At a loss with life

[Everlastingboost]

Ok I'll make this short. I'm 25 love to draw, always wanted to make a career out of it. I mainly draw comic book, character type stuff. I've been out of school now for 6yrs. I thought by now that i would be done with school or at least in school. I just split with my fiance of 2 yrs. She was a very big deterrent, she never the liked the idea of me going to art school. She always said "what a waste of time and money, for a career that isn't guaranteed"! When I was with her, I never realized it but she always looked down upon my dreams of being an artist! I just started this job, its pretty good pay about 35k/yr but its over the phone work and i can't see my self staying here more than a couple yrs.

I'm just very unsure of what to do with my life. How do you guys get by with going to school and working? I'm living on my own, I won't have any help from anyone. The only family I have is my parents. My mother is not mentally stable. My father is a sponging alcoholic. I'm sorry for the life story I'm just kind of at a loss as to where to go from here. I still draw when I have the time but working 9-10 hr days makes it tough. Honestly I would love to go back about 4-5 yrs and enroll in Art school, that way I would at least know where I stand in my life. Being 25 and at this stage is really starting to get depressing haha. I guess I'd just like to hear some advice on what the heck to do. Everybody and i mean everyone has told me to do something with my art i just don't know where to start. I'm not even sure if Art School(mainly AIC) is the best idea anymore. Thanks in advance guys,
Kevin.

[Sartell]

Well my only thought as to how this site could help, I say start a sketchbook here-post your stuff -get critiques-make friends and improve. 25 isn't that old....
and the more I come here the more I realize that everything here can help you in art, I hear a lot of people call it just as good as school and
I completely agree, its done more for me than school. Even if you don't have that much time because of work, you can easily go at your
own pace here. Thats just my 2 cents, I wish you the best of luck~*:yayca:

[JAG.]

man i say you put effort into going back to school.. now that you DONT have anything holding you from it or pushing you down. this is the best time to do it. if its the finances that worry you trust me, theres plenty of options to help you thru it. loans suck, i know, but hey id rather have loans to pay back over time while i live my life the way i want to and accomplish my goals. minor side-effect i say. and it seems that its really what you want to do.. so go do it! and its never too late. when i was in college, i had a mix of all ages with me. one of the oldest was a 72yr old woman who wanted to get her degree in accounting.. and she did it! so whats stopping you??

seriously, i recommend you get out from under that pile of crap you were handed and get on with what you wanna do before it really is too late and you look back with nothing but regret. right now is the chance to do it man.. dont let it go to waste.. best of luck. - JAG

[JustinBeckett]

Yeah, i had the same problem, One main thing i would have to say is time of course, but, your job. For me it was my job, not having enough time to draw and paint. Pretty much you have to decide whether or not you want to live rich or be poor at first, Get another job, just enough to support yourself and your art, work less if you can, something that gives you time for your art... This way you will be happier and progress more.

Ask Jason manley, he was very poor from what i heard at first, now look at him! But he sacrificed everything to get to where he is now.

Oh and for the second part of your question, if you can't attend art school. I also agree with the above post, this place is a good place to learn, with the addition to books, and enroll in life drawing at night, you have to work hard man, Sleepless nights, tired days the next day...etc...Just fight it, and work your ass off!

Good luck!

~JB

[NoSeRider]

People are overly critical. Don't listen to them, just listen to yourself.

Become focused and trust in yourself. And do it do it do it. Don't care how long it takes, don't care what people say....just do it do it do it.

Don't live your life for them. Live it for yourself......if you're married, you're screwed, then you don't listen to what I said.

[strych9ine]

Sometimes you just have to suck it up and put yourself through what seem like impossible odds. The work day does not stop for most of the people on this board when they get home from full time jobs, art related or not. We chose this way of life because we're masochists at heart maybe, but it's usually because we can't have it any other way. If you think you're an artist, prove it to yourself and put in the late nights of drawing and painting after you get home from work.

Red Bull, man, it'll keep you going. Get home and turn off the goddamn tv, put away the games, pick up a pencil and just create something. You'll open a hell of a lot more opportunities for yourself if you take life by the balls and do something instead of sitting back and lamenting your situation. Things can turn around pretty quick if you put some real effort into your work.

Do you need school? Fuck that right now, don't wait for it! Don't wait for some heaven sent program or course to magically train you to be unstoppable. You need to start now, let school come when it's viable. You need to just start creating again seriously. So do it.

[Interceptor]

"what a waste of time and money, for a career that isn't guaranteed"!

Not many careers outside of the fast food industry are guarunteed.

So in my opinion you only live once, might as well gor for it. You'll always be able to find a job to get by on. Might as well be going for your dreams at the same time :)

[Everlastingboost]

thanks for all the advice guys, i've been meaning to start a sketchbook on here forever. I think I'll post one up here soon. Don't laught though my stuff is pretty much crap now lol.

[jfwalls]

I was 26, and married with a stepson when I went back to school. In my second year of school my wife got pregnant and then she decided she wanted to go back and finish school also. Luckily for her she had 2 years of college credits accumulated, while I had none that would transfer. Anyways, we managed to do it.

At 25 you can get much better financial aid. Just find a job with decent pay that has flexible hours. I worked at an art gallery part-time, and as a valet on weekends. The valet job was the most lucrative. I'd pull down over $300 in a weekend just working Friday and Saturdays. The gallery job was cake, and I often could do school work there. Just be creative with your jobs, do whatever it takes to get your work done, and be creative with your bills and finances. It can be done, if you want it enough.

[Poison_art]

thanks for all the advice guys, i've been meaning to start a sketchbook on here forever. I think I'll post one up here soon. Don't laught though my stuff is pretty much crap now lol.


nothing is ever crap in the art world everything you draw has some kind of meaning behind it hell i've just found work from 6 yrs ago and it looks awful but i st and giggled and looked for ways to improve the drawings something that looks bad first time round can be worked on and improved untill it looks right to you then post ur stages on here and see what ur fellow artists think. in art your always learning there is never a right or wrong way to do something its how you show your ideas and creative side on paper to help protary a image to someone else.

showing things in stages helps other artist see how ur mind works as ur learning to draw something shows their creative mind a little bit how ur ticks and will help give them the right advice and crit for that piece hell look at my sketch book at the dragon i've recently posted i hated that at first now i love it! it still needs work but i'm getting there ( i had never drawn a dragon before...)

[Snuggles]

"what a waste of time and money, for a career that isn't guaranteed"!

Worst Case Scenario

Business major -> guaranteed job, $X00k/y. Trophy wife has to suck down anti-depressants while you cruise in your compensation-mobile for something to take your mind off of how unfulfilling your life is.

Artist -> Work your ass off for $X0k/y. You can't afford an expensive new car or an ivory backscratcher. You learn to live with it. You pretty much enjoy yourself.

Sorry, bit of bitching there, but...people seem to forget what the purpose of cash IS sometimes.

I...kind of know the feeling, really. 22, work etc keeps me ass busy and I pretty well suck as is, so I pretty much always feel like I'm not getting anywhere. School doesn't have the degree I need (here) and I can't really move, so I'm just languishing, feeling like my life's slipping away from me and I'm going to be flipping burgers for the rest of my life. Best we can do is keep working at it, aye?

[JL.Alfaro]

I was gonna write you a whole lotta stuff, instead Im sending you a PM brotha, keep your head up and pray.

[JAG.]

Better to regret the things you do than the things you don't. Words to live by, man.

P.S. There's a workshop coming up...

extremely well said.. this is all you need to hear. the rest and the motivation is up to you.. - JAG

[rogfa]

I didn't take my art seriously till I was 25. Now four years later I think I've grown leaps and bounds but I'm still years away from getting any actual work from my art but I know that day will come.

I can totally relate with trying to balance an 8 hour job on the phone, are you working tech support too btw? Anyway, are there any altier type classes available in your area? They may be a good alternative to attending an art school. Life is extremely short, make the best of it! Good luck!

[rorke]

If you do decide to go to a art school make sure its a good one... cause a lot of them can screw you over. I went to art school and I didn't think I learned anything that I didn't already know or had learned on my own... In fact I pretty much paid $18,000 to figure out what I didn't want to do in the art industry. In a way... it was an expensive lesson but I am doing what I want to do as an artist now, so it was sorta worth it I geuss.

All I can tell ya is don't let anyone tell you how to live your life. Your 25... thats the best age to be.... This is the time where boys make men out of themselves. ... it's all up hill from here until you hit 60 or so.

[sktrdie]

Absolutely man, follow your dream, there's really nothing else in life, one day you're here one day you're not, live your life, fetch the moment. I guess the best way for you to study and work would be to find some kind of freelance design job, that's what I do. Freelancing is all about changing, creating new things, working with different people, it's really awesome. You can take school easily, I do 1 class per semester LOL, but I'm hanging there and doing other things.
Best wishes my friend, remember to enjoy life, have fun, do what you want, you're a free man, no one is stopping you.

[tensai]

look and listen to this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih3djTbpXOw)... and then go do.

good luck to you man, and have fun.

[Everlastingboost]

look and listen to this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih3djTbpXOw)... and then go do.

good luck to you man, and have fun.

wow thanks for the link, very informative. I'm only on pt.3 right now, thanks again. I hope to converse more with many of you on here. I need to get my sketchbook on here now. Anybody know of a good and cheap scanner. Thanks again all,
Kevin.:yayca:

[joelhinxman]

wow reading this thread was pritty inspiering. im kinda in the same boat as you. but i went to school then brain shut of for 2 years and just turned back on. ca helped with that alot. there was many people at my art school that where 40+. hell my mom whent back to college at almost 50 and is now sellng her silk paintings. there right ya just got to do it. i finaly got a job thats not sucking up all my time( and its a phone job). draw every chance ya get. and ya dont need to go to school to be good.

[Everlastingboost]

yah my job is over the phone, i'm still in training but I should be able to get in some good draw time hehe! I know you don't need school but i always thought in order to get the better jobs you need a degree.

[rorke]

Anybody know of a good and cheap scanner. Thanks again all,
Kevin.:yayca:
You can get a Canon model for about a Hundred bucks or less. Don't get like a getto looking scanner cause when you go to scan it will lower the quality of your work.


Anyways good luck with your future man.

[Mike Frank]

Before you go considering loans for tuition to school, you should think about trying to make it out to Insomania. The cost is insanely cheaper, and you would probably learn a ton.. I have pretty much been trying to learn how to make traditional art on my own for the past couple of years, while juggling a job at a pizza place. Conceptart has been a big help and I know the first San Fran workshop helped me out a lot.

Strych9ine has some good advice man, just start creating. Don't let anything interfere too much with where you want to go with yourself. In my opinion this is the kind of attitude you need to develop no matter what kind of education you get into.. Its important that you relax and just let yourself be from time to time, but you dont want to get so caught up in video games that you forget that your real goal is to make art for games.

Also be prepared to recognize that creating artwork takes time.. even if you are somewhat proficient, its still a pretty involved process, so don't expect to improve overnight.

Once you make time to get into making stuff you just gotta worry about how to improve things from there, look for insights wherever you can find them.. do studies, study old masters work, read through the critique section, tutorials, books, what have you.. make sure you get a good mix of life and imaginative drawing. Use your imaginative work to gauge/test your knowledge.. sort of see what you could improve on, and then do studies to figure those things out.

Don't let yourself slip on things that you think you might know how to improve. If you got an idea of how you could make things better, its important to express that.. don't leave your canvas full of ideas that go unrealized, try to exhaust your knoweldge on how to improve your work and then look for help. If you're just doing a sketch it might be ok, but if you're trying to finish your work, pull out all the stops. It'll be easier for you to accept criticism and improve when you're completely out of ideas of how to improve your work.

Other than that, just post up your work and you got a pretty good community of people to try and help you out.. that way people will see your work and be able to give you some advice a lot easier.

Anyways, good luck dude. Do what is going to make you happy in the end.. just make sure that its what you want and go for it. Even if you go to school you'll only get out what you put into it.

[Flake]

I need to get my sketchbook on here now. Anybody know of a good and cheap scanner.


Canon do very decent reasonably priced scanners, an A4 should be under 50 quid.

[Mr Man]

If you know drawing will make you happy then go for it.
Happiness over income any day. Sometimes it is heart breaking when someone your close to doesnt aprove of what you want to do. Just go for it dude!!

[Everlastingboost]

thanks guys, seriously you bring a tear to my eye hehe. No but in all seriousness i know art will make me happy. I know some of you people here probably have had this happen. Lets say a couple days go by and you are so busy or whatever with life that you don't have the time to draw. I know after about a week of not being able to draw i start to become pretty irrational, i'm like an addict or something haha. After drawing i just feel alot better and dare I say "euphoric" lol. I would honestly take a hit in pay just to be able to to draw for a living. As long as I could have the basics to live and support a family, i'm happy! Well I'm off to look at scanners today. Canon A4 here i come, i hope. See ya.

[JAG.]

definitely man.. more power to you. you'll be fine. best of luck man, and we'll always be around if you need anything.. just speak up ;) - JAG

[Hybridstar]

I hear ya on the girlfriend front dude. Spent 4 years with girls who loved the allure of exhibitions and media attention but would demand all your time. Now i have an artist girlfriend, best thing that ever happened to me.

[Ian Mack]

Yea mine demans my time but I figure out how to work with it. She wants to hang out outside somewhere...I bring a sketchbook! Talk and draw. She wants to watch a movie...I bring a sketchbook! Do Storyboard sketches.

I think the trick is to make every moment possible work to your advantage.

your gf doesn't need to be an artist but she does need to be understanding.

[Puck]

Now i have an artist girlfriend, best thing that ever happened to me.

I have an artist girlfriend too... and I spend half my time helping organise her exhibitions and selling her work... Well IM AN ARTIST TOO!!! Oooh, the pure bitter envy that stabs into my brain whenever I'm updating her website or framing her paintings. Two artists in a relationship doesn't work, one must DIE... (Just kidding, love her to bits!)

But seriously Kevin. There are too many people in this world that will just drag you down if you don't have faith in yourself. It's a scary thing to believe in yourself and your dreams when other people are telling you to take a 'safer' route, but it's vital to success imho.

And re: the no time thing... well, i don't entirely believe in that. When i was working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, i thought i had no time and i complained. Then i stepped it up in my job to 10 hours a day and i LONGED for the 8 hour days and vowed that if i had them again i would make the most of that extra two hours. Then i did 12 hours a day for a few months and a 10 hour day seemed like a dream. Turned out i was just procrastinating and being a bit lazy. Yeah it's hard to get sketching when you get home from work, but anything worth doing is hard.

Maybe get a part time job and start churning out the art... I'm 24 and that's what I'm doing now... no success (or great skillz) yet, Guggenheim still hasn't knocked down my door with a big wad of cash, but I'm happier than I've ever been. As Snuggles said before; art gives you a quality of life that is unmatched by copious amounts of money.

Good luck mate. Looking forward to seeing your sketches.

[draw]

You Can Do EET!

[Sepulverture]

I have an idea how you feel man. I'm 20 years old, live in Japan, and at the end of a short - but dreadful marriage, and she was just like your ex, said it was a waste of time and all that jazz, but you know what, i have to agree with the other guys who are saying you just gotta bite it and chug on. I'm by no means great, or even that good, but in the little bit of time outside work that I do have, I've been able to improve enough with the helpful critiques of my peers here that someone actually offered to pay me to draw for them. So basically what I'm trying to say here is I'm in a similar boat as you, and I can agree with these guys totally in saying that you just gotta try to put aside the distractions, sit down and put in some hours. Before long, you'll notice the improvement for yourself and you will feel better about everything. Oh yeah, and for the scanner. I picked up one of those canon pixus mp450 printer/scanner combos for just under 200usd, and it's great. The scanning bed is a4 size, but most of my sketchbooks are larger than that which caused a lot of problems trying to fit the damn things, so i'd suggest going with a larger scanner.

[Flake]

I picked up one of those canon pixus mp450 printer/scanner combos for just under 200usd, and it's great. The scanning bed is a4 size, but most of my sketchbooks are larger than that which caused a lot of problems trying to fit the damn things, so i'd suggest going with a larger scanner.

A3 scanners are likely to be quite a lot more expensive than A4 models though, if you must sketch that large a digital camera or even a decent cameraphone might be a better option to get your stuff online.

[Everlastingboost]

well i got a sweet all in one scanner/printer/copier. Nothing beats a good friend. 50 bucks for an almost brand new hp unit. Scans awesome. Only thing that sucks is I have no internet at my house, i just moved in lol. Stuck using my friends puter, until i can get broadband! Don't worry though those sketches are coming. I've drawn almost every day since friday!! Wooo Hooo!:P oh yah thanks for all the kind, and not so kind words lol. I really appreciate all the feedback! Here's a little something i did in photoshop about a week ago. It was for a buddy. See ya.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/Everlastingboost/pr_slugevil.jpg





Woooopity Doooo http://www.bullz-eye.com/mguide/review_images/1948-2004/billy_madison/billy_madison-3.jpg

[Lohan]

Sometimes you just have to suck it up and put yourself through what seem like impossible odds. The work day does not stop for most of the people on this board when they get home from full time jobs, art related or not. We chose this way of life because we're masochists at heart maybe, but it's usually because we can't have it any other way. If you think you're an artist, prove it to yourself and put in the late nights of drawing and painting after you get home from work.

Red Bull, man, it'll keep you going. Get home and turn off the goddamn tv, put away the games, pick up a pencil and just create something. You'll open a hell of a lot more opportunities for yourself if you take life by the balls and do something instead of sitting back and lamenting your situation. Things can turn around pretty quick if you put some real effort into your work.

Do you need school? Fuck that right now, don't wait for it! Don't wait for some heaven sent program or course to magically train you to be unstoppable. You need to start now, let school come when it's viable. You need to just start creating again seriously. So do it.

best thing ever written on ca.org.

[sparth]

everlastingboost

organise your schedule the best you can. when life is playing tricks on you, you've got to adapt as much as you can to the new situation, no matter how hard, there is always a way out.
in july, i thought my life was going to plunge into hell because of tinnitus. depression, help from specialists, and then, slowly, it went back on the track. ans i am creating now even more that before, preparing my book, having fun at idsoftware and finding back the right balance. but if you had told me that there was an end to the tunnel in july, i swear i would never have believed you.

also, to be honest, every case is different, but if your portfolio is strong enough, skip the school and go straight to the point. find a gaming company. an awesome portfolio ALWAYS find its way to the top.

sparth

[demented]

Believe it or not many of the great dudes on this site never had an art education. So get to it, start self studying! And with all respect, a life mate who can't respect your dreams isn't a life mate. Get to studying and get an arty girlfriend :P!

- d.

[AfroLaxMan]

I just started the seperation process with my wife, she was just as un-supportive of my art and career choices. I was more of a parlor trick than anything serious. While my journey is just beginning again, I feel like an artist once again, but the difference from the past, is I have a 3yr old boy who rules my world more than anyone could. What that means is I don't have the flexibility I used to have, but he loves when I draw, but even more so when we draw together.
My only hope is he doesn't ignore his creative processes as he grows, and learns an appreciation for passion, even if he is more inclined to head a different path.

the sketchbook is the best self inspection you could use.

[Everlastingboost]

thats fantastic that you and your son draw together, i hope my future child takes an interest in art. Thanks again for all the advice guys. You are a great bunch here. Makes me look forward to posting up some stuff here, getting everything going should be fun! See ya. Oh btw here is the original pic of my man atmosphere




http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/Everlastingboost/thth7535djabqcg3mu.gif
just joking heres the real pic haha
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/Everlastingboost/pr_slug1.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/Everlastingboost/pr_slugevil.jpg

[Seedling]

Hi Everlastingboost,
A degree isn’t necessary for most art jobs. But education is, and as Strych9ine already pointed out, don’t wait for a formal education to magically hand you the answers. There’s so much you can do on your own, starting with daily sketchbook habits.

If you are interested in the games industry, you can start your learnin’ by following the link in my sig.

Best of luck to you. Oh, and don’t let the younglings around here make you feel old for being 25. That’s not old; that’s in your prime.

[Pixel Dust]

Hi there Everlastingboost,

I am no expert in anything artwise nor on life and advice, but I feel for your situation.

I come on here everyday - mostly lurking since I am quite shy but trying to build up my confidence in art and in other things.

About this time last year I started to get very ill at work and have been on and off the sick for nearly all that time since. I am constantly tired and unable to work at the moment. I felt as if everything had crashed around me. However it was suggested to me I tried to start drawing again. Having hardly picked up a pencil to do anything other than take notes in meetings for nearly 10 years - I felt stupid and as if I had left everything too late. (I am some years older than you are and have had many different jobs in my working life having convinced myself that I should have a "proper job".) But I did pick up my art tools again and have been teaching myself - with the help of tutorials and advice read on this forum since.

My skills are not nearly half as strong as many of the people here, but solid practice and honest crits from people here have helped with my meager art skills. I have a few commissions to work for now - just little stuff connected with hobbies that I do but they force me to learn how to illustrate to a brief and all that.

I would perhaps start with something like the Daily Sketch Group on here - just to get you into things and so that you don't feel as though you are constantly fishing around for ideas.

Practice, discipline and developing your own skills and art theory knowledge to build a portfolio is more likely to get you working in art industries than college. The feedback and advice here might not be as immediate as having a tutor to hand to help you before you mess up, but it is a start. As with any artistic or creative industry you have to be your own marketer and self promoter.

Take care and choose something that you are happy with - even if that means you have to compromise to get to where you want to be.

Pixeldust.

[Spacemanchuck]

Hey,

I've been in a very similar situation to yours for years, lots of obsticals, usually created by my self seemed to stand in the way of this dream to be an artist. I knew I didn't want anything else but booze, WOMEN, and a lack of motivation because of, kept me in this shitty stagnant place...

It's very nececary to rid your self of the hinderances in your life to get to where you want to be. It's also very helpful to see how and what you need to do to get to where you want to be. This moment for me, like alot of people on this board, happened at the first CA workshop. It just fucking woke my ass up, plain and simple... I met people that inspired me, and saw the kind of work I wanted to create and this pushed me to get into art school.

I'm 25, I feel like I'm twelve, and I too went through my own personal HELL to get here. I had to leave my home, and many people I cared about very much, to come to Seattle and make a solid learning envirnment for my self...

Anyways, one thing is for sure, you'll never get any better if you don't practice... ALOT! There is an artist on the boards called Puddnhead, and he said something at the Amsterdam workshop that sticks with me, he said he fills up something like 6 or 8 sketchbooks solid a year. Since I've pushed to keep up, basically if you draw all the damn time and you cant loose... So, thats my two cents, and were all on your side, good luck.

[Flake]

I have to say that all the "girlfriend says I'm wasting my time, go get a real job!" posts in this thread make me realise just how lucky I am to have a supportive partner. She's put up with my arty weirdness for a good while now.
She doesn't complain that..
1) I'm broke most of the time
2) Our bedroom smells like paint
3) I'm constantly chasing her around with a camera for ref.

On the one hand, we met in an art school so she should be used to the idea that this is what I'm going to do with my life, regardless of whether I'm successful or not, on the other, it's pretty sweet having a partner who buys you Harold Speed books for your birthday then tells you to "Go paint something bitch!".

I'm going to go and make her a nice sandwich or something. She cool.

[Mike Dutton]

Read The Fountainhead. It doesn't solve anything, but it will sure give you the incentive to. Support is really important and good to have, but when it's not there, which seems to be the case here, it's a good book to have on your side.