One of the most common things people say about my art, particularly my pointillism, is 'how do you have the patience!?'
Good question.
It started out with a lot of frustration, small pieces that didn't take too long and a whole lot of expletives when I got fed up with dotting for the fifth hour in a row.
But, as with all things, practice makes perfect. After a few years of slowly attempting larger and larger pieces that took longer and longer, I found that dotting became a cathartic meditation almost.
Don't get me wrong, I still utter expletives and throw my pen down in frustration with hard parts and ultra-dark parts that take ten hours in themselves, but overall I've found a rhythm to pointillism that is almost as good as a walk in a park or a coffee on a cold morning. There's something about it that clears the mind and refreshes emotions.
The amount of dots I've done is shocking really. There can be well over 300 in a square centimeter and I've done works that took 91 hours, not including sketching or planning time. The amount of time I've spent dotting, however, is less shocking. It makes sense to me that I would dedicate so many hours to my craft.
If you would like a lesson in patience, pick up your pen and start dotting. Doesn't have to be a-grade quality, but sit and dot for a while and you might find it strangely peaceful.
