#and the other two are by loish

[jalapenobee]

Guys guess what

So since art is awesome I screenshotted a lot (especially voltron) and I’m gonna print it out and do that thing with the tape and make some stickers :)

See look *sniff sniff* you guys are so talented

[asliverofsun]

🚨ATTENTION ALL ARTISTS, WRITERS, & CREATIVES🚨 You have ‘til 10/30, 9PM PST TO LET THE COPYRIGHT OFFICE KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT AI 🤖

They want answers on all kinds of questions, like training datasets ingesting creatives' works or the copyrightability of outputs. Here’s a guide I transcribed from my Twitter on how to get started:

On the comment submission page, there is the “Notice of Inquiry” document where the Office literally gives you what questions they want answers to (p12-21) - and there’s a LOT of them. Like, 50 at least. (It’s honestly so prohibitive to the average creative, which is why I made this guide). You DON’T have to answer every single question - just pick the ones that speak to you the most or ones you understand the best! To make it easier, here’s an edited list of questions that are most relevant for creatives

You DON’T have to be based in the US to submit a comment. In fact, the Office asks for examples of how other countries approach copyright & AI (Q#4), so if you live in places like Britain, Japan, etc. that have made major moves in those areas (for better or worse), leave a comment!

Below are some important questions for actors and VAs in particular. Though voice and likeness aren’t generally protected by copyright law, the Office is interested in hearing how AI may be impacted by state laws involving right of publicity or unfair competition (Q#30, Q#31).

📝WRITING TIPS📝

The Copyright Office’s goal is to create the best policy. Be clear, be constructive, and explain the reasoning behind your position. Wherever possible, counter the other side’s arguments. One well supported comment is more influential than 1000 copy paste ones!

Provide evidence - facts, expert opinions, your personal experience. How is AI already impacting you? Your industry? How will it impact you in the future? What are some stories you've seen in the news or social media about AI?

The Office is also VERY interested in any papers or studies relevant to AI and copyright (Q #3), so feel free to include a link to this incredibly informative paper on AI’s impact on artists

Be sure to mention any relevant personal or professional experience and credentials to lend more weight to your arguments, i.e. # of years drawing, years in the industry, major projects, awards won, union membership, etc

Here are some solid comments submitted by artist Kelly McKernan and screenwriter Bill Wolkoff if you want to see some examples

OTHER TIPS (courtesy of my ADHD brain): Schedule a block of time to write your thoughts out! Coordinate a little sesh with your friends! Keep a copy of your work in a separate doc! It’s so important that we get our concerns and ideas out there 💪

YOUR COMMENTS will not only inform the Office’s own work in determining what protections creatives may receive in the face of AI, but also inform their advice to Congress on potential generative AI legislation - so make your voices heard and SPREAD THE WORD! 📢📢📢

If you want to stay informed on this issue, particularly as it concerns visual artists, I highly recommend you follow @kortizart @ZakugaMignon @stealcase @chiefluddite @JonLamArt @ravenben @human_artistry on twitter and AI ML Advocacy on Insta (I don’t know of any tumblr blogs that actively follow this issue, so please reblog/comment below if you do!)

You also may know about the Concept Artist Association’s GoFundMe to represent artist voices in government - they made some big moves in the regulatory and congressional space, and are now fundraising for year two! 🙌🙌🙌

tagging some very cool creatives I follow that I believe care about how AI impacts their craft so this post doesn't die in the tumblr void 🫡

@neil-gaiman @geneslovee @anarchistfrogposting @pimientosdulces @sabertoothwalrus @simkjrs @loish @waneella @tunabuna @writing-prompt-s @logicalbookthief @bedupolker

[elvyn]

tysm for the answer !! Hope its alright to throw some two other questions to your head? 1) Which youtube artists can you recommend? 2) Do you use the blending pens from the set you linked or dont you blend at all? again, tysm for the answer <3

Nah it's okay haha 1) Actually, there are a lot of them haha buut from my favs I can recommend Sinix Design, Jackie Droujko, Marco Bucci (mainly the basics of the color theory, probably one of my fav channels when it comes to explaining things), Ethan Becker (he has hmm a specific kind of humor but he's really good at explaining things when it comes to simplifications in art), kuroshiro (videos with useful tips for CSP)

There is also Marc Brunet, Proko and moderndayjames but these videos, especially on the last two channels, are very technical and theoretical, I think. I appreciate their work, but I quickly became bored with the amount of information 😭

Oh and Loish. I looove her style, colors and compositions 😭 But, she is only on Patreon (tbh I think it's worth the price). But even without that, as I said, there is a lot of free help on yt.

2) And nah, I don't use them. Unfortunately, I changed the names of some of the brushes to make it easier for me to work, so I don't remember the exact names of the ones I use. The best thing to do is just check which ones will be most comfortable for you to work with ^^

[glassedplanets]

template source!

jan | feb | mar | apr | may | jun | july | aug | sep | oct | nov | dec

this year i read a ton of art books, so i'll drop a big list + reflections under the cut:

i'll split these up into art books and instructional books, though there are a few that did a bit of both.

art books:

the art of heikala

the art of loish

beautiful scenes from a fantasy world

mysterious scenes from a parallel world

a sky longing for memories: the art of makoto shinkai

expedition sketchbook

windows to worlds: the art of devin elle kurtz

reverie: the art of sybilline meynet

the man who leapt through film

instructional books:

framed perspective vol. 1 & 2 by marcos mateu-mestre

master the art of speed painting

sketching from the imagination

sketching from the imagination: characters

sketching from the imagination: storytelling

beyond art fundamentals

figure drawing for artists

that's actually more than i thought, lmao. standouts for me were a sky longing for memories, windows to worlds, master the art of speed painting, and figure drawing for artists -- each of these offered some really valuable insight for me and helped me think about something in a different way. i got all these via library and at this point i'm worried that i've exhausted the catalogs of every library i have access to :/

i've only ever taken one art class in my life and it wasn't a really great experience, plus i'm not great at teaching myself things, so finally reaching for instructional books about art this year felt like a big leap and i'm glad that i took it. i also watched some of the drawclass VODs that are up on youtube and started looking for resources like studies and sketches from artists i like. idk, i guess it's kind of been about demystifying the process for me. there's a lot of stuff i've been doing the long way round for years and years or not doing at all because i didn't know that you were "allowed" to take a shortcut, or that it was even possible (eg. foliage brushes).

this year was pretty wobbly in terms of how happy i was with the art i made and how much of it i made, particularly bc Life Happened in august and just has not stopped, and i know that i felt really bad and unhappy with art for a big chunk of the year -- but now that i'm past that, i can see that i've improved a lot in a lot of the ways in which i've been wanting to improve. you know what's nuts? i only started actively drawing backgrounds for every piece last year. now i can't imagine not doing something for a background.

i think i also gnawed through a lot of... idk, shame? inadequacy? some yucky feeling i had about tagging my art for tumblr search. i think it's partially that we're all back on this hell site and i just don't care about showing my ass anymore. whatever. y'all either get to see my fucking anime Poasting or unfollow/mute/block/whatever, i don't really give a shit. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

the art goals i set for myself at the start of the year were to try making a short comic more than once, which i did! twice, actually, though i didn't post one of them. that's ok. i don't remember if this was a goal, but i submitted art to a digital zine this year too! i need to check if i can post it yet actually... lmao. and i joined a fandom event as an artist, which i'm really excited for. i haven't done a fandom event since 2013 and i've never done one as an artist.

my art goals for 2023 are to do thumbnails for most of the big pieces that i draw, and to draw people interacting physically with each other when i draw 2+ in one piece. that'll be tough since i honestly enjoy the subtlety of Two Guys Standing Next To Each Other but it's an area i want to improve in.

[ambivartence]

hi there!! i’ve been admiring your mingyu artwork so very much, thanks for reblogging my work with your sweet message<3 ( you made my day hehe ) i wanted to ask what brush you used assuming you drew digitally to get that grainy effect like charcoal pencil shading? thanks again :))

THANK YOU!!!! and ofc i love ur drawings!!! the hyunjin one was sooo cool <3 Here's a gdrive photoshop abr file if u want to check out the current 4 main brushes that i use :] my main brush (the first one in the pack) is from a free brush pack i got from loish many years ago, and the second one is a variant of it that i made. i use the other two occasionally at very large size to add texture variations but usually im too lazy lol

[majorstudymica]

Major Study Forefront #3: How to Make your Mark - Successful Artists and Branding.

In the previous post, I elaborated on one notable product within today’s animation industry; I made use of reviewing SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-present) as a strong example of success from creative marketing.

As previously stated, the remarkable outcomes that SpongeBob SquarePants had achieved throughout decades since its first debut has been theorised to be caused by successful marketing through the power of synergy, now made even more available and achievable by the current uses of Media. For a studio like Nickelodeon / Viacom, this is a rather easy feat to achieve - especially with a product with high ratings and companies with high reputation.

So, if high-esteemed ‘big shots’ like Nickelodeon can pull this off, is it possible for anyone to create a strong, long-lasting branding and survive the rampant market that is prevalent in the entertainment industry? As an artist, it is essential to adapt to the constant change of the market if I want my work to thrive and make an impression; good drawings alone won't do that for me.

So I looked into market research - specifically for individuals within the art community who have well-rounded knowledge and experience in commercialising their work as an independent brand. In other words, I have observed freelance artists whom are currently thriving on their respective platforms.

This post will be the second part to exploring good practices of creativity and theories behind the guide to successful branding. This blogpost will refer to some theoretical perspectives behind the rise of big artists on social media and their renowned works as freelancers, as well as taking in any tips provided by said artists.

Two artists who I will be examining are Lois Van Baarle and Vivienne Medrano, also known by their social handles (loish / @loisvb on Instagram and Vivziepop) (figure 1 and 2).

Figure 1

Figure 2

Both artists are renowned individuals who had set the path of successful career through prosumerism - each achieving a minimum of 1 million followers online through utilising user generated content (UGC) tools provided by major brands such as Instagram, Youtube, Patreon, and so on.

[atariakana]

📷 What's set as your phone's lockscreen?

🍫 Cheese or chocolate?

✨ Do you have any nicknames?

🎵 Last song you listened to?

✏️ Have you ever written fanfiction?

😏 Are you on discord?

 💛 Do you have any piercings?

🐰 What do you think says the most about a person?

🍪 If you were a cookie, what kind would you be?

🐶 Are you more of a dog person or a cat person?

🎧 Headphones or earbuds?

🌼 What's the last thing you said out loud?

🙃 What's a weird fact that you know?

🦉 Are you a morning person or a night owl?

🧸 Favorite place to nap?

🏳️‍🌈 Are you a member of the LGBTQIA+ community?

🦋 Describe yourself in three words.

👖 Jeans or sweatpants?

🥤 What's your go-to Starbucks order?

🧡 A color you can't stand?

💎 What's your most prized possession?

☕ Coffee or tea?

🦖 Favorite extinct animal?

🌙 How long have you been on tumblr?

🌴 Desert island item?

🐸 Describe your aesthetic.

🔮 What's your dream job?

💙 Relationship status?

🌿 Describe your favorite outfit.

🎤 Is there a song you know all the lyrics to?

🤎 What color is your hair?

💌 Do you talk to yourself?

💄 Do you wear makeup?

🌸 Best compliment you ever received?

💞 @ your favorite blog.

Phew, that's a big list! I'll put my answers under a cut so I don't bomb everyone's dash :)

Okay, let's go:

📷 What's set as your phone's lockscreen?

One of @loish's phone backgrounds

🍫 Cheese or chocolate?

Oh, tough choice...though I am definitely one of the white people you can lure anywhere with cheese, I'm gonna have to say chocolate XD

✨ Do you have any nicknames?

Not really! They don't tend to stick to me for long.

🎵 Last song you listened to?

"Constantly Watching the Way the World Treats Us I Love You Pull My Hair" by Lauren Bousfield (an absolute banger, by the way)

✏️ Have you ever written fanfiction?

Written? Yes. Finished? No. Published? Absolutely not.

😏 Are you on discord?

yeah! same username as here. I'm not on there much, though.

 💛 Do you have any piercings?

a few! two in each earlobe, my septum, and an industrial.

🐰 What do you think says the most about a person?

ohhh, now this is a tough one.....I think you can tell a lot about a person by their interpretations of the actions of those they don't know well. I think most people understand others first through the lens of themselves, because that's their most trusted (and sometimes only) reference point. Of course, once you get to know someone, you have a library of past experiences with that person you can use--for example: oh, it's unlikely they're jealous because that's not like them or, oh, they always withdraw when they're nervous, etc. But with new people, especially celebrities and fictional characters--which I feel like are sort of treated like emotional blank canvases by the general public a lot of the time--I feel like anyone "reading into" their emotions, actions etc. is really just describing themselves (or perhaps someone they know more personally).

...Did that make sense? lol

🍪 If you were a cookie, what kind would you be?

hmm....Snickerdoodle

🐶 Are you more of a dog person or a cat person?

Cat person, definitely. I don't have the emotional energy for dogs.

🎧 Headphones or earbuds?

Headphones for sound quality but earbuds for comfort because my ears are kind of big and headphones squish them a little bit :( especially with the industrial piercing

🌼 What's the last thing you said out loud?

uhh, probably "bis später"

🙃 What's a weird fact that you know?

what would you classify as a "weird" fact?

🦉 Are you a morning person or a night owl?

very much a morning person. if i stay up past midnight i turn into a pumpkin (i get very sleeby 😪)

🧸 Favorite place to nap?

my bed

🏳️‍🌈 Are you a member of the LGBTQIA+ community?

yep :)

🦋 Describe yourself in three words.

awkward but nice

👖 Jeans or sweatpants?

sweatpants

🥤 What's your go-to Starbucks order?

i go to starbucks like once a year maybe but i almost always get a chai tea latte (even though they're too sweet at starbucks)

🧡 A color you can't stand?

all colors are beautiful in the right context

💎 What's your most prized possession?

my viola, hands down

☕ Coffee or tea?

tea!

🦖 Favorite extinct animal?

I'm not much of a prehistory person, but probably the sabertooth tiger

🌙 How long have you been on tumblr?

if you don't count my 2019-2023 hiatus, over 10 years

🌴 Desert island item?

teleportation device

🐸 Describe your aesthetic.

like if you squished Trixie Mattel and Katya together and put them in the body of a tired dyke

🔮 What's your dream job?

Like what i daydream about doing? Restoring old houses according to their individual character and reselling them for an affordable price. In this scenario I also design/make/repair small projects local to where I live like galleries, pavilions, art projects + craft work etc. And I'm in a band but that doesn't really make any money, just enough to sustain itself.

Realistically? A city planner.

💙 Relationship status?

single and quite content with it.

🌿 Describe your favorite outfit.

hmmm, right now it's probably my Twoset Violin tour tee + a long blue vintage skirt with brass buttons, paired with black tights and my Mary Jane shoes. Cute, comfy and works in a variety of situations.

🎤 Is there a song you know all the lyrics to?

there's plenty! but the ones I could most confidently rattle off are Trade Mistakes by Panic! at the Disco and Viva La Vida by Coldplay (that one was the first song I ever learned all the lyrics to)

🤎 What color is your hair?

kind of a streaky blonde-brown

💌 Do you talk to yourself?

yes 🙈

💄 Do you wear makeup?

sometimes! I think it's really fun but also I am lazy. so.

🌸 Best compliment you ever received?

I am lucky to know a lot of lovely and supportive people so I couldn't choose just one, but I'm always especially touched when someone says they think I'm thoughtful or kind.

💞 @ your favorite blog.

oh that's nearly impossible. uhhh @stonegroundmustard for loyalty purposes

[thlayli-ra]

4 5 7 16 for the artist questions ~ (stupidmarkzone)

Hi Chloe!!! 👋 Thanks for the asks!

4. What's your least favourite part of the body to draw, if any?

Hips and the area connecting the neck to the shoulders. They are my anatomy weak points but I'll keep working at them. Also CM Punk's nose!!! It's so fucking difficult to draw and yet so important to his face - I HATE IT!!! (lovingly)

5. What piece of art are you still proud of to this day? (Show or describe)

I'm really proud of the one I did of Eddie Kingston. I really love the colouring and I consider this a pivotal piece in developing my style and confidence. An older one I still love are the paintings I did for my wedding invitations. They are two acrylic pieces on canvas depicting Hubby and me in a Mucha style and they currently hang in my living room.

7. Who are some artists that have inspired you?

I mentioned Alphonse Mucha above, Toulouse-Lautrec and Gaudi are some classic artists I love. When I was learning to draw, I was heavily inspired by comic book/manga artists like Joe Quesada, Frank Miller, Arina Tanemura and Naoko Takeuchi. More modern influences are the incredible Loish, Marguerite Sauvage and Yuko Shimizu among many, many others!

16. What was something you used to struggle to draw with confidence/ease, but have now mastered?

I have mastered nothing! But I will say that I have embraced more. Embraced mistakes, embraced imperfections, embraced the process, embraced re-drawing, embraced cheating and short-cuts, embraced pushing through the problems to find the solution and not giving up.

[colorico-art]

2024.01.23 - PDCA

Previous Notes

Rendering

Overall rendering looks good, however the linework still feels too refined. Comparing to the sketching phase, it's evident that a lot of the vibrancy and motion from the sketch doesn't fully carry over. This seems to be more of a practice-related item, since a lot of Akihiko's work includes primarily refined lines in the final pieces (when not approaching a painted style).

Possible to have the sketchwork not be as "refined" in the next piece, but not so loose compared to Loish's work (possibly reduce the sketch refinement stage to 1 pass, instead of three passes and then the final linework)?

Ears (Complete)

Ears are simple, and are proportionate to the head. Having the anatomy breakdown from Andrew Loomis helped immensely, and should be easier to develop the ears in various positions. Try pushing more exaggerated poses and expose the ears in future pieces to continue practicing.

Eyes

Eyes are proportionate to the piece and still feel like Akihiko's style. The color gradient is not typical in Akihiko's works, but due to character backstory, coloring receives a pass this time around. However, no eye variance was used. Experiment with eye variety to get different emotions and expressions for various types of characters.

Hair

Hair continues to have more flow and expression. Although could be "completed", cross-hatching used on the hair feels haphazard; it doesn't feel intentional compared to how Akihiko handles the cross-hatching on hair. Review past pieces and determine how the cross-hatches emphasize hair flow. Hair styling experimentation has gone well, but vary hair length on top of the styling.

Background

A new concept; Akihiko doesn't emphasize backgrounds like other artists. Based on past works, backgrounds are hardly existent or complement the subject present. On those grounds, the background used here technically fits the bill.

However, the background choice used here was not handled in the same manner as Akihiko (an image was used with filters to attempt to merge the two mediums). Look into simple background renderings or forgo backgrounds, but ensure the subject is the focal portion of the piece that the canvas doesn't feel like wasted space.

Miscellaneous Notes

This was definitely a difficult piece to put together; this was the first full body piece where a 3D model was not directly used in creating the initial idea or passing stages. Despite that, the end result was definitely worth the effort! Reference material is still needed for detailed work and certain anatomy-related items, however it should be fine to experiment with base compositions and then rendering without strictly adhering to a 3D model for assistance.

[art]

Creator Spotlight: @loish

Lois is a digital artist who divides her time between creating personal art and character design work. She has released three books, all successfully funded through Kickstarter. You can find her work on loish.net. We asked her a few questions about her art process, style, and inspiration! Check out the interview below.

Did you originally have a background in art? If not, how did you start?

I started posting my art online when I was around 16, although back then, it was more small artist communities and deviantart. I went on to study animation and then started working as a freelancer after graduating! So I do have a background in art but have been actively sharing my work for much longer.

How would you best describe your style?

I guess I would call my style semi-realistic feminine art inspired by Disney and Alfonse Mucha! I think the semi-realism is key - it’s cartoony but still has many elements of realism that put it somewhere between the two.

What is one habit you find yourself doing a lot as a creator?

A habit that helps me a lot is getting annoying tasks out of the way early in the day. I go through email and tasks before I get started on my art so that I can just focus fully on my art when it’s time to create. I just want to zone out while I’m drawing and not be distracted by other things!

How do you want to evolve as a creator?

One thing that matters a lot to me is making more and more time to do what I truly love and want to do, and be able to share that with others. So I’m trying to prioritize personal art more and more, and in the future, I’d love to just dedicate all of my time to that.

Which 3 famous artists (dead or alive) would you invite to your dinner party?

I’d have to go with some cliche answers and choose some old dutch masters: Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Vermeer. I’m so curious about their lives and ways of thinking. I’d want to know whether Vermeer really used a camera obscura, what Rembrandt thinks of animation and film (since his work was so dynamic), and just break the news to Vincent that he is one of the most appreciated artists of all time. And I’d want to know everything about what life in Europe was like during the years they were alive because I’m a bit of a history geek.

What are your file name conventions?

I name the file with year first, month second, then date. After that, I give it a name. So something like: 20220809_plant_studies.psd. That way everything is chronological, but I can also search by name if I forget when I drew it!

What is the hardest part of your process?

Honestly, the hardest part is just getting started and moving beyond the blank canvas. Once I’ve set my mind on something, the rest is manageable. But figuring out what I want to do, and dealing with all the anxieties that come with wondering whether I can pull it off, is the hardest.

Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?

One of my favorite artists that I discovered on Tumblr is @moosekleenex. Their art is so flowy and beautiful, but the comics are always funny and relatable. And they’ve been at it for so long, still making new art all the time. Also, I bought a few of their prints in the past and got some free original art with my order. It was one of my best art purchases!

Check out more of Lois’ artwork on her Tumblr, @loish!

[hazwqste]

Hi!!

I'm trying to draw for the past two months and I've mostly just looked up at yt tutorials etc, I got a basic face and hair and it's pretty impressive. But atm I'm just drawing some manga panels and the same prototypes for faces. Somehow i don't seem to get any creativity in terms of expressions or not being able to draw my favs looking at a reference:') ik it's a long process to get there but if you could give some tips

....hope this doesn't sound annoying😅

Thank you for your time. I love your art sm💖

omg ok so i've been thinking about this question ever since you've sent me.. i'm sorry it took so long but i didn't really know how to reply ;---; i'm awful with advice bc my process has been so long and i struggle with analyzing it.... anyway luckily i've stumbled upon this live with loish specifically about stylization and gotten some great insight about this, if you're interested i recommend you check it out she's an awesome character artist and has precious tips!!!

but basically i think it heavily depends on what you feel comfortable with and what works for you! to develop your own way of drawing, instead of fitting your notion of drawing into what someone else draws like, you should do some self reflection, identify your strengths and the things you have fun with and expand on them; what you lack will come around naturally with practice. specifically about facial expressions (and also other things), the main tip would be to use references to first get familiar with what you want to portray and then move away from them in your own way, in order for it to be stylized - be it studies from other ppls work or from real life. and then also to think of the context your character is in, how they feel, their personality, and finally how they would emote. for me drawing from life was essential because i'm a very anatomy oriented person, so getting the foundation of how faces work straight from the source helped me immensely! as a child i used to copy things straight from manga/comics/cartoons but i couldn't absorb much knowledge because i was simply placing the lines without understanding them, i was doing what i thought i was supposed to. i think drawing from pictures of irl people gives you a better feel for muscles movements, therefore you know how to better mold your lines into certain facial expressions and you build a mental library to choose from. on top of that, if i was stumped on how to draw something, i would study my favorite artists' styles and intently analyze how they solved the problem i was facing, adapting their technique to my own way of solving it. for example: an expression i have trouble with big time is smiles. if i were to push myself to get better at it (i should lol) i would look at artists that i think express that characteristic well and think abt how they make it work and why it works, taking that and applying it to my drawing.

a good exercise loish recommended in the live (i'm gonna try to incorporate it into my study routine) is to draw the same thing a few times, first from reference, then again from memory to see what sticks to your brain and how you interpret that on your own! finally, don't rush it! your process and progress is your own :^)

[queenangst]

O THAT GUWEIZ ONE LOOKS SO COOL I’m gonna have to get my hands on that! Into the spider verse too - I’ve heard it’s a really good movie (I still haven’t watched it because I tend to get distracted in the middle of movies and can’t focus on them :,3)

Any others? I’m always looking for recs lol.

I recently got my hands on the art books for spirited away and zootopia, and I’m excited to give them a solid look through :3

artbooks:

- nimbus, art of velinxi

- guweiz: art of gu zheng wei

- sketchbook of loish (she has two artbooks but i have sketchbook)

- atey ghailan: an artistic journey

artist zines/collections:

- wishbones (gloomyhome)

- banana (victoria gedvillas/tori, prv juicy ink)

- bones (sibylline inktober 2018)

movie/tv artbooks i have:

- trollhunters

- art of spirited away

- spider-verse

other art books i have:

- the art of pixar: short films

- the golden age: masterworks from the golden age of illustration, vol 2

- illusion of life (anim)

- dream worlds, hans bacher (anim)

- bunch of other animation books

art books i want:

- the mandalorian!!!

[rubinecorvus]

Hiiii 💛 I hope you’re having a lovely day! 💫🐠📎 for he art ask!

Thank you for the ask! It’s currently midnight where I am but time waits for no man, am I right?

💫 Name some artists who influence your style!

So for my normal sketching/watercolor style, I’d say I’m actually not sure what my style is right now, and it’s beginning to concern me, but as long as I keep drawing maybe one will surface in a million years. I’ve followed @/loish and @/viria for a very long time; also on Insta I’ve followed Cyarine, Sara Tepes, Qinni (Rest in Peace 💛), Danica Sills, n1mh, Jacqueline de Leon, and Mioree for style. Some of my random ultimate favs include bwusagi, Pete Mohrbacher, Norman Rockwell, and... uh... Zdzisław Beksiński, surprisingly, even though whatever I draw isn’t directly influenced by them. Lately I’ve really been loving @/cranity.

My realism portraits of BoB characters don’t really display substantial stylistic quirks. They’re like practice in learning about human face anatomy, and I don’t think I can name anyone in particular who I’ve been inspired by other than @/luluxa. The portraits help me to draw people well on my own, though. 

Wow, that was long. I’m sure I’m forgetting something but I’m moving on.

🐠 Where do you get inspiration?

Literally anywhere. Rarely I get things in dreams, like this monstrosity. Other times it’s because I’m scrolling through other people’s art. Sometimes it’s nature, sometimes it’s prompts. I’ve mostly been doing fanart lately so that requires a little less inspiration.

📎 What are your workspace essentials?

Usually I have La Croix or tea or something, lip balm, lots of daylight, and music. For traditional art I have a pencil, eraser, sketchbook, watercolors, ruler, compass (for circles), brushes, water, and a paper towel. Maybe a marker or two / colored pencils in lieu of all the paint stuff. For digital, I just have my Wacom tablet and Krita. 

[koyacyi-vode]

2, 22, and 24 (huh, im REALLY feeling those 2's. Hey! its almost cc-2224!)

2. What art-related sites have you ever signed up for? aksjhsh like all of them at one point or another. deviantart was maybe the first? though i have a kind of abandoned art blog on tumblr thats probably slightly older. i hate pinterest with a passion and don't count it. i have a twitter but im on hiatus cause it stresses me out cause i only follow people in the animation industry and i do not have time or energy to apply to all the jobs or opportunities. outta sight outta mind ;A; artstation is most recent but its insufferable so i havent updated it.

nah the best art site i have is my work website because its free of bullshit.

22. List at least one of your “artspirations.”

ohhh! now you see, this is super varied! there's a LOT and thats not including artists i just straight up forget. so i'll do 3 people i've met/talked to:

https://loish.net

I've been a fan of Loish for??? At least 8 years or so. But I got to meet her at the BFX festival through my school when she taught a masterclass (she's very nice!!!) I learned a LOT from studying her work, particularly her use of color and shapes in her drawings. I still use a lot of the tips she gave from that masterclass. Also hhhfhf girl prettyy.

https://www.izzyburton.co.uk/

Izzy Burton is a director and illustrator i met this past year at the Vertex Festival in London (one of our units was about portfolio development and included reaching out to industry pros and BOI did i reach out). I love her sweet and lovely concepts, use of texture in her work, and cute characters as well as just really lovely color design. she was really fun to talk to, and i really admire the path she has taken in her career, it's inspiring!!

https://kayvondarabifard.myportfolio.com

Kayvon is a Story Artist in the UK who I met online! He's an alumnus from my uni and he helped me a lot this past year with advice on my portfolio and other things. I want to be a story artist, so this is more niche than the last two, but there's a lot about his work I really love, especially some of his personal work. Some of the best advice he gave me as an aspiring story artist was to make sure "every piece i draw has a story". Are you doing an environment study? throw a character and some mood and unique things to give it a story! It was wonderful advice that I try to think about every time i do a portfolio piece.

Other artists off the top of my head: Yon Hui Lee, Dice Tsutsumi, Celine Kim, Hayao Miyazaki (of course), Heikala, Noelle Stevenson, Dana Terrace (LOTS of industry folk, i could to forever just listing story artists...)

24. Do you have a shameful art past? (recolour sprite comics, tracing art, etc.)

Hmm. Honestly I don't think so? I've only ever traced art to learn shape and form and study, but it's never stuff I have posted.

I've always been like, very aware of copyright stuff like that. My mom's a graphic designer and I learned a lot from her growing up.

[sarroora]

Coming to Terms with Where I Am With My Art

I feel I can write a whole book on this, but I wanna keep it short.

One of my resolutions for 2020 is to improve the quality of my art at a level I can do more with, and measure with some degree of objectivity. 

As I was drawing Sakura Haruno (Naruto) for January’s anime convention here in Cairo, I was thinking back to one of my older fanarts of her and I began to compare. 

The conclusion..? My improvement is at a snail’s pace. Ba-dum-TSH

Here’s my drawing of Sakura from around 2010, and her again from 2020:

There is some improvement, but given that 10 YEARS have passed I admit I can’t help but feel anxious. 

I was expecting so much of myself years ago, and thought I could in a decade reach the skill level of the artists I’ve looked up to for a long time such as Loish, Ilya, Roggles and many others. There is a lot I’m still not good at, especially when it comes to environments, digital rendering, and dynamic perspectives.

But here’s what I learned over the years~ 

Whenever I start going down that dark path of self-deprecation and blaming, I consciously STOP the train of thought. Because no one knows the future, and no one is born knowing everything and no two people are alike.

Now I make the effort to be more mature, more stoic, and kill the perfectionist streak I still have. I’m working on building a small art side business for myself so there is no space to be any more hard on myself than I already am - God knows I do it a lot.

I accepted that my lofty goals weren’t realistic. Because no one can expect to take leaps in art improvement when they have a job and studies in an unrelated field. Time and energy are limited. The only way I could improve my art was to cancel outings and meeting with my friends and cancel my social life in general just so I can sit down and focus on drawing. 

I have made the decision to do my absolute best to never talk trash about my art skills (I mean, I can joke tho lol), but at the same time, keep a calm, objective mind on what’s working and what isn’t. 

TLDR; 

Q: Am I disappointed my art didn't improve dramatically? A: I used to be, but not anymore. 

It’s a part of my growth and my life. We wouldn’t be human if we’re not constantly learning and building and testing. And tonight, don’t forget to thank the One who created you for existing, and gave you Time and Space to do so.

[josiebelladonna]

@daveighmustaine​ I see this all the time: “art is difficult”, and it’s unfortunate because it really isn’t. What appeals to you might be difficult to put down on paper or a digital canvas or whatever and have it represent what’s in your mind is difficult because of subjectivity; that’s why you often hear about artists not feeling happy about certain works. To get to where it looks professional and really well made might be difficult because everyone starts out as a novice (even me!) and the only way you have is up; add to this, some people like Dutch artist Loish have been at it for years, like she’s been doing digital work since 2003; I’ve been making my cartoons since 2006 (she’s also quite a bit older than me, but that’s beside the fact). And that’s definitely an egregious example but it’s an example nonetheless. Everyone starts from somewhere.

Digital art especially is tricky but it’s not though. It might be tricky because of hand-eye coordination and figuring out what sort of pressure to apply to the stylus, but it’s quite easy to explain in this context. I have Tuscany on the brain right now, hence the color scheme, but this is just an example of one of my WIPs—there’s a prompt on the MerMay prompt list, it’s day 9, called “best buds”. The two mermaids I have in mind are going to be a redhead and a brunette, and they’re gonna be linking hands and tail fins.

It might sound harrowing, but look at it, though: my cartoons actually have a very simple design with their round faces and lanky bodies and flyaway hair. They’re just loaded with detail is all, especially now after I’ve gone digital. Seeing as you have a pretty good eye for color (I saw those tiger lilies, they’re pretty!), you’ve won most of the battle already. Just about any subject is like that: it’s simple by design, but the details can throw one off course.

And I’m gonna say this now: you rarely ever—if at all; I only use it if I really have to, like if it’s a black and white drawing—use solid black (or solid white for that matter) for shading, but rather the variating shades of that color. 

My redhead has a dark crimson outline while my brunette has a rich hunter green outline, and they’re just gonna be variations of those colors all the way through.

One thing when we’re talking about shading that’ll help with making something look more “natural” and smooth, like a shadow on the ground or Joey and Dave’s hips is moving your utensil in a circular motion and then move outward. Like you can kind of see it on here in the background: I started out at the edges with the glaze pen and moved it around in circles and then just built on it. On that tidbit: you want to start with your lightest shade or color, though. If you’re making something that’s blue and yellow, start out with yellow first.

My point is it—and MerMay and any other art challenges—might seem like a challenge but it doesn’t have to be challenging, though. The point of art is not get caught up in details, but rather have fun with it.

And one thing that always helps me—and I know there are plenty other artists who will agree with me on this, too—I often go onto places like deviantart and Youtube and look up tutorials to help out with things like shading or anatomy or how to draw fur or plants or whatever, because I’ll admit it: those things are easy to forget sometimes. They probably also can show it better than I can because I don’t talk in clips of myself drawing (I get too distracted).

But I hope this can be of some encouragement, though 💜