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Sylessae

@sylessae.bsky.social
21K followers 233 following 3.4K posts

Helping tired artists rekindle their love for creativity. ✏️ Portrait Bootcamp: bit.ly/sylportrait 📖 Mentorship: mentor.sylessae.com 🖼️ www.sylessae.com

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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 7m
Creating for yourself doesn't mean giving up the opportunity to share your art with the world. That's always been the artists' goal. That's not a greedy desire. Creating for yourself first is asking what YOU want before making the art. To never sacrifice your own voice in favor of attention.
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IvyBlade @ivybladev.bsky.social · 20h
What can I say - there's nothing but truth written there :] A wonderful review for a wonderful bootcamp! ❤️
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 20h
Creative iteration isn't about making a mistake and trying again. It's testing intentional changes to explore style and expression. You're deciding which approach you like and don't like and the steps it took to get there.
Open sketchbook showing character design studies: multiple quick pen profiles of a curly-haired, pointy-eared figure in different angles and expressions, with a black ballpoint pen resting across the lower page.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 20h
Happy students, happy teacher 💛
A text log of a chat expressing their experience of a portrait bootcamp. It reads: 

The bootcamp was a pleasant, charming and intensive 8 weeks of learning, artwork and experiencing growth both as an individual but also as a community! The structured character of the learning process, themed weeks with live sessions and chance to share your highs and lows with likeminded members was everything and more than I could hope for!

Sylessae is a great teacher, full of passion, understanding, wit and humour. There was never a dull moment during our sessions and all this fun is only the cherry on top of the main thing and that is the learnings! 

All the introduced methods felt very well thought and meanigful. I have ones I enjoyed more and ones I enjoyed a tiny bit less of course  but none of them ever felt like "a waste of time" or "something not worth considering". They broadened my effective tools of practicing art and creating pieces while allowing  me to dive deeper into observing, studying and DRAWING at the same time. They are designed with customisation in mind so I could always challenge myself more or tone the difficulty down if I felt the need for a breather.

I feel like an important aspect of the bootcamp was the fact that it also directly influenced and positively changed my art approach and mindset surrounding it. Not only did I learn how to practice more effectively and draw better but also how to feel better about trying and experimenting with the process.

One other thing that I valued a lot about the bootcamp is the idea that despite the 8 weeks being already over this is only the beginning of our journey. The event leaves all of us with a lifelong access to all the materials and recorded classes, 6 repeatable and practiced study methods to continue our growth, a group of friends to keep sharing and improving together, a changed perspective on creating and finally a direction to move forward.

I wholeheartedly recommend it!

Rating (1-5 stars): 5
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
My portrait bootcamp is for you if you: - Spend too much time thinking about drawing rather than actually drawing - Don't know what to study - Get overwhelmed by all there is to learn - Struggle to balance art with other responsibilities - Thrive with accountability 👇
Promotional poster for an 8-week guided portrait-drawing bootcamp for busy schedules, layered over a loose pencil sketch of a woman’s face; headline reads "Master portrait drawing on a busy schedule" with caption "No more overthinking your creative goals" and a short signup link.
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Isobel_Starling @isobelstarling.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Inspired by @sylessae.bsky.social While I'm too unwell to attend life drawing I'm going to try to sketch faces every day to keep my skills. These are models for @furiousfotog.com #drawing #pickupapencil #sketch #men
References, photos by @furiousphotog
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Just because your brain says you're a bad artist doesn't mean you are. Brains are tricky and like to talk us out of doing important things when it feels scared, tired, or frustrated. Next time your brain tries to make you doubt your effort, ask yourself: What am I actually feeling?
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I've worked with students who have incredible art skills who don't allow themselves to follow through in pursuing a career (or even just what excites them) in art. It's not always a skill issue. 🧵
Winged sorceress in a flowing white gown and fur mantle strikes a commanding pose against a glowing, clouded sky, dark wings spread, hair streaming, a jeweled circlet on her brow and palms outstretched toward floating orbs of light.
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Tim Gaedke @timgaedke.com · 26/09/2026
talent is a lie
a cartoon picture of a frog throwing a crooked looking clay vase with the words “talent is a lie, just do it anyway”
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Thinking about starting up a virtual sketchbook group
Sketchbook page of pencil head studies showing varied female faces, hairstyles, and expressions, with a yellow wooden pencil lying across the drawings.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Gonna have to fill my sketchbook up with elves to tide me over until WoW Forever launch
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
lil martini 🍸️
Still-life painting showing a martini glass center-front with a bottle and tall spirit container behind it, a metal tray of olives and lemon wedges in the foreground, and a green painter's canvas border and wooden easel visible around the artwork.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
My portrait bootcamp is for you if you: - Spend too much time thinking about drawing rather than actually drawing - Don't know what to study - Get overwhelmed by all there is to learn - Struggle to balance art with other responsibilities - Thrive with accountability 👇
Promotional poster for an 8-week guided portrait-drawing bootcamp for busy schedules, layered over a loose pencil sketch of a woman’s face; headline reads "Master portrait drawing on a busy schedule" with caption "No more overthinking your creative goals" and a short signup link.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Just draw. Be curious, be open to drawing new things, be self-forgiving when you make mistakes, draw everything that excites you. Getting good doesn't have to be that hard or serious. You just gotta keep drawing.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Make a mess with your art and let the world see it without shame.
Sketchbook page of multiple pencil head studies—mostly women and one older man—exploring different angles, hairstyles, and expressions, with a graphite pencil resting along the left edge.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Future you is already grateful that you picked up the pen to draw today.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Pencil sketchbook page showing loose graphite head-and-shoulder studies of several female faces in different angles and expressions, with a sharpened black pencil resting along the right edge.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
You should create what makes you happy and see what happens. Do it, you won't.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Making art is only painful because we're told we have to create in a certain way to be successful and everyone is chasing a process they don't enjoy.
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Danielle Ryan (Lestat Era) @danirat.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
GREAT advice here too many people want their sketchbooks to look like portfolios nah babe experiment take notes test ideas scribble PLAY
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
🧵 My advice for getting yourself into drawing again:
Two-page sketchbook spread of loose pen portrait studies and eye close-ups featuring varied female faces, expressions, hairstyles and rose doodles, suggesting character practice and gesture exploration.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Spoiler alert: You can create whatever the heck you want.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Sometimes the paint just looks like you could eat it
Small oil painting on an easel showing three glossy red strawberries atop whipped cream rendered in thick, expressive brushstrokes, photographed in a studio setting with a wooden easel, paint-splattered shelf, and houseplant leaves visible at the edges.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Hot take: much of my early years of art making led to success because I ignored what everyone said being an artist meant; suffering, being broke, not take seriously, etc. You don't have to accept these beliefs. You CAN carve your path. This journey can be fun and transformative.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Nobody is born with art skills. It only looks like talent exists because you don't see the thousands of hours of work that artists do behind the scenes.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Today's to-do list: ✅️ Order breakfast ✅️ Paint breakfast ✅️ Eat breakfast
Artist workspace with a glass palette holding dozens of mixed oil paint dabs beside a tiny still-life canvas on a wooden easel, red-handled brushes leaning at the edge and a metal jar for brushes in the foreground.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Even if you don't feel like drawing today (because you're putting massive expectations on yourself to be good), know that scribbling still counts.
Loose black ink sketchbook page of multiple gestural head studies. Mostly young women with varied hairstyles, expressions, and angles, exploring facial features and poses.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
You build confidence by letting yourself feel insecure about your art skills and creating anyway.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
You're allowed to draw slowly in a world that wants everything fast.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Somehow painted apples look more delicious than real apples
Close-up oil painting of ripe red apples in a white ceramic bowl, bold brushstrokes and warm highlights emphasizing round forms and rich reds against a dark background.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
When I had found my art style, I found that I ended up far more rigid with creating than when I let myself explore uncertainty. Sometimes that got in the way of creating freely. Let yourself explore more. Be especially aware of "I should" in your creation process.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I immortalized last night's oysters in oil
Thick oil painting on a small rectangular canvas depicting stylized oysters and a lemon, displaying energetic brushstrokes against a warm red‑brown background on a wooden work surface.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
My process for social media these days: Make a lot of stuff, don't post at all. When I take a break from drawing, I post it all at once. I don't recommend copying me but it has been oddly consistent lmao
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Don't think too hard when warming up before drawing. Just get the pen moving.
Sheet of paper covered in rows of small black-ink abstract doodles and textured thumbnail sketches, showing varied line patterns and scribbles used as drawing studies, resting on a light-colored desk. Artist is emphasizing the importance of just getting the pen moving rather than overthinking the warm up.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
The scariest part of creativity can be your own freedom. Being able to do anything feels paralyzing because it can be difficult to choose. Giving yourself a theme, timer, or challenge can alleviate the feeling of infinite possibilities.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I don’t draw something just once and endlessly try to perfect it. I draw it many times, messily, to let myself discover which version I like best. Then I refine one version later. Less tension, less expectations, more drawing.
Multiple expressive ink head studies of a woman tilting her face upward, drawn in flowing continuous lines across a sketchbook page to explore poses and hair movement.
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Christina @tinamon.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Do it!! Do it!!!
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
If you hate one creative process, try a new one. If you don't want to study all the time, don't. If you want to draw what you want, do it. If the way everyone else is doing it doesn't light you up, then take a different path. Don't forget you're the creator. You make the rules.
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🐸 Becky / Rebcebab 🐸 @rebcebab.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Quick sketch of my wife #Lariemar #Warcraft #WorldofWarcraft #warcraftart
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Secret third option: do it now and don't resist the stress. Stay with it, get curious about it. When you practice doing this, the stress gets quieter and you realize it's no longer a barrier.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The key is to remove ANY expectation of it being good and just let your hand get to work. If one sketch isn't working, move onto the next. Don't give your brain time to fight it!
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Progress in your craft requires creation and experimentation. NOT more thinking, deliberating, or researching. Go make something.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Classic negroni 🧊 Oil, 8x10in on canvas board
Painted still-life of a classic negroni. A short glass with swirling red, orange and yellow reflections on a dark canvas, shown beside a paper palette of thick paint swatches on a wood tabletop.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I don’t draw something just once and endlessly try to perfect it. I draw it many times, messily, to let myself discover which version I like best. Then I refine one version later. Less tension, less expectations, more drawing.
Multiple expressive ink head studies of a woman tilting her face upward, drawn in flowing continuous lines across a sketchbook page to explore poses and hair movement.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
You're the artist. You're the creator. Stop pretending to be anything less because you're afraid of what you could be. You're ready.
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🍎 hindasavra ✦ comms open @hindasavra.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Still on vacation and I brought a pretty limited selection of supplies with me)) This time used a multicolor pen It was pretty challenging btw 😅 #sketch #art
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Drawing horny magical ladies until y'all believe you're also magical
Profile portrait of a serene horned fantasy character with half closed eyes, patterned facial markings and a pointed ear, wearing wavy hair and a round dangling earring rendered in a soft grayscale sketch.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
If you hate one creative process, try a new one. If you don't want to study all the time, don't. If you want to draw what you want, do it. If the way everyone else is doing it doesn't light you up, then take a different path. Don't forget you're the creator. You make the rules.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Innocent or evil?
Stylized pencil portrait of a young woman with short wavy hair and small horns, glancing over her shoulder with tear-like highlights and rounded cheek blushes, rendered in soft grayscale to convey quiet melancholy.
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Sylessae @sylessae.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Reworking old illustrations that were lacking because of my past skill feels like its giving me new life
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