What inspired you to become an artist/What are your intentions for your art?

[Kagemusha22]

I had two key inspirations that pushed me in this direction, the first was when I discovered I could actually draw. Which came to me at a time when my own self-esteem was fairly low (I was about 12/13, and was having a terrible time at school, along with dealing with my parents split), and to have some form of ability gave me a sense of self-worth, that I hadn't had beforehand. (Before this I'd had learning difficulties, where I was placed in a special needs class and felt isolated from everyone else)

Though for me I didn't really take it seriously until I was about 16, after I saw Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away. That made me realise that I could use my drawing ability and combine it with storytelling to express abstract thoughts through illustration. Whether those thoughts be existential, about beauty, or just something I thought was funny, that realisation was quite powerful when I first saw it. (Though I personally prefer Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke now)

Whilst what I intend for my art to be is nothing like what Miyazaki produces, partly as I'm still unsure what I want it to be like. In terms of my ideas I try to use music as template, I'd love to produce an illustration that can connect to someone emotionally as easily as a song. Where the colour choice can be as beautiful as a well constructed chord progression. Or to actually make someone think, though isn't that what every artist wants?

On a visual level I try to combine my influence from Egon Schiele, with a more polished illustration style. (unsuccesfully so far) And in the long-term I would like to go onto producing Alternative comics, as well having a range of other abilities to take on variety of commisions.

That's my inspiration and intentions, what personally inspired you, and what do you intend for your work?

[JJacks]

I always liked drawing but rarely did so because I had other obligations. I focused on my academic studies and never thought about studying art. If there was nothing else to do I could draw for hours. Apparently I liked drawing Sailor Scouts and Dinosaurs. I guess video games where my main influence. I remember drooling over Street Fighter 2 art and obsessing over the art of Soul Calibur.

When I went to college, I got tired of math, medicine, science and all of that. For the first time I found myself ditching my homework in favor of drawing. I decided to take a chance and told myself that if I could improve in a year by myself, I would switch majors. So I did.

I don't have anything planned right now for my work. I'm still focusing on learning more about art and networking.

[Kagemusha22]

When I went to college, I got tired of math, medicine, science and all of that. For the first time I found myself ditching my homework in favor of drawing. I decided to take a chance and told myself that if I could improve in a year by myself, I would switch majors. So I did.


Wow, that's quite a change in direction. A daring one at that. Did you know that Osamu Tezuka was originally a doctor in medicine who quit after World War II, to follow a career in comics. Only to become one of the highest (if not the highest) regarded Manga-ka in Japan.

I've spent the last two years trying to convince my mum that I can live off being a illustrator. Though I came to the decision that if I spend my life trying to impress others and work simply for money, I'll never be happy with what I've done in life. (That's not to say I don't care about money, just if what I'm passionate about pays, then I'll persevere with it)

[Raceme]

I knew when I was pretty little. The exact moment - I had this red crayon and I wasn't coloring anything, I can still remember the feeling as I kept making this red on the paper. I don't think I could explain it, but everything relates to that memory. It's the same feeling when I draw. In grammar school, I was probably 8, maybe mid way, I saw a picture of The Victory of Samothrace. I couldn't stop looking at it. I had never seen anything so beautiful before or maybe even since. Until, I saw the Pieta by Michelangelo. The weight of Jesus arm/shoulder with Mary's hand holding Him upward. Unbelievable. I hope to see them both one day. I can definitely say those were moments. Also, the first time I saw a Calder mobile.

[tandy1000]

I was going to school for graphic design at the time when my teacher introduced me to figure drawing. I took the class with an open mind and stuck through that semester. About 6 months later I soon discovered I was more into figure drawing than graphic design, decided to make that transition then and there.

[Raceme]

Having trouble with Victory of Samothrace

[Liz Edwards]

I've always been encouraged to draw by my mum ever since I can remember, and I managed to never stop.

I never really wanted to be an artist though - pilot, scientist, police, lawyer, sure. Since I was always encouraged to go for something academic by my parents (I think they were hoping I'd be a famous author or scientist or somethin'), it wasn't until I dropped out of Sixth Form when I was 17 or so that I decided to pursue art properly. I was in a pretty bad situation then - my parents hated me for dropping out and for 2yrs I was in a terrible college that I despised doing a course that wasn't for me. I got through it by diving into my own art and setting myself personal goals and not caring about anything else. That wasn't much fun but I'm happy about how it's all going now :D

[Hyskoa]

While watching Hisoka in Hunter X Hunter for the 3000th time, thinking to myself:
"Sure, it's a damn interesting sociopath, but I can do much, MUCH better than this. I have so much more experience."
And since then I've been frantically trying to get better at drawing to beat Yoshihiro Togashi.
Along the way I found out I also like traditional painting and conceptart.
Imagine that.

[Kagemusha22]

While watching Hisoka in Hunter X Hunter for the 3000th time, thinking to myself:
"Sure, it's a damn interesting sociopath, but I can do much, MUCH better than this. I have so much more experience."
And since then I've been frantically trying to get better at drawing to beat Yoshihiro Togashi.
Along the way I found out I also like traditional painting and conceptart.
Imagine that.

Somehow I'm not surprised by that reaction.

[Hyskoa]

It means you've been on the internet too long.

[Kagemusha22]

It means you've been on the internet too long.

It does.

[Viridis]

I've been drawing since I can remember. My mom was an artist, who had a studio in our basement, and she and I used to sit on the basement stairs and look at whatever she was working on. During these talks she taught me basics of critique, composition, and all kinds of things I didn't realize I'd learned until much later when I was trying to figure out why my classmates couldn't see these things when looking at their own work.

I've also always been more interested in expression and storytelling than anything else; I used to fill notebooks with these long, intricate storylines of little animal characters in elementary school. Later I thought I wanted to be an animator, but when I realized that I suck at very repetitive tasks (like the multiple frames required for animation) I switched over to illustration.

Again, at first I wanted to be a game illustrator, do stuff like you see in the WotC magazines or D&D, and then... then I realized that I'm not all that interested in a highly realistic style, and I also don't want to spend time drawing semi-naked chicks on dragons. As a chick myself, I'm afraid I get far too caught up in thinking things like "dear God! That woman has no support in that outfit! Her back must be killing her!" and can't really pay attention to how "cool" the image is supposed to me. That meant the video-game/gaming avenue was out.

So right now I'm looking at children's book illustration, as I love bright colors, high contrast, and thick black lines, and that kind of heavy stylization seems to be more "acceptable" in children's books where it isn't in other areas of illustration. That is the plan. I have to say, while my school doesn't have the best illustration program, I did do a class specifically in Children's Book work, and while it was one of the hardest classes I've taken it was also a lot of fun. :D

[FlameDragon]

I have always been into art, but had doubts about doing it as a career (especially since my works weren't that good). I would draw manga style or comic style for a while, but never really put my heart behind them. It wasn't until early 2008, when I saw Jacob Collins' artworks, that I determined that that is what I want to do artistically. In late 2007 when attending the Art Students League, I was in the shop there where I bought my bysketchbooks. I noticed the Classical Drawing Atelier book and was greatly inspired by the sketches by Jacob Collins contained inside. I looked him up online and his works struck me as some of the most beautiful I've seen. I then started getting into alot of painters like Bouguereau, Raphael, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Jules Joseph Lefebvre, Caravaggio, etc. I'm going to take art classes and put in alot of practice and effort so that I may someday create beautiful art (especially figure drawings/paintings) like they did.

[Missile]

When I was 12 I got chronic fatigue syndrome which lasted for nearly three years during which I didn't go to school, didn't see my friends and rarely left the house. I got incredibly depressed because I'd been pretty intelligent to begin with and had lost virtually all chance of getting a proper education. By the time I was well enough to go back it was too late and everything had changed. My parents suggested I do something constructive with my time - art or jigsaw puzzles. I chose art.

It was exactly what I needed really, and it still works in the same way for me. It keeps me busy, lets me express my thoughts on something and gains me a little moment of attention without having to use my horrendously undeveloped social skills. Somewhere after about a year of sketching things I decided I wanted this to be my career. I don't really have another choice, nor is there anything else I'd want to do.

[Grief]

the last 6 years in 6 panels.
672530

[Psychotime]

http://ui29.gamespot.com/2332/sonics_4.png

I was 5. It was the good old days.

[ShroudStar]

I remember declaring out loud when I was either 5 or 6 to my folks that I wanted to become an artist. I don't ever remember a time when I didn't have a pencil or pen in hand. However, finding out what kind of artist I wanted to become has taken most of my short-lived life. At first, I wanted to become just "an artist". Then, I fell headlong into anime and suffice to say, the artistic growth spiraled downward from there. I thought I wanted to do comic books at one point, since I'm also a writer. I studied graphic design as my major, since I seemed to be better at that than drawing.

Now, after a long time soul-searching and realizing where my inclinations are taking me, I'm gearing up for illustration and serious ones at that. I'm not cut out for children's illustration, since most of my subject matter is more on the mature side. So, I'm thinking that if I can polish my skillset towards a more realistic point, I'll like to do stuff for more serious publications. At the moment, I'm also hoping that once I can nail down the science of perspective, I can get a short story out in comic form and get my first story out. Illustration just seems to be my penchant - I'm a storyteller and my mind sees the images as cinematic even when I'm reading, so I'll like to develop that.

[Kagemusha22]

the last 6 years in 6 panels.
672530

Doesn't Lemmy from Motorhead say that's why he picked up the guitar? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemmy#.27Sex_Legend.27)

[dirtydiesel]

i didn't draw at all until i was 18, when i met a wonderful young woman who is a fantastic artist and a really true friend. looking through her paintings inspired me beyond belief and i picked up a sketchbook, started drawing and haven't stopped since. haven't ever taken a class past grade school so for the most part i'm completely self-taught... i do live figure drawing once a week and devour all the books and internet information i can. there you go!

[anjy]

I failed at porn.

[Ilaekae]

1. On my third birthday, I drew a milk bottle with smoke coming out of it. My mother said, "That's a nice milk bottle with smoke coming out of it." That did it.

2. To die only after I draw the greatest milk bottle ever seen with smoke coming out of it.

[dumpling]

it's something to do

[Pegahoul]

I first want to be an artist after I won my first drawing contest at the age of 5. As I grew up I was taught 2 things: One half is that you can't make a living out of art, the second is that you can make a LOT of money out of art, but not clear how and why.
I decided to put art aside and settle to study design in college. It's not until halfway through that I realized I should've studied art in the first place. Inspirations came from everywhere, successful friends, favorite artists, game, movies, comic book. Countless.
I am an artist. I can't be anything than that.
Well, designer is a good back up plan ^^

[The Acidraptor]

I began drawing when I was 4/5... Children's books also inspired me to draw......

[sodAp]

When I was like 7 or 8, I drew a car in something similar to isometric perspective, my teacher told me that was a very nice drawing, and that I should be drawing more. I didn't do that, as I already used to draw every evening while watching the power rangers and it was enough for me.

Then I took painting clases in the afternoons after school, but I quit because I wanted to join the football (soccer) team of the school and I couldn't attend both. The painting teacher told me that he didnt know if I was good at football but that I should totally keep painting because he felt I was good. I was quite bad at football to be honest, I still am.

Then at highschool I started playing the rapper and doing some graffitti, and wanted to get into the art program, but my parents felt that was too risky for a career choice and thought I only wanted to move schools (no art program in my highschool) because my then girlfriend moved, they were partially right to be honest.

I decided I'd quit drawing and painting as that was useless, and commited to studying math and science and all that fascinating but at the same time boring crap. I started getting more and more depressed, started the uni but I quit because I couldn't stand it, I just couldn't study physics and was seriously depressed. Then I started to draw again and I felt better and happier, and decided this time I was mature enough to make my own decision and stand for it.

To sum up, it's what really makes me happy. the problem is that I'm too lazy and lack self-discipline, but I'm working on that.

[rundown]

My first intentions were to get in the reclame industry. I got my degree graphical design already.
I'm more intrested in 3d currently.

Well I'm gonna finish my classes graphical multimedia here in belgium.
Once i'm through highschool i'm moving to Canada to go to the vancouver film school (vfs) I'm gonna learn 3d animation and visual effects there. At the point I graduate i dont know what to do. There are loads of things i would like to do.

[Kagemusha22]

There's some really interesting posts so far, and quite touching ones at that.

Another thing I forgot to mention was illustration styles that have influenced me. One artist that I'm at the moment in awe at is the artist for The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Kevin O'Neil;
http://www.lambiek.net/artists/o/o-neill_kevin/oneill_league2.jpg

Here Alan Moore talks about him, and how his style got him typecast;
qtDphCDULeQ

[dwardo]

In hindsight, this one's easy. Emotions in memories.
Right now my mind is looking for the solace moments.

My first crush. Annie. Grade 1. She had perfect cuticles.
[My mom taught me how to spot them. :P]
The last time I saw her was the grade 1 graduation celebration.
I missed the first half of grade 2.
The 1990 Earthquake, 7.7 Philippines happened.
2 months later, the family flew to Australia. [But half of my heart remained.]
.... the rest is a long journey filled with Orcs and battle stations. Hot Dogs with hot sauce.
And a black panther. Panther.

[Kagemusha22]

.... the rest is a long journey filled with Orcs and battle stations. Hot Dogs with hot sauce.
And a black panther. Panther.

Now that's an epic journey that I want to hear. :D



The problem is that I'm too lazy and lack self-discipline, but I'm working on that.

I'm pretty much the same, I waste alot of time.


To die only after I draw the greatest milk bottle ever seen with smoke coming out of it.

Keep fighting that good fight Ilaekae.

[Imaginary]

Manga inspired me to start drawing, CA inspired me to start drawing "for real" so to speak. My intentions? Well hopefully i'll end up at a studio somewhere doing character concepts, it'll be quite some time until that happens though. :P

[OmenSpirits]

What inspired you to become an artist/What are your intentions for your art?

I was rejected by the porn industry (fat thighs my buttock!), so I use my art to work out my frustrations. :(

lol

:D

[Ryuartyi]

I've always been a huge story teller and I've always been a more visual person. When ever I thought of my stories I never thought of literary devices to use in the writing I always thought of how it looked and how it would feel in motion.

I have several stories I want to share with the world that I'm working on. I want to start my own publishing company so I can have as much creative freedom as possible when creating the graphic novels I want.

Although I'm working on that, my dream is to see my work as an animation. I always loved animation and to hear a soundtrack and voices for my characters would be phenomenal along with them in fluid motion. It will be many years before anything I work on comes to fruition, but it will all be worth it.

[Sidharth Chaturvedi]

I've been drawing since I could hold a pencil, but I figured I'd get bored of it if I had to do it in order to eat, so it stayed a hobby until my second year of college. A figure drawing class changed my mind. Turns out I like naked people. Also, I figured there were enough Indian doctors already.

[jhgoforth]

hmm, probably 10 or so years old, and comic books. Plus an art teacher aunt encouraged that interest by teaching me basic drawing/painting skills (was first person to teach me about drawing an eye by treating it as a round object with eye lids covering the spherical object...made me the most badass eye drawer in middle school, by golly). Went from late 80s comics to early 90s Mcfarlane Spiderman to the great masters and I was sucked into the trap of a poor artist's life. ;P

[Dethklaus]

Earlier on in life, my major inspiration was movies. For several years, my favorite movie was Jurassic Park. It sparked a fascination of dinosaurs within me. So much so, that I began drawing them, and drawing them often. As I watched more and more movies over the years, I garnered more inspiration and ideas to draw.
When I was 10, my dad bought me an N64 + Goldeneye. That's when I learned the magic of videogames. My drawings of dinosaurs slowly became drawings of guns.
Ever since then. Videogames have been my greatest source of inspiration. Doom, Halo, Killzone (most influential for me by far), and Gears of War.
In fact, that's my ultimate goal: to be a concept artist working on a big-budget FPS.

[arvinsim]

Inspired me? Bakuman manga and the constant images and ideas swirling in my head. I think I will go mad if I don't let it out. It's also a good endeavor to prevent me from being idle.

My intentions? To perfectly replicate any concept I have in my head

[Kraus]

To be honest one of the big things that inspired me was the image. "I'm an artist" works like a charm for interpersonal communication in crowded places untainted by other artists.

The other big things are the default, imagination, career dreams, artistic ability, yada yada.

[Black Spot]

I I'd love to produce an illustration that can connect to someone emotionally as easily as a song. Where the colour choice can be as beautiful as a well constructed chord progression. Or to actually make someone think.

This is how I'm going to take over the world.

[zaorr]

I was rejected by the porn industry (fat thighs my buttock!), so I use my art to work out my frustrations. :(

lol

:D

Ditto.

[Kaileighblue]

I started drawing fan art of a musician and Anime to fit in. Then people told me I was good. (I later discovered they may have been exaggerating. (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showpost.php?p=2508112&postcount=20))

Then I got into comics and X-men evolution and decided I wanted to be a comic book artist.

[Ardescoere]

My mom was an artist when I was born and decided to stop because it wouldn't pay the bills enough. She let her dream die and went in to software development. She later got very good at that and spent her entire adult life doing something for money just because she didn't want to have a little more time working to perfect her skill. I know that sounds convoluted but it's the way of it.

When I was growing up I was the only child and was completely smothered by my parents in what I should do. When I showed intelligence they pushed me towards sciences and maths. When I won contests for them, they pushed me harder. Anything academic. I went to university for Archaeology, because I had decided I wanted to be a university professor by this point. And while I thought the topic was interesting I wasn't passionate about it.

I had always been told that if you did art you wouldn't be able to live (money wise) and you'd destroy your hobby, you'd make it work and make it lose its joy.

But after I realized I didn't want to do archaeology and left university, I started working in a bank. And banks pay decent money, it's a stable job. but the problem is, it's SO BORING. So I'd doodle on paper all the time, start doing more complex drawings, etc. And I realized that I could not possibly spend a lifetime doing jobs that were boring and I hated for fear of ruining one of the things in life that I have never not wanted to do.

So... I started working towards it. I think life became a lot more fun when I started working towards a dream rather than just working to make money.

[Mr_S_14]

Because I can't stand non hands on stuff, I like to do things that require my hands. Life is extraordinarily boring, so I might as well be doing something with my hands while I wait to die. I'm also a bit of a performer, I become fearless when attention is on me, not stupid, just fearless, I like to show off what I'm capable of. Even if it's just a drawing or two, I might write something, but it reads like crap, and then I get up to read it, and well, I like to hear myself talk I can give a half ass peice of text a grade A performance. Art is kind of like that to me.

[Two Listen]

Truly, I don't think I'm really too motivated for "art". So far as a career goes, I can't think of a better one. And it'd feel like talent went to waste if I ignored it. I guess I'm decent at it, and I have ideas I'd like to communicate. But I'm not big on making music, and writing seems to controversial for me.

But if I could just find a nice place, didn't have to worry about bills and could just relax with my wife and probably a puppy. I don't know if I'd do any artwork.

...

I guess my answer is:

"Well, I have to have a career to make money because our world is fucked up and stupid. Might as well do art since it doesn't involve lots of intensive physical labor or poo."

Just feels like something I'm supposed to do, I guess.

[Xeon_OND]

"My dream is to be able to do awesome, realistic drawings of humans & their faces someday!"

[crossmirage]

It's the only thing I can do decently at, really. That and it's great therapy.

[Chris Saksida]

Because I just can`t stop creating things in my head and I need to let them out, and execute them in the best possible way, I`m obsessed with watching images, and imagining and creating images and technique, my inspirations are too many, I think I had a childhood full of fantasy, I spent my childhood mainly inside my parents house with my brother drawing and watching cartoons, reading books, playing videogames, playing with action figures instead of doing sports and hanging out with other kids, so all that molded what I am today.

My intentions NOW would be:

1-To paint as good as Caravaggio or as close as possible.

2-To become an acomplished commercial illustrator/concept artist

3-To become a fine artist and architect, and be able to design and create the most advanced and beautiful pieces of art/architecture I can make, blending the two into one. like HR Giger, Ernst Fuchs, etc. or even people like Raphael, Michelangelo, Giorgio Vasari, Giulio Romano, all painters/architects, I want to do that kind of stuff.