How Lisa Ann Watkins Blends Art, Teaching, and BeFunky
Lisa Ann Watkins – the award-winning artist behind Animal Art by LAW – is a leading figure in the world of colored pencil art. Known for her lifelike animal portraits, engaging workshops, and advocacy for animal rescue, Lisa has built a global following as both a creator and teacher.
Though she earned a degree in Fashion and Textile Design, Lisa’s journey with colored pencils didn’t begin until twenty years after graduation. Following a decades-long creative block, a counselor encouraged her to reconnect with her artistic side.
In 2012, she purchased her first set of colored pencils – and never looked back. By Christmas of that same year, she was taking private commissions and entering international art challenges, winning twice. Just one month later, she left a secure, well-paying job to pursue a full-time career as an artist.
“I will never forget that feeling of seeing my art in print in a magazine for the first time. And then to have a piece on the front cover. It is like a 'pinch myself' moment again and again. The highlights are still coming to fruition as my first range of products made by a leading art supplies brand is about to be released - seeing my name on my very own signature kit with them is amazing. And I have also just signed my first major book deal. In all honesty though, these may be personal highlights or perceptions of success as seen by others but the true reward for me comes in helping people embrace their own creativity through teaching and sharing my knowledge.”
From Passion Project to Global Art Educator
Lisa’s art career quickly took off, with commissions booked months in advance and her social media presence growing rapidly. As followers began requesting insight into her techniques, she developed digital tutorials and in-person workshops. These sold out within hours – first in the UK, then across the U.S. on a sold-out teaching tour.
Today, Lisa creates in-depth video lessons and written tutorials for students around the world through her Patreon. She also integrates BeFunky’s creative tools into her teaching, making them an essential part of her workflow.
“BeFunky is my easy access, guaranteed results, go-to tool. I am so busy with my work that I don't always have time to search for a video teaching me how to do something that I need to take 10 steps to achieve. BeFunky has saved me so many times.”
How BeFunky Fits Into Lisa’s Creative Process
Lisa’s workflow often begins with photographing her subjects – usually rescue animals and wildlife. She then imports these images into BeFunky’s Photo Editor, applying Black & White effects and the Beautify tool to refine tonal values and colors. The edited photo becomes her colored pencil reference, which she also shares with workshop students.
After completing each drawing by hand, she scans it back into her computer and returns to BeFunky for marketing and presentation:
- Adding watermarks and branding to protect her work.
- Designing email graphics that help sell out workshops within hours.
- Creating Facebook cover images, posters, and advertisements.
- Building custom social media templates for consistent branding.
“The Photo Editor is great for quick crops, enhancements, alignments, and resizing. I also love it for adding layers and watermarks to my works in progress so that I can get them straight out onto social media. I have my logo and watermark saved in the app, as well as custom templates for creating social media posts, which allows me to save time and be consistent with my branding.”
Collaging for Teaching & Social Media
Lisa also uses BeFunky’s Collage Maker to showcase side-by-side comparisons of reference photos and finished pieces. These collages double as engaging social media posts and valuable teaching tools, both online and in-person.
“The Collage Maker is a great tool for comparing reference photos with works in progress pics and I use it in my online video mentoring with students all over the world. I created a transparent grid which can be dropped onto a piece so that students can self critique their proportions. I love teaching others how to utilize BeFunky for their own work as artists.”
Art With Heart
From the moment Lisa Ann Watkins left her day job to pursue art full-time, her journey has led to an exciting world of creativity, teaching, and advocacy. She shares her knowledge with hundreds of students worldwide while creating colored pencil portraits that give rescue animals a voice, raise funds for their care, and inspire compassion. Each piece she creates is not only a work of art, but also a step toward helping animals in need.
“Try not to be too rigid with your business plan. Opportunities will often reveal themselves without warning and you need to be in a position to be able to say yes. You also need to learn when to say no and manage your time. Have good, trustworthy, and honest artist friends around you. Support them as they support you. Hard work can pay off and you can make a very good living from being an artist, but remember to be you and not imitate someone else's success as people are buying into a little bit of you.”
Start Your Own Creative Journey
From her lifelike portraits of rescue animals to her sold-out art workshops, Lisa Ann Watkins has built a career that blends creativity, teaching, and advocacy. Her work not only inspires students around the world but also helps raise awareness and funds for animal rescue programs. You can explore more of her artistry and workshop offerings on her website. And if you’re ready to start creating like Lisa, try the same tools she uses every day with BeFunky’s Photo Editor and bring your own creative vision to life.
