Many of you know that as an artist, I am self taught. Not a single formal drawing class under my belt. I get my info basically from a plethora of art channels, and watching more accomplished artists draw. Seeing their process helps you tweak your own. I suppose there are benifits to being self taught- such as being able to say that you're self taught. You don't spend thousands of dollars on an art school, or traveling and similar expenses. You aren't constantly toiling under a deadline, and You are free from structure and able to go at your own pace.
In some ways, that freedom itself can be a problem in and of itself. Basically. You have a plethora of sources to learn to draw, paint, ect. each with its own style, and unique way of doing things. Which is right? Which is wrong? Unless you happen to know someone who is skilled in the craft, art advice can be very hard to come by. Many of you bought a how to draw book, that talks about drawing the mannequin and then the clothes and other details, and so on and so forth. Some art books even tell you to draw your characters into your background (I do not suggest this, and the few artists I talked to don't suggest that, either). As you draw, you develop your own procedures, and maybe even some tricks along the way. There in lies the rub. You start to feel you're doing your art wrong for deviating from said source's path, you start to feel as if you're doing it wrong.You look at your art and then your source, and it just doesn't right. Even though you KNOW there's no real way to do art wrong, you still FEEL as if you are.
Moving from one new process to another probably doesn't help, either. You get to a point where what you're doing just isn't working right now. Then, you try something new, and it works, until it doesn't and the process repeats itself. As I just transitioned from one process to another I can't say whether or not this cycle ends. A part of you is just happy to have something that works, while the other constantly worries if this means you aren't progressing at all, and somehow regressing. Logically, this is nonsense, but it doesn't help abate the feeling.
All of this is to say nothing of comparing yourself to your artistic idols. It can be debilitating, even if they post some of their earliest works. Sure you know they started where you did, or even worse than you were when you started, but that doesn't change the seemingly insurmountable gap in skills that separates you. Seeing them crank out in a few minutes what can take you an hour- especially if you're going for quality- and a lot better than you are, it doesn't do you any favors. Everyone tells you not compare yourself, but when you hold your idols as a measuring stick, it's pretty hard not to.
Or rather, that's how it is with me.
So, I guess I say this to all self taught artists out there- be you less, or more skilled than I am- to just be confident in the path you're on; it's your own, and you control where it takes you. I'd tell you how to get this advice to sink in, but I still haven't figured that part out. :b Thanks for listening to/reading my rant.
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7 years, 10 months ago
02 Jun 2016 07:03 CEST
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