When I was three years old, I discovered the world of coloring and drawing with crayons. As I grew up I evolved to pencil and ink, which are still my favorite art medium today, but the expression of art (as I like to call it) continues to calm me in times of stress and give vigor to a world that might feel bland. It has become a pastime, a way to brainstorm, and even a means of journaling.
Though I'm nowhere near the skill level of Bob Ross or Leonid Afremov, I do aspire to develop my artistic talents further like they did. Thus it's quite fitting that I would take what was much more than a simple hobby for me and use it to create something I could share with others.
Allow me to introduce my new art tutorial web series, Bob's Art Nook!
The birth of Bob's Art Nook
The concept began during the stay-at-home order due to COVID-19. There were a lot of suggestions on social media and the news that people should pick up a hobby during this time of total lockdown. After being cooped up at home for a few weeks, I thought, "What could I do to help calm every soul going through this mad time?"
That's when I decided to turn something I was already doing into a means to share art with the entire library community (and maybe even the world!)
Each episode of Bob's Art Nook consists of me creating a drawing from scratch and offering some tips and tricks along the way. It's meant to be useful and enjoyable to artists of any experience level, whether you're a total beginner or seasoned pro.
So if you're feeling inspired to watch some art in the making, or if you want to find the inspiration within yourself, come by and watch my Bob's Art Nook videos. You can copy what I draw or try something completely different. Or you can just enjoy the soothing background music and hand movements for a few minutes.
Whatever you need, art (of any kind!) is sure to deliver.
Head over to the Bob's Art Nook playlist on YouTube to subscribe and see what I've done thus far. Past episodes include:
And if you're interested in finding books to help you get started, check out the list of books I created called For the Love of Art.
Happy drawing!
Bob Palas is an Adult Services Librarian at Morton Grove Public Library.