What art related things have you learned over the past year?

[ArtZealot]

Im not sure if there is a thread of these sorts but i thought it would be cool to see what everyone has discovered or learned over the past year through their work and studies. I mean artistic revelations, useful new tricks, useful new methods or helpers, etc.

In a nutshell, what noteworthy things have yall' learned or discovered over the past year as an artist?

[evildisco]

My judgement sucks, I should not trust my own opinion.

[SoufMeng]

I should not trust my own opinion.

Yeah maybe but what say u start right now?

Do you think its right to trust your opinion when it makes you think that your judgement sucks?


Edit:
Getting circular there, but yeah I'm not some emo kid.

phew

[evildisco]

Getting circular there, but yeah I'm not some emo kid.

What makes me think that way is the fact that some work that I did not care for in the least got more attention than the stuff I hold dearly. This has repeated itself multiple times during the year, making me question my judgement. And it is a bit of an epiphany in good or bad.

[Jacob Kobryn]

Don't eat the paint...

[Kamikazebob]

Dont drink turpentine either. You'll paint mustaches on everything.

also. How to suck less.

[kev ferrara]

There is a difference between well-rendered form, and well-rendered form that gives the illusion of projective solidity. Shadow is a liquid. There is no such thing as classical compositional balance. Compositions are balanced according to storytelling principles, not graphic principles. The 20th century innovations credited to Modernism and Cartoonists/Animators were first formulated by the Romantic Symbolists before 1900 and were used subliminally. (Subliminal communication was a very hot topic among the 19th century intellectuals and artists.) Gesture was thought to be "a soul in motion" by the Romantic Symbolists. The great American landscape artists were Romantic Symbolists. Art is metaphoric calligraphy. There are 3 characters in any dramatic picture which comprise two distinct conflicts. There is the main conflict between the antagonist and the protagonist. And there is the conflict between the environment and the main conflict. Every distinct shape is a character. All characters participate in the drama. All shapes have intent and momentum and are metaphors for emotions. A blank canvas has many inherent qualities that need to be addressed through compositional controls. Visual momentum is generated from stable lines. Touch means conclusion, metaphorically. All conclusions are also new start points.

etc...

Technical: Ammonia cleans crusty old india ink off nib pens nearly instantly without destroying the patina of the nib. Ammonia can also be used to clean sable inking brushes with dried ink, but make sure you rinse with water quickly because brushes are sensitive and ammonia is some powerful stuff.

[Vorace]

sacrifice everything

[Psypomp]

- Don't be precious with whatever you've created. If it really means something/is genuine, you'll be able to recreate it with better results.
- Learned even more about oil painting and sculpting.
- I was never really knowledgeable about other artists until this year (I owe this mostly to you guys at CA). Learning about the old masters and contemporaries helped me appreciate the philosophy of art.
- Be more aggressive! Oh wait.. still working on that..

[Carl Dobsky]

You must believe in what you are doing if you are ever going to convince someone else to believe in it also.

Above all, believe in yourself. Doubt is the most harmful thing that will affect your work.

[kab]

No revolutions, I think, but a steady evolution. I think that every last thing you learn and experience works its way into your expression in some form or another. :)

[Noah Bradley]

Don't copy what you see, interpret it.

It seems so rudimentary now, but it's definitely a habit I needed (and maybe still need) to break.

[Grief]

it'd be nice if this thread was made at the end of the year.... oh well.

i, Joe in my twenty-third year, finally discovered what art is.
or at least, what it is to me, a working definition that is at last able to support my ideas for the time being.

art is the act.
it is the act of anything and everything, it is the process, it is reflected in the final form. it is the generation of ideas, it is the creative endeavor, it is the very fabric of doing. that is the basis of art, it is not a certain medium, it is not a tool, tools are what we use to depict the form of art. it is not bound by any preconceptions or restraints.

it is, to me, the most beautiful and important aspect of humanity, the virtue to go on and expand the bounds of life.

however, fully investing myself with this definition of art has rendered me nearly paralyzed by its very implications. i have devoted myself fully to art, for it reflects my existence, every emotion i can feel is part of the creative process.

as an artist: everything is candid, everything is epic. nothing is off limits.
the moment you hold back you are killing the art, you are being untrue to yourself. honesty is what makes others identify and relate to your work. they know the emotions, even if they are too inept to articulate it, they delight in experiencing the feeling given off by good art. they may say they are in awe of the skill required to create the art, but they do not truly love it unless they recognize some emotional aspect which triggers a response within them.

love. i know less about love now than at any other time in my life.
i have directly paired love with color. in my mind, it is a befitting harmony.
both of which i am emotionally and mentally unable to accomplish.
and that above all else right now, its the foundation and the every starting point for every thought and act i undertake. it is the guiding force for every line or word i put forth.

art has been for me a documentary process, recording all facets of my life, it is the extension of my madness, my hopes, my goals, my weaknesses, my fears, and my ability to endlessly motivate myself to continue.

the latest aspect i am still learning is of the nature of the mind and body destroying itself. if you dedicate your brain so intently on one thought, it will bleed into others thoughts and soon they become indistinguishable. i am embracing this behavior and quality of myself, trying to elicit the beauty in pure obsession. i fear lately that ghosts are real, but are not of dead people as all that supernatural bullshit we've been lead to believe, ghosts are the images which haunt us on a daily basis. ghosts are manifestations of a mind in decay absorbing itself so intently on fragments of memories that they seep into reality.

i have so much to learn. art is the only thing connecting this all for me.

my year started basically soon after hearing Andrew Jones explain how the year 2007 treated him, on Oblio's Seattle workshop video stream. to paraphrase he said that 2007 was filled with some of the highest and lowest points of his life, and the way he said it made it seem as though it was the best year of his life even if all the moments weren't on the surface beautiful things one would normally embrace. ive kept that floating in my mind, and thought how i could perceive my own actions as never being negative.

the other thing he said was "let's make 2008 two-thousand-and-great."
and dammit Android, i surely have.

thank you CA for partially helping me in this process of growing as a person.

[bhanu]

Know what you are worth, and make sure the client gets it...if you show any hint that you are not sure of yerself , they are gonna eat you up .
People like price tags, even if price is big.

[Dilated]

pursue your passion not money
but of course there's no rule that your passion wont earn you a lot of money, it all depends on the effort you put into it and the goals you seek to achieve.

[Nrx]

No matter how hard i work or how much i learn theres always going to be more work to do.

[Mock]

1. Pick a goal and pursue it relentlessly.

2. Stop worrying about the "Can I make it? Can I do it?" If you believe you can, and if you put in the hours, you can and you will. If pursuing a dream was a surefire thing, then everybody would be doing it.

3. Want it more than anything, because sacrifices will have to be made.

4. Avoid soft-edged brushes like the plague in the early stages of digital work.

5. Stop talking about drawing/painting and do it.

Edit:

Oh, and number 6. Don't do your figure studies on a library computer unless you are prepared to be asked several dozen times, "LOL draw her boobz"

[Slash]

Shadow and light is not just a play with values, but also saturation.

[SoufMeng]

Light is everything and we dont see things because we open our eyelids but because once we do so all those patches of color we perceive are light rays reaching our eyes with various properties and giving our brain myriads of informations about whats in front of us.
Therefore try to understand what u see, they are some variables and constants to be observed in nature, for those who'll bother to actually open their eyes.
These observations can be used later on, to feed your imagination and allow you to be more creative than nature, or rather to allow nature to be even more creative, by proxy, through her most perfect achievement: you.

(got carried away, sorry)

[Ilaekae]

I reinforced my belief that there is always hope that I'll be able to do things, even as my parts are dropping off one at a time...

[Alex Chow]

Hmmm... Let's see (warning: long list) ...

Subtractive, Additive, and anything colour related - Briggs and some DVD
Being more attentive with values and pushing saturation - Mike Correiro
Art history since the Renaissance - Some textbook I bought for my art school which I left after one month of "study"
How light works - from some DVD
Long-pose life drawing and what to look for - Neville Clarke
How to render really friggin' fast (at least faster than how I did it) - Jason Chan downloads
Character designs and ideation - Jason Chan downloads
How to draw tentacle creatures - Jason Chan downloads :)
One-point perspective - Carl Dobsky download
Rendering techniques in general - ImagineFX magazines
Anatomy and how to preceive the human body in an understandable way - Ron Lemen sections in the IFX magazines, Loomis, Bridgman, and Bobby Chiu
Gesture drawing techniques - Me spying on some awesome artist in my life drawing session EDIT NOTE: The guy wasn't Alvin Lee, though he looked strangely similar to him...
How to sketch really damn fast - Bobby Chiu
Understanding clothing to the point of being able to sketch clothing on the fly - Bobby Chiu
What to look for in portrait and caricature sketching - Bobby Chiu
Drawing and sketching animals - Bobby Chiu
The life of an illustrator and an independent artist - Bobby Chiu
How to hold a pencil :S - Bobby Chiu
How to not suck - Conceptart.org (still working on this one, folks)

[Vermis]

- colour theory is hard.
- composition is hard.
- painting is hard.
- getting comments on CA is hard.
- I still can't do backgrounds.
- putting my acrylics in small pots is more convenient and less wasteful than squeezing them on a palette. Even a wet palette. For me.
- mixing gesso and cheap PVA creates horror.
- some pros don't appreciate a robust critique.
- coloured pencils can be fun.
- I'm too damn lazy.

[Serpian]

- I'm too damn lazy.

I know how you feel...

[ArtZealot]

Damn, there is already a wealth of solid advice and knowledge in this thread. Here's what comes to mind that i have learned this year:

-If concepting environments, perspective is your very best friend.
-Thumbnails are also your friend
- Understanding lighting, what it does and how it works is of utmost importance
-Jumping back and forth between media only builds on your skills. If you've been using digital for several months, jump back to traditional for a few. If you've been doing traditional for awhile, take a stab at digital, etc. using the different media, be it paint, pencil, watercolor, etc. forces your brain to think in different ways and view subject matter and solve problems in different ways and works to only exercise and strengthen your artistic muscles.
- Pay attention to where you put your soft and hard edges in a painting.
- Interpret the subject, don't copy it. I know someone already said this but it is great advice.
- Most importantly, draw to enjoy yourself. Have fun, experiment, try new things and get out of your bubble.

[Straight Edge Ryan]

Well seeing as I'm still pretty new to it, I've learned a lot! And a lot of it came from things I learned here

*Wacom tablets always beat a mouse
*Painting in Photoshop tends to be easier if you've actually had painting experience
*Those Renaissance era paintings that have people twisting in all sorts of different angles are MUCH harder to draw than they look
*It's best to avoid using the smudge tool to blend colors
*Sometimes you have to mess with several different shades of a color to get the overall look right
*It's always a good idea to study human anatomy if you plan on drawing people
*Correct proportions are integral for a realistic piece to look "right"
*I'm not the only one who makes the faces of the people I draw
*To make something look really good you've sometimes got to have the time and patience to spend hours on it
*No matter how realistic I make some of my drawings look, there's always someone out there who can draw something that looks even better in half the time, with half the effort and without even using photo references
*"good" and "bad" are exteremly relative terms
*To get better at this, or anything, you've always got to be willing to learn more

[Black Spot]

Enough to progress.

[Jazz]

I learned that being quiet and keeping to myself all the time doesn't work when I have questions and answers (and other stuff) to share. I've gained more knowledge and a bigger backbone just by saying things to more people here in CA. ^_^

Oh yeah!! I also learned about that bean-bag gesturing idea. Really cool, it makes my arm feel less stiff!

I learned many things, actually!! Too lazy to put 'em all down. While I'm disappointed that I haven't been able to put enough decent stuff in my SB for more outside critiques and encouragement, I guess my next lesson is just to put stuff up, so that *I* will feel accomplished and I can see my progress better. :) Then I won't feel bad, which I know I shouldn't. ^_^

[Jabo]

Lots of people talking, just a few making.

[Mock]

Spending $2,000 on a Cintiq will not make your art better, it will just help you make the same mediocre art faster.

[Samurai_em]

-Don't focus on doing things right, focus on doing the right things. If you just do the right things adequately it's much more important than doing the wrong things beautifully.

-Being able to draw hands and feet is more important than being able to draw naked people and much harder to learn.

-Don't copy what you see, analyze it.

[B u r l]

- waiting for that enlightened inspiration before picking up the pencil is for pussies.
- not to be ignorant of the art world we live in. weather you agree or not, it's best to learn and explore everything about it, and it stops you sounding like a jackass when you try and argue it.
- arguing for the sake of it to prove your point is a waste of time and energy for both parties, unless you're trying to help or learn something new. take what useful information you can from somebody and exit quietly.
- some people have their own mental restrictions on what they can accomplish, and push them onto you, thereby discouraging you to do something they wouldn't. try not to live by the limitations of others and do your own thing, but still not be ignorant of what was said.
- people as young as me don't really know shit

[Ilaekae]

"- people as young as me don't really know shit"

...and sadly, Burl, more than a few as old as me often know even less...

[GriNGo]

In the end, Pentium 4's and 17 inch monitors still get the job done...

[Jabo]

- Regarding CAorg: The Lounge isn't the problem. It's the solution.

And another thing that isn't really something I learned, but a plea I'm making: Don't talk about art so much. I have seen little written words in here that eventually made someone's "art" better. Make "art", write about anything else.

And by the way: Only few people here make art. Most people here draw and paint.

And anxiously awaiting to be bashed for this blasphemy: Of course all of the above applies to me as well, fool.

[TASmith]

debating "art" aside, here's a little tip I realized:

before drawing a portrait/face, whether from a photo, from life, etc, check to see if both eyes are the same size or not, if one is larger, which one, etc...

And then make it look on purpose in your work. This is the screwup that helped me realize this:

[ArtZealot]

- Regarding CAorg: The Lounge isn't the problem. It's the solution.

And another thing that isn't really something I learned, but a plea I'm making: Don't talk about art so much. I have seen little written words in here that eventually made someone's "art" better. Make "art", write about anything else.

And by the way: Only few people here make art. Most people here draw and paint.

And anxiously awaiting to be bashed for this blasphemy: Of course all of the above applies to me as well, fool.

As awaited the bashing has arrived. I just respectfully disagree with the statement about how only a few people here make art. I actually disagree with just about everything you said.

I consider myself an artist, it's what i do, it's how i identify myself, and thus what is do is make art. I think to say that none of us here make "art" kind of sounds like none of us here should be taken seriously as artists. I think maybe you mean that few of us are fine artists, which is true, but to say none of us make "art" isn't entirely accurate.

As for the statement about how we shouldn't talk about art here...look what "here" is. We're on conceptart.org, what else should be the more common topic of conversation? It's impossible to really be able to say that the written words here haven't made someones art better, or that talking about art is a waste of time. I think the words here on conceptart.org about art, and words in this thread keep people interested, keep people motivated, and keep people learning, even if it is just talk, it helps. Theres more to learning than just practicing.

[kev ferrara]

The most important aspects of art cannot be seen. And thus discussion and thought is necessary to improvement in those areas.

[Grief]

“Don’t put a label on your art, let others decide what they think it is, and while they are trying to figure out what to call your art, you just continue to do more art.”
Andy Warhol

[Grief]

Don't talk about art so much. I have seen little written words in here that eventually made someone's "art" better. Make "art", write about anything else.

And by the way: Only few people here make art. Most people here draw and paint.



Jabo... art is largely an isolated act where the artist is alone. i highly suggest not pushing away any communication about a topic you spend so much time doing.

also you need to visit the critique center sometime. there are are endless discussions about work that has vastly improved individuals.

[Equality72521]

being lazy only leads you to the couch
education only leads you to the door
Working like a crazed mothaf---- with a possessed hand opens that door

my 2 cents

[evildisco]

being lazy only leads you to the couch
education only leads you to the door
Working like a crazed mothaf---- with a possessed hand opens that door

my 2 cents

And eventually hanging yourself in your apartment, because all you have to show for is work.

Balance is a key to everything, as cheese as that may sound.

[cmalidore]

To be more patient! I got into a habit of rushing over the last year or so and started to pay for it. Now that I'm utilizing my time more, I'm seeing just what it is I'm capable of skill wise. Being able to hit deadlines is moderately useless if the picture isn't solid..... don't be a machine for sake of immediate money. Be a creator for sake of a continued career.

[Jabo]

I consider myself an artist, it's what i do, it's how i identify myself, and thus what is do is make art. I think to say that none of us here make "art" kind of sounds like none of us here should be taken seriously as artists. I think maybe you mean that few of us are fine artists, which is true, but to say none of us make "art" isn't entirely accurate.

Well, I just think it sounds kinky. And more importantly, it's meant to sound kinky when you say it. So again, I respectfully disagree with you. What a mess, isn't it?

As for the statement about how we shouldn't talk about art here...look what "here" is. We're on conceptart.org, what else should be the more common topic of conversation? It's impossible to really be able to say that the written words here haven't made someones art better, or that talking about art is a waste of time. I think the words here on conceptart.org about art, and words in this thread keep people interested, keep people motivated, and keep people learning, even if it is just talk, it helps. Theres more to learning than just practicing.

I refer to the lounge. There's shitloads of meaningless and crippled threads with the same shit talk all over the place. It's hard to find the good stuff (youtube links, funny pictures, interesting stuff, "conversation" that is) because you have to sort out dozens of threads like THIS ONE in order to find what's meant to be written in the lounge. The amount of artsy fartsy shit talk has proportionally risen to the amount of election campaign money in the past weeks and I think it should stop now that the election is over (if there's a direct link between these two facts, that is. If not, go on.)

The most important aspects of art cannot be seen. And thus discussion and thought is necessary to improvement in those areas.

Yeah, pretty hard to make good art if you don't know what kind of 2B pencil the pros are using, or without knowing what a Cintiq costs. Or if you're undecided which wrist should be cut first so you don't bleed on your cthulu drawing. Or what the pros dream about when they go to sleep in their beds on Olympus Mons.

Jabo... art is largely an isolated act where the artist is alone. i highly suggest not pushing away any communication about a topic you spend so much time doing.

What I'm trying to say is that 90% of that "communication" (I refuse to really call it that way, as it seems to be merely boredom-therapy for most of the folks here) – that ninety percent of it is a) trivial, b) repetitive and/or c) useless. Search for "thoughts on art" in the lounge and you'll know what I mean. People claiming to be artists where they're merely art philosophers (and bad ones actually, most of the time).

also you need to visit the critique center sometime. there are are endless discussions about work that has vastly improved individuals.

Been there a few times. But again, nothing I wrote about.

Trying to sum it up here: Visiting the lounge is like walking head first into a pit filled with black dyed bangs, 19th century art curators, Harvard freshmen with a major in How-To-Improve-Your-ART and pencil factory owners.

[ArtZealot]

Here's where this fairly positive and educational thread totally derails because of jabo's "wisdom".
I'm just going to pull up a chair and wait here with some popcorn for kev's response...

[Ilaekae]

Jabo, I carefully read every word you wrote above, and carefully digested it. You are not completely wrong OR right on anything you said, but the presentation/annoying attitude leaves a bit to be desired, so...





...BITE ME!

(Meant in as non-confrontational a manner as I can achieve... :P)

[Grief]

LOUNGE
Miscellaneous and off-topic conversations.

what part of that description says "post shit which will help us all grow as artists". the lounge is primarily designed to be the outlet that houses the other aspects which interest us that we want to share and talk about. and sometimes the weirdest shit can inspire us and help us through whatever art problems we're having.

you see those photos of the sun posted on a thread awhile back? those were awesome, and its not your damn place or anyone else's to say what can or cannot be used as motivation and inspiration.

i highly take offense to the pure BULLSHIT that you're spewing about limiting the discussion of art. screw that and anyone that believes such a blatantly absurd notion. in fact something so mind numbingly ignorant could only be typed out of the need for attention for a reaction rather than actual intent.

i agree the lounge can be a solution to some of our problems, we can kick around the proverbial peanut of ideas then take what we've been thinking about back to the drawing board and see if it gets us anywhere.

but when you start stepping on honest questions, regarding members of the community asking questions pertaining to what tools to use or the price of digital tablets etc, those are genuine posts. yeah they get asked a lot and are redundant, but its mighty damn cold to dismiss those questions just because they aren't benefiting YOU. that sort of question has information which is beneficial and greatly appreciated to certain people.

"People claiming to be artists where they're merely art philosophers "

so conceptual artists aren't artists to you? what is art to you? do you even have any idea? you're very good at slandering what isn't art, but i don't see you making any proclamations about what constitutes good art. we should ALL be art philosophers. i wouldn't even call anyone an artist if they weren't also a philosopher about their work. you know what 'art' is without philosophy? its just a fucking object. technical craft is nothing without intent.

some of the responses in the lounge aren't always serious, but others are making a valid attempt to give their two cents. i can dig the comical post for a cheap laugh, hell that's what the majority of my posts are, but when someone blurts out some hateful filth to discriminate against other members thoughts, then shit gets off topic and needless tangents like this occur.

art discussion, no matter how minimal and trivial it is to you, can make all the difference to someone. and any smug bigot who thinks himself higher than sharing and contributing to the discussing is only doing himself a disservice.


on topic:
i also learned about using contour to describe form, versus using mass to depict shape.

[ArtZealot]

on topic:
i also learned about using contour to describe form, versus using mass to depict shape.

That's somewhere i could improve a lot more, or something i could incorporate into my artwork a little more often is using contour to describe shape. I think in terms of environment concepting that using contour to describe form really helps one break away and use more organic shapes in environments. Good tip...i'll be thinking about that one.

[Earendil]

Things I've learned so far:

1. You can render and throw colors down, add some overlays, gaussian blur shadow layers...but if you can't draw, it's still gonna suck.

2. Every day is a self-portrait day.

3. Slow and steady is better than trying to be flashy and fast. Foundations.

4. Always listen to Elwell.

5. Be careful not to cut the lead when you're filing your bargue pencil.

6. Frustration and anger can either be a fuel or a poison.

7. I can do it! :muscle:

[Farvus]

From more technical things connected with painting:

- Composition is much more important than it seems. Every single brush stroke is basically composition element.
- Never try to draw/paint faster than your natural pace.
- You can make really rich color palette by using just single hue and shifting it's saturation and temperature.
- If painting looks flat or boring in grayscale then colors won't help it. If painting in colors look flat then check the values.
- RGB sliders in Photoshop is really good tool for adding color variety.
- Playing with edges can bring boring painting to life
- If you make a very strong focal point at the beginning then later you can add many details without worrying too much about making it readable.
- If you don't know what detail to paint on some fictional mechanical device, give it some different functions (even ridiculous ones) and then try to figure out the shape of the elements that would work for those functions. During that process the detail problem will solve itself.
- If part of device/tool/machine has a name then it must be there for some specific reason (hope that makes sense). Therefore you can learn about functionality of object by finding out what parts it's made of.
- Drawing unique things from life adds unique shapes to visual library which later bleed into design and can contribute to originality.
- Constantly changing subject for life drawing keeps observation skills in good shape.

I learned much more than that but I can't think of anything else right now.

Cheers.

[evildisco]

There goes the neighborhood....






nazis...

[Ilaekae]

Grief, I'd be proud to call you my grandson. I'd even lend you my petticoats and fishbowl shoes... :P

[S.C. Watson]

I learned that the pointy end of a pencil ... is pointy.

[Ilaekae]

...and the end you draw with never is... :\

[kev ferrara]

Here's where this fairly positive and educational thread totally derails because of jabo's "wisdom".
I'm just going to pull up a chair and wait here with some popcorn for kev's response...

Grief nailed it. Let's get back to content.

On "contour"... It became clear to me this year that good color patterning arises from using shape alone, as much as possible, to describe perspective. Reason being, if shape itself describes perspective, (and thus implies form), much less rendering needs to be done to "turn the form" in the Renaissance manner... and shapes tend to "broadcast" more forcefully and elegantly when they are "purer" in tonal value and color. Strong "broadcasting" is essential to the communication of the non-verbal metaphors.

You can see this tendency very clearly in the changeover in the 19th century from highly modeled pictures to the more "open" colored pictures done by guys as varied as Homer, Whistler, Ingres, Degas, Twachtman, and Pyle. This is often chalked up to the "Persian Carpet" school of painting or the influence of Japanese prints or what have you... but I think it had more to do with questions about spirituality and the sublime which were hot topics in that era. Open color shapes are poetic (less saying more) and engage the metaphoric imagination in a more direct, yet still sublimated/sublime way.

Interestingly, you can see Vermeer using this very same "clean shape" technique 200 years earlier... which is why his stuff looks so modern, even today. Vermeer was way before his time (and seemingly kept his insights to himself in his own era).

[s.ketch]

There is too much to list but I think the biggest two things I have learned about is varying line weight and keeping form in mind.

Varying the line weight so that the heavier and softer line matches the shadow of the subject while the thin hard or even broken lines are used in places that are lit. It adds a nice depth to pencil or ink drawings.

Keeping in mind the basic shapes of what I am drawing helps my drawings look more solid and grounded.

[Shard]

art is subdivision.

[Sorknes]

4. Always listen to Elwell.



Too bloody true! Heh. To read and digest some of what some of the people around in this place has to offer of wisdom is a new learning experience every day. I'm still learning to understand what all of them say though.

Other things I learned:

- When doing speed life drawing (kroki), the important thing is not to get everything right. It's fast for a reason.

- Sometimes, even if they're trying to be helpful, you have to disregard crits. Not everyone is a good art critic.

- I've always known I've had trouble with colours. Now I'm actually nailing the big why. My brain doesn't use my eyes "right", and I have to learn it.

- Kids don't care if your proportions are off or your colours are all over the wrong places or if the subject has anything to say whatsoever. Whenever I need a boost, I make something for my niece. And I get fuel for getting through whatever else I'm struggling with artwise. :)

[Clochette]

I learned to always make iterations when I save a picture in Photoshop.
I also learned that art needs fuel. And this fuel can be everything : discussions, cinema, walking in the nature, inspiration, love, books, etc.
Drawing like a machine without feeding our inspiration is like running in circles.
And I also learned to never be afraid to crash a piece I've done and restart it from the beginning. But this is someting I knew from a long time.
And at least, when I have the feeling to don't love what I'm doing anymore, I just take a free day, empty my head, and the next day I realize that it's really what I need to do.

[ArtZealot]

I learned to always make iterations when I save a picture in Photoshop.

Just out of curiousity how do you go about doing the iterations? I know a person can just go "save as" and make it "haunted castle01" "haunted castle02" etc. but i was just curious if you knew another fancy way of making iterations that might be quicker.

[Clochette]

No, I do the same. It's quite fast actually! :P

[ArtZealot]

No, I do the same. It's quite fast actually! :P

haha, i'm probably a little too lazy if i think "file/save as" is work...:teeth:

[petitemistress]

i learned that photoshop is a BITCH and that macs like to beachball when you're so into your digipainting that youve completely gotten it out of your mind to hit CMD+S :'(

i also learned how to use actions in photoshop, thanks to Cookiedough and Duq <3

[Hybrid_75]

I've learn't how much I don't know. Which is alot.
The biggest thing for me was probebly how far digital sculpting had come since I last had a look. Pushing and pulling vertices sucks Massive Black ones, but these latest progs actually make digital modeling fun and creative. who'd have thunk it! the only problem was I had to learn the progs AND how to actually sculpt! I've learnt a crap load from this site and mostly the people on it. using reference. colour theory (says the colour blind man). composition. constantly referencing proportions when drawing. Values. man so much my head is not big enough. well maybe.

[Clochette]

Learned that there is no Ctrl Z when you paint with acrylics! Damn!

[Peter Coene]

Lets see, in the past year I...

-learned how to use Maya.
-learned that I should have trusted my instincts and tried to stay in the LA area to try and make a living rather than move back in with my parents just to be kicked out again.
-learned that having a crappy life does not somehow make your art more profound,
-learned that getting a job in this industry is much harder than I thought, and I had thought it would be hard.
-really wanted to punch people in the face when they thought the reason Van Gogh's art was good was because he was messed up.
-learned a bunch of other minor stuff.

[Moai]

-Patience is the key. I find that when I get frustrated with a painting, it's often because I'm starting to polish and render when the thing really isn't even blocked in yet.
-Don't constantly compare yourself to others. Compare what you're doing now to what you could do then, and see how much you've learned. Don't torture yourself for not being about to create something at the level of artists much more practiced and experienced than yourself.
-There will always be more ideas. I learned this while doing CoW 100.
-Spend some time thinking about the light source, goddammit.
-If something in your painting just isn't working, then change it! Don't be afraid of change.
-In teaching my mentees about animal anatomy, I learned quite a bit about animal anatomy myself.
-Sketches that were quite frustrating at the time often look better later.
-Surface texture is most visible right at the edge of the lit side and the shadow site of an object. I learned this from the great teacher Kevin Chen.
-I learned the shapes of almost every bone in the body, and now I'm beginning to learn the origins, attachments, and actions of all the muscles. I also learned that if you really want to learn how to draw the figure, you must learn it from the inside out. Learn the bones, learn the deep muscles, learn the superficial muscles. You cannot just get by with learning what the form looks like on the surface (*cough*Hogarth*cough).
-I learned the steps involved in turning a wax sculpture into a completed bronze sculpture. There's a lot of resources and work involved, but damn is it fun!
-It often works out better to paint with a soft brush first, and then come in and paint in some hard edges. This eased some of my struggles with painting wrinkles and drapery.
-When designing a character or creature, everything, from the basic shapes that make up its silhouette, to the smallest details, effects our conception of its personality. Body language is very important.
-Environmental forms, such as rocks, have always been a bit of a mystery to me. However, I recently had a small epiphany about the underlying logic of certain rock forms. Many rock forms are divided first in a primary direction, and then divided again in a secondary direction. For example, the main forms of a butte or mesa might be arranged primarily into vertical columns of rock, and then those forms might be secondarily divided into horizontal layers of strata. This made it a lot easier for me to understand and imagine rocky forms.
-I've learned some stuff about painting textures, and about using photo textures tastefully.
-If an object is in direct sunlight, the values of the lit side and the values of the shaded side will be about five steps apart, if you're using a ten step value scale. I learned this from James Gurney's excellent blog.
-Another little tidbit from Gurney's blog: on a face, the skin of the mouth and face tends to have a touch of a blueish or greenish hue, while the skin of the nose and cheeks is more reddish, while the forehead is more yellowish.

I could probably go on, but I think that's enough.

[ArtZealot]

Something i've always used but thought i should share is, binding quicksave to flip canvas.
I have my flip canvas horizontal action set to the F2 key, and every time i flip, it quicksaves it for me and doesn't really slow down the action at all. I flip it almost without thinking about it so often that it kind of works like an autosave.

[cmalidore]

I also learned that I suck at creating a variety of faces (especially female faces). Tired of them all looking the same. Need to expand my facial repertoire. I'll be set if I ever need to paint clones......

[Black Spot]

I’m still discovering my old art skills, but I’m learning Serif DPX2 and loving it.

[Samurai_em]

Today I learned that drawing in public is hard, for some reason I can't seem to actually draw and I sit there with my sketchbook in my lap for a long time. It's not that I'm shy, just I can't figure out what I should be drawing. "anything and everything" results in a bunch of half-arsed doodles.

[Justice Von Brandt]

1. Don't Panic

[alesoun]

Shit happens. It just does....
.... but sometimes in a good way! ;)

[Dile_]

almost everything I know about art i've learnt here.. but 'biggest' realization must have been the first time I sat down for a 'few hours extra' .. meaning patience!

[Opilione]

That I need to pressure more of my friends to get naked for me so I can practice figure work with some form of body other than Naked Lady (Regular).

[walnut]

This year i've learned that i'll probably never be even half as good as i want to be. I've also learned that shouldn't keep me from trying. And i've com to believe that enjoying what you do is more important than wondering if what you do is Art. Because Art's just a word. (Did i just hear another can of worms pop open?)

[Laumee]

I think I've learned a lot more, but this is what comes to my mind right now:

- it's easier to make art than not to make art ( sound weird, but it took me some time to learn this )
- to learn and improve is not just hard work but also great fun
- charcoal is great ! ( and messy, but that's great , too )

and most of all:

Art teaches nothing except the significance of life.
- Arthur Miller

[Ilaekae]

I didn't learn this, but I had it reinforced in a number of ways here...

Your brain is the first tool you have to learn how to use. The paints, brushes, pencils, and paper are just minor components necessary for that primary tool to do its work. Without it, all the rest are just so many weird possessions.

[Dile_]

haha, i'm probably a little too lazy if i think "file/save as" is work...:teeth:

make a few actions of duplicating the file.. ctrl+s + enter is all that is required then. Fastest way i know of..

watch out for overwriting old files though.. ( don't use it if you have all your psd files in one folder )

[Samurai_em]

-asking questions is fine, but sometimes the only way you are going to get an answer that you understand and will help you is by doing the work and failing several times.

[Evil_Sloth]

Spending a few extra hours doing something right is worth it.

And fixing errors can be fun!

[BlightedArt]

There's more to shading and highlighting than simply applying black and white, and you need to accept and appreciate the fact that any part of shadow and highlighting has potential to include almost any colour imaginable.

Utilize the right side of your brain, draw often... but take a break from drawing if you need to: doing it too much can sometimes kill your motivation, and even more importantly it can kill your enjoyment in art.

Strive for greatness all you want, but in regards to enjoying art: keep your own mental well-being in mind first and foremost.

[gruve24]

- Don't burn bridges in this field.

- Like anything else art is a hustle. Even your favorite artists who make the most money work hard as hell to make deadlines and keep generating income.

- I am constantly surprised how unhealthy most artists live...Educate yourself about your health and make fitness and good nutrition a lifestyle.

[Grafguy]

- try to work as hard and motivated as possible

- if something/someone gets you down, it might feel as you smack you face to the ground real hard. but jus try to recover as fast as possible so you can go on. (a lil FUCK YEAH-feeling)

- getting inspiration and looking at other people's work and read aal the comments is good, but do something goddamn usefull with it!

- be proud of where you stand, even if people are better.

- drawing on a train doesnt help much if the train shakes like an earthquake

- if some nice girl is interessted in you cuz of your sketchbook, have the guts to show it to here and f***ing talk with her.

- CA.org still rocks my world ^^ :yayca:

[VulgarDragon]

Me? I learned....

Keep practicing. When not practicing, visualize practicing. Doing art is more of a brain exercise...if I can't draw (if I am at work), I can visualize it in my head. I seem to learn a lot even without picking up a pencil.

Study details on everything...when looking at people faces, trees, animals, try to study structure, lighting, color, motion...art is all about such details.

Try as many different mediums. Don't be afraid to try a new and different style. And try different subjects. Also, don't be afraid to show other people what you can do.

And, yeah, never get too involved in political threads in CA. :P

[Alex Chow]

Bobby Chiu has yet again gave me excellent advice and critique.

a) "Photocopying" what one sees onto paper (AKA copying exactly what is in front of you onto paper) is good practice, though, it often results in uneventful and uninspiring work. Being a "photocopier artist" may make pretty pictures but adding that personal touch and interpretation of the world is always more important in defining the artist.

b) Human faces are not all friggin' pancakes. I cannot believe I've been drawing pancake faces for so long and haven't noticed it.

c) Never draw angry mothers or anybody very angry. Okay, Chiu didn't teach me this one but some woman carrying a baby called me a prick as I was leaving the bus. If you spot a woman or man with a huge frown, glaring eyes, and simply looks like she's/he's about to stab the next person to talk to her, do not draw her/him.

[Blue]

Christ.. this year i learned so much...

-How to paint with oils how I always wanted
-How to mount a sketch on masonite, prep and paint on top of it
-The pleasure of traditional media
-Oil paintings have a "soul" that digital cannot achieve
-Accredited schools are horrible places to learn
-I may be more of a fine artist then I previously believed
-Attending conventions, conferences & Atelier workshops are necessary to my carrier.
-To pick a style, and stick with it

more but, those I think are the big ones. the details that are left out, collectively are more important, but that is something just for me.

[2100]

Why do you guys try so hard to figure out what art is? Just do what you want.

That's a rhetorical question, in case anyone is tempted to write a long reply.

When you try to measure art, you're politicking.

[Blue]

Why do you guys try so hard to figure out what art is?

Because someone did this, and our minds are forever poisoned.

[SoufMeng]

Why do you guys try so hard to figure out what art is?

Because here in the lounge, once we get past the first page we luuuurv to derail a thread, first by posting loosely without even knowing what the F the topic says!(?)
Can i get a cookie now?

[Hyskoa]

Because someone did this, and our minds are forever poisoned.


Doesn't mean he was right.

[TASmith]

Oh, sorry to dredge this thread, peeps (although I feel it's appropriate till the end of Dec.)

Here's another thing I learned. You can draw a profile with just two lines, as shown here by this Sargent sketch:

[bitjockey]

1. My backgrounds/landscapes don't suck nearly as bad as I thought.
2. Colour mixing and the use of acrylic paints.
2.5 I need to do this more.
3. How to do gesture drawing
4. How to use Conte.
5. Learning how to paint with real paints does wonders for one's digital painting skills.
6. Studying Bridgman really does help as much as everyone says.
7. In order to accruately draw what you see, not what you think you see, it is necessary to measure and compare everything, so as to learn the difference between the two.
8. All those minor details I hate doing so much are what really adds that spark to a piece, so quit leaving them out, you lazy procrastinator.
9. My mother is one of those people who giggle immaturely and poke fun at life drawing/painting. "Lol, you're painting naked people!" Nothing I do can change this.
10. Set design is a lot of work, even when half the scenes are done in front of plain curtains and even when most of the set pieces are already built.
11. It always, ALWAYS snows heavily during move-out.
12. I need to post more, dammit.

[CRYPT]

hhh i learned that i can watch artists works for a whole day and night without sleeping

[sanya]

Solid warm ups that run through a variety of artistic challenges are a necessity at the start of the day.

By the same measure, the start of the day can't be 12pm.

Finally, if you're encountering a problem, either plow through it and fix it up later, or don't look at it and move on. Doing the same thing over and over only to get it wrong again is just frustrating and brings nothing new to the thought process. (At least for me)

[arenhaus]

I have learned that no matter what crap a premise/setting/theme is, a talented creator can work with it and make it shine despite all odds for the opposite.

It makes me feel warm inside to know that yes, it IS possible to start out with rubbish and still make something good in the end. :)

[Jacob Kobryn]

That art is basically a numbers/hours game. It doesn't matter how good your art is, the more you make, the better you'll get and through that you can get the quality that surpasses others with "born talent."

Also that we're truly blessed to live in an age where websites like this (and even Facebook) exist so we can get instantaneous feedback on our artwork. This is an incredible motivator and is something that if many people had access to, much fewer would have quit.

That we are own worst enemy and any discouragement or excuse are only little thoughts that despite how bold and true they may seem mean absolutely nothing.

If you don't love art enough to make it every day, you should find another profession.

And that the median filter totally rules. :P

[Droid]

If you want to get good at drawing people, then draw people. If you want to get good at painting dragons, then paint dragons. Draw from life, learn anatomy, and don't ask Elwell for motivation.

[stragan]

draw kawaii art no matter how shitty on deviantart = immediate $$$$

[manlybrian]

When drawing people, start with a gesture and no matter how much construction, detail, rendering, and time you put into the drawing afterward, never lose that gesture.

Create what you like. If you're writing a story, make sure it's one you would want to read. If you're drawing a picture, make sure it's one you would want to look at.

[Jacob Kobryn]

Waiting for motivation to strike is the biggest procrastination crux that exists. If you wait for it to strike, it never will, you just have to paint...

Routines are extremely effective for being productive.

As cool as it may be to have connections with artists you admire, the ones that will truly help you succeed in the future are the connections you make with people personally (that are around your age. :P )

[velderia]

0.5: Necro'd threads in the Lounge are pretty interesting.
1: I will always suck at this. That's not necessarily a problem.
2: In SAI, I realized the texture properties apply only to the layer and not the whole image, which for some odd reason was my first impression. This is great because it adds a lot of fun to layering and coloring that I had not realized before.
3: When in doubt, fix it.
4: However, don't doubt yourself to the point where you don't produce anything.
5: I want to get back into traditional stuff, maybe painting, after I move.

[Eviloft]

Here's one, do not rely on creativity alone. References are your friends.

I only started using personal references a couple of months ago...

Before I had myself believe that using references was just a form of cheating, but that naive thought is long gone.

[BlightedArt]

Study Bridgeman, but also go through medical books... Bridgeman's great but he visually abbreviates his own medical findings, so fill in the blanks yourself to REALLY understand what's going on in there.

[Hyskoa]

That people will shit all over your art related dreams just to make a quick buck.
They will nickle and dime you for every piece of information they have just so they can afford even more stuff they don't need.

[D.M.]

Try to figure things out before asking for help. Nobody has to help if they do not want to. Jealousy and anger are good motivators and never be ashamed of feeling them.
The more you are open to fellow artists (but not clients) about your artistic mistakes, the quicker they are gone. Denial is bad.

[Ryan K]

Stop asking people for advice. Figure it out yourself. It's more rewarding.

You don't solve math problems by asking for the answers.

[ArtZealot]

It isn't wisdom based, but i learned zbrush this year and found that i can actually do 3d quite well using zbrush. I've avoided 3d for quite a few years, but zbrush, once one gets past the interface, isn't that bad. It's almost like painting in 3d.

[Jacob Kobryn]

It isn't wisdom based, but i learned zbrush this year and found that i can actually do 3d quite well using zbrush. I've avoided 3d for quite a few years, but zbrush, once one gets past the interface, isn't that bad. It's almost like painting in 3d.

Do you know of any good instructional videos/tutorials for ZBrush? I just got the new one and it seems like a lot of fun but I can't quite figure out how to use it yet. What do you press to be able to spin the object around for example?! It's not command, control, option, shift... What is it?

[ArtZealot]

Do you know of any good instructional videos/tutorials for ZBrush? I just got the new one and it seems like a lot of fun but I can't quite figure out how to use it yet. What do you press to be able to spin the object around for example?! It's not command, control, option, shift... What is it?

I actually dont know of a whole lot of videos on zbrush. I actually went to a sort of workshop over a few days and learned most of the basics that way. The workshop was by Mike Pavolovich who has a dvd Here (http://eat3d.com/zbrush4_intro). I havent actually seen it but during the workshop he said that almost everything he mentioned was in that dvd as far as getting up and running in zbrush.

Honestly though i'll do my best to answer any questions about it, as it isn't as complicated as it initially might be perceived. The below info may seem like a lot, but force yourself to work for about 2 weeks in it and zbrush will start to feel eerily like photoshop.

Here's a quick blurb from my brain to help just getting started off the top of my head:

As far as navigation goes:
-Clicking in empty space in zbrush rotates around the model.
-Holding alt while clicking in empty space moves the model along the camera plane.
-When you want to save, save tool, under tool/save as.
[note]: Edit/save document isn't really used for what it would seem; thats mostly used for people lighting and/or rendering a scene if i'm not mistaken but that isn't the proper way to save the sculpt. Always do Tool/save as.

-Opening a tool: Load tool, drag out the tool in the 3d space, then hit "T" to make the tool active.
•Hitting "T" is important to remember, as it basically is telling zbrush to make that the "live" object. It's kind of like selecting your layer in photoshop, if you dont have a layer selected, it wont know what layer you are working on.
•Also, after you hit "T" you might need to clear you canvas if you accidentally made duplicates. Ctrl+N to do this.

- Then just select a brush and start sculpting.

Other useful things to know:
Brushes: Some of my favorite brushes are Move brush, Clay Tubes, Clay, Dam Standard, and hPolish.

Dividing/getting more detail:

•Tips for dividing the model are to try to work the lower divisions before jumping immediately to higher ones. Try to sculpt like you'd paint, getting the main shapes in first, then when moving on to finer levels of detail, only then divide the model
• Ctrl+D to divide the model (If you have a higher sub-D above the one selected it won't divide. It'll tell you this though, but this is normal)
• Press "d" to move up the division chain. No shift, no alt, just "d" will go up the chain
• Shift+d to move down the division chain
• Precise dividing:
If you like you are running out of geometry but just in one area, instead of dividing the whole thing you can selectively divide specific areas.
Like maybe you decide to add a horn or fingers to a hand or whatever and the mesh starts to get "crunchy". To do this:
-Upres the whole model hitting "d" a bunch of times
-Mask off the entire model by holding ctrl and clicking anywhere not on the model. If the whole model gets a shade darker then it was done right. It's masked off.
-With it masked off, hold ctrl+alt and your cursor will basically turn into a mask-eraser. paint away the mask in the area you want more detail. This is just the same as erasing into a mask in photoshop, the dark area will become lighter; this will be where you are going to be telling it to add more detail.
-After the mask is removed in the area you want more detail, downres it to its absolute lowest point (shift+DDDDDDDDDD till u get to the lowres mesh)
-The mask will look inaccurate due to the low resolution of the mesh, but if the mask was made on the higher or highest res division of the mesh, it'll divide exactly that area.
-Hit divide (ctrl+D) and it will pause a minute, then divide all the way up the chain, inception style, but only in the area selected, and you'll get double the geo in that selected area
-You may need to do this multiple times, repeating this technique several times to get the detail level you need.

Also:
•If you ever lose your model or it disappears, mid sculpt, just look for the thumbnails of tools just underneath "tool/load tool-save as" and there will be icons of tools. click one of the icons, a window will expand showing recent tools, and look for the tool u were just working on, click it, and it will make it active again.
•Most computers start to chug at around 8 million polys, and really start to chug around 16 mil. If you are at 8 million and feel like you are running out of detail then the "precise dividing" thing should be used more often.
•save often - zbrush doesn't have an autosave
•anything in the interface can be hotkeyed: hold ctrl+alt and click a brush or anything else in the interface and it'll ask you to "designate the key" or something like that in text.
After hitting ctrl+alt and clicking a brush for example, just hit "ctrl Q" for example to assign the brush to ctrl Q. After you've set hotkeys, save your preferences by going to Preferences/config/store config and just click the button and the hotkeys should be saved for next time u load into zbrush.
•If zbrush is acting fucking weird, just save your tool and restart zbrush. This fixes a ton of shit.
• The only tabs someone interested in just sculpting really need to worry about is the tool palette right off the bat. From the top of the tool palette to the bottom, you'll need:
- The save/load stuff to save/load. Makepolymesh3d if it asks you to.
- The icons of the tools to select the tool you want to work on or to re-select it if you lose it
- Subtool if you are working with subtools (i didn't mention them but they arent complicated and i'll gladly answer any questions about them)
- Geometry to see all the buttons and info related to dividing your model

And that's about it as far as basic stuff. There's tons more cool shit, like the brush maker which i have limited knowledge of, the rendering stuff which is supposed to be cool, the polypainting tools which are fantastic for painting a model, the masking tools which allow you to paint in the cavities of your mesh which is a suprisingly useful tool for polypainting, then of course the other tools for games production like retopologize, texture map, normal, export, etc.

Hope that helps! :D

[Scizzorhäns]

I learned that when drawing the human figure, to NEVER EVER start with the head. Ruefully, this was after five years of drawing in such a fashion. I also learned that blocking in the figure is just as, if not more, important than the fine details.

I've also noticed that some people bash anime and seem to have a greater idea of what art is once they become really skilled. It makes me sad :(

[Jacob Kobryn]

^ Loomis says otherwise.