Sometimes, you see a work of art that looks so polished and perfect, you can’t even imagine how it was created. It looks like it just popped into existence completely finished. It’s always a striking moment when you try to imagine someone making it by hand–and sometimes, it can even be discouraging, especially if you’re working on developing your own artistic skill.
But, aspiring artists, don’t fret. All artists have to start somewhere, and all works of art have to go through a long, detailed and sometimes very frustrating process in order to become that polished completed project you see before you. (We speak from experience on this.) To show that all art is a process, Romanian artist Paula Duta was kind enough to let the world in on her process, both in video and photo form. As you can see, the process is painstaking and takes a lot of time. If you thought a great piece of art just magically appears in a few minutes, think again–although thanks to the magic of time-lapse, it can appear that way.
Here’s a video of an entomological drawing of Locusta migratoria, or common locust.
And here’s one of Goliathus Orientalis Pustulatus, or Goliath beetle, which shows some of the less glamorous, but very necessary steps, like measuring and setting guidelines:
Duta also shared some photos of a pretty daunting-looking project that combines biological and mechanical forms, all with the level of slick detail that characterizes her work.
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To get a result like this, it takes not only hours of dedicated work on the piece itself, but also years of practice to hone drawing skills to this level. And Duta, like al other artists, will keep going from here. So if you find yourself despairing that you’ll never be “good enough,” remember that all artists begin somewhere, and all artists are constantly growing and evolving. Keep at it, and you’ll do just fine.
You can check out the rest of Duta’s work on Tumblr, Facebook and Instagram.
