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Since Equestria Daily is doing their Artist Training Grounds and many young artists out there are starting to feel their oats, I thought it'd be a good time to get some of these thoughts out on the internet, for no other reason than to reference them when I'm asked about art advice later. If you're going to try a hoof at drawing, there is a wealth of information available to you out there. Instead, I'll try to make a note of some of the things that very few art tutorials seem to mention.
1) Almost anyone can draw - yes, even you. Anyone with full command of a hand or two can draw. When you start, your drawings will not be great, but they will satisfy you. Keep going. That stodgy old advice about the thousand bad drawings is true. We don't admire well-rounded artists for being prodigies; we admire the effort they've put into honing their craft. Don't expect to develop quickly; take your time and pace yourself. Anyone can draw, but only the patient and tenacious can draw really well.
2) You're going to hit a wall - at a certain point, most young artists hit a spot where they feel they have not developed sufficiently and will decide there's something wrong. Most young people stop there. Please don't. You need to realize that very few artists truly believe that their art is anywhere near what it could be. Even Shakespeare's first play was shitty (seriously, have you read it?). As your art grows, so will your ambition and your vision. You know, I first picked up watercolor paint when I was fifteen and I finally feel like I'm starting to understand it? Don't worry so much about where you "should" be. Just keep drawing and having fun and your art will keep improving all on its own.
3) There are two kinds of artists - those who draw quick and those who draw slow. I draw slow. I draw so slow. I look at things like KP's expression worksheets or JJ's comics and I feel jealous. My art idol is Marc Davis, who worked for Disney as an animator and knocked out dozens of sickeningly brilliant art pieces a day. I really wish I could move fast. But you know what? I don't, and that's okay. As an artist, know your methods and your limitations and trust that what may be right for others may not be right for you. Art shouldn't be work, it should be the best part of your day.
4) Look out for number one - you may develop hordes of fans, but the important thing is to retain perspective and make sure you're taking care of yourself. Your art is for you, it's your personal release valve. That's right, it's a release valve, it's how you get stuff out of your system. Stress is a great motivator for art. So is lust. If you're a quickdraw, it will be easier for you to dash out a few fanservice pics, but never put yourself in a situation where you feel obligated to serve any but your own ends. Don't draw anything that you in your heart of hearts don't believe in.
"A good artist should be isolated. If he isn't isolated, something is wrong." - Orson Welles
5) Limit your intake - it's really fun to browse DeviantArt and MyLittleBrony and Tumblr and all of that, but seriously, limit your sphere of influence, especially in the artistic act. Put on some good music or something that will focus your mind and get into the "art zone". Try not to let too many influences into your art life. If you want to draw MLP art, watch a few episodes until your idea clicks instead of trolling through everyone else's art. Try to keep your receptors pure, I think is what Orson is saying up there. He's not saying to barricade yourself in the house, just to try to keep your art your own.
The rest of it is nothing but 10% skill, 40% luck and 400% perseverance.
1) Almost anyone can draw - yes, even you. Anyone with full command of a hand or two can draw. When you start, your drawings will not be great, but they will satisfy you. Keep going. That stodgy old advice about the thousand bad drawings is true. We don't admire well-rounded artists for being prodigies; we admire the effort they've put into honing their craft. Don't expect to develop quickly; take your time and pace yourself. Anyone can draw, but only the patient and tenacious can draw really well.
2) You're going to hit a wall - at a certain point, most young artists hit a spot where they feel they have not developed sufficiently and will decide there's something wrong. Most young people stop there. Please don't. You need to realize that very few artists truly believe that their art is anywhere near what it could be. Even Shakespeare's first play was shitty (seriously, have you read it?). As your art grows, so will your ambition and your vision. You know, I first picked up watercolor paint when I was fifteen and I finally feel like I'm starting to understand it? Don't worry so much about where you "should" be. Just keep drawing and having fun and your art will keep improving all on its own.
3) There are two kinds of artists - those who draw quick and those who draw slow. I draw slow. I draw so slow. I look at things like KP's expression worksheets or JJ's comics and I feel jealous. My art idol is Marc Davis, who worked for Disney as an animator and knocked out dozens of sickeningly brilliant art pieces a day. I really wish I could move fast. But you know what? I don't, and that's okay. As an artist, know your methods and your limitations and trust that what may be right for others may not be right for you. Art shouldn't be work, it should be the best part of your day.
4) Look out for number one - you may develop hordes of fans, but the important thing is to retain perspective and make sure you're taking care of yourself. Your art is for you, it's your personal release valve. That's right, it's a release valve, it's how you get stuff out of your system. Stress is a great motivator for art. So is lust. If you're a quickdraw, it will be easier for you to dash out a few fanservice pics, but never put yourself in a situation where you feel obligated to serve any but your own ends. Don't draw anything that you in your heart of hearts don't believe in.
"A good artist should be isolated. If he isn't isolated, something is wrong." - Orson Welles
5) Limit your intake - it's really fun to browse DeviantArt and MyLittleBrony and Tumblr and all of that, but seriously, limit your sphere of influence, especially in the artistic act. Put on some good music or something that will focus your mind and get into the "art zone". Try not to let too many influences into your art life. If you want to draw MLP art, watch a few episodes until your idea clicks instead of trolling through everyone else's art. Try to keep your receptors pure, I think is what Orson is saying up there. He's not saying to barricade yourself in the house, just to try to keep your art your own.
The rest of it is nothing but 10% skill, 40% luck and 400% perseverance.
Call For TF Commissions
(Edit: closed for now)
Hey guys!
So I feel like I spent most of October, November and December telling folks to check back in with me in 2019 for TF commissions and, well, I lost track of how many I told this to. So if you are one of these folks I told to check back, or are interested in buying one yourself:
- Please send me a DM with your idea
- Single picture ideas only, no sequences (small insert details ok)
- I draw TFs for $45 lineart and $75-80 full color per frame. I rarely take on color TF commissions.
I WILL NOT be able to accept everybody. I will, however, make a list of who's interested and decide which pieces to undertake
Who Wants To Be A Toy? (YCH TF Holiday Event!)
(EDIT: CLOSED FOR NOW!)
It December! I had a fun idea!
Since a lot of my followers enjoy becoming various things, I saw an opportunity for some TFfy fun at my holiday part-time job at the North Pole!
If you'd like to be one of the toys to be delivered by Santa, I'm selling slots through the month of December! Only $10 USD.
What You're Buying!
For $10 USD I will interpret your character design as a toy of your choosing. You will join the other toys in the sack to be delivered on Christmas! The final drawing will be a monochrome image, like this one, and posted on or near Christmas Day:
What You Need To Do To Join:
Send me a DM with the
A Full Year of Art!
About a year ago, I sat down to draw a Br'er Rabbit tf sequence. I had been working up to that point for the better part of two years; after quitting tf art "for good" in 2011 I had decided that my old ways of drawing things were no longer acceptable and I had spent the last few years trying to find a new "voice" as far as drawing transformations went.
That sequence was not easy to draw. As always you strive to make your art look effortless, but that was a two week long uphill battle during which such lovely inconveniences as getting cuts on the tips of my fingers, causing bleeding if I held a pencil, kept happening. But at the end of it I k
Two More Character Commissions
(CLOSED FOR NOW!)
Here we go, been low on inspiration lately so let's do some commissions!
Cost of these pieces starts at $45 USD and must be paid through PayPal
For rapid completion (less than a week)
Please be ready to pay in the next few days!
These are color, SINGLE CHARACTER commissions!
Ponies, griffons, care bears, Disney-esque characters, etc.
Price may increase if character is super complex.
I will include a prop or simple line art background for no extra cost!
Sorry, no transformation commissions right now!
If you're interested, send me a DM with the following information:
Description of Character
Character Reference
Pr
© 2012 - 2024 foxxy-arts
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I see all these people who can draw little cute animals around my age , but i dont think thats enough to get popular, but of course that are and i am the only 13-14 ive seen who draws people so far