How often do you draw?
DragonKing
Member Posts: 1,979
in Off-Topic
So, here is something a little different that I'm sure most really won't related to, but how often do you draw? Whether it's comics/illustrations, concept art, abstract expressionism, or -insert the countless other movements i can name-.
Do you tend to stick to one subject or do you explore ideas and concepts?
Do you do it for fun, or try to make it a career?
Why am I asking this? Because I'm crazy! Hey, makes as much sense as the wild surge that brought my MAC back to life and refreshed all my spells after the djinn killed him.
I'm spending 3 to 8 hours a day sitting in front of a sketchbook just exploring what i can achieve with line. I'm trying to get into color with alcohol markers and colour pencil but those are demons in themselves.
I want to be a illustrator but it doesn't seem like I'll ever reach it.
Do you tend to stick to one subject or do you explore ideas and concepts?
Do you do it for fun, or try to make it a career?
Why am I asking this? Because I'm crazy! Hey, makes as much sense as the wild surge that brought my MAC back to life and refreshed all my spells after the djinn killed him.
I'm spending 3 to 8 hours a day sitting in front of a sketchbook just exploring what i can achieve with line. I'm trying to get into color with alcohol markers and colour pencil but those are demons in themselves.
I want to be a illustrator but it doesn't seem like I'll ever reach it.
2
Comments
Things slowed down since adulthood and having a job. When I find the time I usually either do my own 3rd rated custom portraits, pixel art, or the occasional doodles of my Goniurosaurus luii pets. You won't see those extremely shy geckos in daylight. Not to mention deep at night. At least not without the help of night vision goggles or a moonlight.
Otherwise, I think that my minimal time wtih daily drawing is about 2 hours, but my max is hard to tell, because I tend to take breaks from time to time, and thus it is easy for me to reliably answer that.
Currently I try many things regarding drawing, although most of them are just sketches. Be it gesture drawings, human anatomy, women (sfw and nsfw both apply), drawing from life/photos... Ocassionally I also try to copy/recreate work of people much better than I am, all in order to establish good enough improvement rate.
In traditional art I tend to use pencils, both cheap ones and also Hardtmuth's, along with Derwent Artists coloured pencils. I would love to get my hands on Copic Markers, but they are very expensive, my current intern is not very good paid and I need to save money in order to buy myself new PC, since the one I use right now is kinda in bad shape.
Speaking about PCs, as far as digital art is concerned, I currently try to learn how to make digital paintings (not digiral drawings, these aren't the same) and I am also in the transition process between softwares.
As for why I draw, I guess both for fun and maybe future career, although the later would take huge ammount of effort and time. I kinda regret how many years of my life I actually wasted not pursuing this goal.
Professionally I almost always work digitally, though I like pencils and ink a lot too. And the wonderful watersoluble inktense pencils that combine the two into one. If you don't mind working with water you should try them for some wonderful colors!
Do you post your drawings online somewhere? It would be cool to see, and the work of other people here on the boards. Personally I've got both my instagram @joensoderholm and my Deviantart.
Illustrations are art
@JoenSo
Yes... Yes, I do.
Maybe I should start drawing again, sounds easier!
I applaud you for continuing on and striving to improve! I wish I had your drive and tenacity.
@DragonKing do you want to show any?
It's not tenacity, it's more, "either make it or end up another statistic." That drives me to confirm to do what I do. If I stopped there is no telling what would come of me.
@JoenSo I've been posting sketches here for a while now.
Other times I draw stuff from scratch. This one is a mix of both:
Experienced eyes will be able to see how I made the shadows in Photoshop: I used a black brush to paint several semi-transparent layers in a few places, then softened the edges and smoothed them out with a semi-transparent eraser.
What do you think it looks like? I see it as a gem of some sort.
I usually use a mix of the eraser and the smudge tool to smooth out shadows. It's pretty hard to get the smoothness you want. I usually give the image some extra texture to avoid making it look too computer-ish. Like here:
Congratulations! You've drawn a very nice specimen of the first instar of Stauropus fagi, commonly known as lobster moth.