/loomis/ - Art Gains

>>6188

l*terally me tbh

Put in a year's worth of effort and you're better at drawing than 99.9% of the world's population at it. Anyone else derive no comfort from that whatsoever? I don't care about being better than normies, it's like shooting fish in a barrel. I want to compete on the level of the best.

>>6189

I really hoped we left niggers like you behind on /ic/

>>6190

Yeah, unfortunately the best are the best for a reason. Don't lose hope though, as long as you're willing to put in work you can definitely get "good".

>t. guy who drops drawing for months at a time due to crippling autism/depression and has stagnated for years as consequence

>>6191

You just haven't built up enough layers of irony yet tbh fam

>Actually feel like drawing

>Only thing I feel like drawing is dumb fanart

>Fanart always comes out like crap unless I spend at least 2 hours per character just for lineart

>Know I could improve if I did exercises

>Can never be assed to even open the art course books

It-It's better than nothing, right?

>>6193

Fanart is fine, ignore the crabs.

>>6193

fanart is better than fine, it can be the key to unlocking your desire to draw original content.

to get into art, you need to enjoy drawing.

>>6197

don't be a p*ssy n*gga smh

>>6197

I agree with this fag >>6198 don't be a pussy nigger, shake my head.

>>6198

>>6199

…m-…minna…

>Use Corel Painter

>Love the fact that Corel goes out of its way to simulate traditional media as much as possible

>The only brush I can get any enjoyable results with is the basic flat color brush

Why this?

>>6216

I want to fug a Barbucciress tbh

>>6222

What pisses me off is I'm the same way. Even after seeing evidence of my improvement over the years right in front of my face I still feel the overpowering urge to rip my ballsack off every time I draw and it's definitely held me back because I avoid drawing and experiencing that pain for months at a time

>>6226

Are you mixing in drawing radically different stuff from forearms? I have a theory that focusing in on to narrow of a subject matter for extended periods can slow gains.

>>6226

Sounds like you have autism anon. Different bodies are different, you'll never be able to learn a perfect model of a human body and have it always apply.

>>6229

I draw all kinds of things but any progress is meaningless because there's 80,000 steps and things you need to remember and practice for every little piece and you never feel like you get anywhere.

>>6230

I don't know what the fuck I have, man. If it's autism it's not the good kind where you're motivated to work 24/7 on things.

I want to kill myself.

>>6263

Is your friend Hitler?

>>6305

what the hell is "minds"?

>>6306

Don't bother.

Seriously, it's not worth me explaining, because that implies it's worth your time.

>>6305

>minds

There's your problem.

>>6309

You too?

>>6310

It's been like this with every fucking step of the way and it never gets any easier. Art sucks and I despise it yet I hate everything else even more. I really just need to fucking die.

>>6311

Calm yoself nigga, it's gonna be okay. Just channel your rage into a burning desire to improve!

>>6313

No, it won't be. I've been trying to channel anger for a few years now and it doesn't work. I haven't filled a single sketchbook in about 4 months now because I keep beating them with my fists and tearing them up and throwing them in the garbage.

>>6314

stop drawing

you have underlying problems that don't have to do with art if this is your reaction to something that shouldn't give you this reaction

go see a therapist before you fuck around and hurt someone/yourself lmao

>>6316

I've seen therapists before and they know fuckall.

>>6317

Well shit dude assuming you're not hamming it up at least a little you sound like you're going to have an aneurysm at some point so you'll get that death you're looking for one way or the other! However in the mean time you have to try and focus. I think we'd all like if we could beat the shit out of inanimate objects to get our way when it comes to this but it just ain't happenin'. Maintain!

>>6326

Draw yourself a friend.

>>6331

of course you're still shit, anatomy takes a long time to learn.

>>6331

Welcome to Hell.

>>6331

>hours

Call again when you've practiced like 300 times that much.

>>6331

Look at dat joocy BUTT

>>6364

Then keep drawin' nigga!

Lately I don't know if I don't really like drawing or just am impatient. Like, I don't put too much time in have a perfect sketch before coloring. I just kinda do it and whatever comes out that's it. It's like I don't want to spend too much drawing.

But tbh I don't want to spend too much time doing anything that isn't browsing the web. Maybe I'm just obsessed with the internet and it's killing my gains.

I dunno, I 've been like a month in Keys to Drawing and am STILL on Chapter 1. And that is due to stalling, not because I'm doing the exercises repeatedly.

I hope I fix myself and can devote more to drawing. I really wanna be good and do my own webcomics and illustrations.

>>6369

When you first start drawing the poor results are very intimidating and make it easy for the mind to wander and seek comfort in other hobbies. Especially hobbies like the instant dopamine release from the internet. I've struggled with this myself. Internet addiction is a serious thing and it's very debilitating when you want to engage in some other kind of hobby. It's why it took me like 10 years to even start drawing from when I first said I was going to do it and why I've probably progressed 1 years' worth in 5

>>6369

>>6371

I have a similar issue, though I'm not at the same stage in drawing. Grinding to produce a perfect sketch with crisp clean lines, or adding a lot of detail that would actually make a nice piece? I just don't have the attention span for it. It's not like I can't make a good interesting or clean work. My brain just shorts near the end of it. But I struggle with this in other facets of life.

Turns out, building your work ethic is another skill you have to master when drawing. I've gotten leagues better at it, but i'm not where I always want to be. Sometimes I think it holds back my potential. Cause you know good artists don't just make good art, they make a lot of it.

What I suggest, it's okay to indulge yourself. Think about something you really like the most and just think about having fun.

>>6435

>mod

>bans me

If you're talking about discord then you deserved the retards that come along with it.

>>6435

It's because these "communities" are full of no draw "I do it as a hobby!" types. In my personal experience, the lot of them pretend to be the authority on drawing comics when they don't even take art or comics seriously at all.

Just avoid them altogether. You'll get more help licking a turd on the sidewalk.

>>6438

Oh for sure, and it's funny you use the phrase "pretend to be the authority" because that's 100% spot on.

The person who flipped shit was, in fact, the admin.

>>6454

Isn't that just 90s fashion?

>>6454

I think photos of actual street-walkers is what you want, getty has turned up some stuff:

http://www.gettyimages.com/photos/prostitute?excludenudity=true&sort=mostpopular&mediatype=photography&phrase=prostitute

>>6455

>>6456

That wasnt very sharp of me. I got some decent pictures searching for prostitutes and 90s fashion. Thanks.

>>6506

>>6507

I'm surprised this is as prevalent as it is. I get it is the internet so everyone lies, but lying about progress at drawing, especially on an anonymous board, I just don't know what the point is.

tfw no one posts your amateurish work as their progress

>>6521

Maybe they have, but you haven't stumbled upon them yet.

Keys to Drawing wants me to draw a figure and map some lighting on it.

BUT I CAN'T DRAW A FIGURE.

ngmi ;_;

>>6540

Yeah.

I don't have the luxury of not being okay.

I started drawing on a pad since practicing on digital is boring me. I'm finding pictures of cuties on google and tried drawing them. I'm not sure if that's the right way to do things. To be honest though, I feel like I'm burning out.

>>6597

You can get pretty far doing pretty much just that. Books provide a framework but there are a lot of people who simply draw from observation a lot and become quite proficient that way.

>>6599

So far they're looking uncanny though. I mean how long do I keep drawing faces for?

>>6601

I recommend more variety and if you are feeling tired/burnt out, don't hesitate to put the pen down. I like to expose my brain to as different of approaches as possible. Sometimes I draw in a very measured way from reference, sometimes I invent from construction, lately I've been mixing in the technical approach utilizing perspective projections like in Scott Roberts' book.

>>6597

Draw from photographs less. Any informal life drawing sessions you can go to? You won't be drawing cuties.

>>6604

There's no classes or anything of the sort where I'm at. I have a 9-5 job (commute as well) that is unrelated to drawing, so all this drawing stuff happens in whatever free time and energy I can muster

>>6604

it's >>6605 Just wanted to ask you something if you're around; what do you mean by informal life session anyway and how will that help?

>>6615

Informal in the sense that there's no instructor or assessment and you can drop in to a session without having to book beforehand or commit to multiple sessions. Sometimes they're run by a group of people not affiliated with any art schools so a session might be available in your area even if classes aren't.

It helps me with burnout because the early stages of burnout involve giving in to excuses not to draw, and going to a session with other people takes away the excuses and provides incentives to draw (e.g. you're surrounded by others drawing which puts social pressure on you to participate, seeing other peoples' work is inspiring, no deliberation in choosing who to draw or what pose, and not wanting to waste money after you paid the entry fee). That's what works for me, and I assume these things generalise. If you build the habit of going to drawing sessions you might find yourself drawing regularly even after you stop going to the sessions.

>>6601

>I mean how long do I keep drawing faces for?

Your whole life.

>tfw getting increasingly desperate for an editor

>seriously debating just fucking paying for one, when I have the cash

My friends are either barely online, or wearing me out with how passively they agree with everything I say and never give any feedback.

Like, not all my ideas are good, but I'm one of those people who'll try to work them in anyway if they seem possible.

And I've basically got no one to fill this role, as the only person who can is never online, or is paying attention to other stuff.

I'm starting to become really "alone" again.

It happens every time I find a group.

>>6678

I might sound like a sociopath but maybe you can find another group, wear it out like the current one, and repeat the process, like socks. I have had several pair of socks in my life I needed to change because they had holes in them.

>>6685

No you're not being sociopathic, you're just being realistic.

As arrogant as it'll sound, I'm the kind of person who's never content to just "be." I always want to improve, and any exchange I have with people I try to get something out of it.

That's hardly as vile as it sounds, though, I just mean like "not hating the conversation." If I'm enjoying the conversation, I'm getting something out of the exchange, because I only ever enjoy conversations where I'm exposed to other viewpoints.

And to a writer, that's invaluable.

Still, I've also expressed this feeling to the people who've been bothering me, with their passivity, and they seem to be making progress on it. I only really cut people out of my life if they prove to be "worthless."

As in like, if I say something they don't like, they'll just shut down or say stupid shit to deflect.

If anyone sounds like a sociopath here it's me. Since I tend to find myself feeling like most people aren't "real" for lack of a better word.

Or rather, not really aware of being alive, like they're just moving on autopilot and nothing I say will really get them thinking.

I don't know why I'm rambling about all this.

I realised that drawing and listening to podcasts must be engaging non-overlapping parts of my brain or something, because I can do both at the same time. I do anything other than draw or ride the bus and either I stop paying attention to the podcast or I lose concentration on the other thing I'm doing. Feels good.

>>6851

>>6852

Have a cup of hot chocolate, both of you.

>>6904

Just don't look back at what could have been. All the things that could have been have never gone away They are just waiting for you at a later time.

>>6939

There was this joke a painter friend of mine told me that I found rather funny and true. Goes something like this:

>Some people do art as therapy

>We need therapy because we do art

>>6939

>tfw I enjoy every second of drawing and am good enough to impress normalfags

<tfw for some reason I still can't get myself to draw every day

>>6944

I don't know how people view drawing as being therapeutic. Everything about it is the exact opposite.

>>6951

It is if you don't care about improvement or know what to do to improve.

Drawing doesn't make me hate myself, but it is incredibly gruelling to sit down for solid practise, comparable to writing a thesis.

>>7038

You dun fricked up now homeboy

I love art but I cannot stand being friends with other artists.

I cut off most ties with my fellow drawfags because they're such vapid people, why are so many artists so sex obsessed and perverted? No, I don't want to see that dickgirl com you're working on, I don't want to talk with people I consider my friends about such private things.

It really makes it hard to have an in-depth artistic discussion with people who aren't 40 years older than me.

>that feeling when you draw too much fun stuff and not enough serious study so your fun stuff stagnates and it's no fun

>>7138

I have the opposite problem. I've almost never had fun drawing, there's gotta be a happy medium somewhere, my dude.

>>7138

I know that feel bro.

The big risk for me is burning out when I realize this and actually start drawing less.

At the same time it's not like I have enough time to improve at the rate artists who are able to draw 8 hours a day can, so it might be painful and unrealistic to expect that from myself.

>>7146

I know that feel. Fucking Krita and its stupid transform bug. Fucking Ubuntu and its random freezes.

>>7169

Thanks bro. I've already been drawing every day for the past few years because it's fun but unfortunately didn't improve, at least according to people who aren't me – who I'm more inclined to believe than myself. I don't want to give up because drawing is fun but it can be disheartening at times.

>>7175

It's important to look at your drawings and see what could be improved.

I see a lot of artists with good linework and shading but fucking horrible anatomy.

I didn't start getting better at art until my early 20's. I've been drawing since I was 13 but I never tried to get better until then.

>>7245

I'm in the same boat, and I think that the most important thing is how deliberate you are in your practice.

If it ever starts getting to be "too easy" then find some new thing to challenge yourself with.

But that first bit in your post, I know the sentiment, as well. Specifically the whole "RENDER HARDER" mentality, you'll see in a lot of places.

To be fair, it's important to understand light, shadow, and neglecting this will results in subpar drawings as well as holding your understanding of the medium, back.

But at the same time, it's just like any other aspect to your drawings. You could have immaculate rendering, and anatomy, but if your proportions are off, then it'll look like something straight outta Ito.

If your rendering, anatomy, and proportions are good, but your perspective is off, it'll look flat. Lack gesture and it'll look lifeless. Etc.

The major exception to this, however, is gesture. It can't carry a drawing, but it adds the most to any drawing, on an individual level. Something with really strong gesture will always look better than a rigidly posed, but anatomically correct, figure.

You all seem like the best people in the world to ask.

How do you continue to work through depression? I experience a tangible impulse to curl up into a ball and will the world away on a daily basis. Just picking up a pencil makes my gut go hollow.

>>7308

>How do you continue to work through depression

Depression is like carpal tunnel syndrome on your brain, so to answer your question; either suffer through it or fix it.

>>7307

>No artfriends who'll draw me stuff of my own characters to comfort me

>I've never said this because i'm afraid i'd come off as too "pushy" or "demanding"

This is the best course of action. A lot of people don't take kindly to asking for hand outs. Although as unsuccessful as it might've been I think you could have tried asking for an art trade. Would you like to do an art trade, anon?

>Begin to doodle other friend's characters because I like their design

I do this sometimes too. I never get anything in return

>>7308

I wait for it to blow over. It can be a week or a few months, but there's nothing I can do about it when it happens. I'm waiting now.

>>7313

Ah shit, I fucked the spoiler up.

>>7308

I push through it.

I'm not gonna lie, it fucking sucks, and there are days when I just flat out wait too long and miss shit, or days where I put off working entirely.

But I still pick a time, and just fucking do it.

If motivating yourself to work, because of what you want to do doesn't work, try thinking about avoiding the stuff you don't want. Like, instead of

>I want to work on this drawing today

think

>I don't want to go to bed tonight guilty, and cursing myself. Again.

>>7307

I'm currently in an art group, and honestly I say this because I want you to hopefully work through the things holding you back, but it's probably because you're being greedy/selfish and whining about not having it.

I've gotten fanart of my characters, plenty of times, and the main reason is because I've just talked about them a lot, and they're fun.

At the same time, you're also no longer in any art group, so there's not really much opportunity for it.

Still, if you're lonely, you can also start up a group here. Nobody's stopping you from dealing with the stigma of making a discord server or something, and getting people into that cancer.

>>7315

>There's something endearing about the simplistic, unrefined, raw aesthetic of aliased MSPaint-like brushes.

It also makes for very good pornography, for some reason.

>2012

>Plenty of creative and interesting ideas but shitty artwork

>Biggest sources of inspiration are flash games and IWBTG

>2018

>Palatable artwork but creatively devoid

>Only remaining ideas are the leftover ones I didn't immediately trash when I lost my creative grind

>>7318

I'm on it.

>>7319

>probably because you're being greedy/selfish and whining about not having it.

Honestly, I haven't brought up wanting fanart or stuff outside of here except for literally one other instance at most, nor have I ever outright asked/demanded for any. I just simply post my work and the most I get is just halfhearted "nice", "cute", "I like/love it", "thicc", or any compliment. I'm not terribly consistent with designs, though.

Perhaps I got so infatuated over someone's nice gesture on that one really shitty birthday that I got attached to it and set an unreasonably high bar for "Best Friend Forever" kinda thing, but that might just be the autism talking. Don't take it as me being greedy, though – I hate moochers and mooching in general. I'm just bad at socializing.

I'm in multiple groups now, though I play "wallflower" instead of being frequently active. Talking about my characters, though? No idea where that'll land me, but it can't hurt to try.

>>7319

>>7322

>talking avout one's characters

It's a good idea but you have to have something to say first. My characters are completely devoid of any back story or interest beyond the graphical ones I hope so that's one less thing to talk about.

>>7325

Maybe that's why I don't speak of them lots.

>>7322

No it's that your actions and desires are what I'm talking about.

You don't actively ask for it, yes, but you're expressing a desire for it, here.

But that being said,

>>7325

Is right. The fact that I've got a lot of stuff from my characters is because I've got a lot to them, that they've spent literal hours asking me questions about and having fun hearing the answers to. But there's also another element to it, as to why I'd even get fanart in the first place, and it's that the nature of their designs inspires it.

Let me explain, see, my overall goal when designing a character is to make them simple, but striking, enough to be recognized as some crayon scribble by a literal child. Because if I enjoy drawing them, than anyone who finds them interesting should be able to do join in, too. Even if you suck at it, ie a literal child.

And I've been designing characters since I was a kid, and somewhere in highschool I decided on that mentality, after becoming really unsatisfied with how my designs were turning out. So it's a lifetime of autistically practicing this one subset of drawing, combined with the mentality of making it easily readable, that's illicited this response.

The point I'm trying to make here is that it's a skill that you can get good at. And if you get good at it, and actually do something with your characters, you'll get attention on it. Though you also kind of need to be a little fucking crazy, to grab and hold onto their attention, but it's possible. Or at least, being crazy worked for me.

Sorry, am I making any sense here?

>>7330

Basically that's how i'd describe my character designs, except i'm able to return to a previous one if it amused me.

>>7331

I sometimes do as well, but never bother writing or even thinking any backstory or details about them. Maybe they just automatically get theirs (personality, behavior, etc.) from mine.

>>7336

>I figured it'd be easier to compose the art direction for any vidya I might wanna make instead of having to program it.

Brotip: it's not.

>>7339

Yunno, this might actually serve as a good basis to rehaul a character design or two of mine, that's beautiful.

Do you post your work anywhere, perchance?

>>7339

Not him, but I really dig that relaxed post and arched back. It might benefit from having better lineart, though it doesn't really detract from the character.

>>7341

> that relaxed post

That relaxed pose.

>>7343

Suppose so. The first character was supposed to be "mutated" into that way as a test experiment/guinea pig and came out a fuzzy beast boy – half mimiga/cutebold, half human. Second one's just some scribbles to see what I could come up with.

>>7344

It's definitely much cleaner, but I agree on a rougher treatment's appeal.

>>7346

>If someone can't grasp the general idea of your character, based on a standalone drawing in a vacuum, you've failed.

Yes, I've known that for some time, it's that i've got a bit of trouble figuring out how to visually convey character.

>>7352

>immediately flip shit and call me a shithead

That behavior's strictly for autistic retards, not for people who care about their work.

I see what the basic shapes mean in terms of personality, and I suppose I can get onto making more "distinct" shapes for my characters. Perhaps I could make them a more angelic figure by emphasizing certain traits?

>>7354

Try it, see what you're fucking up, correct the mistakes, try again.

That's really all I can say, since I just did that for a long time, and I got good at it. To the point where I intrinsically understand the kind of stuff people will bring up, when discussing it, without really knowing the terminology or processes behind it.

If you need some reassurance, if you post your work in the draw thread, I'll critique it.

I've been (trying to) draw comics since elementary school and I've tried to get into drawing comics again recently. My friends and family like my scribbling but its not at a point where I can show it off to other people. Somehow when I go from rough sketch to ink the picture always seems to look worse to me.

I feel like something's wrong with me. My brain always feels sluggish and it takes me forever to draw a single page (or maybe I'm just impatient).

I apologize if I come off as a whiny philistine, but I'm not sure what I need to do to improve myself.

>>7360

Don't zoom in so much.

If you zoom in too much, and focus on the quality of each individual line, you lose the character of the sketch.

Only zoom in if your inkage requires a very specific arc.

How do you guys deal with bad days?

>>7386

You just work.

It fucking sucks, and there's no way around it, but on the bright side it's also as simple as "just do it."

>>7386

Physically hitting the walls of my room and hitting my sketchbook.

>>7386

Music and at last 5 min of doodling. Sometimes I lock myself in the bathroom and take a hot to cold shower.

I don't know how to enjoy drawing.

I've drawn for my whole life and became more serious about it several years ago. I don't lack the confidence to do what I desire to achieve when I pursue something (when being the key word here) But everything I make I am utterly detached from. My attempts to be creative are horribly forced and end up with unfinished products.

Is there any way to truly fall in love with making art?

>>7432

just do what you like, and the rest will fall into place.

>>7434

that's the problem. I don't have a real passion for anything, even when I think I do

>>7432

>Is there any way to truly fall in love with making art

Get good at it.

It's fun if you draw what you really want to and can feel satisfied with the result.

>>7386

I run my hands under fucktardedly hot tap water, then lotion if they get dry, all while I blast Alice in Chains on my speakers.

I now understand the "depressed artist that commits suicide" theme in history.

>>7435

there's something that you enjoy drawing, doesn't matter what it is.

And before you ask, one of the nicest guys I know draws some absolutely bizarre and depraved "filth" and yet I still like his art because of how earnest it is.

So when I say anything, I mean "anything"

>>7452

That's great advice. There's nothing like finding something you like to get motivated. Also feelings of passion are something to work towards, not to wait for.

>bizarre, depraved filth

Got any examples? Weird art is often interesting.

I feel like everything I doodle is already fucked up or wrong on one level or another and it's too late to fix it.

>>7459

I can't even pinpoint where I went wrong at times – Did I base it all on a bad habit?

>>7462

>feelings of passion are something to work towards, not to wait for

What I meant is that you don't have to feel bad about feeling that you don't have passion for something or feel like you need to wait until you're ready to be passionate: show it through your actions.

It was more in response to >>7435.

In a way it's related to what >>7436 said: as you practice what you are or want to be passionate about, you will be.

I'll admit there's a lot of projecting on my part, but if it applies it's all the better.

>>6186

Who are you to tell me i won't make it?

>>7462

Maybe you're just doing something you don't care about, then.

Like people who get really good at their job, but don't give a rat's ass about it.

>>7467

>he thinks he's going to make it

>>7467

It's one of the great constants of the universe, like "everyone dies" and "OP is a faggot".

>>7461

It's probably a tiny concept we are missing and noone knows it even exist, so they don't teach it.

>making it

What is "it", then?

>>7458

Wait, you doodle once and leave it at that? You don't draw it again but fix what you think is wrong?

>>7486

Since most of the stuff I doodle are character designs that I seldom revisit, yes.

I doodle them once, and then I just move onto the next doodle, but I can't deny that my art habits need to change.

A few more months of trying to attempt to understand the anatomical abomination that is the human body, and I still want to jam sharp things into my wrists.

>>7509

I feel you. I about only ever draw characters once except when I'm on a big project, and that hasn't happened since 2014.

>finally have someone who starts [AUTISTIC SCREECING] every single time I post my art, in this one place

>doesn't realize I'm ignoring him, but keeps at it anyway

feels good

>>7539

Sounds like /ic/

>>7546

Oh I've stopped sharing my stuff there, a while ago. At the risk of sounding like a "muh style" fag, there really are a lot of deliberate stylistic elements in my art, that often trigger the fuck out of them.

It got to the point where I was tired of having to explain them.

This guy is someone else, and he's very "crab bucket." Never contributes anything to the discussion, and basically all he ever does is try to drag others down.

>tfw have had loomis .pdfs for years but have never sat down and ironed out studies of all the plates

He makes the structure of it as simple as it could possibly be, but I've still never done it. Nuts.

>>7606

What backwards loony country are you from where it's summer now?

Africa? Kangarooland?

>>7608

Monkeyzil.

>branch out and attempt to do something new

>try doing a dynamic pose

>consistently fuck the legs up

>thighs too thin, leg tapers wrong, everything is off

I want to give up and quit tbh, I hope it's not endemic to my work

>>7663

The fact that your eyes notice these things shows you're improving. Keep studying and try using a reference or just brute force your way until you figure it out.

>that good feeling when your usual life drawing class is open again

>>7609

HUE

>>7698

You know what they say, ngmi

>>7698

>>7698

Switch it back.

>>7606

Use a fan, my monkey friend. Two or more fans, it just werkz. Today I drawed as fuck just with one.

>>7727

I'm guessing you are either the guy drawing 100 feet or this guy >>7100 . Even though I am not particularly into the subject matter of the drawings I still think you're cool for putting yourself out there.

>>7726

>As for practicing to understand, I don't understand why I feel like i'd lose a massive chunk, if not all my ideas if I bit the bullet, went ahead with the fundamentals instead of just making yet another character design i'd quickly tire of and never revisit.

I don't understand this sentence.

>Speaking of which, why can I not stick with many a character design no matter how much I like it?

If you have just the designs in mind, and no ongoing work (such as a comic or game) where the characters maintain the same design throughout, I think it's normal to be constantly revising designs.

People on this board have called your designs generic, and I'm inclined to agree. However, I think part of that perception is because you haven't put them in the context of an ongoing work with an established art style, so they stand alone and will get compared to everything else in the immense pool of possible character designs rather than a smaller pool that's more relevant to the style of the work. I.e. Your simple designs will get compared not only to more complicated designs in similar, low-detail art styles, but also to more complicated designs rendered in much more detailed art styles, pushing the perceived simplicity/genericness of yours way up.

Also if you had the context of an ongoing work out there you could establish a theme for how all the characters look and this would make your stuff more memorable by requiring less information per character to remember the design and by having the setting tell the story of the character. E.g. for the first point, if you're familiar with Tetsuya Nomura's style for Square Enix jRPGs, he has a thing for putting belts and zippers and big baggy clothes on his characters and so when you have that in mind it's easier to remember how Sora from Kingdom Hearts looks. What's that kid wearing again…of course he has a big belt and big ridiculous shoes, the designer wouldn't have had it any other way. For the second point, in that picture you have a kobold-looking kid with a fuel tank augmenting his fire breath. Do other kobolds in the setting use things like that? If they don't, there's some kind of explanation for why that kobold is different and the setting provides the explanation.

>>7730

They both seem to have their heads on their shoulders, especially the feet guy, who doesn't afraid of anything.

Backlash is to be expected and I expect it, as it is something natural on imageboards or the Internet in general (especially when you draw fetish art like the two you quoted, as it is very divisive), but any attention, positive of negative, or interaction gets me flustered and feeling awkward, even praise.

I'll probably feel better tomorrow and go back to caring less about that anyway, but it's the feels thread and I got feels for once so I've gotta use it.

>>7730

>I don't understand this sentence.

I don't know why I feel like I would lose a lot, if not all my art ideas (characters, settings, etc) if I went ahead and did my studies instead of just drawing yet another one-time deal character design.

>>7730

Another thing I forgot to ask, aside from giving them their respective setting in which to portray them–how should I go about a more fun, memorable character design that while being rudimentary, stands out a bit more against generic designs and packs a bit more character than what I normally do? Trying to get a solid grasp on silhouettes isn't easy, at least when I try to incorporate it in my works. Would exaggeration work?

>>7726

>>7734

Just go fucking work on the fundamentals.

Even if you understand design philosophy and rules, you'll still always be lacking because you won't be able to properly draw out the ideas you're having.

It sucks, it's hard, it'll take a while to learn, but there's no way around having to learn how to fucking draw.

>>7738

Try it until you succeed.

Get feedback.

Course correct.

Repeat.

>>7738

>how should I go about a more fun, memorable character design that while being rudimentary, stands out a bit more against generic designs and packs a bit more character than what I normally do?

>>7730 here, I can't answer this for you because it basically amounts to asking for help designing the characters. I can only give feedback on designs that you put out there. Listen to >>7754 and >>7756. It seems that you know the feeling that you described in >>7734 is not truth so at this point you are procrastinating.

>>7754

>>7756

Loomis helps with this too, right? I've got 'fun with a pencil' and I still read from it.

>>7845

I'll give you a (You), you scallywag.

>>6186

i feel like i should drop this shit already. i just find myself replicating art styles i really like in hopes of ever finding something of my own but i have come to the realization i wouldn't be doing anything as great as what i'm inspired by anyway. so i'm probably quitting for music instead.

there are artists who have nailed down what i wish i did. what is the point?

>>7870

Pretty much everything has been done in music too, so you're going to run into the same problem if that's how you think.

>>7870

You get to play god. Who cares if you are a lesser god?

>tfw every time you try to draw a circle you instead draw a vaguely round thing with three lobes

>get mean comments on literally every single post

>block them

>wind up being weak and reading them anyway

>it starts getting to me

>eventually cave and just leave the platform they were following me on

Fuck it. I know it shouldn't get to me so much, but just every single time I posted something, and nobody gave a rat's ass.

Why should I even hang around that place (IRC channel) if they're gonna condone it through silence.

>>7977

Thanks, man. I was worried there was something wrong with me for not being able to "take it" with the constant belligerence, but it feels good to hear I'm alright after all.

I immediately felt better when I disconnected from them, too. So from here on I know I need to start finding value in my work myself, instead of placing what others' say about me, in enough regard as to be affected by it. It sucks that there are people like this out there, but I guess that's just an inevitability, and it's on me to keep at it.

As shallow as the meme of "haters" and how much you hear about it in mainstream culture, it's pretty easy to overlook how pervasive and common people like this are, to begin with.

Enough so that every single person knows what we're talking about.

>>7977

Truth. How detestable crabs are. I assume that later in life I will care about them a lot less, but for the moment I hate them.

I always wanted to be able to draw and paint like the people who's art I consumed as a kid. Not just the comics and cartoons, but even the things I saw in my grandfather's art gallery. Unfortunately I always sucked at it, no matter how much time I put in I lagged far behind my peers in ability. Used to chalk it up to not trying hard enough, not putting in as many hours as the people I wanted to emulate. Till a few weeks ago, when in a fit of desperation I asked a friend of mine who excels at art, to explain their process. Turns out that not only had I been spending far more time than her deliberately and just generally practicing and still sucked, but I also was missing something I didn't even realize. Turns out I literally lack an imagination. She just thinks up compositions in her head and sees/understands them. That that is possible was completely alien to me, I almost didn't believe it at first but it explains a whole heck of a lot about why I am so creatively dead and why I can only seem to poorly copy rather than create.

It's funny though. A big part of why I always wanted to become good at art was because of how magical it seemed to be able to create something as fantastic as art ex nihilo. Now I wonder if I only thought that because it was impossible for me to do from the start.

>>7986

If there's one thing about art, that might actually be a "talent" it's probably imagination.

I'm unsure how much of creativity is latent, and how much is learned, but I do know it's rooted in willingness to go out of the box and break boundaries. And if you're unwilling to do those, then you'll likely remain uncreative.

>>7976

What kind of channel was it? I don't remember an art channel related to this site. I'd like to join you if you ever find a new place.

>>7992

>related to this site

Oh good heavens, no. It was a channel in a discord server. I'm just kind of archaic in my terminology (I still refer to "calls" as "VOIP", for example), so apologies on that.

As for joining me? You drop some info and I'll contact you.

>>7993

Draw for yourself, and make sure to challenge yourself. Anything else just leads to eventually burning out, no matter how good you get.

>>7996

>You drop some info and I'll contact you.

>>>/hmnj/1

Report this post to contact me.

Any one else just not like photoshop? It's so bloated and runs like shit. There's menus upon menus upon menus. I had to google where to find the levels tool ffs. That's a ridiculous level of bloat.

>>8010

I'm not a fan of the UI, but I like to keep it around as an editing tool, type setting, and some effects that would else be hard to reproduce. But as an art tool, I've never been bothered to try and wrap my head around it.

>>8010

The only thing I missed when I switched from PS to Krita was the masks, but there's a workaround so I don't particularly mind.

It did crash a lot, but krita crashes about as much anyway.

>>8025

Imagination is a meme. What does not being imaginative enough even mean?

>>8025

Well, you can't change the past, so challenge yourself now and get better little by little. I always find inspirational that this guy started when he was 25 http://www.volenck.com/.

>>8028

Having a very limited visual library, due to lack of exposure to the world, and not being very naturally curious, so your brain doesn't really feel like combining anything to just see what happens, so you just end up unable to make anything new.

>>8031

thanks

>>8032

>Having a very limited visual library

That's why imagination is a meme. It's just another skill to learn like any other. It's not like you just learn it by looking around either. Just having seeing stuff doesn't mean you can draw it, or figure drawing would be the easiest thing in the world. The reason why people usually have a bigger library is because they've been drawing longer than you, and they've been drawing a lot of different subject matters, instead of just grinding fundies.

>>8106

I'm more bothered than I'd like to be by one particular crab at the moment.

>>8108

I know that feel. I'd love to be a tough guy and brush it off but the very small window where I take people's utterances to heart I can't help it, whatever it is it's also why I can't tell people to kill themselves even when I shitpost as hard as I can sometimes lingers for very long.

>>8110

I'm about 5 months in and I'm feeling the Progress Plateau Blues for the first time. I don't even know if it is an actual plateau, it just feels like it. I need to shake things up and study something new; try some different approaches. Feeling a lack of motivation though due to the above though.

>>8093

It's okay, proportions are tough; knowing what things are called and where they go is step one, just try and have a proportional reference handy next time.

>>8106

>>8108

>>8110

The problem with most anonymous online art communities or even semi-anonymous ones like discord is that few of them are willing to deal with the crab question; imagine you owned a gym and you just let teenagers come in off the street and relentlessly mock the fat asses trying to turn their lives around every single day. They're not working out themselves, they're not helping these people ensure they're performing exercises properly or motivating them or anything like that, they're just being a nuisance and they don't really belong there.

If a crab is a good artist, at least TRYING to be one themselves or gives genuine critiques but just "in a mean way" or whatever then the situation becomes much more complicated, sure. However I believe crabbotry is typically the domain of people who've either given up or never even tried, and in either case they might as well be made to piss off. For one reason or another they've become incapable of bringing value to a discussion and their loss becomes a net positive to the rest of the community.

>>8114

I haven't been on /ic/ for years, is the term "crabs" any related to cancer?

Human limbs are really fucking obnoxious things to draw.

>>8120

This sounds like recognizing a crab as what it is would have the adverse effect he intended.

>>8106

Eh just go and do what they're saying you can't. Nothing pisses crabs the fuck off more than demonstrating dedication and perseverance to a goal.

>>8174

If you can't go live the atellier life, just don't be so obsessive over art that your drive yourself to quit. Drawing everyday, if even for an hour, is vastly superior to quitting.

>>8175

that's not the problem. i don't get frustrated and consciously say "fuck this" and throw away my charcoal, i just stop caring. the motivation dies and something else steps into the foreground and before i know it, instead of drawing, i just feel compelled to do something else instead.

>>7038

turning your passionate hobby into your job is either the best decision or the worst mistake someone can make. best case scenario, you will remain in love with it because you get paid to do it all the time. worst case scenario, you grow to hate it because you're forced to do it all the time, even when you don't feel like it. you will grow to hate it just like any other job, like flipping burgers for example.

>>8174

You've got one of two choices.

Either start working harder, and for yourself, or accept drawing isn't your thing and stop/do it casually.

Whether or not you like it, that's the way it is for you. But you honestly just sound like you need to find something to work for, and you'll be fine.

Like a project of sorts.

>>8228

but it does. People are not all born as blank slates. Everyone is born with different levels of skill sets. Some people are better at problem solving for example, so there's no reason to believe that something like spacial reasoning which is important to being good at art is an exception. That being said, if you don't cultivate it you will fail no matter how good you initially are at something.

>>8229

I do think there is such a thing as talent in art, but the only advantage I've seen it grant is in how soon they develop certain skills. For example, you can go on google and search for "1st grade drawing", "5th grade drawing", all the way up through the years. You will notice that the majority of people share a similar level of artistic ability as they age. Where talent will show through is that you will get the occasional kid who can draw at say a 5th grade level when they're only in 1st grade. Hideaki Anno was like this for example.

Talent is real in the same sense that anything else that separates one individual from another is, but musing about it whether it exists either from the outside or from within is worthless because the only person you're competing with in the truest sense yourself.

For one thing, very few hobbyists can say that they draw even a fraction as much as a professional artist does now or has done to get to the level they're at-so if they are talented they may never develop themselves enough to be considered as such. I personally seldom draw for more than a few hours at a time because I'm addicted to imageboards and other assorted distractions-but despite that I have improved bit by bit. Would that I managed to abstain from lurking and making irreverent posts here or (mostly) elsewhere for any extended period of time I would undoubtedly be much more skilled than I am now, but it is something I've struggled with since I was first introduced to computers and the internet in my adolescence.

I imagine the same goes for most anyone that isn't genuinely disabled. You have to try to tune yourself out of pretty much everything else within reason (and without also getting burnt out) and get shit done. There really isn't a good excuse for why we might stagnate from one year to the next, we only have ourselves to blame, the "talent" discussion is inherently defeatist.

>>8230

exactly. think of it as a person's foothold, not a boat that carries them the whole way. That's what I mean when I say it's important skills are cultivated because if you don't you'll be blinded by the amount of people working hard that surpass you.

>>8231

this is pretty important because I doubt the people saying they are working hard and not getting anywhere are being completely honest. It's just downright impossible.

I think it's not to say people who are mentally able are unable to work hard, but I strongly think work ethic is something which can be improved at.

>>8242

>tumblr

There's your problem mate.

Use Pixiv instead, Nips are well used to seeing fucked shite.

>>8242

>I triggered a few people by sexualizing insectoid monster girls.

Who are these people who like insectoid monstergirls only if they're not sexual?

>>8242

Post your insectoid grills pls

Also NEVER respond to that shit no matter how reasoned you think your argument is it's not worth your time. If they start complaining on every picture just block them.

>>8256

You wouldn't have to learn much.

Whatever the main focus of your image is and that's it. They don't tend to put a lot of tags on images there. Not at all like western art sites.

She better care for her young, she'd be a terrible mother otherwise. If she went out clubbing on a Friday night and left her larvae alone by themselves I'd be so disgusted I wouldn't even be able to look at her.

On an unrelated note, I saw this post on /v/ >>>/v/14577423 and thought it'd be something up your ally.

>>8257

I guess I'll try it out and see how it goes. It sounds like fun.

>going out clubbing on a Friday night and leaving her larvae alone by themselves

Anon, god! She'd be a wonderful mother, extremely protective of her young and her home. Such scary suppositions certainly sound stage-suitable since depressingly dejecting drama delights but barring brief bleak blatherings I don't usually go for that.

Also, thank you for bringing this amazing piece of metal to my attention. It really is something I'd take a keen interest in drawing.

>>8261

Just make sure you rate your posts correctly, anything lewd should be R-18 and anything with gore or violence should be R-18G.

If you ever do draw something of that thing be sure to post in the draw thread, your art always amuses me.

>>8272

As long as it's fast. I've been suffering from an ailment I'm not even dying from (or maybe I am) for months and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. It's affected my concentration and work. Sometimes when I'm at my worst I feel like I'm not even focused on improving anymore, just "surviving", if you'll allow me this melodramatic term.

>>8287

I actually do the same. I never got anyone to see it though. If you're afraid that they're misunderstanding you can just try to make a remark about how awkard it is to have no model and do it yourself. Those who saw and remember will connect the dots.

>>8272

I can totally relate to that. I'd like to talk with you somewhere you prefer.

>>8302

Kek, fucking this.

My preferred type of video has become ones that are simple over the shoulders of artists I like. It is better to just try to pick up on things on you own, because the only things you will pick up on are things appropriate to your skill level. With time and practice, I will rewatch a video and I pick up new things due to more experience.

I feel it mimics what apprenticeships were like and still are like in Japan.

>>8302

Just learn how to do both.

>>8305

This is actually great advice. It's just hard to find videos for all the artists you like.

>>8302

I know that feel.

>>6186

>tfw you didn't notice the pencil was edited in in 5 months

>>8318

You should want to get good because you enjoy doing it; if you're not having fun anymore try finding new ways to have fun

I wish I had never existed.

>>8360

>Recently I genuinely get mad when I see a good picture, because the person who drew it must have had a good life and didn't have to go through the shit I did.

I don't know. Sometimes I feel like everyone is miserable but they just hide it.

New thread:

>>8376

>>8376

>>8376

>>8376

>>8376

>>8360

>Recently I genuinely get mad when I see a good picture, because the person who drew it must have had a good life and didn't have to go through the shit I did.

all of your hardships are created by you, and it's not like artists in general art the happiest people.

>try drawing

>mind is super finnicky on how it's supposed to be (a single, fullbody, lonely character that more often than not occupies the center of the page, doing nothing in particular)

>this issue only intensifies further on, including being obsessed with finding that one reference that has exactly what I want down, sporadically being on and off about it, ragequitting if the end result doesn't look right, stalling on end on what else to do about it)

>lack of creativity/not knowing what to do only worsens the stalling

>process feels more robotic and lifeless than it has any right to be because of it

>end up with several pages/files of an unfinished sketches as a result

And it only took me three years to put my finger on it.