Artist Jason Nicholas spent years painting realistic colors before shifting his approach five years ago. Now he uses bold, non-realistic hues like turquoise and red to make each sketch his own. He argues any creative, from writers to dancers, should break free from what's realistic and embrace their unique voice.
You'll notice I do have red, white, and blue on this painting. I used to be afraid of adding color to my sketches because I felt like I had to recreate the colors that were out there in the real world of these iconic structures. So I wouldn't, I wouldn't add color because I felt like I had to be realistic. I shifted my mindset, I don't know, 5 years ago, and I'm like, this is my sketch, right? My voice, my interpretation. I can use whatever colors I want. It may sound kind of egotistical, but it's true, right? As artists and creatives, this is our voice. Whether you're a painter, a sketcher, a writer, a dancer, baker, athlete, it doesn't matter. We have our own ways of expressing. You know what, this would be cool to do in the turquoise. Cool, right? So I just like it, just kind of add another layer of color, a little bit of interest to it.
