For this last day of 2024, I had the idea of sharing my top-10 articles of the year. This is a treasure trove of a website, but with 4500+ posts, I need to bookmark the ones that I expect to revisit. With 253 just this year it proved impossible to narrow it down to just 10 (even with me re-reading all of them in the last month!), especially with the variety of resources amongst them.
Instead, today I share 10 MC articles of 2024 that have had the greatest impact on me. Tools, techniques, reviews, etc are very useful, but I seem to have a bias toward the articles that make me think differently about how I approach my art, and fire me up to get back in front of the easel.
Art & Purpose – Dan Dos Santos & Marc Scheff
While I’m painting I listen to all kinds of things, but my favorite thing to paint to is other artists talking about working in art. Some of this video was so exciting to me that I had to stop working and share it with friends. I put this one at the top of the list because not only is it a good companion for a long painting session, but it’s probably the best one (in my opinion) for starting 2025 with new direction and positivity.
As Stephen says: he’s not the first, hundredth, or last person to comment on the deluge of imagery we’re bombarded with… but he sure does share an angle on it that woke me up to how bad it has gotten and what we should do instead. I plan to ‘feed deeply’ and cut away what is only serving as a distraction.
There’s some great advice here that I’m going to meditate on, particularly the first and last sections. I think a lot about what work we need to do (to get by) and the work we need to do (because we are compelled)…and where each of those carry us over time.
Throwing Spaghetti – David Palumbo
It seemed like a higher percentage of posts on Muddy Colors this year brought up ways in which artists were shaking it up and trying new things, both creatively and with their business. I think a lot of us saw David’s post last year about how rough a year it had been and breathed a sigh of relief that we weren’t alone. This great follow-up reminds me that unwilling shifts can sometimes be freeing and a growth opportunity too. From the outside, it looks like he’s doing a lot of cool new things, and it inspires me to get outside of my comfort zone.
10 Things…Generating Ideas – Greg Manchess
My favorite part of Greg’s article is the ‘Ask What If’ section. I had taken a break from planning and concepting a painting to read it, and this very intuitive but novel trick introduced possibilities to that project that I hadn’t considered.
Hand Lettering: An Act of Rebellion & Tool of Narration – Kirbi Fagan
I read another of Kirbi’s posts earlier in the year, in which she talked about all the various kinds of crafting and creative projects she does to build momentum for her art. I remember feeling distraught, that I’ll never have time to create like that. I’ve been feeling the absence of play, experimentation, and risk in my art the last two years, but looking for where to inject it has been difficult. I need to make consistent art to feed my family, leaving very little room for risk or play. Then I came across Kirbi’s interview with Deb Pilutti, in which they focus on hand-lettering in children’s books. I don’t do children’s book illustration, and I certainly don’t hand-letter anything…I feel accomplished for knowing what a serif is. But my sketchbook sat open next to me, sprinkled with notes, and I realized that there was room to try new things, learn, and let myself be bad at them, if not necessarily on the canvas. My sketchbook suddenly has new life…and my notes are legible for a change!
Creative Manifestos – Lauren Panepinto
I love this concept. I was already writing down my own guiding principles before I read this and was curious to know if other artists had done similar. I hadn’t thought to formalize it in a creative way like these, and I find these very compelling. Admittedly, mine are less applicable-to-all and more a guideline for me to come back to on what makes my work mine, and what makes my work happen…very personal. A manifesto is a public declaration of intentions, policies, and goals, which strictly speaking I haven’t done for myself. I’m weak on graphic design too, but along the lines of the last article, this might be a great place to stretch that experimental creativity muscle.
‘Crasgar’ Painting a Crocodile in a Suit of Armor – Justin Gerard
The way Justin lays out his process seems effortless, light, and fun, and makes me want to reach for the nearest pencil immediately. Perhaps he’s shared them before, but I hadn’t seen the scrappy little sketch that preceded the drawing, assuming his intricate, personality-stuffed characters just walked out of the pencil and onto the paper fully formed. A stupid notion, but how could one not be mesmerized by his drawings? Insecure about my lack of drawing skills (and again, looking to mix things up), I’ve been planning to fold it into my process in 2025…and seeing that little guy reminded me that most people [probably] start as rough as I do. It’s just a matter of exploring further.
Stop Trying to Prove Yourself: Student Mindset vs Professional – Winona Nelson
A few months ago I had an ‘Aha!’ moment. I realized that many artists (including myself much of the time) sought to make their next painting their best, most impressive creation yet, and in doing so condemned it to fail at what it was supposed to be. If Mozart only followed Don Giovanni with ever more dramatic and difficult compositions, we’d never have gotten The Magic Flute.
I had not considered yet how this applied to client work, but Winona hits the nail on the head.
Drawing with Ultra Matte Medium – Rovina Cai
Rovina’s method to bring colored pencils and acrylic together is clever and unique. It shares some layering features with my acrylic technique, a trick that I think is surprisingly under-utilized. I hope someday I get the opportunity to see one of Rovina’s pencil/paintings in person!
I can’t wait to see what you make in 2025!
Only 10 is truly impossible! Happy new year and thank you so much for your art and articles, Sara and MC!