In this episode of Smerdon Toast, professional artists and 2025 Portrait Artist of the Year AU (PAOTY) contestants Anne Smerdon and Seabastion Toast put the 80/20 Pareto Principle to the test in the studio.
The Pareto Principle suggests that 80% of results come from 20% of effort. But how does this apply to artists making art? Can painters and creatives really work smarter, not harder? We put the 80/20 Rule to the test in this art challenge, exploring:
✅ How the 80/20 Rule applies to painting, creativity, and studio practice
✅ Why most artistic progress comes from just 20% of effort (and what to focus on)
✅ Practical tips for artists to work smarter, not harder
✅ How painting challenges can sharpen focus and lead to unexpected insights
If you’re interested in painting challenges, art productivity hacks, creativity tips, or studio efficiency, this video is for you. Watch as we test the Pareto Principle in art, share what worked, what didn’t, and what we learned along the way.
⸻
Subscribe to Smerdon Toast for more painting challenges, creative discussions, and tips for artists.
Find our art on:
• www.annesmerdon.com
• www.seabastiontoast.com
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Key topics covered in this episode:
80/20 rule painting challenge, Pareto principle art, painting challenge YouTube, art productivity tips, 80/20 rule in art, Pareto principle painting, art hacks for artists, painting challenge ideas, how to improve your art practice, artist productivity challenge, work smarter not harder art, Smerdon Toast painting challenge PAOTY contestants, Portrait Artist of the Year AU, Australian Portrait artist of the year, Portrait artist of the year Australia.
All content for Smerdon Toast is the property of Seabastion Toast & Anne Smerdon and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
In this episode of Smerdon Toast, professional artists and 2025 Portrait Artist of the Year AU (PAOTY) contestants Anne Smerdon and Seabastion Toast put the 80/20 Pareto Principle to the test in the studio.
The Pareto Principle suggests that 80% of results come from 20% of effort. But how does this apply to artists making art? Can painters and creatives really work smarter, not harder? We put the 80/20 Rule to the test in this art challenge, exploring:
✅ How the 80/20 Rule applies to painting, creativity, and studio practice
✅ Why most artistic progress comes from just 20% of effort (and what to focus on)
✅ Practical tips for artists to work smarter, not harder
✅ How painting challenges can sharpen focus and lead to unexpected insights
If you’re interested in painting challenges, art productivity hacks, creativity tips, or studio efficiency, this video is for you. Watch as we test the Pareto Principle in art, share what worked, what didn’t, and what we learned along the way.
⸻
Subscribe to Smerdon Toast for more painting challenges, creative discussions, and tips for artists.
Find our art on:
• www.annesmerdon.com
• www.seabastiontoast.com
-------
Key topics covered in this episode:
80/20 rule painting challenge, Pareto principle art, painting challenge YouTube, art productivity tips, 80/20 rule in art, Pareto principle painting, art hacks for artists, painting challenge ideas, how to improve your art practice, artist productivity challenge, work smarter not harder art, Smerdon Toast painting challenge PAOTY contestants, Portrait Artist of the Year AU, Australian Portrait artist of the year, Portrait artist of the year Australia.
In this episode of Smerdon Toast, professional artists and 2025 Portrait Artist of the Year AU (PAOTY) contestants Anne Smerdon and Seabastion Toast put the 80/20 Pareto Principle to the test in the studio.
The Pareto Principle suggests that 80% of results come from 20% of effort. But how does this apply to artists making art? Can painters and creatives really work smarter, not harder? We put the 80/20 Rule to the test in this art challenge, exploring:
✅ How the 80/20 Rule applies to painting, creativity, and studio practice
✅ Why most artistic progress comes from just 20% of effort (and what to focus on)
✅ Practical tips for artists to work smarter, not harder
✅ How painting challenges can sharpen focus and lead to unexpected insights
If you’re interested in painting challenges, art productivity hacks, creativity tips, or studio efficiency, this video is for you. Watch as we test the Pareto Principle in art, share what worked, what didn’t, and what we learned along the way.
⸻
Subscribe to Smerdon Toast for more painting challenges, creative discussions, and tips for artists.
Find our art on:
• www.annesmerdon.com
• www.seabastiontoast.com
-------
Key topics covered in this episode:
80/20 rule painting challenge, Pareto principle art, painting challenge YouTube, art productivity tips, 80/20 rule in art, Pareto principle painting, art hacks for artists, painting challenge ideas, how to improve your art practice, artist productivity challenge, work smarter not harder art, Smerdon Toast painting challenge PAOTY contestants, Portrait Artist of the Year AU, Australian Portrait artist of the year, Portrait artist of the year Australia.
In this episode of Smerdon Toast, artist Ben Crawford joins us to explore how collage can be used as a powerful tool for creating artwork. From paper cut-outs to digital collaging, we dive into techniques, challenges, and creative possibilities that collage opens up for painters, mixed media artists, and anyone curious about starting their own art journey.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
Why artists use collage as a starting point for painting
Ben Crawford’s personal approach to collage in his art
Where did collage begin?
The worst and best advice Ben has received as an artist
In this episode, we dive into the fascinating history of abstract painting and realism, exploring what these styles have meant throughout art history and how artists continue to redefine them today.
In episode 5 of Smerdon Toast, we set the challenge to paint using only three secondary colours—violet, orange, and green. Why? Well again and again in our discussions, the benefits of restrictions comes up and this restriction yet again proved our point - creativity is sparked when choices are narrowed and we have to problem-solve our way out. Inevitably, this challenge brought up the age old "art school vs self taught" debate. Seabastion Toast is art school trained while Anne Smerdon has embarked on a journey of self-learning through selective short courses, books and mentoring sessions. Both artists talk about the advantages and disadvantages of their chosen paths.
Backlighting - it's magical to look at but murderously hard to paint. In this episode we tackle the painters version of staring into the sun while wrestling with values, technique and that pesky need for external validation. Welcome to your next artistic reckoning.
Light is everything. In this episode, we dive deep into how artists see, capture, and harness light in painting.
We’ll talk about:
• The struggles of turning solid paint into a visual map of light beams
• Using colored light to create harmony and mood
• How the shadow is essential to see light
• Morandi, art historical glow-ups, and why cats with no hair deserve a place in art history
• Plus, a little beat poetry and philosophical rambling (as usual)
Whether you're a painter seeking to elevate your understanding of light, or an art collector curious about what makes a painting glow, this one’s for you.
Subscribe for more deep-dives into painting, color theory, and the messy beauty of contemporary representational art.
Hosted by working artists who actually paint (and talk a lot).
Drop a comment about your favorite use of light in art—or your favorite hairless cat.
#lightinpainting #figurativeart #artcollectors #contemporaryart #paintingtechniques #colorharmony #sunlightstudy #morandi #artisttalk #artpodcast #artyoutube
Australian artists Seabastion Toast and Anne Smerdon go head-to-head in an Alla Prima painting challenge.
We dive into:
the benefits of painting wet on wet, alla prima style,
why it’s an essential exercise for both beginners and experienced artists,
and how it can improve your painting techniques fast.
Follow along as we share our results, what we struggled with, what we learned, and how painting wet on wet transformed our approach to making art.
Spoiler alert: The results were life changing.
️ About Smerdon Toast: Smerdon Toast is a YouTube and podcast series created by Australian painters Anne Smerdon and Seabastion Toast. Each episode, we challenge each other with a different art challenge designed to push our painting skills and stretch our creative muscles. From painting competitions and timed painting sessions to unusual art topics, we invite you to join us for a deep dive into the world of contemporary art-making. Artists, budding artists, and art collectors — this one’s for you. Learn new painting tips, discover behind-the-scenes art studio practices, and gain insight into how art gets made.
Want to join the challenge? Share your work using #smerdontoast on Instagram, Tiktok or YouTube — we’d love to see it!
️ Shop the artworks from each episode: www.annesmerdon.com www.seabastiontoast.com Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss an episode of painting YouTubers in action!
#paintingchallenge #artchallenge #improveyourpaintingskills #artistvlog #paintingstudies #contemporaryart #learnhowtopaint #paintingtechniques #artforcollectors #smerdontoast
Australian artists Anne Smerdon and Seabastion Toast go head-to-head in a 20-minute painting challenge. When there’s no time to get caught up in details, you’re forced to focus on honest, intuitive painting and the results might just surprise you.
We discuss:
why painting small studies with a time limit is an essential exercise for both beginners and experienced artists,
how painting timed studies can improve your painting techniques fast
how to push through when you think your painting is failing
chroma and the difficulty making high chroma colours lighter
why you should be careful posting everything you make on social media
why flipping your painting upside down is helpful
Follow along as we share our results, what we struggled with, what we learned, and how these quick painting studies transformed our approach to making art.
Spoiler alert: The results were life changing.
In this episode of Smerdon Toast, professional artists and 2025 Portrait Artist of the Year AU (PAOTY) contestants Anne Smerdon and Seabastion Toast put the 80/20 Pareto Principle to the test in the studio.
The Pareto Principle suggests that 80% of results come from 20% of effort. But how does this apply to artists making art? Can painters and creatives really work smarter, not harder? We put the 80/20 Rule to the test in this art challenge, exploring:
✅ How the 80/20 Rule applies to painting, creativity, and studio practice
✅ Why most artistic progress comes from just 20% of effort (and what to focus on)
✅ Practical tips for artists to work smarter, not harder
✅ How painting challenges can sharpen focus and lead to unexpected insights
If you’re interested in painting challenges, art productivity hacks, creativity tips, or studio efficiency, this video is for you. Watch as we test the Pareto Principle in art, share what worked, what didn’t, and what we learned along the way.
⸻
Subscribe to Smerdon Toast for more painting challenges, creative discussions, and tips for artists.
Find our art on:
• www.annesmerdon.com
• www.seabastiontoast.com
-------
Key topics covered in this episode:
80/20 rule painting challenge, Pareto principle art, painting challenge YouTube, art productivity tips, 80/20 rule in art, Pareto principle painting, art hacks for artists, painting challenge ideas, how to improve your art practice, artist productivity challenge, work smarter not harder art, Smerdon Toast painting challenge PAOTY contestants, Portrait Artist of the Year AU, Australian Portrait artist of the year, Portrait artist of the year Australia.
