Aïlath

Inktober day 4 : spell

Inktober day 3 : roasted

This chicken ain’t get roasted, this chicken will roast you instead.

Inktober day 2 - Tranquil

Inktober has begun !

This must have been my first attempt to draw something ‘kawaii’, as it is a style I don’t usually do (not unironically, at least), but I gave it a try to cheer a friend who was into a self-loathing phase.

A small comic about people who think artist is not a real job because "it's so easy", since I hear and see this assumption way too often, and almost always by people who have never touched a pencil before (duh..). Of course, if you're a hobbyist and indeed consider drawing a relaxing occupation as portrayed on the left, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, only with the rather common (and stupid) misconception that art is nothing more than that : a mere hobby which anyone could do with their eyes closed. In a nutshell, this strip is meant for condescending people who love to bully artists by telling them mean and ignorant nonsense like "your job is my hobby", "you will end up poor and hungry and living on welfare like a parasite", "artists are useless to society" or "anybody can do that". I think every artist, professionals especially, has dealt with that kind of asshole more than once...

Hearing people telling me “how gifted I am” whenever they see my drawings is sure a great compliment I really appreciate, but it also makes me feel kind of awkward, as I sincerely don’t believe in talent. If I draw the way I do now (even if I am well aware that there is still a lot I need to learn), it really is not because of some kind of innate gift a fairy godmother granted me at my birth, but because I loved drawing ever since I could hold a pencil and simply never stopped practicing, out of the will to improve my skills, but first and foremost because it has always been something I enjoyed so much I could not do without. Back when I was studying Biology or when I was working, being unable to draw regularly genuinely made me feel miserable and unfullfilled (which among with other factors, eventually led me to drop out of university and later quit my job), as if drawing was not just some casual hobby, but the sine qua non condition of my happiness -thus making me chose art as a career later. Of course, as all artists know, drawing is not always pure joy and laughter all the time : I too experience immense frustration regarding my skill level or even art-block way more often than I wished to, but as they say, just because you sometimes argue with your best friend or significant other doesn’t mean you don’t love them ! 

Back on the subject, the point I’m trying to make is that, no matter what your skill level is (in art or any other field) or how much people tell you that it needs a special kind of talent to be an artist, I personally strongly advise you to not pay much attention to that and stay focused on what makes you happy instead. If it is drawing, there really is no bad way of doing it, and speaking of personal experience, nothing made me progress as much as drawing what I loved the most (even if it was corny Undertale fanart). So, don’t beat yourself up if you feel like your art isn’t “good enough” (I know it’s more easily said than done, but a reminder never hurts) ; firstly, every great artist you’re looking up to at some point has been struggling with the same things you struggle with now (like, drawing the other eye, or hands, or perspective), and secondly, remember to focus on the fact that no matter what your drawings look like right now, you already have everything you need to improve : determination, patience, perseverance, love for what you’re doing, and the will to grow as an artist. I guarantee you that progress will then come with practice in due time.