How to Make Your Art Feel Cozy and Nostalgic

I've been drawing consistently for a little over two years now. I consider myself a lifelong artist but prior to two years ago, I didn't make creating a habit and I think that was the reason why I didn't really have a distinct "style" prior to setting up a consistent drawing routine.

Once I started making creating art a routine instead of something I just did every now and again, I started noticing a consistent style showing up in my art and others noticed it too.

When I talk to people about my art at festivals and shows, they almost always say something along the lines of my art feeling familiar, warm, and comforting. 

I love drawing in this style and I often get asked how I started drawing this way. If you're an artist too and you're wondering how to make your art feel cozy and nostalgic, I have a few things below that I do with almost every artwork I make!

What Makes Art Feel Cozy and Nostalgic?

I think the answer to this question can be quite different depending on who you ask! For me, there are a few things I do to make my art feel cozy and nostalgic:

  • Choose warm-toned colors over cool tones
  • Use soft and flowing lines
  • Add soft touches of light where you can
  • Embrace little imperfections

I'll explain more about how I use all of these below!

Choose a Warm, Comforting Color Palette

Color is one of the biggest components that affects the mood of any artwork. In my artwork, I like to use mainly warm-toned colors because I focus on creating cozy and warm art. However, this isn't an absolute rule! 

I will sometimes use cool tones for small details or a cool blue for coloring the sky in a landscape drawing. I think adding cool-toned colors here and there can often make the piece more visually interesting. But if you look at my artwork overall, you can see that I use warm tones a lot more.

Try:

  • Warm yellows, greens, oranges, and pinks
  • Small cool-toned details of blue or purple here and there but used sparingly
  • For neutrals, choose beige and brown over gray

Tip: Map out your color palette beforehand on a separate sheet of paper. I often do this especially when I'm drawing a subject I haven't drawn before. When you see all of the colors together, does it feel cozy and warm to you?

If not, swap out one or two colors. It can take some experimenting to nail down the right color palette for a piece but it's worth the extra effort to make the art feel how you want it to feel at the end.

Use Soft and Flowing Lines

Cozy art usually leans softer. Sharp edges and precise symmetry can sometimes feel too "perfect". In my artwork, you'll see a lot of flowing and irregular lines. But again, just like with using a warm color palette, this isn't an absolute rule.

I love using patterns in my work and patterns tend to lean toward precise edges and straight lines. But when I use a checkered or geometric pattern, I think of it as more of a supporting character rather than a lead role. I use straight, precise lines to create patterns in the background sometimes but they are rarely the main focus in my artwork.

My take on it:

  • Rounded shapes feel cozier and more inviting
  • Slightly irregular, hand-drawn lines add charm. It doesn't have to be perfect!
  • Use patterns or geometric shapes to support your main subject instead of making them the focus

Pen, marker, and textured brushes (my preferred mediums) can easily create this softness with the right technique, which is one reason traditional tools work so well for creating cozy art.

Add Light in a Subtle Way

This may not apply to every artwork, but if you like drawing landscapes, houses, interiors, and things of that nature, incorporating little hints of light can add so much to the overall piece. 

For example, if you're drawing a cozy cabin in the forest, you could add a soft glow of yellow light coming out of the windows. Or if you're drawing a still life with objects on a table, you could create soft highlights as if the objects are placed next to a window.

I don't think every artwork needs a variation of light and shadow in order to feel cozy. But in some cases, it helps the drawing come to life a bit more.

Cozy light can include:

  • A warm glow coming from a window
  • Lamps or candles
  • Soft highlights of sunlight or moonlight

Light can suggest a story as if something warm is happening just beyond what the viewer can see.

Embrace Imperfection

When I first started drawing, I was a lot more of a perfectionist than I am now. Every time I "messed up" and drew a line a little different than I intended, it really bothered me! I gave up on many drawings that I deemed as not being fixable. Some I have found years later and wondered what I was thinking. They're not even bad!

You might feel like your art has to be perfect before you put it out into the world but I'm telling you... When you make little mistakes, take a deep breath and continue on. Those small imperfections add charm and uniqueness to your artwork.

Let your art show:

  • Imperfect lines
  • Ink bleed or uneven coloring
  • Visible strokes and slightly out-of-place marks

These imperfections will be part of what makes your art feel comforting and nostalgic.

Conclusion

Learning how to make your art feel cozy and nostalgic is less about rules and more about embracing your own style and embracing little imperfections. Take time to develop a color palette that you love and work on using soft lines and subtle light where you can.

If you love cozy and nostalgic art, you might enjoy my snail mail club, where I send my original art every month straight to your mailbox. You can check it out here.

Let me know if you found any of these tips helpful. Happy drawing!

-Courtney

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