It's true, seeing exceptional art of others is daunting to us when we look into ourselves and may feel that our work in comparison is sub-par. But, to think about it for a bit; these artists are specialists. If I myself do not take all of my time to immerse into work on one singular thing, then it will never be done the way that I'd want it to. Sometimes I feel as if there are creative spurts that filter into our lives, allowing us brief instances for which we feel we can create the cosmos. Work flies from our hands and the subconscious, and we no longer feel beaten when looking at another's work, but moreover inspired. This is the state of mind the true artisit should be in. Once we can accept that everyone has thier own talents and observations, then all work can be considered (even if just by us of our own) exceptional.
To sit down and draw, for me at least, has only become more difficult as my years roll on. While I know that the skill in my hand has progressed, it also deters me. I occasionally fear sitting down to draw — expecting to let out a beast of an image — and in disappointing myself when all I see is a meager adaptation of what was alive with such voracity in my mind. There are just some days when one cannot draw well, simple as that. But, for those brief instances in our lives — those in which we are swallowed up in the flood of ideas and inspiration's little bits and pieces thrusting forth from our fingers and our mouths — then the drawing is the calm; the ebb and flow that will pour out of you to coax back the imbalance. On any other days, the drawing mustn't need to be perfect; it just needs to be done.
I am inspired by many fashion artists, among which are Garance Dore, Danny Roberts, and Audrey Kawasaki. Their work invites me to push the borders of my own, and to continuously search for a renewal in my creativity.
Here's a link to a lovely little highlight of other exceptional artists, compiled by designfeedr in their article; designfeedr | 80(!) Excellent Examples of Mixed-Media Fashion Illustration.
Some works by Audrey Kawasaki:
