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Some thoughts on my artistic skill level
10 years ago
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I felt like making a journal post and this turned out to be something of an essay. As an artist, this is the crap I'm thinking about all the time. Sometimes I see people wondering how they can improve, as an artist trying to improve this is my thought process on the stuff I am concerned about improving for now. It's very TLDR and all about boring art stuff.
Seeing the image in your head before starting to draw. This is the biggest thing I wanted to talk to other artists about. I almost entirely lack the ability to imagine something so I figure out what it should look like (person here, person there, some in between action being visible) and try to make it work. When I'm really inspired doing personal work everything seems to go really well really quickly. Maybe that's because of the specific demands of commission work vs personal work which takes less than half as long.
I believe I spend 4-5 x the amount of time I put into work compared to similar artists doing similar things. I worry a lot about extra details that don't really make a difference to the image, sometimes the details are way too small to see if you view the image as a whole. The time issue is the biggest issue for my living, as far as money-for-time goes. If I could fix this issue I could offer cheaper work and pump out so much more of it. I am always trying to think of ways to improve this but it has a lot to do with my style and what I want my style to be. I like a lot of different styles! It's so hard to choose whether I want to be more realistic or more cartoony and in the years I've been doing this I haven't really swung one way or the other, just back and forth.
On mindfulness... doing it right the first time:
- to nail the sketch phase saves so much time. Sometimes I say "eh the shoulder looks kind of weird but I'll worry about it later" only to realize it's been a huge problem all along. If only I spent an extra minute tweaking the sketch ...
- to make mindful strokes that don't need to be redone/refined several times. I like to do a rough composition sketch then a rough sketch then a detailed sketch then linework and I don't think it's necessary if I could have more intent.
None of this means that I think changes shouldn't be made, I think changes are very important for making the best work and should be done if necessary. The idea is to fix things before they require more work to be changed.
Discipline! I bounce back and forth between sections of the image and phases of the image a lot. It's almost like I'd rather bring the image to completion chunk by chunk leaving the harder parts unfinished. While I was watching someone stream I realized they went through the image bit by bit and didn't flip around with layers to see stuff. I also think this has a massive effect on saving time.
I feel that I completely lack any original style. I do aim to start drawing people with longer bodies/limbs ... I kept trying to fit people into this portrait format which does show people better the smaller/wider they are. A while ago I was really bad at making torsos way too short, it's weird I never noticed it as being weird. Drawing eyes is something I feel like I do different each time. I think my linework needs to go from like 4px to 8px, it's much too thin. I reference some artists for things I like and others for other things and it creates a thing that doesn't seem to go well together.
Better anatomy ... I mean most artists are always trying to improve on this and rightfully so. I stare at people all the time, not in a creepy way or anything, like maybe memorizing it helps. There's plenty of resources on this to help with anatomy.
Artistic process ... There's a painterly art process where you colour over the sketch and create beautiful demicoeur work, or you can do what most people do and stick with the linework. Then are you cell shading or smooth shading? Do you need more than one coloured light source? These are some factors that determine how realistic an image can be. I have done both methods and they both have pros/cons. I find the painterly method super fun but I'm lazy and feel like linework is lazier (except when I have changes and need to change four different layers!)
About artists going on a hiatus ... I did this like once last year or something where I didn't draw for a couple months or so. For some reason I had a big jump in improvement, in my own opinion. I thought it was very interesting, that's all I had to say about it.
So aside from hating my work and everything all the time this is all the stuff I'm always trying to improve at. Which is pretty much everything! How does this work?! Baby steps.
Seeing the image in your head before starting to draw. This is the biggest thing I wanted to talk to other artists about. I almost entirely lack the ability to imagine something so I figure out what it should look like (person here, person there, some in between action being visible) and try to make it work. When I'm really inspired doing personal work everything seems to go really well really quickly. Maybe that's because of the specific demands of commission work vs personal work which takes less than half as long.
I believe I spend 4-5 x the amount of time I put into work compared to similar artists doing similar things. I worry a lot about extra details that don't really make a difference to the image, sometimes the details are way too small to see if you view the image as a whole. The time issue is the biggest issue for my living, as far as money-for-time goes. If I could fix this issue I could offer cheaper work and pump out so much more of it. I am always trying to think of ways to improve this but it has a lot to do with my style and what I want my style to be. I like a lot of different styles! It's so hard to choose whether I want to be more realistic or more cartoony and in the years I've been doing this I haven't really swung one way or the other, just back and forth.
On mindfulness... doing it right the first time:
- to nail the sketch phase saves so much time. Sometimes I say "eh the shoulder looks kind of weird but I'll worry about it later" only to realize it's been a huge problem all along. If only I spent an extra minute tweaking the sketch ...
- to make mindful strokes that don't need to be redone/refined several times. I like to do a rough composition sketch then a rough sketch then a detailed sketch then linework and I don't think it's necessary if I could have more intent.
None of this means that I think changes shouldn't be made, I think changes are very important for making the best work and should be done if necessary. The idea is to fix things before they require more work to be changed.
Discipline! I bounce back and forth between sections of the image and phases of the image a lot. It's almost like I'd rather bring the image to completion chunk by chunk leaving the harder parts unfinished. While I was watching someone stream I realized they went through the image bit by bit and didn't flip around with layers to see stuff. I also think this has a massive effect on saving time.
I feel that I completely lack any original style. I do aim to start drawing people with longer bodies/limbs ... I kept trying to fit people into this portrait format which does show people better the smaller/wider they are. A while ago I was really bad at making torsos way too short, it's weird I never noticed it as being weird. Drawing eyes is something I feel like I do different each time. I think my linework needs to go from like 4px to 8px, it's much too thin. I reference some artists for things I like and others for other things and it creates a thing that doesn't seem to go well together.
Better anatomy ... I mean most artists are always trying to improve on this and rightfully so. I stare at people all the time, not in a creepy way or anything, like maybe memorizing it helps. There's plenty of resources on this to help with anatomy.
Artistic process ... There's a painterly art process where you colour over the sketch and create beautiful demicoeur work, or you can do what most people do and stick with the linework. Then are you cell shading or smooth shading? Do you need more than one coloured light source? These are some factors that determine how realistic an image can be. I have done both methods and they both have pros/cons. I find the painterly method super fun but I'm lazy and feel like linework is lazier (except when I have changes and need to change four different layers!)
About artists going on a hiatus ... I did this like once last year or something where I didn't draw for a couple months or so. For some reason I had a big jump in improvement, in my own opinion. I thought it was very interesting, that's all I had to say about it.
So aside from hating my work and everything all the time this is all the stuff I'm always trying to improve at. Which is pretty much everything! How does this work?! Baby steps.
I honestly think that most of the time when doing art is the time
but I have found that you can save time if you do minimum modifications that maybe
doesnt look so important.
Ex: I usually do the sketch almost as the lineart , so when I have to do the real lineart
I have no trouble with it and this saves me a lot of time.
I think that small details are really important because I have seen many times
that the smallest detail can make a huge different when you look completly at the whole picture
and this give the drawing a more realistic effect :3!
also what has helped e a lot is what you said:
watch other artists tutorials, art, etc...
and i analyze how they might have done this effect or that thing.
3 years has passed and I still struggle with the same: toony or realistic?
cell shaded or soft shaded? linework or lineless?
but the thing is that you can have more than 1 style , I mean maybe you can offer
a certain kind of styles to your customers and focus the other styles for your own
personal drawing and stuff n.n
I personally love your artstyle, I think its truly beautiful
and I know that you will keep improving through time :)
just dont give up because I know that you have many watchers and fans out there
incluiding me :3.
(im sorry for my spelling mistakes, english is not my main language)
Have a nice day n.n
Lunarii.
It almost makes me glad to hear other people struggle with the style questions XD I'm not alone in this clueless struggle.I had thought about offering the different styles but I became unsatisfied with how unfinished some work looks. Thanks for your comment it was helpful! And I will never give up on trying to improve! >:3
I like it too but sometimes I just have this feeling of:
awww I like how this style looks... and that one... and that one Dx
and I end up on an artistic block x.x
But I just keep trying and practicing :3
Glad to hear that you feel good :)
Ohhh , then you can offer just a singles style (I have seen artist done this)
and just in special ocassions you can offer different styles :3
My sketching process is SOOOOO rough! Sometimes i am surprised other people can understand what it is i have drawn XD; I see so many other artists with amazing, clean sketches and i envy them for possessing the ability to sketch so neatly (it is something i have never, personally, been able to achieve).
I don't think you lack your own style at all! In fact, i think you have one of the more defined styles on FA :) I really love your style! Your linework is brilliant too - i don't think its too thick at all!
I think going on hiatus to improve your artwork is great, if you can afford to do so :) There is nothing wrong with taking a break to work on a few things that have been bugging you. I did this a while back and i had a big improvement also (tho my artwork is NOTHING compared to yours XD)
But you are correct- the best way to improve is baby steps. Take each day as it comes. One thing i learnt in art prac in college was the 'draw 100' project - that helped MASSIVELY with me improving anatomy (tho i am still FAR from perfect!). You basically sketch something 100 times (or until you think you have the hang of it) hands, feet, arms, muscled torsos etc. But i tend to take a lot of details from real life as well... like facial expressions, eyes (ugh i am SOOO inconsistent with my own work!)
But in conclusion, i think it is 100% normal to look at your own artwork sometimes and just hate everything.... i hate mine almost all the time. I am constantly nit-picking details; but SOOOOO many other artists do the same!
Hope you start feeling in a better mood about your work soon! I absolutely admire your work and you are one of the artists whom i look up to and hope to achieve the level of one day!
Being inconsistent with work is such the bane of my existence. You probably do your signature different every time too? XD
Though I guess these things are more apparent to the artist than to viewers.
I do think it's good to be critical of your work as to keep you improving. The agreement I'm seeing on the hiatus thing makes me wonder. I won't take it just for fun or to test, but if for some reason I'm forced to be out of commission for a while I can think of it as a positive thing. :3
Thanks so much for the positive comments!
Ugh i am horribly inconsistent with things- eyes, hands.... definitely draw my signature different each time XD
You're more than welcome! only other thing i could suggest is to do a personal piece of work every now and then to keep you sane inbetween commissions - i've noticed that artists seem to get down/feel bogged down/unmotivated when they are constantly working on commissions alone (other artists LOVE doing commissions tho!)
I look forward to seeing more of your work :)
The personal pieces I was doing used to be just League of Legend themed things but that's shifted to patreon-supported pieces. One day I may be able to do more personal stuff without worrying about the time. I'm looking forward to making so much of it. :D
There are a few things, though, that I have picked up from various people, and I have used those things throughout my life of me drawing, though not digitally as much. XP
Hence that is why my artwork in my sketchbooks in my room look completely different than on the tablet. But I know I'll be able to catch up on that soon.
Where am I getting at with all of this? One of the main lessons I learned on my own was, "Artists were never born with perfect art skills. They were just born with the gifts. It wasn't until after they hone the gift and practiced and examined the flaws and corrected them that that is when they were truly master of their skills. And everyone is born with that gift. Some just don't realize it." So that is my viewpoint on art: just practice a lot and examine and study things that you do. Not saying you never did, since A- you did just that, and B- it sounds insulting to me, like as if one never takes the time to never improve and chooses to be stuck in their standard way of doing things.
Aside from all of that, how has your day been, FU? :3
When you're new at something if you get too caught up with all the specific things I'm ranting about, people get something called analysis paralysis. Basically you spend too much time worrying about making sure everything is right so you don't do anything at all. You seem all new/fresh/inspired, I don't think you'd have any problems with it. ^_^
Getting better at art is just like getting better at anything I guess, a lifetime of learning ~
And I've been good how about you? XD
Don't feel bad if I learned things from you, because I did, but I learned things for the positive. I know everyone has flaws in certain things, but I always look for the positive more than the negative. Why? Like I said, everyone has their flaws, but to point out their flaws is a flaw of one's self, because he/she doesn't realize that that person has left their flaws in the open.
Your one of my best friends that I have ever met since I joined this community, and at the same time, I look to you as a form of inspiration. Knowing you is one of the best things to happen to me when I came here, and I just want to say that you, and many others, but mostly you (XD) have helped me sculpt myself into what I can be.
And of course I'm happy to be of help in any way. <3
Hope you get over your block soon!
I'm so tempted to go take another huge break again. TwT
My best guess is that we unconsciously get stuck in a habit of doing/thinking the same things, or bringing yourself to a certain frame of mind in order to draw/play. Or mistakes become habits. By taking a break you change from your old frame of mind, or your 'forget' those little repeated mistakes that your hands have been making, or that your eye is passing over etc.
Or something xwx I'm just guessing, soo...
I feel like there is a reason to have a break. It may be frustration, not liking your final product or just complacency with your artistic style. Just as there is a reason to take a break theres a reason to come back. The break clears all of that out, you start with a fresh outlook, without the concerns and expectations
You and Ajna are much better artist than I am but I think its just a natural thing that happens to everyone.
It made me giggle ~
It's maybe been a long time since I had a break, but ah .... couple months ago maybe I was off for a week and liked everything I made even since then.
I also have less thirst to do artwork when I'm doing it all time, there was something nice about really wanting to do artwork but I couldn't until later that day or something.
It kept me thirsty and fueled desire for when I could do it.