When we’re young, art is one of the most accessible hobbies. But as people grow older and the expectations move past coloring in the lines, most drop it. However, some manage to not only continue their art but, to elevate it to great new heights. 

One of the talented Patriot artists is sophomore Abby Nguyen.

“My favorite part is the ending result, creating something I’m proud to look at is such a fulfilling feeling especially since it usually doesn’t turn out how I’d first imagine it too, evolving into something new,” she said.

Olivia Harter, sophomore, also creates art she can be proud of.

“Art to me is all about the story. I believe that pictures can convey emotions that words simply can’t. Being able to put my own emotions into my art and being able to see how my art can affect other people makes the hard work worth it,” she said.

Another student that works hard on her creative works is Lauren Turco, sophomore.

“At the beginning of quarantine, I started a sketchbook and was finally able to stick with it and get most of the pages actually looking good. Motivation and keeping with things has always been a problem for me, so being able to do that sketchbook was pretty sick,” said Turco.

But these lofty results aren’t always easy. Art can also be a struggle, according to Turco. 

“The most difficult part of art for me is adding details to whatever art I’m doing. I tend to be the opposite of meticulous and get impatient when doing lots of tiny things, and I just kind of scribble detailed stuff in as fast as possible,” she said.

Nguyen found struggles from her background as an artist.

“I’m an amateur artist, and though I’ve been drawing my whole life, I’ve only taken art classes starting my high school career. Because of this I’m pretty much self-taught, and there’s a lot I don’t know about the mediums I work with as I’ve just played around with it until I find something that works. Acrylic paint is a beautiful medium, but there’s a lot to it that I’m sure I don’t know, same goes with digital work,” said Nguyen.

However, these students still find ways to work past their struggles.

“Listening to other people has helped me improve dramatically. In the art world, it is so important to listen to other artists’ critiques and advice. When I finally started listening not only to my instructors, but also my peers and fellow artists, I stopped negatively comparing myself to them, and instead focused on what I could learn from their experiences,” said Harter.

And to Turco, practice makes perfect.

“Doing it a lot, honestly. And using references for things that I don’t know how to draw, because once I use the reference, then I have a better idea of how to actually do it,” said Turco.

Nguyen said she has improved through observation.

“I’ve mainly improved my artwork though watching other people and observing what movements or techniques they use to gain a certain result. By practicing and applying these techniques, I can then adapt them to fit my own,” said Nguyen.

The end product that is created by pushing through those struggles always has its influences. 

“Honestly, my art is mainly inspired off of personal emotions and experiences. I often find myself creating art based on song lyrics or quotes that hold emotional value to me, trying to recreate the feeling visually,” said Harter.

However, Turco said she is more inspired by concrete things.

“Anime and video games, probably. Sometimes I see a character that just looks really, really cool and I gotta draw them,” she said.

In the end, all the effort becomes worth it for these students.

“Art gives me something to do when I’m bored and gives me a way to express things that I can’t using words. Like describing how characters are supposed to look. That stuff’s hard,” Turco said.

To Harter, art is an important form of expression.

“When I create artwork, I try to envision the stories and emotions that I feel but are rarely seen in the world. I feel that creating artwork centered around a message or taboo subject forces conversation, but also always me to express who I am as a person,” she said.

Nguyen also has reasons that make the hard work worth it.

“My artistic ability is probably the one thing I’ve been working on my whole life and is something I’m quite proud of. I spend a lot of effort and time into my artwork, and like most artists would say- when you create art, you really put a piece of yourself into it to make it something special,” said Nguyen.