ramonn90

RamonN90 Brush Set

This brush set is a curated selection of tools I’ve personally used over time to create nearly all of my work. I didn’t create these brushes from scratch, but I’ve carefully gathered the ones that have consistently supported my process. The set is in .ABR format , made for Photoshop . You can also import it into Procreate , and convert it for use in other software like Clip Studio Paint —but I recommend checking how format conversion may affect performance before purchasing. I hope you...

Practices 34/35 - Process Videos & PSD Files

Here are some insights from past practices:

Hand
I liked how the hand in the reference reminded me of hand designs by other artists. I found this very stylised way of drawing knuckles and finger bones interesting, so I wanted to give it a try. The contrast in the skin also posed a good rendering challenge. My approach for such an intricate surface full of detail was to focus on the big shapes first—not the folds or veins. Those came only at the end...

Can You Become a Good Artist Without Talent?

Yes, you can. This answer might seem obvious, but I keep seeing the idea that “you need talent” used as an excuse not to learn art.

Talent is a natural ease with something, often seen early, without much training. That helps, sure—but the key to becoming an artist is skills. You can have them naturally through talent, or you can build them through discipline. 2025-06-02 18:40:54 +0000 UTC View Post

Practices 32/33 - Process Videos & Files!

Hey everyone, some insights about my latest practices:

Three: I loved the blue in this picture and the contrast. If you check it in black and white, you'll see how thin bright lines define the silhouette of the branches against the dark, saturated blue of the sky, and the warm, almost green shadows within the branches themselves. That combination of values and colours was beautifully balanced. I see people giving me credit for the painting, but the truth is the picture ...

How to Post Art: Engagement, Frustration and Growth

One of my patrons asked advice in how to deal with some aspects of social media management, like frustration because of lack of engagement and posting in different platforms, so today I want to briefly address those two.

Dealing With Frustration & Slow Growth

You can't stop feeling frustrated, you can just become stronger. By that I mean, posting in social media is like doing a scientific research, in which you test a series of different "experiments" (artwo...

Practices 30/31 - Process Videos & Files!

Hey! Some insights from past practices:

Orange Rocks:
I often warm up with simple references, but I went a bit off-track in these last practices. The first one was a contrasted and colourful landscape, in which the light creates a wide range of oranges and desaturated purples.

My process started by choosing the tone I thought was most present across the composition—the middle tone, a desaturated orange. Then I guessed the position of the dark...

Are You Limiting Your Potential?

The paralysis of overwhelming ideals. When the goal is framed as something vast (“build a car,” “be a master”), people either rationalise inaction or avoid starting altogether. I’ve noticed that many of the obstacles we face at the start of a learning process are self-imposed—and sometimes not truly necessary.

This could be a reaction to scale, to ambiguity, to the weight of implied standards. I believe this comes, in part, from fear of failure. Facing the f...

Practices 28/29 – Why Having Fun Matters!

Before I dive deep into the process behind my previous practices, I want to share a quick reflection on the importance of having fun while learning something new—not just in art.

While trying to help a close family member learn something very difficult, I came across an idea shared by many intellectuals I admire: learning should feel like a game. The process must feel like an invitation to explore and enjoy, not an obligation tied to external goals like making money. ...

5 Practices That Fuel My Art

Last week I asked on my socials: "What keeps you going?" and the answers were pretty interesting. Here are some of them.

All jokes aside, today I want to share some non-art-related practices that help me keep making art. Why is this useful? You might think seeing progress depends only on your performance in making art. Yes, making art is a big deal, of course, but there are other parts of life...

Practices 26/27 – Process Videos & PSD Files

Why paint a LEGO piece? I didn’t use to play with LEGOs. Nevertheless, I quite like the material reflections, the colours, and the values. So, as a short warm-up, this worked. I pushed the shape a bit, as well as the values and colours, and finally made slight transitions between values using texture.

The sunset landscape captivated me with its colours—that range of cold tones in the sky c...

What Makes An Artist Original?

As artists, trying different styles, aesthetics, and narratives helps us grow. It’s common to explore fan art or imitate other artists’ approaches. This works well for practice. But the goal should be to build your own voice—something personal, original, and clear.

Step 1: Learn Through Focused Study

Study gives you a map of what exists. Start with the fundamentals, for example:
– Shapes
– Composition
– Colour and light
– Storytelling

Use other ar...

Is Your Art Good Enough? - 3 Days Left!

A question I ask myself frequently. It's not a good question, though—good enough in relation to what? To whom? For whom? There are so many things you can measure, but it's so difficult to put art in a box. Is it for a product? For an experience? For a message? For an aesthetic? Is it in relation to reality? To authenticity? To your subjective experience as the artist? To others who experience the art?

One day, the answer is one thing; the next, it's something else. I guess the answer ...

Practices 24/25: Painting Hands, Landscapes and Hair

Violin: I loved the purple light on the wood, and also the distinctive shape of the instrument. The values in the object were not particularly interesting to me, besides the highlight, so I used textures to add something else to the smooth surface.

Onigiri: During my trip to Japan, I ate plenty of onigiris from convenience stores. I thought it would make sense to make a little one of these. It...

Why Making Art Is So Painful Yet Meaningful (Even These Days)

So today I wanted to lift the spirits of the readers a little by reminding them how painful creating art is (joke).

Yes, it's true—it’s not easy. It takes time to master. It’s frustrating because you don’t always know what to do, even after following tutorials. It’s difficult to find a job doing it, and there are many other reasons why this might not seem like the best choice for making a living, or even as a hobby.

But the good thing about not everyone ...

Practices 22/23 – How To Stay Consistent

The straight answer is: pick the silly challenges. It sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many times I've told this to artists, and yet they don't do it. I guess it happens to me as well, especially when one is inspired.

If you're trying to build consistency, start with challenges you can actually finish. Over time, small wins create the momentum you need to stay in the game long enough to get good.

That’s why some of the practices in this article might seem simple—thos...

“What's wrong with you?” — is that what he’s saying?

I suppose when I created these two, I was thinking about that—just a very casual conversation between two friends.

It’s from moments like these that I enjoy building stories, concepts, and characters.
Everyday situations. If you can find interesting ways to use the ordinary, you’ll unlock a great source of inspiration in everything around you. You'll find more ideas like this inside my book—not just art, but tools to deal with creative problems.

Quick update! Stretch go...

You Got Rejected from Art School. Now What?

Don't despair, it’s not the end.
Schools provide a guided, structured path for learning. Doing it outside of that system just means you’ll need to get a grip on that structure yourself—and that’s absolutely possible.

What matters is what you do next, check these three steps:

1. Rejection ≠ failure
Didn’t get in? That probably means your portfolio didn’t show what they wanted. That’s fixable. Skill is built, not granted.

2. Learn...