No matter how experienced an artist you are, you’ll always benefit from watching other people create. If you studied art formally for any length of time, then you already know the importance of Old Masters like Rembrandt or Delacroix, and I’m sure you follow lots of great artists within your chosen medium as well.
Instagram has lots of wonderful watercolour and gouache artists to inspire you. Today, we’re going to look at the unconventional side of art to see things from a new angle. Here are five artists and samples of their art who work in unique media to deliver something special.
1. Tasneem Abdullah
Tasneem Abdullah does paper quilling to make beautiful florals and other scenes! Quilling has been around for a long time and is used to make greeting cards and other things like that, but Tasneem takes it to a new level with her reinterpretation of Van Gogh’s The Starry Night.
Quilling illustrations have incredible form and direction, and perhaps you’ll think more about the direction of your paint brushstrokes after looking at quilling. Follow Tasneem to see what she comes up with next because it’s bound to be stunning!
2. Adeline Wang
Do you remember those rug-hooking kits from childhood? The ones where it was like paint-by-numbers except with yarn? You may think that those have no application in adulthood, but artists are using this technique to make vibrant original pieces!
Adeline Wang uses rug-hooking and punch needles to make vibrant objects like pillows, mirrors, wall-hangings, and just about anything else! Follow Adeline for inspiration on bringing beloved crafts from your childhood into the present moment.
3. Pippa Haynes
Pippa Haynes does embroidery like nobody else - she makes miniature dioramas and other objects! Her account shows some details from her process, so it’s a great example of innovation and creativity, and persistence over time to master a craft. Even if you never embroider anything, seeing Pippa’s unconventional approach to embroidery will get you thinking about your own chosen medium in a new way.
4. Anna & Piotr Angiel
While we’re on the subject of embroidery, we can’t ignore Anna and Piotr Angiel! This couple lives in Alberta, where they embroider scenic vistas. I just had to highlight this one because I have such a love for grain elevators, but they have so many wonderful pieces that their account is a must-follow. Their knack for colour combinations will help your art grow, no matter what the medium!
5. StowawaysToys (AKA Natasya Shuljak)
Needle felting became a small fad in 2013/14, but it’s both older than that and here to stay. It’s hard to do properly because it requires a lot of patience and coordination, so when a master comes along everybody notices.
StowawaysToys are adorable little creatures, with sincere eyes and leaves on their heads that suggest they are a type of magical radish. Three-dimensional art is important even for painters because seeing forms in real life is better than using only photographs. If you have trouble relating to traditional sculpture, maybe these whimsical woollen fellows are the answer.
These artists are just the beginning of the wonderful things you can find looking through Instagram, so if you want to round out your inspiration newsfeed you can see who your favourite people follow and who they follow and so forth. Also, it’s a great idea to look through the hashtags to see what catches your eye.
Being inspired instead of distracted by your social media is so important! If you only look at one kind of art all the time, your artistic growth will stagnate. Look all around you and the art block will vanish!
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1 comment
Those are some great examples of variety in art. Thanks for showcasing them.
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Etchr Lab replied:
Thanks for reading!