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Carrot

Bursting the Artistic Bubble - Call to Arms

by
Throughout my time of being online, I've heard some ideas and concepts that are passed along person to person about art/the community that isn't PARTICULARLY 100 percent accurate. I'm talking very common things that people will say, and stuff that, to some extent MIGHT be true, but as a whole, are way too complex to be summed up in a sentence or two.

Now, one of the most important things about being an artist (and just about being a human in general) - is figuring out when to filter info out as bologna, and when to actually listen to something and choose to follow it. The "meta" can have some serious hazardous effects. It's hard to know what's right or wrong, and I've seen TOO MANY artists purposely stunting their own growth because they've heard something from some rando.

So this is what I'm planning on doing. I've collected a bunch of "things I've heard" and I plan on releasing a lengthy bit of chat on delving into those topics. Either debunking, adding support to, or rehashing/explaining them. (Now that I'm thinking about it, youtube might not be a bad medium for this... But for now, I'll just write em out.)

Here's an example of some of the things I'll be writing about. Keep in mind that these are things I've HEARD, not the stance I'm taking on them.

• All you need to do is draw forever, and you’ll get good.
• Doing fan art is bad
• “I’m not creative enough”
• Such and such medium is better than such and such medium.
• Art School is a waste of time and money.
• You can learn everything on your own.
• If you can’t draw well, you won’t be a good artist.
• Work on your anatomy.
• You’re either born with it, or you’re not.
• You need to be good in order to be successful.
• Being Bad Sucks.
• Commissions help you improve because they force you to try new things.
• It’s not a complete piece unless it’s in color.
• “This artist is too expensive.”
• “You need to find your style”

So here's where you guys come in!

Have you heard similar things like this? Things that people have come to believe and accept despite the massive amount of complexity in these sentences? I'm looking for more things to debunk/explain.

So really - Anything at all. If you've heard a thing about art (or the community) - and wanna hear my input on it, submit here! If you guys get to chattin' about stuff, that's fine too!

Meanwhile, I'll be writing these out and posting them in journals.

Thanks guys!
Can't wait to hear from ya!
Viewed: 641 times
Added: 7 years, 3 months ago
 
Dyre
7 years, 3 months ago
Yeah, I've heard all of those things, unfortunately. Though, I think that in relation to your drawing forever thing is people automatically buying into the "10,000 hour rule" to become an expert thing.

I believe that there was at least one study done that showed that work put in studying/practicing something could only account for some of how good someone was at something while the rest was a mystery. I mean, not even over 50% how much it contributed.

I'll add something else I've heard with artists though is like the left-brain vs. right-brain thing. Like analytical people can't be artists or something in the same vein, too.

Honestly, I think a number of people could use a bit more analytical thinking about how they go about their art because I think it could help them (given that they're able to use the information efficiently and effectively, etc.)
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
100 hundred percent absolutely. That's a lot of what my "I'm not Creative Enough" writing will be about. I honestly believe more analytical peeps will have a easier time picking up something vast like "art"
Dyre
7 years, 3 months ago
I actually thought of another thing I've heard.

People saying the "porn isn't real art".

I feel that it's incredibly stigmatizing and also categorizes certain emotions and ideas as somehow "lesser" than others due to social taboo.
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
Dyre
7 years, 3 months ago
So cool! I didn't see that journal of yours. >w<

I'm glad that someone is actually saying it and it's not letting all artists hold back from expressing themselves. There's so much niche and interesting content out there that's available to people to more easily enjoy because of the connectivity of the internet, I love to see so much of it.
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
It's an awesome time to be alive!
Tahla
7 years, 3 months ago
I unfortunately have nothing to contribute- all the things you listed are what came to my mind. I'm very curious about your thoughts on the whole ' art school yes/no' subject. Sometimes I wonder if I would be improving far faster if I had more formal training, or perhaps some basics with more traditional mediums outside of my own dabbling... In any case, really excited to see these talking points fleshed out!
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
You and
Mushbun
Mushbun
have been making absolute leaps and bounds from when I started helping you guys. I feel you guys are challenging yourselves in a very appropriate manner. But don't forget to always keep pushing! Don't get comfty!
DaftVenture
7 years, 3 months ago
You do help?!? Teach me to be amazing like you. @_@ the kind of drawings you do are one of the areas I have no confidence in... Or even know how to start.. (Not to beg. XP. I really would love insight from how you do things but ... I dunno, words! XP)
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
I help when I can, I've been quite busy recently - so I'm doing my best to do some larger aimed assistance! Like this project, for example!

If you have questions or whateva, try to hop in my streams. I do them all the time, and I've heard they're super helpful.
DaftVenture
7 years, 3 months ago
I've managed to catch a few but on my phone. Ruddy picarto app never works T.T. using the puffin browser does tho! Tho its a bit slow.
DaftVenture
7 years, 3 months ago
As someone who has taught themselves other mediums better than my college classes afterwards, I can whole heartedly say that you CAN teach yourself anything and everything you would learn in college, and sometimes faster. The key is that 'teach yourself' really means learning from others for free.  Almost no one learns how to do anything by fumbleing through it on their own. Its important to do things on your own, learn your medium and know how it flexes under your finger tips, but teaching yourself involves a large amount of watching and reading tutorials. Even watching speed paintings teaches you things, if you pay attention and emulate what is happening.

And not just tutorials on 'how to draw shiny metal' or 'how to draw hair', but also things like color theory and anatomy. Anything you want to learn in college you can learn OUT of college, for free. You just have to know what you are looking for, and that is the biggest benefit of college. Someone else has put it all in front of you and they are critiquing. (I rather enjoyed my art classes if only because it forced me to draw, and at the end of the week we would compare everyone's drawings. So there are other benefits too)
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
Ah see! This is one part of a confusion that might happen online.

You're giving that perspective as someone who's already BEEN in art classes! Keep in mind that the you before art classes is most likely not the same as the you afterward. That's a lot of what my topic is about. Also lots of mechanics as you've mentioned here. You're not 100 percent wrong, but you're not 100 percent right either - this is an incredibly dynamic point - and it deserves a literal essay in explanation xD!
DaftVenture
7 years, 3 months ago
Mm. Well I'm giving the opinion of someone who did a lot of self teaching and then decided he wanted to make sure he had the basics covered while he was in school. :P. I've been on both sides of the fence as it where.  My line of thought is that college is certainly useful, but that it's not entirely nessisary. There are plenty of other ways to get the same training for free. The library for one. (Damnit people why do you abandon books! T.T) honestly that goes for nearly everything you can learn in college. I taught myself more for both 3d deaign and conputer programming than every claaa ive taken for my comouter wcience major. (Yeah, i took art classes, not an art degree.... XP *sheepish grin*)Its only real value is the piece of paper you get. And in the case of art classes, the comradary, requitement-to-practice, and peer review was awesome.

What I want to do is to encourage peeps that they CAN get the same skill and training without paying an arm and a leg for it. Not to say college isnt useful. :P
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
Trust me, we are on the same side.

But keep in mind that "the way we learn" varies from person to person. And that having responsibilities and literally being forced to do something can spark people, just as much as wreck them xD. I'm also not saying it's the absolute way to go - but I'm definitely saying it depends on who you are, where you go, where you're at in whatever skill, and what your plan/intent is.

Sasparillafizz
7 years, 3 months ago
My experience with art classes has been heavily them pointing and saying 'Draw it.' Took 2 levels of photoshop classes in college for my art credits, an introduction class and a more advanced one...they taught nothing. Literally nothing. They would give you something to draw, i.e. 'incorporate this pretty pattern from a magazine cover and an animal into a picture' or 'Pick a painting from the Smithsonian museum, and recreate it from scratch in photoshop' and say have at it. No explanation on layers, the brushes, blending colors, burn and dodge, etc.

I was rather disappointed in paying money for such mediocre 'schooling,' but fuck it, counted for my credits. Glad I wasn't reliant on it for wanting to seriously delve into art though.
DaftVenture
7 years, 3 months ago
Sounds like there was a before class that you didn't take that you didn't need to that explained some of that. But my experience was stunningly similar. And yet positive because of it.

So, everyone exapwctes the teacher to explain everything in small words and sho details of light theory and stuff. But he wasn't like that. Instead he taught is that we already knew that stuff instinctively, and that we just had to draw what we saw. He DID show us strokes and how he achieved certaon effects and how to nlend between values and the like, but it was a LOT less baby-steps than most of the class was exspecting. Unfortunately his class dealt with more of the traditional art aspects and he refused to let us draw 'fake' things. Like video game characters. Or even plastic fruit. But it was still a good thing, because he was making us practice understanding how to put what we saw onto paper, and also how the medium, which was usually charcoal, could be worked. Part of why not being told how it works was a good thing is because we had to experiment and actually learn how to produce an effect with subtle differences in how you use the material. In other words its not something that can be taught with words or even by being shown. You have to put coal to paper and do it. And do it again.

In your case however, that's just messed up xP. There's no excuse for a computer program class to not explain the chief pieces of the program...
Sonikku2008
7 years, 3 months ago
Some of these honestly sound like an opinion. I personally prefer color pieces over bnw skecthes because, unless it's a really detailed bnw image (like I've seen from you), I have difficulty telling things apart without that color. Things will blend in more easily to me. But that doesn't mean a bnw piece isn't complete.

As for artists being too expensive... that can mean different things. Either the artist is charging too much for the quality they produce (possible), or they may be charging accurately, but the person saying so simply can't afford their work (or just don't want to pay that much). It's something that should be taken with a grain of salt and not necessarily followed as advice or anything.
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
I'm mainly using those opinions as opportunities to discuss~!

For example - The B/w vs color thing - True, color is a solid way to clarify an image. However, an image should not depend on color for clarity, because there are tons of peeps who can't see color like you and I can. Plus, studying in values will teach very different things than hopping straight into color! It's mainly putting into question "what is art, and what's its purpose" - most of these things I'm talking about don't have a definitive answer - I don't believe I know everything - the main purpose of all this is to get people to think and assess and decide on their own. So I'm showing different perspectives/options basically~!

The expensive thing, is a thing of values. And reminding peeps that tons of peeps have actual jobs that pay an actual wage. And arts a lexury, not a necessity. These things definitely alter the potential value of a product. etc etc.
Sonikku2008
7 years, 3 months ago
Yeah, I know a couple people who are at least partially color blind (someone I know can't see green, for example), so I understand color isn't everything. It's just my own personal preference when I look at others' art. :3

I don't argue with what someone charges for art; I've gone and adopted a character by auction for $400 before because I liked how she looked (still need to design her and about a dozen others), so yeah, people will pay what they think something is worth. What I like and think something is worth isn't going to be the same as what someone else likes and thinks something is worth, so that same character worth $400 to me might not even be worth $50 in the mind of someone else, is the point I was driving at. That's why I said such a statement is something to be taken with a grain of salt.

Artists genuinely charging too much for what they can produce, though, is something I said is "possible." I don't follow anyone right now that does charge too much for what they put out, so I can't give an example in particular of someone that in my opinion is, though.
Zippo
7 years, 3 months ago
Couple of things: "Work on your anatomy" is actually a valid recommendation as character specifics are required, like the human torso for anthro stuff or short stubby legs for experiments or feral forms for critters that require their own anatomy, and practice of such is important, at least to me(accuracy).

The "this artist is too expensive" is also valid because depending on the popularity/rarity/quality of the artist, they do tend to charge exorbitant amounts of cash (most up front) only on faith that they will deliver anytime in the future. Most have greedy $100+ patreon levels that no one should ever have to pay.
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
Again, I want to remind you that this isn't a "I believe in these" and definitely not a "I definitely don't believe in these" - that's just worded the way you might hear em. I agree with you in the first point, definitely not the 2nd. But that'll be for later~!
BizyMouse
7 years, 3 months ago
I hope not as my goal is to get more and more expensive, lmao! *wink*
DaftVenture
7 years, 3 months ago
On your second point.... No one HAS to pay. If you want the service then you'll pay because you want to. Guess what that's called. Supply and demand. An artist is worth every single penny you pay them :P. And likely more than that -_-. Who are we to call them greedy? An artist's work isn't something you or I have ANY right to see. They allow us, on specific conditions, to partake in their work. Specific conditions that often include paying for the /privilege/ to see it. A privilege they are at right to take away at any moment. If you think an artist's prices are not worth their work, then don't pay and move on. That too is economics. If an artist's work really isn't worth that price, then no one pays, and the artist, like any store or service provider, adjusts their prices to increase demand
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
Here here~! *raises drink*
bigsfurs
7 years, 3 months ago
I always try to draw in a way that makes me feel comfortable and satisfied. This has become easier since I started using my iPad as a canvas. Even though my only tools are my finger and my imagination, all the colors I could ever want are right on the screen, any mistake can be easily corrected, nothing ever runs out, I can work on multiple layers, and the preset brushes are so helpful for textures and blending. If anyone wants to get into furry art, digital is the best way to start, assuming it's an option.
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
Oh! That's a great point!

Definitely a great thing to talk about. Mediums to learn with. But more so, thats an entire conversation on workflow and mindsets when artist, and how they vary medium to medium. I'll add that.
MintyMoo
7 years, 3 months ago
Oh I'm definitely interested and will be watching your journal about this, I'm curious what the great and mighty Money Rabbit has to say :O
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
Money rabbit? you got the wrong bun ;b
Animew
7 years, 3 months ago
I’ve pretty much been hearing the same thing, even believing/perpetuating a few. ^_^" especially "It’s not a complete piece unless it’s in color." so it always eats away at my soul when people commission sketches from me and don’t get me to color them <_< tiz like they are telling me i failed before i could even start.

but here’s a few things i've noticed/heard about art:

the lines/anatomy don’t really matter, you can make it looks good with shading and highlights. (the dagasi effect)

art School rarely just focuses on drawing so people tend to drop out thinking they don’t need to learn no freaking photography.

traditional media is more challenging to do yet digital media always wins out in popularity because of the vivid colors.

boobs, hands and feet are the most difficult to get right.

at some point in art School they teach you some secret technique that reveals the universal form function that enables you to draw anything even if you never drawn it before.

and lastly, references... they help a lot yet people don’t like admitting to using them. some artists even refrain from using them out of principal.

that’s my 2c worth ^w^ can’t wait to read your discussion.
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
xDD Some interesting thoughts here. I don't have that "don't use reference" one so I'll add it to the list.
improperdarkness
7 years, 3 months ago
I don't think drawing fan art is bad, but I think it is more rewarding to draw something original even if it isn't as popular. And even if it is supposedly "bad" it's at least a good way to practice with something that you enjoy. I also think that like any talent it just needs to be practiced. I don't think that if you are simply "not born with it" you can't do it. It just may come easier for others. I also think that any medium is good, especially if you feel most comfortable with it. As for the art school one I'm not entirely sure, depends on the artist who teaches it I suppose. I completely disagree with the one that says "its not a complete piece if its not colored". Its called monochrome, and it used all the time for various reasons. If they are referring to sketches and line art though its still not true, it really depends on how far the artist wants to push the piece. I've never done a commission before, but I imagine it does push you into trying new things you wouldn't do yourself. As for my own ideas here is what I believe:
1. Lack of motivation is your greatest enemy.
2. Art is always subjective, someone will like it, love it or hate it. I'm just happy if it makes people feel something.
3. Don't compare yourself to others.
4. Don't ignore critisism, but also don't obsess over it.
5. You can learn a lot on your own, but you will learn more from others.
6. Artist's aren't "too expensive" you just can't afford them.
And those are my opinions, a little cliche and generic but hold some value to me.
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
We're on the same page on a lot of those points :D

Oh and these are good! I'll jot some of these down!
Frankfurt24
7 years, 3 months ago
on too expensive, i will share my Opinion.

im the type of commissioner, who will gladly drop $150+ on good commissions and the like, and I have done so in the past. but there are definitely a few out there who are too expensive. Cough 600$+ YCH's cough
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
Haha, fine-art is a dynamic market~! There's just a disconnect from the online fine-art meta and the real life gallery fine-art meta - but in actuality, they have a stunning amount of similarities. Except we're all raised in a capitalist society where art is a commercial product, so we're working in a fine-art society, using commercial art value ideals. (like having black friday deals and all this other non-real stuff) xD
Asha
7 years, 3 months ago
Another log for the fire: "You can only improve above a certain level if you're a professional artist."
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
People say that?! :V - I might adjust this to be a bit more broad. Maybe something regarding the lines of hitting a "ceiling" of improvement. I'll wrestle with it to find something more generic, but talking about that point.
Asha
7 years, 3 months ago
Mmhmm, I've heard a few folks say something along those lines - often other professional artists tbh. I think it's not soo much about a ceiling of improvement but more-so that unless an artist arts as a profession, no matter how much they are committed to their craft, their work is subtly belittled; I guess the stigma associated with amateurs.
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
The only things that "doing it professionally" means is that -

A - You have no choice. And depending on your field of work, you will be forced to hit a level of quality regardless of your comfort. (but once you're there, you're really not improving much)
B - You're doing it daily. And are given the time to art. (however, doing the same thing over and over for your job will only push you so far, unless you're in a REALLY sweet job)

I DUNNO MANG, I did a small bit of clean professional stuff, and all that did was make me realize how lame it was to work on the same IP for a while, especially when you're just a cog in the machine and you're not calling the shots. So I suppose if you're "professionally" working for yourself, then you can choose when to study/what projects to take on to really push yourself etc.

Sometimes you do just need time to do the grind and actually study/produce - and if you're working full time on something else, and have a family, yeah it's going to be VERY hard to find the time to do all that.

This does bring up a pretty interesting topic to talk about though...
Asha
7 years, 3 months ago
Glad it prompts a few thoughts. ^.^
DaftVenture
7 years, 3 months ago
Mmm.... What can I add to this. ... Well I can suggest things I actually believe/Learned in school. Probably not things everyone says tho, nor something worth debating...
*never fear an empty page. Just put shit on it. The sooner you start the more time you have to shape your drawing.
*art supplies are actually cheap. Don't worry about mixing too much paint.  Its a lot more annoying to try and color match later.
*use references. It can only help.
*don't think to hard about your next piece. Just make one. Even something not super exciting.
*Don't just practice, practice new things.
*do practice!
*mimicking another artist is not bad. You're trying something new.
Mimicking only one artist is bad. You're NOT trying something new.
*imitating poses from another work in your own is not bad. Just don't trace. :P
*tracing is bad. What did you learn?
*don't sweat the little things you see wrong with a picture. You are the only one who sees them.
*most importantly, never expect to be perfect. There's no such thing as perfect art.
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
Ah, I think on perfection! That's one I don't have, and goes hand in hand with a few other of the points I'll be talking about.
Aogami
7 years, 3 months ago
I've heard all of these. Some of them are true, some aren't, most are a matter of opinion and fall somewhere into the gray area of interpretation. I'll give some brief responses from my own experience:

• All you need to do is draw forever, and you’ll get good. - patently untrue. You have to study and learn to make practice effective
• Doing fan art is bad - fanart is a great way to get attention, especially when you're just starting.
• “I’m not creative enough” - if you believe it, it's true.
• Such and such medium is better than such and such medium. - depends on what you're using the media for
• Art School is a waste of time and money. - art school is good for people who aren't good at structuring their own learning, don't know where to start, or need external motivation to practice and improve.
• You can learn everything on your own. - this one is true
• If you can’t draw well, you won’t be a good artist. - drawing is the basic foundation behind a lot of different skills, but depending on what you want to do it isn't strictly necessary
• Work on your anatomy. - practice drawing the things you want to draw. If you want to draw people, practice anatomy.
• You’re either born with it, or you’re not. - anyone with basic motor skills can learn to draw.
• You need to be good in order to be successful. - there are enough easy to find examples of this being untrue that I don't need to spend time explaining it.
• Being Bad Sucks. - don't like being bad? Study. Practice. Git gud or shut up.
• Commissions help you improve because they force you to try new things. - I've found this to be true sometimes, other times a lack of enthusiasm can make it a wasted learning opportunity. Treat every piece as a chance to improve and learn.
• It’s not a complete piece unless it’s in color. - this is 100% opinion. If you don't like uncolored work, don't buy/make it.
• “This artist is too expensive.” -  People who think it's worth the money will pay it, people who don't, won't.
• “You need to find your style” - draw what you want, how you want. Developing a personal style is a choice. If you're happiest emulating some other artist's style, then that's what you should do.
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
Generally pretty similar ideals~!
Aogami
7 years, 3 months ago
I think having been an artist for so long has made me forget that this stuff isn't obvious to everyone xD
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
Haha I hear ya! That's the whole reasoning behind doing this!
BizyMouse
7 years, 3 months ago
I think the art school being unnecessary if you're motivated is an ok sentiment a lot of the time but when you get into animation it gets harder to get actual relevant critiques and tips from people on the internet.
snofox
7 years, 3 months ago
I think I got some input here...
     "All you need to do is draw forever" - This isn't wrong. I mean, you don't want to overwork yourself and wind up with carpal tunnel or something, but practice is how you get better, not just in drawing, but anything.
     "Doing fan art is bad" - How? You're getting in practice. Draw whatever your heart desires! As long as you don't straight up claim them as your own, it's all good.
     "I'm not creative enough." - There's inspiration all around! Take 5 minutes, soak in your surroundings, you'll think of something! It never hurts to have a friend to use as a sounding board for your ideas either~
     "such and such medium" - Well, like, that's your opinion, man.
     "Art school" - Another matter of opinion. What might be better for someone might not be for another, but there's never any harm in learning.
     "You can learn everything on your own" - You can... it'd be a lot easier to check out some tutorials or classes to get the basics down, but, well, you can... it'll just take more time
     Always work on anatomy!
     "born with it?" Some people ARE born with natural talents, but anything can be learned.
     "Good = successful?" Nope! Unfortunately, there's plenty of people around with lots of talent and little to no audience. It depends on your definition of success. If you can call completing and uploading a piece of work a success, then congratulations! If you call having a 1000+ follower fanbase, then you've got some work to do.
     "Being bad sucks" - Not necessarily. Good example, Don Hertzfeldt. A single drawing in his extremely simple style might be considered 'bad' by 99% of the artistic community. But if you play through an entire animation, there's plenty to admire about his process and storytelling.
     "Commissions help you improve?" - Once again, not necessarily. If you already draw a lot of different things, this really doesn't matter much. This can also backfire, as I know of at least one artist who stopped doing work because their psyche was utterly destroyed doing subject material they found particularly uncomfortable.
     "Color?" - It's complete when you feel it's complete. Not everything has to be colored. In fact, stylized black/white can be just as appealing.
     "Too expensive." Get a job or save up more, then. Artists need to eat too, and you're not just paying for the finished product, but the hours of work and care that they put into each one.
     "Find your style." - It'll change and develop over the years. Don't worry so much as about finding your style as just doing your best~!
bobblebub
7 years, 3 months ago
I often say stupid things, usually comedic, so nobody takes me seriously. That aside, one of those struck me "You’re either born with it, or you’re not." This is similar along the lines of what I have heard most of my childhood. My entire family and I, can draw/paint/sculpt/art very well, so I often heard I was gifted (born talent) in drawing*. I actually never thought about it back then, if it was true or not. Either way, I stopped drawing after high school to focus on other pressing matters. That was 14 years ago. I've thought about starting up again, but I am rusty, really REALLY rusty. I do have the time now though, so maybe I'll give it a shot. Then again, I also just got Netflix back so......... poop.

*I have some examples that I could probably dropbox, but not publicly.
Nightdancer
7 years, 3 months ago
Too expensive is when l can get the same quality of art from an other artist, but for less.
For some artist, l pay for the name and not for quality alone.
Like Boss, Prada or else.
Kamashari
7 years, 3 months ago
• All you need to do is draw forever, and you’ll get good.
Potentially true, as drawing, re-drawing, and trying new things will eventually refine art you already have, broaden the scope of what you can do, and keep your skills in check. Although it is good to draw as much as you can, don't obsess over it and push yourself to do it when you don't want to... Like me.

• Doing fan art is bad
*Cough* BULLSHIT. Anyone can draw whatever the hell they want, and that's pure opinion.

• “I’m not creative enough”
You're not trying hard enough. Or maybe you're trying too hard. Try drawing something else.

• Such and such medium is better than such and such medium.
Purely subjective. Quality is in the eye of the beholder.

• Art School is a waste of time and money.
To an extent, this COULD be true, but sometimes art classes teach you things you never even thought were possible on your own, so your mileage may vary.

• You can learn everything on your own.
See above.

• If you can’t draw well, you won’t be a good artist.
This is also bullshit, because frankly, I see "worse artists than me" making more money for LINEART than I make with full-color sketches.

• Work on your anatomy.
Yes, yes, please, study the things you're drawing and try to think of their shapes and forms.

• You’re either born with it, or you’re not.
BullSHIT, I WORKED for my skill, boy!

• You need to be good in order to be successful.
Again, bullshit, see post about other people making more money than me off lineart. (YES I'M SALTY ABOUT THAT.)

• Being Bad Sucks.
Yes it does, but don't let that stop you from making art.

• Commissions help you improve because they force you to try new things.
New things don't objectively make you BETTER, they just widen the scope of things you can potentially draw. I force myself to do new things and it's torture because WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING EVERYTHING LOOKS WRONG AAAAAAAAAGH REDRAW!

• It’s not a complete piece unless it’s in color.
Fuck you. And that's the POLITE answer to this.

• “This artist is too expensive.”
Find a cheaper artist. Odds are you won't unless you look hard for an artist who's literally selling out their soul for a dollar, because good artists need money to make a living.
-OR-
Draw it yourself, you cheapskate. (IT'S WHAT I DO.)

• “You need to find your style”
Yes, but your style develops over time; and sometimes you just don't have any inherent style and simply borrow styles you like from other artists and mash them up into something "beautiful" (or hella ugly).
Tasuric
7 years, 3 months ago
I  can't think of any other examples off the top of my head, but the "I just can't do it./I'm not artistic" meme grinds my gears something fierce. When I first decided to draw, the first "pieces" I did were primary school tier doodles. It sucked, I hated it but I kept going. Sure there was a lot of rage, tears, angst and enough artblock to dam a river, but ultimately if you push through it, you will succeed.

That comes with a small caveat, which is that you need to be smart about it. I see many people break down because they reach too far too fast. Going from nothing to trying to create their own OC from $_Fandom and failing, obviously. Or trying to draw anatomically sensible characters without breaking down the shapes into something manageable.

Rather than innate "talent", I think what you need is patience, determination and focus. It isn't easy, playing LoL or Overwatch is a lot more fun than (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ing your way through your free time, but there is no other way to do it. There's no shame in opting out of all that of course, but I wish people would stop putting their failure as an artist onto a lack of "talent" rather than their own decisions and lack of dedication.
Carrot
7 years, 1 month ago
SHIIIIIIIIIET SON - Cuttin deep there!
CelineTenderclaw
7 years, 3 months ago
Wow, these are some pretty deep topics, especially dealing with artists. You have different concepts that play into these questions: biological, emotion, physical, etc. I can say that a lot of these, I have heard and/or experienced... Some of them I still kind of am going through. Though I don't want to go over all of them, just the ones that I feel need my input. This is not to say the others don't need it, but that I feel more comfortable talking about these ones more than others.

• Doing fan art is bad

I actually thought this for awhile when I first started. Not necessarily fan art, but commissions and drawing things like OC's/fursonas. In a way, I guess it can get nerving to people seeing the same character all the time in almost the same action. However, there is a reason I can see this being used. It stands as a level of practicing, understanding how things look and what they portray. At the same time, it acts as a median for when you are not feeling as creative as you were with say your last couple drawings. Also, starting out, it's a little hard being creative at first, especially if you are not use to being so. This brings me to the next idea.

• “I’m not creative enough”

This is probably true, but only because you want to believe it to be. Sometimes, drawing fan art can hurt you, especially if you fix yourself on just drawing stuff for other people and not for yourself. One of the big lessons I was taught in my job was serving myself when I feel like I want it most. I say "want" and not "need" because when you wait for when your clawing for satisfaction, it can hurt you; it can hurt others. To touch on the idea of left-brain and right-brain users... It's technically true, from a medical stand point, but to an extent. When you look at a persons brain activity, find where it is doing most of its work, it can show signs of high left or right side activity. However, this does not mean that you are always left or right sided. Like everything else in the world, things change. This does not mean that they all-of-a-sudden started using the other side of their brain; this just means they have faced themselves with different experiences that required either abandoning or using less of one side and using the other. The point is, though, that no one is forced to stay on one side of the tipping scale; things can be moved, things can be changed, to balance out their life.

• You can learn everything on your own.

This is almost impossible. I say almost because I leave room for possibility. The reason I say so is because to true learn something on your own, you would have just sat in front of a board and just drawn things and figured new things and come up with a name for these discoveries. In reality, even if you found the information that taught you how to do something, it was still the person that provided the information that helped you learn such a thing. Help is a powerful tool in learning anything. There is nothing wrong with help, and you should never think of doing things on your own. It builds a lot of stress on a person.

• If you can’t draw well, you won’t be a good artist.

Drawing well is a matter of perspective. I feel its not the content that makes an artist good, its the time and effort they put into expressing what they love. (cheesy me)

• You’re either born with it, or you’re not.

Bullshit, nuff sed.

I really want to touch on a lot of these, but unfortunately that would require me to write a novel (and the character count is limited). I can really only sum up the ones that I have mentioned and not truly express myself on their matters. I might not be the first to ask regarding problems, but I pride myself in helping others. Helping people makes me the happiest, so if you or someone needs someone to talk to, I will always lend my ears. I don't want to anyone else to feel like they don't matter. I care about everyone, off work or on, but I can't help you if you don't let me.
Norithics
7 years, 3 months ago
"This concept isn't original."
or
"This looks like (famous thing)."
Said as if it's supposed to be some kind of condemnation. Like bish, c'mon. From the times of ancient mythology, ain't nobody buildin' this shit on their own.
KawaSeadrake
7 years, 3 months ago
On the opposite end?  "Style is not important compared to everything else." - Like... I can get discouraging an outright disregard for knowledge, but it REALLY depends on what the artist is going for.

And the commissions thing?  Urgh... I think I've heard at least 3 different complaints from artists who feel like they didn't have TIME to break out of that oh-so-familiar box because of them.

I think though, the above covers all the ones I've heard.  Not a single one of these has an 'easy' answer, and a 2002-me would VERY much have wanted to know that. ^.-.^
ArenConcordia
7 years, 3 months ago
I hate it when people say one medium is better than another. It's like saying cheese is better than meat. You cant compare them because they aren't in the same category. You may prefer one over the other, but by their nature, neither is better than the other.
DragonEmotion
7 years, 3 months ago
-My opinions on the stuff you heard:
• All you need to do is draw forever, and you’ll get good. - You'll get good way before forever. You have to practice a lot. Like "Every single day". And "good" depends on with which you compare yourself. Better compare yourself from the past to yourself now. This is also less frustrating.
• Doing fan art is bad - Practicing with every method is ok. Not giving credit to the original artist is bad.
• “I’m not creative enough” - Creativity in the meaning of doing something original is not easy with this much art out there.
There is always something similar even if you don't know it's there. Creativity in the sense of finding pleasing poses or situations that fit to your taste is difficult. When you don't know what you want or like you'll be stuck. Try and error.
• Such and such medium is better than such and such medium. - Depends on experience and personal taste.
• Art School is a waste of time and money. - Depends on own goals.
• You can learn everything on your own. - This is possible but some things are easier with help. It can save a lot of time.
• If you can’t draw well, you won’t be a good artist. - Wrong. Art is more than just the bare drawing part. It's the message, the idea, the concept, the spirit behind it.
• Work on your anatomy. - This applies mostly. But it depends on the art style. Good proportions are a key to make pleasing drawings. But they don't have to be scientifically accurate.
• You’re either born with it, or you’re not. - Wrong. Practice, practice, practice.
• You need to be good in order to be successful. - Maybe. You can also be successful by being loud.
• Being Bad Sucks. - True. It doesn't give motivation to move on. It makes it hard to stay focused.
• Commissions help you improve because they force you to try new things. - True. Practice, practice, practice.
• It’s not a complete piece unless it’s in color. - Wrong. If the artist/commissioner  says it is complete than it is.
• “This artist is too expensive.” - Considering the amount of work and time and knowledge to make a certain quality of art it is worth the money.
• “You need to find your style” - Wrong. You need nothing. You have to to stay true to yourself and do what you like to do. You don't need to find a style. I understand commissioners search for a nice style. They see something they like and want something similar. This can be difficult with an artist who can't keep the style similar to previous art pieces. If you can recreate your own art in a similar style this is absolutely fine. It doesn't need to be a particular style. Style can work as a brand or a trademark with recognition value. It depends on if you want that. But you don't need it.  
DansLittleFurs
7 years, 3 months ago
I often feel lost. Both short term and long term. Like, not sure what I should draw tonight, and don't know what I should work on long term. I do make it a point to draw every day, even if it's nothing of consequence.
shrapnelman88
7 years, 3 months ago
I would just say have fun, that's what made me good at drawing.
Vixel
7 years, 3 months ago
"You always draw the same thing"
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
HAHA I READ THAT AND I WAS LIKE, "NO I DON'T"

adding it to the list
Vixel
7 years, 3 months ago
lol! :D

Also, the statement is ambiguous! It might refer to "same themes or characters", or "same style or aesthetic", "too many pinups", "only NSFWs" -- whatevs! Is it unhealthy to only create things one cares to see? Is it possible to grow creatively without getting out of one's own comfort zone? Etc. Also, I often hear artists talk about avoiding certain topics altogether in case they accidentally attract a new, undesired audience...which kind of seems related to "you always draw the same thing"
Carrot
7 years, 3 months ago
Haha yeah I hear ya 100 percent! It's a good one to talk about!
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