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Who even reads this stuff? (You won't)
15 years ago
Lately I've not been posting up as much work as I'd like to. It's not that I am not doing anything, but that I argue at what the point is of doing anything for FA. You don't get much out of it, and this and DeviantArt might as well be the Salon de Paris. I'd upload more experimental work and personal projects, but even on DeviantArt, a site NOT made for niche audiences, generally no one spares a glance at it. It's not fair to say that, of course, there are hundreds of pictures posted right alongside mine, so I can't exactly expect everyone to look at it. Soon it becomes a game not of free expression, but that success can only be found by expressing what people want to see. That may work for Jacques-Louis David, but sorry, I can't do no Oath of the Horatii.
...and then there's commissions, probably one of the worst things to happen to art over the old World Wide Web. Don't get me wrong, contracting an artist for design needs is great, but the sheer volume of artists and the amount of artists willing to work for a pittance has distorted and devalued art to an insane degree. Just letting you know, people, that you can get a job that pays MINIMUM WAGE that would earn you more money per hour than how long you may spend on a 10$ commission (if you enjoy art that much over working though, God bless you). Of course, since it's basically a price war that somebody has to win, the value of art no matter the quality is going to drop and drop and drop. With such a continuing trend, how can an artist POSSIBLY make good money off of their work? Especially since I know some artists that are grandly talented that simply cannot get their foot in the door!
However, it is pretty clear to me now that being popular on this site isn't so much about being talented or working hard, it's a whole mess of networking. Anyone who thinks they can make the one piece that will get them the recognition they desire is being naive. There's nothing wrong with that though, it's a lot like that in real life, too.
I'd like to do more request work, because that at least gets some enjoyment out of individuals, which is fulfilling in its own respect. Which is essentially what I've come to- I'm not actively taking commissions over FA, because I'd rather have fun doing the off-job for a friend than break my back trying to sell myself. It demeans me as an artist and as a person.
Oh what was my point? I think I just needed to write that all down. Sorry
...and then there's commissions, probably one of the worst things to happen to art over the old World Wide Web. Don't get me wrong, contracting an artist for design needs is great, but the sheer volume of artists and the amount of artists willing to work for a pittance has distorted and devalued art to an insane degree. Just letting you know, people, that you can get a job that pays MINIMUM WAGE that would earn you more money per hour than how long you may spend on a 10$ commission (if you enjoy art that much over working though, God bless you). Of course, since it's basically a price war that somebody has to win, the value of art no matter the quality is going to drop and drop and drop. With such a continuing trend, how can an artist POSSIBLY make good money off of their work? Especially since I know some artists that are grandly talented that simply cannot get their foot in the door!
However, it is pretty clear to me now that being popular on this site isn't so much about being talented or working hard, it's a whole mess of networking. Anyone who thinks they can make the one piece that will get them the recognition they desire is being naive. There's nothing wrong with that though, it's a lot like that in real life, too.
I'd like to do more request work, because that at least gets some enjoyment out of individuals, which is fulfilling in its own respect. Which is essentially what I've come to- I'm not actively taking commissions over FA, because I'd rather have fun doing the off-job for a friend than break my back trying to sell myself. It demeans me as an artist and as a person.
Oh what was my point? I think I just needed to write that all down. Sorry
I too know artist that could get somewhere with their art and just need a hand getting their foot in the door.
but its nearly impossable to do that anymore.
What that is I have no idea, haha!
Either way, I should do more livestreams for random requests, those are always a good time.
Also the more you upload, the more exposure you're getting. I lurk on FA's main page a lot and am very familiar with people who upload regularly, even if I'm not watching them or interested in their work.
Still I dunno if this is what you were looking for, so feel free to disregard this.
I agree that a good portion of being seen here is through networking and giving props to other artists!