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watjong In reply to Revan005 [2016-05-30 14:14:39 +0000 UTC]

thanks!

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watjong In reply to dierat [2016-05-23 10:26:15 +0000 UTC]

Hey diedra, thanks!
I've been struggling a lot with all kinds of fundamentals, from lighting, to anatomy to .. well you know how it is. 
Wanted to give up drawing altogether, because I realized I'm way too far away from any skill level that could land me
an illustration job, but then I figured, what the hell. I love doing it, so I'm going to do it. Job or no job. 
And now I'm kind of thinking of prepping a portfolio for fantasy illustration work. 

Lol. It's been 3 years of dreaming I could make it, laced with frustration and self-doubt. 
I was all over the place, with illustrations, concept art, sculptures, sketches and whatnot. 
And stubbornly not studying from life, even though so many people told me I should do that. 
I kind of did a tiny amount recently, but not nearly enough of course. 

I definately encountered myself a couple of times the past couple of years. 't was not a pretty sight. 
But giving up on a career in art for the time being actually feels liberating and makes me want to draw more. 
I guess I couldn't handle the self-applied pressure or something. That you have to. And learn you can't. Not yet. 

...aaand I'm rambling. Lol. Look what you made me do.

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dierat In reply to watjong [2016-05-25 15:52:04 +0000 UTC]

Hey Harm, thanks for sharing with me. It's been a long time since I've talked to you, so it's nice to hear how things are going.

A lot of artists have this problem. Art starts off as this fun thing that you do because you love it, and part of what you love is pushing yourself to improve and overcoming obstacles. But the stress of pushing for that specific goal of being a professional, which seems to perpetually be just out of reach, is really disheartening and can ruin your love of the work. I actually gave up on being it myself and switched careers; now I'm a programmer and I almost never draw. I do hope to get back to it one day because there were so many things I really wanted to do. But looking back at myself and the struggle I was going through, my advice is to not wait until you're "ready" to put yourself out there and do it professionally if that's what you want to do. As you get better, your idea of how good you have to be will continually rise, so it's impossible to ever reach it. We have this idea that that the greats we look up to are satisfied with their work because they've "made it", but I've heard a few of them say they still feel like their work is never quite as good as it should be and that they are always reaching for that next level of mastery just beyond their grasp.

If you love doing it, do it. If you want money for your work, ask for it. Whatever you do, have fun and don't be so hard on yourself. Good luck, god speed, and I'm always here if you ever need someone to talk to.

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watjong In reply to dierat [2016-05-30 16:04:20 +0000 UTC]

Hey Diedra, no problem, it's nice to hear from you as well. 

A programmer eh? That I would live to see the day.. hehe. I hope you're enjoying yourself.
I'm guessing you are, since it's challenging, puzzling and somewhat of a grindfest.  

I've been struggling with art as well these past couple of years. I didn't know what I wanted to do - be an illustrator? A concept artist?
A fine artist? maybe a sculptor? or animator. cartoonist? ahhh so many choices, can't I have it all? And that one too?

Then again, looking back at my work from a few years ago, I can now honestly say it does suck pretty hard. 
Not to rain on my parade or anything, but I had no idea about anatomy, lighting, what values are, etc. 
Now I've got more of an idea, more of a grasp of these things, and because of that I also understand better where exactly I'm 
still lacking in those departments. Which feels kind of liberating. 

I love doing it, I couldn't stop if I wanted to. Wait that came out wrong. You kwow what I mean. 
I would like money for it, we'll see. For now drawing and painting is a second job, besides the on and off temp stuff. 

And should you ever decide to pick up a pencil or brush, have fun with it. You've come a long way already. 
Good luck and god speed to you too. And about the talking, I'll be here if you need me.

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watjong In reply to danyar445 [2016-05-21 20:32:30 +0000 UTC]

thanks dude, I'm still grinding

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