Issue 185

Hello,

Been an eventful couple of weeks here. Smack in the middle of Christmas and New Years, my oldest kid got hitched to an amazing young woman and I could not be happier! Here's a great short comic he made for her that I just love: LINK​

Also...150 of you downloaded the Minimalist Project-Focused planner! I'm really hapy about that and hope this thing helps you get organized and on your path to finishing your projects this year!

You can still download it here: LINK (if a warning page comes up, just click *ignore*)

Here's 5 things I thought you'd find interesting this weekend.

Enjoy!

STAYING IN THE LOOP:

• 🔴 LIVE - How to Use the Minimalist Project-Focused 2024 Planner: LINK​
• Glyph drawings from my sketchbook: LINK​
• Podcast Episode 188: The Best Advice We Got All Year​
• Podcast Episode 189: Prioritize Your Art in 2024​

1) How to Fix Your Art

From the Office of Online Education

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One of my biggest projects from 2023 was the "How to Fix Your Art" course I helped create for svslearn.com.

After running an art contest for 43 months (Critique Arena) my SVS co-teachers and I kept seeing the same art problems arise over and over and over again.

If only our students knew how to take their illustrations to a more professional level they'd be unstoppable! Yet we understood it can be so tricky to see what's off in your own work.

So we got to work and over the course of the year created How To Fix Your Art to give YOU the tools to see your work like the professionals do.

Our book and video lessons show you how to see the common mistakes illustrators make and how to fix them in your own work. Our secret weapon is a powerful checklist you use to identify what areas still need improvement as you critique your own illustrations.

How to Fix Your Art is available now as a 200+ page PDF, 9 hours of video lessons and demos, AND our comprehensive art checklist. Here's a sneak peek of one of the sections of the checklist:

2) The Wandering Wonder of Lee White

From the Illustrators Division

Colorado based illustrator Lee White makes these wonder inspiring watercolor paintings that make me feel like a kid again.

What I love about his work is he's been able to straddle the fence that stands between decorative art and imaginative illustration. It's really a nice balance that works well for picture books and something like greeting cards or interior design.

Not only have I been a fan of Lee White for over a decade, but I've been lucky to call him a friend. We work together on SVS and the 3PP podcast so I get to talk to him almost every day.

You can find more of Lee's work here:

Website: LINK​

Instagram: LINK​

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Lee also has a new water color brush set he just released. If you're wondering how he gets this lovely watercolor textures and looks it's from these brushes he custom made.

I've started using them for some experiments I've been doing privately and these brushes are some of the best I've ever used.

Get the brushes here: LINK​

3) This exquisite little green mech by LAC-es

From the Office of Robots

Japanese model maker LAC-es makes a lot of cool custom gunpla designs but his chef-d'oeuvre is this...thing. I love everything about it, and I had to share it with you.

More of his work can be found on Twitter/X: LINK​

4) Brett Stenson's colorful shape of nature

From the Department of Graphic Design

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Brett Stenson, a Portland-based illustrator and graphic designer, has a keen eye for color and shape. His work is highly influenced by his home: the pacific north west.

I'm captivated by this artist's oeuvre. So captivated I just used a word I don't even know how to pronounce.

See more of his work here:

Website: LINK​

Dribble: LINK​

Instagram: LINK​

5) On filling glasses

From the Inspirational Thought Unit

It's a new year, and with that comes a period of reflection followed by a sense of resolve welling up from within. I like that our culture takes a collective break for a week between Christmas and New Years where no one is expected to check email, and therefore feel no obligation to send them. It's a time to look back on the year, see what worked and what didn't, and look forward to what you want to accomplish this year.

One thing I'm think a lot about working on this year is what I emphasize.

I spent a lot of energy last year worrying about half empty glasses and a lot of advice given is to instead focus on how full the glass is.

But there's another thing to look at and it's distilled nicely here by economist Donald Kaberuka:

What can you do this year to fill the glass?

That's all for this week. Thank you for reading this newsletter and hope you have a great weekend!

-Jake

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2024 Style Goals: