Josipa Saric Art & Coaching

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Zahvalna za još jednu godinu! Detalj ilustracije za deseti FantaSTikon

Few photos from POSCA workshop held in November 🎨🖍💜
Photo by Daniela Rudan Velat

Good news - my young furry friend has settled in his new home.
Translated into color, his quirky character definitely has something orange to it.
Ori, acrylic on canvas, 25x20 cm

In my drawing classes, I'm often asked about materials one should have when getting into the drawing.

Here are the basic drawing materials I recommend:

* A wooden board that you'll use as a paper base. You can also use firm, thick cardboard but be sure it is not textured, as it will show on the drawing. The board should be large enough to encompass paper and printed references. Easel is optional, but the board will make drawing easier compared to drawing on the table

* Paper - choose white, smooth, or very subtly textured paper;
When choosing the size, you should be slightly intimidated by it, yet at the same time, it shouldn't be too large. Generally speaking, a good paper size to start with is 30x40 cm.
Also, choose a bit thicker paper (at least 150g per m square)

* 3 pencils, each different level of softness/blackness. For example, HB, 3B, and 6B. I recommend HB and B pencils; H pencils you'll rarely use, if at all.

* Pencil sharpener

* Eraser - choose a soft eraser. Rubber or gum erasers work the best for me, as they don't smudge the pencil or damage the paper. Avoid colored erasers, as they can leave color stains on the paper.

* Few sheets of regular A4 copy paper for warm-ups, eventual sketches, or thumbnails

* Paper tape for taping the paper to the background

With all that said, if you don't have everything listed at home, start with whatever you own. Any pencil and piece of paper will do for the start, then upgrade materials as you go.

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If you have a question regarding drawing/painting, drop it in my inbox and follow for the answer 🎨

Since today my favourite spring month has started, I find it appropriate to share one of my older work depicting this beautiful time of the year. Oil on canvas, painted as a gift almost eleven years ago

Circles 3 group exhibition opening in magical Kaštilac in Kaštel Gomilica

If you happen to be near Split on Saturday, don't forget to stop by. Exhibition opening at 17:00. Looking forward to seeing you!

A kid in a playground or a toy store - this is what I turn into when I grab my tablet pen and open one of many painting software. Thank you, FantaSTikon team for the chance to make another illustration for another convention and for all the creative freedom 😊

Sometimes white canvas is just scary. Sometimes I make up things to do around the house so I have an excuse not to start painting. Sometimes I avoid my studio, as if it's haunted, and google other people's art instead.

But if I change my self-talk and decide I'll paint for a few minutes and see what happens, hours pass like minutes before I put the brush down.
No matter how scared I was to start painting, when I do, I never regret a single second of it.
No matter how frustrated I get with my work when painting, when I look at it the next day, next week or next month, I am always glad I painted it. There is always at least one detail that makes me excited to explore the possibilities further.

We mostly regret the things we didn't do.
So just start. Paint for five minutes and see what happens.

Have a creative end of the week!

A small landscape I hung on the kitchen wall to look at it, only to conclude I kind of like it there.

Happy Sunday!

The last of the floral paintings I did last year. I am still not sure if it's finished or not. When I have a hard time looking at it objectively, I put it aside until I can clear my head enough to hear the painting itself tell me which way it wants to go. But as winter has come and nature is deeply asleep, it has become somewhat difficult to focus on lush greens and gardens in bloom. Soon, I will bring it out again and try to listen to what it has to say 🎨

Have a creative end of the week

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of color mixing?
Beautiful swatches of colors mixed in various ratios? Or the disappointment of getting dull, muddy, ugly colors instead of bright ones?

I usually look forward most to the act of painting, and taking the time to mix the colors for me means delaying the fun.
But because of the mistakes this has sometimes led to, I've learned some life-saving lessons that I remember every time I buy new paints and before I start painting:

🎨 CHECKING THE PAINT LABEL BEFORE BUYING - same paint names don't always mean the same pigments and same properties, so pay attention to the pigment specification instead. After a while, you'll remember the most commonly used pigments and gain valuable mixing experience. And for paints that don't have pigment specifications, they are usually not worth buying because of the low quality or quantity of the pigments they contain

🎨 BUYING THE PAINT WITH SINGLE PIGMENT - to avoid unpleasant surprises and to get bright, vivid mixtures

🎨 EXPLORING THE PRIMARY COLORS - you can get a lot of different colors with yellow, red, and blue alone, but each has a wide variety of pigments. Some have cool undertones, others warm ones, so you won't always get a bright purple when you mix random blue and red. To get intense colors, mix pigments that lean toward the desired color. But don't discard muted mixtures - they also can be useful

🎨 BEING AWARE OF LIGHTEST/DARKEST/THE MOST SATURATED COLOR you can get and use it sparingly for accenting. This way, you use the full tonal range of colors when painting and don't end up wishing for an even brighter white / darker black or more saturated red

🎨 EVERYTHING IS RELATIVE - I'm always amazed at how different shades look on a white compared to each other. You also almost always need much less saturation than expected - a bit of one color next to neutral grays and browns, and painting can seem full of color

🎨 MORE IS SOMETIMES MORE - if you get your mix right, consider mixing a little more of it - especially if you're painting larger pieces and the medium you're using changes the color a bit after it dries - it'll save you a lot of time. Plus, you can easily save excess paint for the following paintings

Even if you can't wait to start painting, as I do, those two minutes spent laying the colors side by side on a piece of paper can help you plan and visualize the final result.

I wish you happy painting and color mixing

The other day I was at the beach again, and the sea showed me how to be everything I want to be, how to accomplish everything I want to accomplish, and how to do all the things I want to be doing.
And that's by being, achieving and doing unceasingly, like wave after wave, until I can not separate myself and my everyday life from my goals.

This is a post about New Year's resolutions and change, the topic that is still on my mind, even though I have never quite understood why it takes a new year to finally move your life in a certain direction.
But I feel that this new year really marks something new, and I have a very specific goal for this year and the next. It is to become a full-time artist and art coach.
So here's to all our heart's desires and all the things that help us along the way. Thankfully, there is the sea to remind me that all that is needed is to continue the work of the heart, wave after wave after wave.
With it, things seem a little easier and everything a little more possible.

"At some point you realize that happiness is not about getting 'there'. It's about being here. Fully. In joy of the moment."
Doe Zantamata

One of the reasons why I like drawing and painting is because it forces me to be in the now. Nature also has that effect on me. And that is my wish for these holidays for all - to be more in the now and do more of what our hearts enjoy doing.

Wish you happy winter solstice and all the holidays

I was caught on camera while preparing for Art Coaching Session. While I've taken my time recently to rest, at the same time, I'm focused on doing what I love. Nothing energizes better. And as always, the best time to do all those things you enjoy is now.

Have a creative Monday

Detail of the illustration made for the 8th Fantastikon.
Digital, done in GIMP

Today is a good day to return to your art practice, and it really doesn't matter if it has been yesterday or years since the last time you made an art piece

Have you ever noticed how art incorporates and balances the opposites?

At times I like to hang my painting on the wall and observe. My mind notices all the good stuff and things I'd change. It plans, categorizes, looks for the big picture, imagines, and anticipates the future. I call that time the "outside" time.

On the other hand, there comes the time to take the painting off the wall, put it in some dark place (sometimes for a very long time), and start a new one.

And when you are "inside" the painting and your work, another way of thinking occurs. It is the thinking that bypasses verbalization and goes straight into your hands. You are deep into here and now, into color mixing and brushstrokes. That's when all those happy little accidents occur, and that is the time when the magic happens.

Both modes of operation are necessary, but the constant rush of modern lifestyle accentuates thinking and makes it hard to delve deeper into your art practice and make it consistent.

That's why I try to paint for at least 15 minutes every day, even on those crazy overwhelming days. It forms the habit of starting and continuing my practice, even when it's easier to think about it. And it reminds me of that subtle balance that not only makes my art better but also makes me happier as a human being.