I've had a few people ask me how I go about thinking up ideas for my art. I thought it would be fun to share a few of my brainstorming ways because I would love to hear everyone elses process. I wish I could start listing some real revolutionary, never seen before, brand new patent pending process of creative thinking. Honestly, the steps and checklists I use to sketch out ideas are pretty predictable. Perhaps I'll be able to add some clever ones you guys use.
I'll start with an object of interest. This could be any person, place, or thing that I think would be fun to sketch. I sat down once and thought it would be fun to do something with a bear, and I ended up with a couple of fun ideas from it and subsequently went through a bear phase in my art. What you pick or find interesting is obviously inspired by life and your surroundings. I did art with a goldfish in it inspired from my wifes goldfish tank.
I have a very sad looking plant on the desk across from me (I guess I missed its yearly watering) so I'll use that to illustrate my method.
I really don't have any interest in simply drawing a plant in its exact likeness. If my dying plant was really capturing some beautiful colors or presenting a visually striking form... I would take a picture of it. I like art that adds, removes and creates something new from the likeness of the plant. If I'm being honest, I really don't have the artistic skills to render something with flawless realism. So I think my idea of what art is might have adapted to suit my skills a little bit.;]
Now that I'm all excited about a plant, I start making changes and seeing which ones stick.
Size:
Ok, the plant and most household plants fit neatly on a shelf.  What if it was quite large? I could have this common household plant be big enough that people have built a house in it. It could be so large an ordinary office building now serves as it's planter. I could have a skyline of skyscrapers have these household plants growing out of the tops of the buildings so that it looks like these buildings are being used like clay pots. Hmmm, now I want to take my plant out of it's boring shaped pot and plant it in an industrial building model. I'll sketch several large house plant uses and scenarios in my sketchbook.
Color:
Ok, most plants are green, so what if it's black? What if it has a pattern on it? I could give it a camouflage pattern which would be humorous because plants don't need to blend in with anything, they are what hunters try to blend with.  What if I had its green color dripping off of it leaving it pale and empty. I could make an image that shows the plant bleeding the last of its green blood into its own puddle of plant blood below. "The death of everything natural". When thinking about color I always check the compliment color to make sure there's nothing odd or useful there. A red household plant isn't all that odd. I'll sketch it out in case I can use it for something else later. Most of my best ideas are ones that I revisit later to combine with something else I've been thinking about.
Use:
Any of these categories could go on forever, but this one is exceptionally vast. Plants sit there looking pretty on a shelf. What if we wore them? What if I had a very beautiful woman wearing plants as earrings. I could do a version of mother earth with plants intertwined as her accessories. What if they were used in battle. I could have an army launching plants with their trebuchet's rather than boulders. If they're poisonous it might make for a fun sequential piece or short story. The prisoners of the war could be lines up against a wall for execution and fed a seed that grew instantly and they were all torn apart as trees grew out of them. What if plants flew? I could have plants like birds making their way through the sky. I could have them slowly floating around like the beautiful images of jellyfish in the ocean. What if we ate them like other animals for food? I could have a lunch scene with men in suits munching on plants rather than burgers.
I think you get my rather long and rambling point here. I have a few other check list categories I run through, but this is going way too long.
Do you guys have any methods of creative thinking you could pass along?

Does anyone else find it disappointing when they're asked to do art that looks like another artist? Perhaps I bring this upon myself by not settling into one medium, one genre, and one style. I take a small amount of art jobs on the side and they vary greatly. The ones that are bothering me more and more are the ones that go something like "Wow, you are an amazing artist, you're prefect for this spot illustration I need. I think I would like the style to be more like Skottie Young." I should probably be flattered that his name was included in the same sentence as my art... but really it just feels backwards to me. If you want art that looks like Skottie's, then you go commission Skottie. I think the fun thing about art and illustration is to see the different styles and interpretations artists bring. I really don't care for art that looks recycled or formulaic. I love the unique filter every artist has and to see how they translate with art. I love the Arthur Rackhams version of Alice in Wonderland. I also like Bobby Chiu's concept art for Alice in Wonderland. The fun in following different artists is to see what the world looks like through their personal art filter. It's not as exciting to see them copy another artists filter. I know these rules don't apply when you're working for a studio film. However, if you're commissioned as an artist... shouldn't be odd to be asked to look like another artist? Anyone else struggle with this one?

I found myself making New Year resolutions and goals for my art this year. Most years I've had average Joe goals to loose weight, be a better person, and clean the garage out. While all of those should still be on my list this year, I'm more excited about setting up some goals for my art. Do any of you make goals for your art projects and mark out a schedule or plan to help you get there, or do you just find yourself doing just fine without?

I was recently asked by a fellow artist what inspires me in art. This question really made me stop and think. I don't get caught thinking too often, so I thought I would get some help on this one. I'm curious how other artists get their inspiration for art. I know there are several different approaches you could take to this topic. I'm wondering if anyone gets inspired by art by going to a special place. Do you guys have some special tree you climb and sit in to get all inspired for doing your next work of art? Is there some special chair in the attic you sit in and ponder the puzzles of the universe or a spot on the roof at night you'll visit? See, I don't really go about drawing up inspiration for art that way, and I know I've tried a few times. I may go for a jog to clear my head and work off some stress, but the actual light bulb on inspiration comes from just everyday life. Most of my ideas in art come from drawing something I've seen or experienced lately and then flipping it upside down in my sketchbook a few times until I find a new creative way to look it. How do you guys go about getting that big idea for your next project?

I'm discovering I'm not usually attached to any of my final pieces of art. Most of them end up stored in old portfolio cases and any chance I get to give them away or sell them for ten buck, I jump on it. However, I am very attached to my sketchbooks. Those are personal to me, like a journal with all my secrets. I would never part with any of them. This seems backwards to me. I would imagine most people would have more trouble parting with their final pieces rather than the sketchbook or concept art. Am I alone on this one?

I think it's funny that I just finished a picture where I put in over 10 hours, and have this feeling of accomplishment to have finished it and moved on (Most of my art is around 2-3 hours tops). At the same time my wife just finished a picture with well over 100 hours of time devoted to it. That's not counting all the research and reference photos she shot for it. I can't imagine what that must feel like. I'm also not sure what is to be learned from this. I think I should try a little harder and devote a bit more time into art. I certainly have an amazing role model close by.

I remember my aunt reading me a childrens book a long time ago about a kid in a park who whatever he draws comes to life. In the book all these strangers keep asking him to draw stupid things for them and then finally at the end he draws something for himself (a dragon or some sort of pet I think). I was asking myself today what I would draw if I had that power. Once I get past the boring me who has taken over, and move beyond the obvious house and a car sort of things, then it's interesting. I think I'd draw myself a rocket pack so I can fly anywhere. Flying seems like the ultimate to me. Any other good ideas?

One of the things I like most about art, or I guess about being an artist. You can leave it alone for 3 years and come back and pick it up with about the same skill you left off with. It stays with you and you get better and better at it the more you put into it, and even when you leave it alone entirely you still can pick it up where you left off. Try doing that with running or sit-ups or any physical activity. You get off schedule for even a week with a work out and you take major steps backwards and often be back at the beginning again. Worse than that is the fact that you get to look forward to being worse and worse at it in the future as you've passed your prime in your mid twenties. With art you can look forward to some of your best work still to come. I find this very uplifting knowing you haven't hit your peak.

I did made a few changes to one of my art pieces and submitted it to threadless to see how it would score. If you would like to check it out you can follow this [link]
thanks for looking guys.