If you’re an aspiring artist, or even just someone who appreciates good art and design there’s chance you’re always looking for great examples. You might prefer sketches, drawings, paintings or graphic design, but it’s always fun to find inspiration from others. Fortunately, there are more ways than ever to do find it today. Thanks in large part to the internet, the work of modern artists is on display like never before.
Let’s look at a few surprising places you can look to for inspiration regarding different types of art.
Online Stores
It’s no secret that there are a lot of online stores out there selling people’s art, but you don’t have to use them solely for buying or browsing. The truth is that some of these sites bring together communities of artists that you might not have ever come across otherwise. A lot of these sites are perfect for amateur or up-and-coming artists who are looking to generate some sales, and that means you never know what you might find. In some cases you may even be able to contact artists whose work you enjoy and start bouncing ideas off of each other. People in these communities love to have their work appreciated, and many will be willing to engage with you.
If you’re an aspiring artist and you’re not scouring Instagram on a daily basis, you should probably get started. There are all kinds of artists worth following, and they showcase some truly brilliant work. As with some of the online stores, this environment also gives you the chance to engage with artists now and then, through comments, messages, and mutual appreciation of each other’s work. It’s actually a lot of fun, and you could almost say there’s a sub-network of artists built into Instagram these days.
Internet & Mobile Games
If you’re more interested in animation and graphic design, you need look no further than the gaming industry, which is packed with more titles and more developers than ever before. A lot of the most interesting art can be found in mobile-based indie games, but there are some unexpected sources of inspiration out there as well. Arcade slot machines, for instance, have become virtual showcases for character and environment design. Artists working on these games have often used ideas from major pop culture franchises, but you can also find plenty of original concepts so that wee actually see some pretty creative designs popping up.
Book Covers
Lastly, there are book covers to consider, and they’re fascinating examples of artistic expression. So many new books are released throughout a given year that you can get a feel for some interesting artwork just by tracking new releases. It can also be fun to sift through alternative book covers that tend to pop up in lists and showcases online from time to time. These are often more inventive than the real covers, as they show artists’ alternative interpretations of existing works. Above all you’ll find a huge range of styles that might inspire you in any number of ways.
