REDZIPPIE

for all the artists following me

draw fast. it’ll look messy for a long time but you’ll improve faster than if you spend 4 hours on every drawing

if you draw in pencil and have a habit of erasing all of your mistakes, try drawing in pen or marker. i know it’s scary but it’ll help in the long run (i’m speaking from experience)

try different methods and mediums but don’t worry about mastering any of them, just have fun

if you’re not rich, buy art supplies from the dollar store, not the art store (seriously. i go through a sketchbook about once a month and i’d rather spend $4 on one than $15)

there’s no wrong way to learn. you can copy other people’s art if you want to, just don’t post it

DO NOT worry about having a consistent style. do not. just draw however you want

if you want to make original characters then do it. don’t worry about if they’re original, or a good design, or if they have an accompanying story. make sonic ocs. do it. it’s fun and it’s not hurting anyone

try not to kill your back. stand up and stretch once in a while

make a folder and save all of your favorite arts for inspiration 

draw from life. draw your dog. draw your teachers. draw your desk. draw your own hands (seriously that’s the best way to get better at drawing hands)

in general, drawing from life or a photo is better than drawing from a diagram

draw whatever you want. draw youtubers if you like youtubers. draw undertale if you like undertale. when i was a kid i drew nothing but shadow the hedgehog and horses. everyone deserves to draw what they want without being mocked, and if people start making fun of you, block them and keep drawing

don’t expect to get any notes at first. don’t let it discourage you. if you want validation go show your art to your mom or your friends or your teacher or your grandma

Heyo so I recently got contacted by someone about something(?) art related(??) and it was a super confusing experience that I still don’t totally understand what they wanted from me so I wanted to lay out some advice for anyone hoping to contact an artist for any sort of project, be it a collaboration, a commission, or whatever. Also, artists, know your rights.

1. Start by introducing yourself and explaining what you do. Don’t be vague, give specifics. What are you interested in? What makes what you do different from what other people do? Why should someone want to get involved? What do you want from the artist?

2. Have answers in mind for questions of content/method/scope. That’s super important for any collaborative project, especially when pulling other people into it. Tell them exactly what they’re getting into.  What do you want this project to be about? How do you want this project to be achieved? How much time and resources will be spent on this project?

3. Over explaining is better than under explaining. Make your language clear. Write professionally. Do your best to have good grammar. Give artists the same professional courtesy you would give a any other legit business.

4. Ask yourself: What am I getting out of this? What are they getting out of this? Are those two things equal? Generally, collabs mean that both participants are contributing to the work load. It’s a constructive effort that relies on the contribution of both parties. Asking someone to draw something for you (or your business/blog/channel/whatever) isn’t a collaboration, it’s a transaction. What are you offering in return? Some artists are happy to create art for exposure. Many of us create art as our business, and exposure isn’t a very reliable currency. If that’s all you can offer, quantify it. Where will it be featured? How many people will see it? How likely are those people to then support me as an independent artist? Don’t be surprised if many artists ask for more tangible compensation. 

Please, please don’t try to shame artists for wanting compensation for our work. “Some people just do it for fun” doesn’t make us want to perform free labor, it just makes us feel bad and question the worth of our art. Most of us already draw for fun- that’s all the stuff you get to see for free on our blogs. We also often have to create art for classes, for other jobs, and for professional portfolios. We don’t have time to work for free for someone we don’t know. You wouldn’t ask an architect to design your house because it’s fun. Please afford us similar courtesy. 

Some ways to support artists if you can’t afford to spend the money:

- Reblogs!! Follows!! Tags!! Even if you can’t commission me, one of your followers might!

- Recommend us to your friends/family. Do you know your mom wants a family portrait? Does your friend want a doodle of her dog? Send them our way!

- Encouragement can go a long way. Comment. Send asks. Tell us specifically what you liked about a piece. This makes us more confident and willing to post art on platforms like tumblr and instagram, where you’ll get to see it for free!

- Keep an eye out for stolen art, reposts, no credit, etc. Know that it harms artists and makes us less willing to share what we create.

Don’t be afraid to say hi! Or if you know an artist, share this with them! Our aim is for artists to find their audience and get their art out there!

My blog:

I assumed I just wasn’t writing very well, but maybe it’s not just me.

This blog is down approximately 80%, which doesn’t affect me other than as an annoyance (as this is a hobby and @okayto is small-ish) but the issue undoubtedly hurts others.

Below are instructions for turning it off. You have to do it individually–it doesn’t matter if a blog you follow turns it off, you’ll still be affected unless you do the same.

Commissions!

EDIT: Just email me for more info! (Or DM me on Twitter) I’ll send you a form and answer any questions you may have: Griffnix ( at ) gmail.com