What Moves You
Finding Inspiration
Inspiration can come from anywhere. There is no limit as to what we will find interesting and inspiring. You only need to open your eyes and mind and let the universe in.
Some of us are inspired by “the big picture” like a landscape. Others are inspired by a single object like a person, animal or flower; and some are inspired by small groupings. Perhaps you are inspired by a small detail like the pattern of a butterfly wing or the texture of a tree or the color of the sky. If you truly have your eyes and mind open, you will find what inspires you!
Capturing Inspiration
The fastest way to capture an inspirational moment is with a camera. For hundreds of years artists have sketched and colored to capture the subject, light and atmosphere of a special moment.
Today, a combination of the two seems to work quite well for me. The fleeting moment of subject, color and light is captured by a digital camera. Later sketches are drawn to perfect the essence of the design using the photos for reference.
Computer software designed for photography, like Adobe, Corel etc., allows an artist to manipulate photos in wonderful ways. The simple cropping tool allows you to instantly focus in on what inspires you the most.
Be aware that when you use a photo for inspiration and reference that the photo is two dimensional and real life is 3-D. Remember to be conscious of the missing third dimension when designing.