TODAY'S FEATURED POST

The Power of Preliminary Studies

Julie Beck

Preliminary studies are crucial to my process. Each artist approaches prep work different but as someone who teaches both technical skills as well as the importance of design and composition, I emphasize the importance of massaging the design before you get into the nitty gritty. Preliminary thumbnails help in a multitude of ways: Planning: Sketches help you organize ideas and create a clear roadmap, saving time and reducing frustration. Problem Solving: They allow you to…

READ MORE

EVERYDAY ORIGINAL

A Princess of Mars

YESTERDAY’S POST

Image

Illustrator Gig Cycle

Scott Fischer

May 6, 2025 - Absolutely buried under deadlines this month folks! And it got me thinking about the illustrator gig cycle of starting new assignments and finishing old assignments. (Or even if not an official gig, the idea of working on any current painting while imagining what is next. Rinse and repeat!) And it seems no matter how excited we are about the 'current painting' we may be working on, the allure of that 'next painting', even if we don't know what it is yet, is intoxicating. There is something about when the 'unknown' becomes the 'known', and all that remains is the work (as enjoyable as it often is) that we can't help but seek and fantasize about the 'unknown' again. Matter of fact I did a little cartoon about it and thought I'd share it here. Hope…

READ MORE

POSTS BY CATEGORY

ART

ARTICLES

EDUCATION

EVENTS

INSPIRATION

INTERVIEWS

REVIEWS

RECENT COMMENTS

Recent Comments

ABOUT MUDDY COLORS

Muddy Colors is a collective of more than 20 artists, dedicated to providing a free, online resource for aspiring and professional artists alike.

With a library of thousands of articles, and a new one being posted each day, Muddy Colors is the largest educational website dedicated to the Fantastic Arts.

SUPPORT US ON PATREON

We are using Patreon as an opportunity to ask our readers for support in our endeavors.

These funds will be used to provide better content for our readers, maintain website expenses, and support aspiring artists through Muddy Colors programs and scholarships.