final critique, I remember it was my turn. My professor asked me what made these fine art that would belong in a gallery, rather than the storybook illustrations that they looked like. I had no answer for her. Those words have stuck with me since. I remember her saying I could be both a thinking and a feeling artist; it all depended on how I approached the painting. With those words, I'm starting to think that maybe the path of an illustrator is for me, rather than a gallery artist. I didn't even realize my work looked more like illustrations until the day of critique. But I'm still drawn back to realism, and I don't know why. Even with all of this self discovery and help, I'm just as confused about my style as I was before.

I'm an artist with no creativity :( ideas don't come to mind anymore and I'm not sure why even though I can say I'm kind of deceny at drawing

You deserve more credit as a youtuber and as a artist I love your art and the way you talk about art you have inspired me and yove discussed this topic better than any other video I've looked into you doing great keep painting thank you

Sometimes i forget that getting good takes lots of practice. I always get very disappointed when my paintings don't end up like i picture them in my head; i always start projects and never finish them because i always end up making mistakes. Through you, Robin, i learned that making mistakes is a way of learning to get better; I take smaller projects now, and although they drive me crazy sometimes I push myself and I finish them, mistakes or not. The wholesome feeling i get when i finish a painting makes me want to do even more, and to improve. I take great inspiration from you and your wonderful work.

This is good advice! To find my style, I had to try out many things and they eventually became this morphed thing that is my current art style. I love your videos

It made me chuckle (in a good way) that you wondered if illustration would have been better as an education in terms of learning techniques, and I, being trained as an illustrator, am sometimes wondering if things would have been better if I went for the studio art course, because my illustration education was very much about the business side of things and the rigidity of working on commission (make what the client wants in the way the client wants), and with deadlines, made that I often longed for more freedom with my art... Something about grass and greener... ;) I think both sides have their merits and their downsides and no matter which you choose, if you put in the work, everything will work out fine. :)

Firstly I am sorry about your dad. I can see he made a big impact in your life. Keep his memory alive through, who care what others think. I love your work. Beautiful!!!

"Find other artist who inspire you and study their work." I find Robin Clonts and I will study her works. You inspire me so much. 😗

Robin You are one of the artist that inspire me! Thank you for continuing to share you wonerful work with us! May you have a beautiful day filled with weird unique art! With lots of love 💕 ~Jill~

I'm a very young artist well not that much good Still learning I really don't know how to draw lots of things I hope I'll get better so I can start drawing hands start drawing realistic. This helped me learn my art style Thank you.

This video was way more insightful than I anticipated. I understand how loss affects thoughts and even the feeling of existing. I lost my daughter at 6 months old. How you spoke of seeing water representing thoughts and feelings is what clouds are to me. I have thousands of pictures I've taken of cloudscapes since then. and each one I feel are precious to me. it didnt occur to me until seeing this video that they could be expressed this way. thank you again. your videos are a treat and a treasure as always.

I've been experimenting with lots of different styles and I'm 100% sure I will never settle for one. I found that I use different styles to express myself in different parts of my life and the way I feel influences it a lot. Painting to me is a form of therapy and I really like looking at my old paintings and remembering exactly how I felt during the time I painted it.

I love your pictures ,they look so powerful and peaceful at the same time :3

Wow thats beautiful

I really admire you for talking so openly about your father's death and how it changed you.

Thank you, I soooo needed to hear your journey. Alone, an artist , or anyone can feel the shifts are only happening to them. I am 63, retired, at home alone now that parenting is over, I too have had a shift in my LDS beliefs, leaving me in new territory. My art has become the *wall one talks too*. Your BYU course sounds like a terrific course exposing your to various artists and mediums of expression. Keep moving forward, and remember to keep talking to Heavenly Father, you are his child.

17 views?? IM SO EARLY HI YOU ARE SUCH AN INSPIRATION TO ME 💕💕💕

personally I've also been going through a weird phase of experimental styles and sticking to what I like best My favorite form of "bad art" is drawing extremely terrifying and ugly people/things, I like exaggerating the features to the point where its straight out gross

This coupled witch basic art tutorials really help pull it all together for me. In the tutorials I didn't realize until now that the instructors don't really talk about the relationship of art like you did here. They just mostly talk about the mechanics of art which is fine and necessary however,you talked about a more personal examination of it. This has helped me understand why I struggle with my art. Thank you a million times over. Your awesome.

This video really helped me. My dad died two weeks before my wedding and even though I’ve been an artist my whole life, I’ve hardly done anything since he passed. Here we are a year and a half later, and I’m at this point in my life where I feel like I’m starving to get back into the community. Thank you.

Your video inspired me to paint (watercolor)!! I too always find difficult to have ideas of what to draw on my own but searching into the back of my mind and thoughts was really helpful. Also I don't know why (sarcasm), I painted water! Water in a bathtub but still water...thank you, really.

Welp I feel depressed after watching so many art vids. But thanks for the tips bro.

I just spent roughly 8 hours watching every single video of yours . . . I LOVE YOUR CONTENT. As an art student, your videos are really helpful and inspirational. Thank you!!!

I just came across this channel, and I'll be honest and say, I have been an artist my whole life, I have found comfort in holding pens, markers, paintbrushes even sticks. Lately, I have been going through some pretty tough times where a very meaningful person in my life has just, started to disconnect. And my solitary way of comfort is art. Another thing that has been bothering me loads, is what is my style? I don't know. Ever since when I was a child, I have sculpted with clay and wax. Painted with acrylics, watercolors and oils, I have drawn with charcoal and pens and markers and colors. And I had done so many things, that, I just don't seem to be able to find anything that really represents me. I am so so so thankful I found this video in this moment. it has inspired me in such ways that I had not felt in about a month. Even though my story is different than yours, I appreciate the advice you gave like if it was just for me. Thank you. And please, keep inspiring us.

I love how you said "shiz" I say the same thing 😂😂😂

Some day my comment will be found

This video got me thinking a lot.. From losing my dad from brain cancer To losing my self in an abusive relationship which I went through all with depression and anxiety. Thank you for motivating me :)

I absolutely agree with these tips. On my current art journey, I discovered I love painting expressions and emotions and rain. When I work on these projects I feel like I'm sharing a part of me to the people seeing my works. :)

Notification squad?❤❤

Artist I’m inspired from? Oh, Her name is Robin Sealark

this is the only video on this topic that has actually helped me to think about what i want to draw/make. i'm an animation student and for a long time i have barely had the desire to make anything, i never draw except when i have to for school, i never have any ideas, don't even know what i'm interested in and i feel like my mind is just blank so i have no idea where to start to figure out what i want to make and why i even still want to make things. your videos are so well done and with so much information and giving your honest personal story is so helpful and insightful. i'm so glad i found your channel, keep up the good work !!

I didn’t expect to cry when I clicked on your video. Death had a huge influence on me as well, in fact, it’s the reason I started painting. My best friend was in a wreck and died, then 3 months later my husband was killed in a wreck... my first portraits were of the 2 of them. I painted off and on and now 5 years later I’m taking it seriously as a career and finding my unique style. Thank you so much for your tips and story and unexpected jolt to my heart ♥️ ps. I show your videos to my 2 young daughters as well

Could you make a painting like these small waves, but then with a base color, you said it in a video once but you have never shown it. Could you do that, I think its a lot of fun

hey there is this great Russian artists who used to draw only the ocean. I went to a lot of museums that cast his art, he is truly enchanting. check him out if you already haven't Ivan Aivazovsky.

I just discovered this channel, seemingly at the perfect time. I was getting frustrated over a few "simple" paint tutorials and was getting frustrated and kind of just stopped painting. Yesterday my wife got me a full sized easel and some new brushes and tools. That, combined with this video has made me want to get back on the horse and just START PAINTING again, mistakes or not...

I'm probably your father's age, but I went through something akin when my mother passed last year. It was unexpected and it rocked me. After that, I found myself spending more time in the studio and less doing plein air. During that period I completed several abstract works, something I had not done since I was a kid. I have enjoyed doing them, but with the coming of Spring, I feel ready to get back outdoors and do what I do. I know this vid is from last year, but I am just finding your channel and appreciated you sharing your experience of loss and its impact on your art.

Do you sell your art? I *really* Like it, and I My mom loves the ocean, so I feel like She would like this for her birthday, since I suck at art. EDIT: Haha! I found your website, I don't think I could buy any of it, since I make zero money. No,no We don't need to commission! I love your art :3

I have a really hard time coming up with ideas my self. I like photography so I go out and take photos then draw them in detail. otherwise I can't do shit 😂

I love watching your videos, sometimes i watch them just to see you painting, but then sometimes I listen to your voice because you're so calming, x

Hello Robin, I just found you and watched a bunch of your videos. I'm 52 and after a corporate career started art classes (I hadn't really drawn much since school). I've become pretty good, then bang! Major blockage. I'm glad I found you - you are so real and wise and genuine. Thank you! I'm picking up my pencil just now :)

YOU WENT TO BYU WHAT

Where's hoodie?

Aww you made me cry I lost my dad when I was 20 and I can relate to how you felt..how losing him felt like losing home. I want to thank you for all your tips and that I completely agree with everything you said in your videos it is very encouraging.

Out of the tonnes of videos I have watched on how to find your personal style; yours has been the most helpful. Thanks for this and I hope you continue with these videos.

FINALLY EARLY !! 💖💖💖 (plz notice me Master of art) ~w~

What are the background pieces of music?

Thanks for sharing about your dad it really touched my heart. I lost my father a week before my wedding. It was a very crazy year. I got married lost my dad and became a mom all in the same year. I really love your videos they help me focus on my own art. Thank you for the inspiration.

I had the exact same problem with my concentration in AP Art, I felt I had the right technical skills but couldn't find the right inspiration for my concentration. I eventually experimented with painting portraits & fell in love with doing them, which is what I'm still doing today! I love all your art & your videos, you inspire me so much! 💗💗

I just started art and it's my first year of high school, I'm really nervous that my teacher won't think my art is good enough :/

Well hello there ;)

You talked a lot about find artists that inspire you, I love your work, and have been studying it, thank you.

Thank you for your story ❤️ my dad passed last year after a sudden diagnosis of liver cancer. I’ve felt artistically and creatively drained and I have not painted as much as I want. Thank you. Thank you so much for your story ❤️

#notification

While I've been lucky enough to 'have my own style' that... I frankly can't really describe or have a clue where it came from, I always find videos and people talking about this interesting to listen to. You all make me want to keep on experimenting and improving! So, thanks for sharing so much about your process, as well as personal information about your life experiences. I really appreciate it.

This was hugely inspiring to me. Especially the advice on painting what is on my mind. The loss of your father hit home for me, though not at all in relation to losing my father, but in other ways of loss and disconnect from self and life. Anyway, it's exactly what I needed to hear at exactly the right time, Robin. Thank you, you amazeballs woman, you.

great video. I am really glad I found your channel. Not only is your work beautiful, your open mind and sharing spirit is inspiring. The message that I got while watching this video is basically "be yourself". it's kind of like the saying "life is what happens while you are busy making plans" your art style is whatever it is that happens while you are busy searching for your art style. or "you find what you need when you stop looking" our art style is already inside of us, we just need to stop being afraid to let the world see it. we just need to paint what we love in a way that we love it. Thank you for your videos and for sharing stories of your personal journey.

I have many art styles and was always a rebel in my art classes. Im glad I did, it eliminated imposed boundaries by others.

I think number 1 is definitely super important - just keeping making work and style will develop subconsciously by itself. I used to pre-analyse and forward-think too much, especially about wanting a unique style, and it super stifled my painting and motivation - once I stopped thinking and just kept making everything flowed and developed much more easily and enjoyably and style emerged by itself.

I lost my dad suddenly last month. I have really only painted once since then. I signed up for my first art show/sale months ago and it is tomorrow. I wish he could be there. I find myself being drawn to painting sunsets and sunrises more now. I never used to like painting landscapes. I liked to paint critters. (Dogs, pigs, moose, hedgehogs). I enjoy your videos. Keep on doing what you're doing. You are helping people.

I love your videos. I like how you talk while you paint. I got really emotional and almost cried as when one cries at an opera. I can really feel your passion for art. Than you for being so inspirational.

Watching you paint is so relaxing! I get what you mean when you talk about validation from others. I've spent a lot of time creating paintings for other people (their dogs, murals in kids rooms, portraits etc) and although i'm happy to paint them, i feel a bit lost in what it is that i WANT to paint. Art for me personally has been something i've both needed to do and wanted to do since a young age, I guess it's about falling in love with art again and being true to your passion. Continuing to learn and develop is a big part also, to not feel stagnant it what is being created. Thanks for the video, great advice! All the best to you :)

You have a warm, funny and direct way to expose your thoughts and knowledge. Your open-heart give us such an amazing strength and motivation! Many thanks, Robin! Much success in all fields of your life! A big hug from a brazilian artist living in Barcelona.

I did music in High School, but wanted to pursue art in college. Unfortunately the community college was brand new and didn't have a great art program or advisors. I sat in a drawing class watching the girl next to me draw a log so realistic it was almost 3D compared to my cartoon looking mushroom. My advisor told me I needed to be in the top 10-20% if I wanted to make it in Art, thus an overwhelming wave of self doubt crashed over me and I washed out of the art program. 25 years later, I still love art and recently got back into it when my teenage daughter took up the interest. Encouragement to not give up would have been great back then and I can still apply that now as I restart my art journey again, but as a hobby. Your videos inspire me to try different things and they are fun & entertaining. I often watch them with my daughter and re-enforce the enthusiasm and encouragement that comes from your videos. Thanks for all you do!

Robin, A couple things. First off, I'm new to your videos and am so thankful for them and for you. Second, I can't express what it means to hear your story. I struggle to relate to other artists but I found that I have some things in common with your own. I was also praised for my technical skill in high school but, unfortunately, my college experience didn't help me as much as it did you to be comfortable with coming up with my own ideas and trying new styles and mediums just for the fun of it. Instead I think my experience made me extremely fearful of failure. There was never enough time to make work that failed, and in my free time I never wanted to make anything (unless you count random crochet/knit projects). It took me until the end of undergraduate to realize that personal exploration is way more important than perfect grades. I really admire how you were able to channel such a devastating loss and life transition into a beautiful body of work that, I hope, was well received by your professors and peers. I've always struggled with taking ideas and executing them in a very literal way, to the point in which I struggle to deviate even a little from the reference photo, so you totally blew my mind when you explained your concept. From a poet's standpoint, it's an incredibly beautiful metaphor. Also, like you, I am going through a huge shift in my faith. I'm at a point where my religious beliefs have taken a huge 180 and I struggle to express myself with my family, friends, and church family. It can be very lonely and I often feel misunderstood and unwanted in my community. While I don't know completely what you're going through, just know that there are people out there who are going through this kind of stuff too, and I know it's hard. I hope that you don't struggle like me with the urgent need to place a stake in one religious or non-religious camp or the other, and are patient with yourself as you journey through. Lastly, thank you again for sharing so much of yourself on the internet, the most vulnerable place ever, so that people like me can feel a little less heavy and a bit more willing to pick up the brush and start again. -Shelby

turning bad art pieces into goals. fucking. GENIUS. thank you so much

those six little paintings are magnificent - this video was not only a joy to watch but some very wise words from a very talented young lady

What an incredible journey you have taken and the amount of growth that you have accomplish and such a young age is so VERY impressive ! Can't wait for you to have your first child and see your father again in his/her eyes. Then you will know for sure their is no such thing as death, the soul can not die.

Two episodes and you're already one of my favorite people

I appreciate your candidness, Robin. I also like your laid-back, coversational style.

I really appreciate your honesty and love listening to literally anything you talk about 😊 I found your channel around the time you made the video talking about your dad and yourself by the sea and I even cried a little because you just seemed so sincere and could feel a bit of your pain. I started watching your every video and really came to like your personality and art style and eventually started seriously thinking about trying to be a professional artist myself, which I wouldn't without your videos, so thank you for that! I have improved tremendously since then, even though I am of course not at a professional level :D Only after that I found all the other youtube artists so you have a special place in my heart as my first youtube artist :p

Robin, stop making me cry! That story about your dad was just too sweet. ;w;

I loved to draw when I was a kid but then kinda stopped when I reached college, I think. Now, I am in my 40's and rediscovering my love for art. I am starting with watercolors. Thank you for sharing your personal story. I love how you paint the ocean, water, waves. I'll try it...

wow oh my gosh I've been binge watching your videos for about an hour or so now and i thought to myself on your last video wow she really must like the water she paints it so much and then to hear you explain what it meant to you and everything it brought me to tears! wow thats beautiful. i totally see it differently now. i always gain something from your videos. thank you for being you

You should warn to have a box of tissues ready! So many feels! Thank you for sharing your process! I’m currently enjoying a process of self discovery/finding “my” style right now myself so this is so very inspiring. Gave me goosebumps lady. 🙏🏻

Thank you so much for sharing this. I am sorry for your loss; thank you for using your story to inspire others and help them to grow as artists. I lost one of my friends last year, so the idea of painting what is most pressing really hit home for me.