What's next? My favorite art resources

Welcome to this final post of Easy Does It! Part of what this change means for me is I'll be able to spend more of my time learning, and I love being a beginner. I want to ask new questions, study artists I love, and make marks in ways that feel even more like my own.

I thought I'd leave you with a big stack of my favorite resources and places to learn in case you, too, want to keep exploring. Enjoy!

Books

Here are some of the art books I own that I am hoping to spend more time with. There are so many wonderful references out there, but I've tried to stop buying new ones until I properly read the ones I have. Here are a few categories of books I'm excited to dig into.

Craft books

Two technical books that I'm ready to reread are these ones by Nathan Fowkes and James Gurney. They both are really rich in clear, foundation information about how to construct a representational painting in composition, color and value. I referenced them often when I first got them, and am ready to revisit.

Nathan Fowkes

James Gurney

Process books

You already know how much I love Lynda Barry (here, here, and here), so I'm ready to really her books cover to cover. They are filled with so much more than just words that it's hard to know when you've really taken in the whole thing. Every pass I notice parts I hadn't seen before.

Cross-training

I try to always keep an ear open to other kinds of creative work aside from painting. I think of this as cross-training. I love Natalie Goldberg's books on writing (so does my puppy Billie, as you can see in the photo below). The one I've read the most is Writing Down the Bones, and this summer I started Old Friend from Far Away, which is a book-length collection of writing prompts. They also make for interesting painting prompts with a little bit of imagination.

Artist history, biography and art collections

These two are library books that I just keep renewing. A couple of months ago I came across a painting by Robert Henri online that I couldn't look away from. As a community taught artist I am still getting my bearings with art history and am taking a very scattershot approach to studying it.

In that moment of seeing his work and being instantly interested, I decided to go right then and reserve some books about his work at the library. These are two that were available – they're full of his paintings and information about his work and life.

I want to encourage this kind of shift in myself, to move quickly from online inspiration to deeper research, until I'm engaging physically with references in books or by seeing works in person.

Prompts

I bought this books years ago after binging Sarah Urist Green's delightful YouTube channel, The Art Assignment. This book introduces dozens of living artists, provides some insight into their work, and then invites those artists to give us a creative assignment related to their practice.

I shared one of the assignments that Danielle and I did last year, making found poems by stacking books, here in this post. There are so many energizing ideas in this one volume.

The Art Assignment

The Art Assignment is an educational video series hosted by curator Sarah Urist Green. We explore art and art history through the lens of things happening today.

YouTube

YouTube

On the topic of YouTube – it is of course an overflowing source of education and inspiration. This is truly just the smallest start. Here are a few of my favorites:

Artist profiles & studio visits

Here are two channels that do robust interviews with contemporary artists.

Louisiana Channel

Louisiana Channel is a project of the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, Denmark. Every week they produce a high quality profile on a contemporary artist, visiting their studio and conducting an in-depth interview and profile of their work. I learn so much from the artists they highlight.

Louisiana Channel

The world’s largest archive on contemporary art, featuring the artists. New videos every week since 2012. Louisiana Channel is supported by Den A.P. Møllerske Støttefond, Ny Carlsbergfondet, C.L. Davids Fond og Samling. Louisiana Channel is a non-profit media based at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, Denmark. With Louisiana Channel as a platform, Louisiana supplies culture to the Net that extends beyond the museum’s own events. The Louisiana team produces videos about art and culture ongoing, and new videos are posted every week. Louisiana Channel contributes to the permanent development of the museum as a cultural platform and wants to enhance the sense of the importance of art and culture. We see Louisiana Channel as a proposal for a part of a museum in tune with the 21st century, which is also able to hold the attention and interest of a new generation in cultural heritage, a thoughtful present and an ambitious future.

YouTube

Jackson's Art

Jackson's Art, a large fine art supply retailer in the UK, has a lively channel profiling artists and art material suppliers. While Louisiana channel focuses on fine art, Jackson's will highlight a wider range of artists. I have particularly enjoyed some of their studio visits with emerging illustrators and sketchbook artists.

Jackson’s Art

The latest videos on fine art materials and creative techniques from Jackson’s. We are passionate about fine art materials and stock a vast range, catering to the unique needs of every artist. Our team is made up of practising artists who care about the materials they use. We use our expertise to give advice about the best use of materials and provide artists of all abilities with the paints, brushes, surfaces, and sundries to help them realise their creative potential. We search globally for exciting new products, from artisan makers to leading brands. If we haven’t got what you need, we will work our hardest to find it. We make our own range of products too; by working with the best makers directly, we cut out distributors to ensure that we offer quality materials at an excellent price.

YouTube

Creative vibes and inspiration:

Two of my favorite artist vloggers are Fran Meneses and PearFleur. They both have large followings, but if either are new to you, you're in for a treat.

Fran Meneses

Fran Meneses

I draw and drink coffee in Brooklyn : - )

YouTube

PearFleur

PearFleur

Hi ! Art and architecture is the method of storytelling I am exploring in this little life. I hope my content brings you peace and creative inspiration while we all figure out who we are as individuals and what we can be together!

YouTube

Instructional

I've learned from so many creators' videos, but two that come to mind as deep and reliable sources for teaching are Kenzo and Mayko's Love Life Drawing (figure drawing) and Sari Shryack's Not Sorry Art (art, general). Both of them do a great job of making quick videos that are beginner friendly and have a clear and interesting idea to influence your practice or getting you thinking about something new.

Not Sorry Art

Not Sorry ART

Official account for artist Sari Shryack. Sari creates videos of some of her latest work.

YouTube

Love Life Drawing

Love Life Drawing

Thanks for checking out our channel! Love Life Drawing is dedicated to helping people that want to build up their fundamental life drawing skills. The information mostly comes from Mayko - a professional artist that specialises in figure drawing - see her amazing work at lovelifedrawing.com/gallery My name is Kenzo and it’s my job to turn her advice into structured and useful videos. I’m a student of life drawing, so I know what the struggles are and how the myriad techniques and tips can get overwhelming. We aim to provide bitesize chunks of information aimed at gradually building on previous lessons, rather than just showing you ‘how a pro draws’, because pros didn’t learn to draw by drawing like pros, they drew like beginners first! Check out our free mini course for learning the basics, First Steps.

YouTube

Online classes (paid)

I'm currently working through Peggi Kroll Roberts' Patreon classes. Her approach to painting is so direct, and her instruction as she goes is so honest and insightful, I always come away from watching her feeling clear and ready to get to work. Her approach is so technically sound that she's able to be quick and loose without losing anything. But even if it weren't for that, watching her paintings come together in real time feels like seeing a magic track, no matter how many times I watch it happen.

I hope these give you some interesting places to go from here, or serve to remind you of other trailheads you've had your eye on. Please share any of your favorites in the comments!

Thank you so much for spending these years with me, making art and telling your stories. I hope you keep creating. And stay in touch! You can find me on Patreon, Instagram, and by email (brit@britchida.com).

All the information about the logistics of EDI closing down is here in this post. You will have access to the EDI archive according to whatever tier you've been on through the end of June, 2026. If you have any trouble accessing it, please let me know. Enjoy!

Easy Does It is Ending 🤍

Hello art friends, This year has been stock full of big experiences, and I’ve felt the shifts deep in my sense of self and in my creative practice. One thing that has come up clearly is my desire to simplify my focus. I want to give more attention, deeper attention,

Easy Does ItBritchida