For his part, Hogman began making drawing videos because he was often asked to do online tutorials but had little time to do so. With the spare time he has each week, he films himself creating a drawing and posts it. “In some cases, all I do is a quick time-lapse of the process—one hour in 30 seconds or so—but if I have time, I compile a sequence of key moments at normal or two times the speed.”
Through the practice, he’s acquired new clients for his custom sketch videos. “My exposure leads to more commissions. So yes, these videos are a good way to show what I do, but so far, my sketches only lead to more sketches. So it’s probably fair to say that exposure in one area only leads to commissions in that exact area.”
In turn, the Instagram videos allow Hogman to learn from his own work and improve, which is also a motivating factor for Barnet. “I kind of black out when I draw,” she says. “I’m just really in it and I kind of go on autopilot. It’s really cool for me see the choices I made. It’s interesting on a personal level.”
The three artists see in the videos an opportunity to workshop their art among their followers. Hogman actively solicits constructive feedback, while Larson notes that he recently started working with watercolors, and has received helpful tips from his audience.
Barnet points out that the videos are also helpful for non-artists who are looking to learn how to draw. Even for a skilled illustrator like herself, she says, videos from other artists are a source of inspiration—and also make the act of creation more approachable.
“On the one hand, it’s showing off your talent,” she says, “but on the other hand, it’s showing off that you are human, and that you can totally screw up.”