#artstruggle

Figure I'd make the dude come alive for a animation short 🫠🫠🫠

Still unfinished choppy and fucked up 🫠🫠🫠

I wish one day to archive to be a full time illustrator and be able to express myself throught my art ( is incredible how much more productive i am in those days is like an explosion a fabric of art, just wish to be always like that.

I want to share my thoughts on art, art-making, and improvement of art in one super art post. So here we go:

1. Making art: What does it mean to you?

I think making art is a very therapeutic and rewarding pastime whether you are a hobbist or professional. Art and other crafts are what give the day to day meaning. At the end of the day it is your life and your time, spend it how you want. Which leads into comparison etc. I’ve been blocked up for months now terrified to create anything and with no drive to practice because I was uncomfortable making ugly things. BTW you will make ugly imperfect things. Not all the time but a lot of the time. But the joy is in the process, not the product. If it is still hard to get over then guess what? You don’t have to share what you do. It can be for you to enjoy. I actually tack a lot of my own art on my walls. What stops me most of the time is perfectionism and the need for others approval. Ironically, when my reasons for art change, to get famous, etc. I never ever want to make art. Which is sad. I understand that as a professional I will have to make work other people would enjoy, and that is ok. Currently, I just want to play and enjoy the process. And that is ok too.  If you want to improve, look at good art and look at it objectively. See what makes it good using the fundamentals. Don't belittle yourself for not being as good. The only thing that separates you from what you want is time and practice.

2. Everything depends on your perspective and what you would like to do:

What I mean is, yes, I do believe that there is an objective standard to decide what good art is and I think my ratio would be somewhere like 60% content and 40% technique (my opinion) because I think both works together to make good art. Some art is technically amazing but lacks soul and others are creative but cannot get the idea across clearly. The technique is the vehicle on which you can convey your ideas more accurately. That is all. Your ratio may depend on what you are trying to say. If you want to be really good practice the fundamentals: Light, color, value, shape, composition, etc. Look how other artists use these and what subject matter they focus on. Practice growing your visual library by drawing things around you and subjects that interest you. Focus on drawing with volume and learning anatomy. These kinds of things will help you improve and even bleed into style as you learn to play around with the basics. But if it's hard to make stuff, just remember for me, bad art is better than no art.

But importantly, enjoy the process...

If you do not enjoy the process of making art, then why make art? The benefits from the process outweigh the final product in my opinion. If you enjoyed making something even if it turned out bad. You still won, it was a good experience for you! At the end of your day, you can decide to enjoy your art for what it is and be happier or beat yourself up for trying. Your art is only as good as you think it is. Being satisfied with what you have now will carry over into a drive to improve. You see your work and go “Wow I made this and I am proud, how can I improve upon this for next time?” Then you start paying attention to how you convey your ideas, what reference to use, the basics and suddenly you're improving. I think that being happy with what you have now isn't necessarily going to breed complacency. But even if you do not wanna improve then you do you, man.

If you want to be a professional then practice and put your stuff out there. That’s it

3. Comparison to others:

You could compare your speed of work or render technique or whatever you can think of. But what's the point? (excluding trying to improve your work) I mean just the kind that shuts you down, makes you think you can’t get better or there is no point. I mean you will have wasted your time (the only time you get) worrying that you aren't as good as other people (who aren't worried about what you are doing) rather than just making your art. And that’s sad! I’ve wasted so much time with this it drives me insane. Sometimes I even worry I am not as passionate as other people because some days I do not want to draw. Which is crazy! I may not have the discipline down but I do not lack passion. You cannot be 100% super f*cking stoked all the time but ya gotta keep going if you really want to get better. Sometimes your idea of success is not as grand as others. For me, I want to bring to life ideas, get technically skilled, and have a big body of work. But for others, it's different. There are so many people in the world, just do you and make your time count!

Just be kind to yourself and others and make an effort if you really want it. If you just enjoy it as a hobby then keep doing you! If you want to be great, be ready to sacrifice some time getting there. But do not rush, it's going to be a lifetime journey. In the end, it will pay off, it may not be big but it will be yours. 

And at the end of the day, that is what matters.

Make it yours.

(also one of my favorite things I remember to motivate me is Mark Manson saying in an article: F*ck you, have you even tried?)

Many things I have read or stumbled upon on this site have inspired me thus far:

Mark Manson: https://markmanson.net/life-purpose?fbclid=IwAR2KX0HR1h1SEVgeiaxShZtuR9s1IjsklMehZlLPuSoJUrneljLiwB4Bv9Y   (for general advice on passions)

Austin Kleon: How to Steal Like an Artist 

Hugh Macleod: Ignore Everybody and 39 Keys to Creativity 

Julia Cameron: The Artists Way

 David Bayles and Ted Orland: Art & Fear (highly recommend)

My friend @why-bless-your-heart

Bob Ross and Vincent Van Gogh (if you need inspiration)