How New Artist Roll Up & Paint Is Using Technology to Become a Wildly Successful Artist

Newsflash: you don’t have to go to art school to be a wildly successful artist. 

You might be thinking, my parents always told me artists make no money (& squashed my dreams in the process)…

But now you’re saying I can be a wildly successful artist without traditional art school? 

YEP. The art world is changing…and it’s changing fast. 

Advancements in technology take everything you think about traditional art and turn it upside down. 

Drawing apps allows creatives to turn their visions into masterpieces in a fraction of the time. 

Advanced editing software lets artists bring their wildest imaginations to life in crazy vivid detail. 

iPads and tablets give artists the ability to create – without a massive studio for their canvases, expensive paints, brushes, and equipment. 

Social media has given artists a platform to connect and reach larger audiences than ever possible in the history of humanity. 

And emerging artist Roll Up and Paint is using this new art technology to become a wildly successful artist…without traditional art school training.

Who is Roll Up and Paint?

Kirsten Campbell is a self-taught emerging artist who uses technology to create mind-blowing digital art. 

Since Kirsten started her Instagram account – Roll Up and Paint – back in 2017 she has created hundreds of digital masterpieces. She started her own online shop where she sells her art on home décor and apparel. She has even sold original works as NFTs. 

Now, Kirsten is joining the BIG Wall Décor community as the newest emerging artist. 

Kirsten’s digital art style is truly remarkable. Her pieces speak directly to the Black and stoner community who have felt isolated and excluded by traditional art.

Because her art isn’t just a beautiful painting to decorate your wall…

It’s a provocative expression of what it means to be a POC who is fully immersed in cannabis culture. 

Kirsten has a pulse on what’s relevant to the Black community and cannabis culture. This allows her to create stunning, meaningful art that is deeply impactful. 

Plus…she is on the cutting edge of digital art. She is paving the way for aspiring Black female artists so they receive the notoriety and support they deserve.

In this exclusive interview with Kirsten, you’ll learn how she uses technology to create digital art masterpieces. You’ll also learn:

• The best advice that keeps her focused and motivated as an artist
• How she got started and how you can create art even if you don’t have any training
• The one thing she would tell herself if she could go back and in time and start all over

Kirsten is full of a fiery determination and tenacity that won’t let anything get in the way of her dreams. 

Trust us when we say, Kirsten is one emerging artist you are going to want to watch. (And you will be proud to say you owned her art and supported her ambition before she made it really big). 

Get to know Kirsten as she debuts as BIG Wall Décor’s newest artist in this exclusive interview:

How did you get started creating your artwork?

I’ve always been a really chill person. Honestly, I love to stay home and draw. I’ve always had a knack for drawing, but I have never had any training or went to art school. 

It started as doodling on the back of papers and folders in class. But in 2017 I started to get more serious about art. 

I found my style through trial and error with painting. I had to figure out what I liked and what I wanted to create. I played around with abstract art and painting portraits. 

I would start with drawing the outline of a woman’s body and just see where it would go. 

But my style really took a turn into what I am known for now when I started adding flowers and weed.

What inspired you to transition from painting canvas to creating digital artwork?

My brothers had started creating digital artwork while I was still painting. They saw a lot of benefits of digital art over painting and encouraged me to get an iPad and try it out for myself. 

My brothers showed me Procreate, a graphics editing app for digital painters. There are a lot of digital drawing apps and software out there. But for me, Procreate has been easy to use and didn’t take too much effort to figure out. 

I started creating digital artwork by watching YouTube videos. Tutorials helped me learn the tools available on Procreate. This helped me figure out my process and develop my skills as a digital painter. 

Overall, technology has opened up so many opportunities that I couldn’t create by painting on canvas. It’s incredible.

Can you describe your process for creating your digital artwork?

I don’t have an exact start to finish process that I repeat every time I create new art. I guess the best way to describe my process comes from my Instagram name, @rollupandpaint. I like to roll up a joint and smoke to relax before I start creating art. 

Usually I get inspiration from Instagram. I love fashion and clothes. I will see an image of someone in a cool pose and think of an outfit that would pair well. I also really like flowers and cannabis culture. I try to incorporate both flowers and weed into all of my art.  

I take a lot of screenshots and usually end up mashing 5 or 6 elements from screenshots together in one collage. Then I start drawing and creating from there. 

I spend three to four hours a night creating and drawing. I think the average piece takes about four to five days to complete, depending on how detailed it is. 

One thing that I really love is the tiny details to each piece. When I draw flowers, I never copy and paste. I draw each one individually so there is a different touch for each and every flower.

What is the best advice you have ever received that impacts you as an artist?

Have faith in yourself. 

Have faith in what you want to do and what you can do. 

Because being an artist takes a lot of patience. It’s not for the weak or people who need a lot of instant results. 

You can’t skip the hard parts of the process. You need to go through the ugly stuff. Make stuff you hate.

You’re going to feel like I don’t want to do this anymore but you need to stick with it and have faith in yourself. 

Art block can take a toll. You aren’t always going to have a super creative day. 

Give yourself a break. Walk away from a piece for a day or two. Your creativity will come back. 

But always have the discipline to come back from the break. 

Take a break long enough to clear your mind, but not so long that you get comfortable.

What are you most proud of when you think of a career as an artist so far?

Opening my website. It took a while for me to figure it out. I had to teach myself everything. 

I watched a lot of YouTube videos and figured out how to navigate creating a website all by myself. 

And I was able to do it all on my own, which took a lot of work and effort that I am super proud of. 

People can order my artwork printed on apparel like phone cases, shorts, and t-shirts, which is how I started having my own business selling my art.

Now, I am so excited to join BIG Wall Décor as the newest emerging artist.

I can’t wait to reach more people like me, who connect with my Black culture and cannabis art. I can’t wait to see massive versions of my digital paintings hung in people’s home.

How does it make you feel to see your art hung in other people’s homes?

It makes me feel really good. I love that people actually like art that is different. What I create isn’t necessarily the art that you would traditionally see in someone else’s living room. 

I love that people can connect to my art and creativity. I add aspects of myself into my pieces and I feel like people relate to my art in different ways. My goal is to reach as many people as possible with my art to spread positivity. 

When people connect with my art so much they hang it in their homes, it’s awesome.

What is something (and this can be anything) that you want people to know?

Digital art is real art. 

Digital art doesn’t get as much respect as traditional paintings and art get. 

I think people forget that even though it’s digital, there is still someone making the art. So it is just as valuable as physical art. 

When the person is gone, there won’t be that same digital art created ever again.

If you could go back in time and tell yourself one thing, what would you tell yourself?

I would tell myself, have faith that it’s gonna happen. 

When I started creating art I would think this is stupid and I really didn’t know it if was going to work out. 

I didn’t know what I was doing and I felt discouraged. I was always thinking will I make any money? and can I make money doing this?

I would say that I am still not 100% there…I would love to be able to do art full time. It would be cool to have more space to also be able to paint. I’d really love to have my own gallery one day and have a full blown, diversified art business. 

But when I compare where I am now vs the beginning, I am really happy with my progress and feel confident that yes, I can do this.