The hottest Art & Illustration Substack posts right now

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Do Influencers Pass the Artist Test?

Litverse • 99 implied HN points • 14 Aug 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Influencers Artists Creativity Influence Spirituality
  1. The influencer industry is a huge business with some individuals worth millions, representing a new form of rebellion and artistic expression.
  2. Artists create within the collective but their creations stand outside it, providing a unique perspective that influences and inspires others.
  3. Influencers can be seen as Classicists in the art world, creating pieces that maintain the structure of their influence and resonate with the collective, but questions remain about their deeper spiritual purpose in creation.

The annoying parts of creativity | #29

The Pole • 99 implied HN points • 16 Jul 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Creativity Writing Techniques Storytelling Emotions
  1. Editing is crucial but often disliked in the creative process. Finding ways to integrate editing into the writing phase can help improve efficiency.
  2. Jazz improv teaches the importance of establishing a strong foundation, common language, and focusing on adding rather than editing in creative collaboration.
  3. Expanding vocabulary and understanding in creativity can enhance storytelling, humor, and self-awareness, unlocking untapped creative potential in everyday experiences.

Creativity for the sake of creativity

Erifili • 99 implied HN points • 02 Jun 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Creativity Writing Painting Social media Craft
  1. Creativity for the sake of creativity can lead to personal fulfillment and deeper exploration of one's craft.
  2. Being creative privately, without the pressure of public validation, allows for more genuine and authentic artistic expression.
  3. Engaging in creative activities solely for personal enjoyment is valuable and does not require public recognition to validate one's identity as an artist.

🦕 in pursuit of an angry-enough dinosaur

vrk loves paper • 119 implied HN points • 12 Jul 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Visual Arts Creative Process Illustration Digital Art
  1. Working for yourself can be really enjoyable and fulfilling, even if it's only been a short time. The freedom to set your own schedule can lead to a lot of excitement.
  2. Balancing social time can be trickier than expected. Meeting friends and networking is fun, but too many meetings can drain your social energy.
  3. Working on creative projects, like printers or art pieces, can be a great way to explore new ideas and keep yourself engaged while enjoying the process.

Little boxes — and they all look just the same

City Hall Watcher • 98 implied HN points • 27 Feb 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Architecture City Planning Urban Design Development Aesthetics
  1. Toronto's architecture is becoming more monotonous due to recent provincial legislation affecting design approvals for buildings.
  2. City Hall is preparing for a by-election to replace Mayor John Tory, with the process set to begin after Pride weekend.
  3. The development pipeline in Toronto has seen a significant increase in proposed residential units, reaching a record high in 2021.
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Lovin’ Oppenheimer Sex Cheeks

The False Consensus Effect • 98 implied HN points • 13 Aug 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Paintings Art history
  1. The post discusses a movie experience with steamy pretend sex scenes, historical references, and a deep dive into nuclear weapon politics.
  2. It delves into a perspective on the split evolution of humanity into apathetic Eloi and the sadder-but-wiser Morlocks, based on attitudes towards nuclear weapons.
  3. The narrative reveals insights about Oppenheimer, exposing aspects of his historical context, involvement in wartime dynamics, and influence on art teaching during military efforts.

On stationery

Development Hell • 98 implied HN points • 14 Sep 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Creation
  1. The author prefers Autumn over Summer for creativity and inspiration.
  2. The author uses Substack to publish content about stationery and creativity.
  3. Readers can access more content from the author by subscribing to Development Hell.

How to Remember I

Cosmographia • 179 implied HN points • 18 Nov 22
🎨 Art & Illustration History
  1. The post discusses Budapest's history through memorials and monuments in Part I.
  2. The author reflects on the significance of Remembrance Day in honoring those who fought for their country.
  3. The content seems to be for paid subscribers only and prompts readers to subscribe to access it.

The Art of Memory: An Interview with Becky Moon

The Memory Palace • 19 implied HN points • 14 May 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Visual art Creative Process Art Philosophy Art Education Art history
  1. Art and philosophy can work together to help people understand complex ideas better. By connecting these two fields, we can find new ways to teach and talk about philosophical concepts.
  2. Using art to explore memory can make abstract ideas more concrete. Artists can visualize philosophical thoughts, which helps both the artist and the philosophers communicate their ideas more clearly.
  3. Taking time to think deeply is essential in both art and philosophy. It’s important to pause and consider the reasons behind our actions, which leads to better art and richer philosophical insights.

Inside the utopian cities of Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power

The Novelleist • 629 implied HN points • 04 May 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Design Architecture Fantasy Technology
  1. Designing for utopian worlds involves incorporating greenery and water to create a sense of life and comfort.
  2. Political structures can impact the ability to create utopian cities, as seen in contrasting examples like Saudi Arabia and the democratic process in Santa Monica.
  3. Technology can enhance our future, but it's essential to ensure it sustains human connection and values, like community and empathy.

The Germanic Thunderweapon Part IV: The Axe Man

Norse Mythology & Germanic Lore • 59 implied HN points • 03 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Mythology Archaeology History Culture Religion
  1. The linguistic relationship between the words for 'hammer' and 'stone' in Germanic languages is surprisingly close, suggesting an early association between concepts and tools like axes and hammers.
  2. The early Germanic thunder god may have carried an array of weapons, including axes, clubs, hammers, and thunderstones, which over time converged into the iconic image of Thor's hammer.
  3. Related mythologies from regions like Finland, the Baltic, and Slavic cultures show strong similarities to the Norse thunder god Thor, often wielding axes and other weapons, indicating possible shared traditions or exchanges of ideas over time.

Processing: How David Small Illustrated and Wrote The Werewolf at Dusk

Counter Craft • 168 implied HN points • 31 Oct 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Graphic novels Fiction Illustration Storytelling Visual Arts
  1. David Small creates art that shows big feelings and fears, often inspired by monster movies he loved as a kid. He relates to the giant creatures and uses them to express those feelings in his work.
  2. When deciding on colors and styles for his illustrations, he chooses what fits the mood of each story. For example, he picked bright colors for one story to match its lively vibe, while another used darker colors to create a more serious tone.
  3. Small emphasizes that in graphic novels, visuals are very important. Writers need to trust artists to bring their stories to life without over-directing them.

Do illustrators still need advice ?

On Looking • 259 implied HN points • 18 Aug 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Advice Community Industry Guidance Education
  1. Think about the context of the advice you give - ensure it is relevant and considerate of the economic reality of individuals.
  2. Consider who needs the advice - it's crucial to question why advice is often directed at illustrators rather than at those with more power in the industry.
  3. Instead of just seeking advice, illustrators need strong communities and proper training to claim their voice and give advice to others.

Dare to dream

Soaring Twenties • 115 implied HN points • 10 Feb 25
🎨 Art & Illustration Visual art Art Community Creative Process Personal Growth
  1. Dreaming big is important. Imagining what you could do with the right support can spark new ideas and goals.
  2. Having a structured schedule can help balance creative work and business tasks. This way, you can focus on your art without feeling overwhelmed.
  3. It's vital to build a community around your work. Sharing your journey can connect you with like-minded people and open up opportunities.

The Salt and the Women

Cybernetic Forests • 139 implied HN points • 22 Jan 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Film AI Tools Narrative Interpretation Poetry
  1. The film 'The Salt and the Women' is an experimental exploration of AI tools and creativity, blending themes of mushrooms, AI, and generative cinema to tell a unique narrative.
  2. By working with AI tools to create art, the artist can steer emergent themes and create complex interactions between images, text, and music, resulting in a rich storytelling experience.
  3. Pairing AI-generated images and text can lead to stochastic resonance, where noise in the data aligns to amplify a signal, allowing artists to craft new stories by combining different elements.

Harris Rosenblum’s “Inorganic Demons” by Toniann Fernandez

Do Not Research • 99 implied HN points • 27 Apr 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Exhibition Sculpture Mixed Media Fine Art Experimental
  1. Harris Rosenblum's art exhibition 'Inorganic Demons' portrays relics from fringe internet corners that challenge societal norms with new narratives and identities.
  2. Rosenblum's artworks creatively repurpose materials to highlight the limits of organic resources under capitalism, showcasing a fusion of ancient techniques and modern technology.
  3. The artist's pieces, like vape fluid bottles and swords inspired by World of Warcraft, explore themes of power and lore, blurring the lines between reality and mythology.

From Error, Virtue

Sunday Letters • 79 implied HN points • 13 Nov 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Art Creativity Design Music Philosophy
  1. Making mistakes can lead to unexpected and beautiful designs, just like fixing an error in a project can give it a unique charm.
  2. Life is full of mistakes, but some of them help us grow and become better, similar to how the best music often includes 'wrong' notes used creatively.
  3. Many great discoveries in science come from unexpected errors, reminding us that being open to failure can lead to amazing insights and new ideas.

Kicking Horse Pass

Cosmographia • 99 implied HN points • 04 Apr 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Literature Cartography Photography
  1. The post is part of the Atlas' Notes series that focuses on art, poetry, literature, cartography, and photography centered on a specific place.
  2. Access to the full content of the post is for paid subscribers only.
  3. The post invites readers to subscribe to read the complete content or to sign in if they are already paid subscribers.

Going Broke and Getting Rich

The False Consensus Effect • 59 implied HN points • 31 Dec 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Creativity Social Commentary Poetry Visual art
  1. The author plans to maintain expenses below the U.S. poverty level for a year, challenging themselves to make under $399 profit, showcasing a unique thought/action experiment.
  2. There is a focus on living frugally and embracing a minimalistic lifestyle as a form of protest against government systems and societal norms.
  3. The author emphasizes the importance of stories and rare artifacts as valuable remnants of past resistance and cultural significance.

Institute of Modern Art: DNR Australia Book Launch

Do Not Research • 79 implied HN points • 09 Nov 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Art Event Book launch Culture Internet culture
  1. Do Not Research (DNR) is a platform that focuses on internet culture and was founded in 2020 as a private Discord server.
  2. The platform publishes content twice a week, has over 200 contributors, and hosts physical exhibitions, film screenings, and book launches.
  3. The launch of DNR's new 402-page book 'Do Not Research 2022–2023' is being celebrated at the Institute of Modern Art in Australia.

Ben Suga on Balancing Tradition and Creativity

Chance Operations • 158 implied HN points • 22 Jun 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Ceramics Creativity Tradition Craftsmanship
  1. Ben Suga found inspiration in the physicality and difficulty of working with clay, similar to his experience as a wrestler in high school.
  2. Through apprenticeships in Japan and America, Ben learned the importance of tradition in ceramics and found creativity within the structured practice.
  3. The firing process in ceramics balances precision and control with chaotic elements like chance, adding an unpredictable yet intriguing aspect to the art.

The Icy Hand of Death

Into the Hedge • 59 implied HN points • 26 Dec 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Reflection Nature
  1. The difference between dormant and dead is a matter of degrees.
  2. Death's icy hand struggles to reach deep enough to pull lingering life out of the fig's roots.
  3. Moving the fig to a new location with less death's grip can be a compassionate act with underlying motivations.

What grief feels like (a visual story)

Cozy Philosophy • 39 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Personal reflections
  1. The experience of grief can linger even after the immediate danger has passed, and can be expressed through creative outlets like visual storytelling, poetry, and music.
  2. Personal growth and reflection can be found in deep conversations with friends, exploring topics like shifting from a 'story of separation' to a 'story of interbeing,' embracing simplicity, and thriving as a multipotentialite.
  3. Hosting virtual gatherings like a Cozy Cafe can provide a space for casual chats, creative collaboration, and nurturing connections with others.