I’ve become quite the Instagram addict, but not for the reasons you may think. There are so many talented artists sharing their works-in-progress and sketches and paintings, it’s a cornucopia of inspiration. Here are a few artists I’ve discovered via Instagram and why I love what their sharing.
(I’ve provided links to view their streams via your browser, so you can check out their work even if you don’t use Instagram.)
Dita Toolkit is an amazing portrait artist that can work magic with graphite pencils. Not only does he upload artwork nearly daily, he’s gone out of his way to post tutorial photos and share the work followers have created via his teaching.
Aaron has a very distinctive drawing and illustration style that I just adore, and he posts everything from post-it doodles to finished paintings. I love his sketchbook shots and minimalist facial details paired with huge, complicated guns, awesome fashion, and spiky hair.
Khuon Nguyen is another genius with a pencil. His art ranges from detailed portraits to superhero doodles (which makes the comic book lover in me squeee), cute animals, and nerd girls in glasses. He also posts little tutorials to help you along, and posts colored work (I suspect he uses a tablet to paint on the computer, but can’t be sure).
Ana Bagayan makes me want to draw girls with big eyes. She’s currently on a UFO and alien kick, and has even been known to doodle an alien girl while stuck in traffic. Her large oil paintings of girls in fantasy landscapes are awe-inspiring with her command of technique and color. You can also find girls with wings, baby animals, and thought-provoking scenes.
If I could paint hair half as good as Stella Im Hultberg, I’d be a happy, happy girl. While she seems to paint women’s faces, there’s such depth of emotion and mastery in execution that you can’t help but be captivated by her work. She posts paintings in-progress, giving you a peek into her studio and work, which can be great fun to watch progress.
Sienna’s works are quirky, odd, and beautiful. Her step-by-step photos really show you how each layer and bit is added, going from drawing to finished piece. I love seeing the inner workings of her mind via her art and day-to-day photos.
So those are my favorite new discovered artists so far. Have you stumbled on some great artists? Share in the comments; I’d love to find some new inspiration, and hope I’ve helped you find some new people to follow as they share their art via this new network.