Artistic Voice

[AFuriousHeart]

I don't know if there is a current thread up about the same subject, as I'm new here. This is an extremely frustrating situation. I've been dealing with an artistic block for about a decade now, and I am absolutely at my wit's end.

When I was 12, I was inspired by comic book artists like Joe Benitez and Michael Turner. I used to have alot of fun drawing their stuff. Overtime, I thought I wanted to draw more photo-realistically...until I realized what true photo-realism was. It just wasn't fun for me. Since then, I've been trying to find a way of drawing that makes me happy. I've had moments in which I would draw one thing that I like, but when I try to draw something else in the ball park of the first, it feels too forced and (to me, at least) it shows. The image is void of emotional content. I've studied many books on the human figure and on art in general. I'd learn one new concept that stays with me, but this frustrating cycle continues. I spend alot of my free time trying to "re-interpret" the human figure to find something that I consistently like, but little's come of it. Most of what I draw looks very generic to me, which pisses me off. I'm capable of drawing on a technical level, but I cannot seem to find that artistic voice that is ME and put it into my work.

I'm absolutely bottomed out and I need help desperately. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Black Spot]

Loosen up. Try scribbling. Make a mess. Have fun. Don't make every drawing precious.

[AbsurdRes]

Don't be afraid to go a bit crazy, remember what inspired you in the first place?
Get a huge piece of paper and try and draw as many of those characters you enjoy in different poses, faces, styles!

[Bruce Pluto]

Hello AFH welcome to the CA forums


First of all you’re not alone when it comes to “artistic block” as you’ve posted. There are many, nay I say almost all people involved in the arts face the same thing several times a year. You never know when it will happen or how long it will last. On average maybe once a month then the creative juices start flowing again.


Now since you’re saying it has been such a long time for you I am surprised that you still want to do art. Anyway, it’s good that you haven’t given up. The first thing I think that might help is not to draw other peoples stuff. I mean it’s alright to study and even emulate a style for a while but then it’s may be time to move on. The main motivation for being creative is yourself. If it ain’t there then no one can help you sustain a drive to do something. The only thing I can tell you is that when art ideas are streaming in and the imagery in the creative part of your mind is bountiful, thumbnail those ideas. I have a notebook that I am continuously scribbling art ideas in. When time allows me all I have to do is look in the book and pic an idea that I’m in the mood for.

Also let me say that ideas come from everywhere. There is no limit to what you can dream up. Explore, visualize and exercise. The movies are a great place to get visual ideas.


Good luck, Bruce

[vineris]

Hmm. Well, I do comics, so I draw the same characters over and over in different scenes. If there's any awkwardness about drawing multiple characters in the same style, it goes away after you've had to draw them dozens if not hundreds of times. And since they're always doing something or feeling something and I'm always thinking about body language, they don't feel stiff or emotionless to me.

To me, it sounds like you're jumping around a bit too much to become comfortable with any one style. I guess I was always too busy trying to be Shirow or diTerlizzi to ever worry about my own artistic voice, and as a result I just sorta developed one while I tried to be other people.

[AFuriousHeart]

Thank all of you for you input. I'll try some of the things mentioned here.

P.S.- To vineris, your remark about jumping around too much is very accurate. I copied alot when I was younger, but when I come across artists I like now, I copy them to an extent but eventually feel like a charlatan for copying them and I'm left feeling lost again. I don't know...

[dpaint]

I don't know if you work as a professioanl artist or not but one of the things that can get in the way of an art career is thinking you know better than eveyone else. Usually it manifests itself as I'm great and everyone is an idiot for not seeing that my work is genius but it can be just as problematic for some artists who think their stuff sucks and is never good enough, the thing about art is, its not your decision. Your decision about the quality or validity of your art is for other people to decide in the marketplace not you, put it out there, get feedback, learn from the input; keep your own opinion about your work to a minimum. Focus on doing the work, not deciding if it is worth while or not.

[JeffX99]

Sounds like you just need to do it and enjoy the doing of it - take a few art classes, evening classes or sessions at a local community art center. Just try to start with the basics and grow with it. Good luck!

[AFuriousHeart]

*A Quick Update*

I think these tips may have helped. Drawing has been a chore for me as of late. I almost feel like I'm 12 again. I'm having fun drawing again! Thank all of you for your input! I may upload some sketches at a later time to see what you guys think.

[Kraus]

The easiest way to get out of an art block for me is to draw action. Not still life, not a concept scenes, but straight on action. The key is to imagine shit happening and then take a mental snapshot in the middle of it..boom you got yourself a pannel, continue the action.. Eventualy i kick back into the normal inspired state, which is where i make the pannels accumulated into rendered concept art pieces. And i never run out of pannels due to my friend subjugating me to countless realtime D&D geek out sessions.
Don't worry about how a costume's gonna look or any of that, theme is more important than details. Because you gonna realise the next time you walk outside that cool reference is for details is everywhere. And the best part is that pictures don't look emotionally dead anymore because action, no matter how minute, provokes emotional reaction. People tend to like observing shit happening, not details. Details get noticed and then blend into the action that is still going on.
And photo realism is just an icing on the cake. But as a human do you get much emotional response from the way your eyes see things? There's a reason acid is trippy.

[Shinji2821]

Research my good man! When I start drawing generic things its because I really dont know anything about what I am attempting to draw or illustrate. For instance I want to draw a steampunkish welder. Well first off I need to research the process of welding look up some oxy-settling torches and other tidbits a welder would have. Then I look up old machinery steampunk style devices of things like vehicles and the old inventors like Edison and Tesla. Finally, the creative part comes when putting two and two together.

Another thing that I find helpful is to simply talk to other artists and say hey I will draw something for you if you draw something for me, that way you have a basis of what the other person want you to draw to work off of and so do they, Its good practice for the both of you.