#also I think I really am starting to understand how to sketch digitally

[wayemd]

Finally getting the hang of it…

[stellaspectral]

Could I request headcannons on how the rise! and 2012turtles would react to artist reader, who draws them for fun, is embarassed to admit it though but they catch a glimps of a drawing of them which they made? :)

A/N: Sure! 💖

Rise & 2012 Turts React to Artist!Reader

💚 ROTTMNT & 2012 Turtles/Gender Neutral Reader 💚

CWs: None. All characters are aged-up.

Rise!Leo

He’d spot your art with a smirk. “Well, well, well, what artistic endeavor are we hiding here?”

Once he realizes the artwork is of them, and especially him (hopefully in a dynamic, cool pose): “Oh ho ho! You’ve captured my good side! And my other good side!”

Finds it immediately hilarious and endearing. Like, “Aw, you’ve been drawing my perfect face this whole time?” 100% teases you about it but never in a mean way.

He’d absolutely lap up the attention, even if it’s accidental. He’d tease you good-naturedly about your “secret fan art.”

“Don’t be embarrassed! Clearly, you have excellent taste in subjects. Especially this handsome devil.” *finger guns*

Might start posing more dramatically around you “just in case” you want to draw him again. “You know, I am your muse now. That’s canon.”

Like he’ll dramatically fling himself onto the couch, “Oh, woe is me, struck by the sudden urge to be artistically rendered in a moment of heroic contemplation!” He’ll then wink.

Lowkey keeps checking your sketchbook when you’re not looking. Not to snoop—just in case you drew him again.

Rise!Raph

At first, upon seeing your art, he’d be like, “Huh? Whatcha got there?”

Once he sees it, especially if it’s a cool action shot of him looking heroic: “WHOA! Is that ME?! That looks SO COOL!”

He’d be genuinely impressed and flattered, not really understanding why you’re embarrassed. “Why hide this? It’s awesome!”

Raph will pretend he’s not paying attention, but he’ll definitely be flexing a bit more or holding his “cool big brother” stance a little longer if he thinks you might be drawing him.

Raph wouldn’t request, but if you drew a really good action sequence of him protecting his brothers, he’d stare at it for a long time with a big smile.

Gets all flustered but proud. Keeps sneaking peeks at your sketchbook like he doesn’t want to be caught doing it.

Sometimes acts nonchalant, but if you show him a drawing you’re proud of, he gets super shy.

If you ever draw him looking soft or happy, he’ll stare at it longer than he means to. Those are the ones he secretly likes most.

Rise!Donnie

He’d approach your art with scientific curiosity. “An unauthorized artistic rendering? Intriguing.”

He’d analyze the style, the accuracy of his tech and the anatomical proportions. “Hmm, the depiction of my battle shell’s articulation is surprisingly accurate. Did you have reference material, or is this from memory?”

He’d be genuinely impressed by the skill, even if his compliments sound a bit clinical. He might subtly suggest improvements for “technical accuracy” next time.

Probably starts asking technical questions about your process before realizing you’re blushing like mad. “Wait, you’re embarrassed? But you … nailed my jaw structure.”

Donnie might “casually” start working on a particularly intricate piece of tech nearby, angling it so you get a “good view of its complex inner workings, should you choose to document it.”

Donnie might offer to 3D print little maquettes of them for you to use as reference. “It would improve anatomical accuracy by at least 15%, though your current observational skills are, frankly, quite impressive.” He’d also be fascinated if you drew their mystic powers, analyzing how you interpret non-physical energy.

Starts leaving small upgrades for your drawing supplies—new pens, sketchpads, even a custom-built stylus if you’re digital.

Might ask if he can scan your sketches into his files for “data preservation.” (It’s 100% just because he wants to look at them.)

Rise!Mikey

Pure, unadulterated excitement upon seeing your art. “O! M! G! Is that US?! You DREW us?!”

He’d be bouncing off the walls, absolutely thrilled. “This is the COOLEST THING EVER! Look at me, I look so dynamic! And the colors!”

He’d be the most understanding of your shyness but also the most enthusiastic about getting you to share. “Aww, don’t hide it! This is amazing!”

Would probably hug you and the drawing (if you let him).

Mikey is your hype-man. He’d also try to “collaborate” by adding his own doodles or stickers to your sketchbook page if you let him (and sometimes if you don’t).

Wants to see every single page. Will not drop it even if you’re begging him not to look.

Might tape one of the sketches to the wall in the lair, claiming it’s “museum-worthy.”

Starts calling himself your “muse supreme” or “artspiration.”

2012!Leo

Sees the sketch accidentally while helping you pick up something. His leader instincts would kick in. “What’s this?”

Once he sees it’s them: a moment of surprise, then a small, almost imperceptible smile. “You … you drew us?”

He’d be quite touched. “This is … very good. You’re very talented.”

He’d be gentle about your embarrassment. “There’s no need to be ashamed. It’s clear you put a lot of effort into this.”

He’d appreciate the gesture deeply, seeing it as a sign of your trust and friendship, but might subtly ask if you’ve shown anyone else.

Leo might “coincidentally” practice his katana forms where you have a good vantage point, holding poses slightly longer. If you look up and catch his eye, he’d offer a small, encouraging nod before resuming.

“You drew me … with my swords out. That’s … really cool. And kinda flattering.” He’s a little shy about it but tells you he likes it. Probably doesn’t mention it again unless you bring it up, but will treasure the mental image. Secretly hopes there’s more.

Also secretly keeps a folded version of your sketch in a book or drawer. Doesn’t talk about it much, but it clearly means a lot. He’ll defend your art fiercely if anyone downplays it.

2012!Raph

“Hey, what are you hidin’?” Gruff as usual when he spots your art, but still curious.

Sees the drawing. Eyebrow ridge raises. A beat of silence. “… Is that supposed to be me?”

At first, he might joke a little to hide how touched he is. “Could’ve made me buffer, but okay.” Gets a little red in the ears. “Thanks … for drawin’ me, I guess.”

If you made him look tough and cool, a tiny, almost invisible smirk might appear. He’d scoff at your embarrassment. “What, you think it’s bad or somethin’? It’s … not terrible.” (Which is high praise from him).

Might try to act like it’s not a big deal, but he keeps checking if you’ve drawn him again.

If you catch him staring at a drawing for too long, he’ll grumble, “It’s not like I asked you to draw me lookin’ cool …”

You notice he starts sticking around longer when you sketch, trying to act casual. And he might leave little “suggestions” like: “If you’re gonna draw me again, maybe this pose would be cool. Just sayin’.”

Once, after a hard mission, you gave him a sketch of him looking strong and protective. He kept that one.

2012!Donnie

His initial reaction is genuine curiosity. “Oh, what have you got there?”

His eyes would widen slightly upon seeing the drawing. “Fascinating! Is that … us? Your grasp of our unique physiology is quite impressive! Did you use references? This foreshortening is impressive.”

He’d be technically complimentary. But then he looks up and sees you looking like you’re about to evaporate and realizes—oh. You were keeping that private.

He’d be understanding of your embarrassment. “Oh, please don’t feel self-conscious! It’s a wonderful piece of art. Perhaps you could even help me design some new tech interfaces with your artistic eye?”

He’d probably ask if he could scan it to “analyze the artistic rendering techniques for his database.”

Donnie might start explaining the mechanics of his latest invention to you in more detail, “hoping you can visualize it.” A subtle hint for you to draw it.

Donnie would scan them at high resolution and keep them in a password-protected folder on his T-Phone, possibly analyzing your evolving style over time.

He’d love a drawing of you and him working on tech together. He might even frame it in his lab.

2012!Mikey

Upon seeing your art: “What’s that?! Ooh, a drawing!” Then his jaw would drop. “NO WAY! YOU DREW US?! THAT’S AWESOME-SAUCE!”

He’d be incredibly hyped, grabbing the drawing (gently!) to get a closer look.

You’re dying inside but he’s already flipping through your sketchbook. “Why didn’t you show me sooner?! We could’ve been an artist team! I model, you draw—BOOM.”

He’d be completely oblivious to why you’re embarrassed, or rather, he’d try to overwhelm your embarrassment with pure enthusiasm.

Would immediately start posing and asking you to draw him right now.

Mikey would have a “super-secret awesome art stash” hidden somewhere only he (and maybe Ice Cream Kitty) knows about.

Wants to hang the art in his room. Constantly asks when the next “issue” of “Mikey Art” is coming out.

If you ever get insecure about your art, he’ll hug you tight. “Dude. You made me look awesome. That’s, like, peak talent.”

[meanbossart]

Ask compilation: Art & advice! Reference use, light, facial expressions and sketching.

Replying to a few miscellaneous comments & questions about my process, with a giggle thrown between every other question for good measure!

Hey! Sorry, I just post them as they are 😅 Can't say I've ever had any issues regardless of size.

That is HYSTERICAL and honestly with the amount of "I don't play bg3 but I follow you anyway" messages that I get, I hope I'm not accidentally giving people the wrong idea 😂

Thank you so much for the kind message!

Anything, really! I use Virtamate whenever I'm really struggling with perspective or an angle, or sometimes something as simple as stock images from google (especially for furniture and interiors) I do also use myself as reference a lot, particularly for hands. Admittedly you do get to a point where you need reference less and less, and can pull poses and anatomy out of imagination pretty easily but you never completely cut it out of art. Reference is a tool just like paper and brushes are, not a crutch.

For angles/perspective and poses (to a degree), yes! Absolutely. It is a wonderful tool that has paid its cost over a million times for me, personally.

I do NOT suggest referencing off its anatomy, however! If you already have a good grasp of how real bodies move, sure, you can use it without issue and just "fix" the anatomy as you draw, but virtamate's models, while more malleable than most 3d figures, still suffer from the usual limitations of it's medium. Musculature and fat in particular do not operate very well alongside said model's movements and don't look very accurate to life.

I will not rest until I have normalized toes.

Thank you so much!

Unfortunately, that is something I genuinely don't use reference for - well, kind of! I pretty much walk through the world making a mental note of how things look and how I would translate that visual onto (digital) paper if I had to. And I think I do that the most with light and shadow.

Light application largely comes from from understanding 3 things:

-Dimensions/planes. -How different materials reflect/absorb said light. -✨DRAMA✨

I suggest studying art from monochrome artists and comic illustrators and seeing how they manage to create the illusion of multidimensionality with a very limited palette. Drawing a lot of figures with only black and white also helps - that was pretty much my entire comic career prior and probably what I am to thank for my current understanding of light placement.

Watching and studying movies and shows that make use of colorful, dramatic lighting also helps a lot - Nicolas Winding Refn has honestly taught me so much just by watching his flicks!

Thank you! I have indeed been trying a couple of different things and I'm glad that you noticed it and that you enjoy it!

Thank you! I'm happy to say I plan on drawing much more of her as well 😇 at least as soon as I recover from the last comic!

Hello, happy to have inspired you even a little bit to get back on the horse!

I think referencing from yourself/real pictures of people's faces is always best, even if your style is pretty cartoony or simplified. That way you can actually take note of how facial muscles work and apply that understanding to your art when you create expressions from memory. Start detailed and then work your way down, removing elements until you are happy with the results!

Paying attention to moving faces when you see/interact with people is also useful. I often say this, but just looking at the world through the lens of an artist can be immensely helpful - taking mental notes of small details and later applying them to what you do, that sort of thing!

I first type them down in (usually) Times Roman and then trace it for that pencil-ed in look!

Hello, hope you are well yourself!

I have this post here that might help you a little visually, but I guess you are more curious about the inbetween stages of that first draft and the final art. I think a lot of it is muscle memory! I can move onto lineart pretty reliably after 1 or 2 sketches for most things, occasionally I will need 3 (not counting when I just change something entirely - that obviously requires the process to start over again for that element) but that hasn't always been the case!

However many sketches you want to do is however many you need, and depending on your art style and process that can vary wildly. Just try not to boggle yourself down with perfectionism - I'm sure you've noticed by now that, sometimes, when you draw something over and over again trying to get it "right" you end up sucking the life out of it. It can actually good to turn your brain off a little bit and TRY to line in the details on the fly, not only will you build confidence over-time but you may arrive at some really fluid shapes and movements as a result!

[atasheashkeman]

Hey man, i rlly love ur art <3, it's just *Kiss chef*.

Just wondering if you have any tips to draw as good as you! and are u open to make commisions?:3

AWWWW UR SO SWEET!!!! I really appreciate your kind words!! I unfortunately don't take commissions and probably won't until I'm finished with my degree in a few more years!

I am sure you are already an amazing artist!! And I have much to work on still! But there are a few art practices that I swear by...

I have been getting hit hard with depression this year so I fully understand feeling unmotivated to draw, but if you can, drawing every day, or as close to every day as possible, is really important. To do that, you need to make drawing as easy and accessible as possible. Two tools that I always carry with me everywhere is a small portable sketchbook and a blue bic pen. I recently also got a portable watercolor palette that has allowed me to paint anywhere with zero effort (I just need a small amount of water). I don't set up for it and I don't clean up my pallette at all.

Going back to the sketchbook and pen... I think spending a few months drawing exclusively with pen- NO pencil, NO digital art, nothing that you can erase or undo- will dramatically improve not only your hand eye coordination and muscle memory for drawing movements, but also your confidence. Drawing with a pen forces you to either start over when you make a mistake, or to simply accept and work with "errors". You will also get faster at drawing. Starting in middle school, I used only pen and paper and since then it is my preferred tool despite going digital seriously in college. I cannot stress enough how incredibly important the acceptance of your art style, and the "mistakes" that you make, is. Once you stop fussing over details and "errors" in your art and just go with them, or admire them for the quirks they are, your art will drastically improve.

Along those lines, I think getting off of social media is also really healthy for young artists. I personally just think all social media is a complete shit show and is leading to the demise of the human race... but that's for another time. Excessive social media usage is not good for artist's confidence for many reasons. Algorithms don't reward good artists or hardworking artists, and nowadays there is an incredible amount of normalized cyber bullying in the art community. Once again, going outside and sitting in a cafe or doodling with your friends with a pen and paper or whatever you wanna use is gonna do you wonders.

And finally, if there is a specific thing you want to learn to draw, tutorials and videos can be helpful, but I honestly think just observing that thing in real life and drawing it 100x is the best way to learn. For example, drawing hands. Just draw your own hand in various poses over and over. Fill a sketchbook page with iterations of pen sketches of your hand in a different pose, one pose per page. Time yourself- spend no longer than 2-3 minutes per sketch. Spend time people watching. You need to observe the way things move, the way things take up space, so that you can reconstruct them in three dimensions in your mind. If we take the hands example, every hand is unique, so the more you are intentionally observing people's hands, the greater array of sources you are internalizing. A critical component of this method is non-judgementally analyzing each sketch, and noting what aspects of it you like, and which aspects you want to improve upon in the next sketch. Small, specific, iterative improvements lead to big changes in the long run. Take a look at the last hand you drew, and compare it to your own. Red line it, then redraw it in pen.

Also recognize that improving your art takes time. Once you get off of social media, you'll realize the world isn't really full of 12 year old art prodigies with 20 million followers and 5 posts. Most people spend years getting where they are. I'm in my mid 20s now and I've been drawing practically compulsively my entire life. I've struggled with work because I stay up until 2 or 3 am drawing. I've been chastised by teachers for drawing on desks and chairs. It's gotten to the point that my family is pissed when they see the sketchbook come out. I walk and sketch at museums and on hikes. Don't compare yourself to other people, and let yourself develop over the weeks, months, years you need. The faster you get over your own insecurities, the faster you'll actually improve. Art is not about each individual piece- your record as an artists exists as a continuum of thousands of individual pieces.

I wish you the best of time drawing and most importantly have fun!! <3

[undynedaily]

Ok i am legitimately curious; what is your drawing process? What are you using to draw??

In terms of undyne daily? I generally just open ibispaintx to a 800x800 canvas (I find it not too big not too small, you get pixels but you also get room to draw) and then I grab the digital pen (what gets the good pixels when you have the right canvas size) sized at 3.0 usually, and then shit sort of just happens. My fingers know what they're doing but I don't. When colouring I'll either get lazy and use the same sized brush and then scribble the colours I want where they go, and if I'm willing to put in a little more time I'll bring the digital pen usually up to about 11.0. I also usually colour Undyne's buzzcut thing I give her by just lowering the opacity I used for her hair and then colouring that on top of the blue at the top of her head. Similar thing with her fins where I'll generally colour the things behind them first and then go over them with a lower opacity of her skin colour. That or I forget what I'm doing and get lazy and colour them however I vibe with idk

In terms of my regular art? I like to use larger canvases if I'm wanting to make something more detailed, usually the canvas being anything above 1000x1000 depending on what I'm wanting it to look like. For the brush, I use "Dip Pen (hard)", it's literally the second one on the list of brushes but I feel it gets the job done, and gets cleaner lines than its soft counterpart. I put the size on 4.2 usually, ( .2 rather than just 4 because 42 is the answer to the universe :]) sometimes making it smaller if I'm wanting to go in a slightly different style, or bigger when I'm going over it as lineart when I'm really feeling fancy. I don't know honestly. I don't really *have* a process. I kind of just visualise what I have as an idea for it in mind and, thinking about the shape of the idea, start of with whatever parts best help me understand the shape of it. That can vary on the actual positioning of it, I could start with a turned head, or a bent knee, or an arched back, or a tilted shoulder! It really kind of just happens when it happens, never the same process twice

Depending on how much effort I'm wanting to put into the piece, I'll either make a new layer underneath that sketch and colour, OR reduce the opacity of the sketch layer and create another above where I draw the lines smoother and add any parts necessary for it to make more sense visually, then make another layer underneath both and colour there. Being honest though, I haven't really used that last one in a while, I haven't really had the energy to make proper stuff

That's all I can think of really! If you do have any more specific questions though feel free to ask them and I'll definitely try my best to answer you better! Again I don't really know how I do stuff lol. I might post some speed speedpaints if anyone's interested?

[tsuyonpuu]

And another question - how long do you draw? What drawing programs do you use and how to achieve the same drawing skill as you do?

Hii!! Here too a big sorry for not answering this ask earlier I simply had no idea it existed haha I'll answer regardless!! I've been drawing more or less seriously since 2012! Which is when I got my very first drawing tablet too hehe ever since then I've been in love with digital art!! I used to draw most with my PC desk setup and Painttool SAI (the first version) with my Intuos Pro M that is also 10 years old by now and i never got a different tables for my desk setup hahaha For the past couple of 2-3 i switched to the Ipad with Procreate! I love how convenient it is and I really fell in love with procreate as a software!

Regarding skill or something like that, I personally don't consider myself a good artist because I lack technical skills tbh! I think i am like average at best lol I lack fundamentals and I never do real studies- I do like to think that I'm pretty good with picking colours!! I like to watch YT videos on other people doing studies or techniques and trying to keep an open mind and eye on other media or styles- I love graphic design, I love video editing, I love concept art, I love brand design and other layout stuff and i think looking outside your own field in art helps you to expand on style and visual understanding. Sometimes i make sketches, sometimes i do lineart, sometimes i skip all steps and just start painting, i think its important to not limit yourself in how you work or what you do! Art is just about having fun!! Which is probably always my main advice for drawing or art. If you have fun, if you love what you make and if you keep an open mind and are willing to expand your horizon, then everything else will just come from alone!! Like I genuinely love what im doing and I love my own art and i think that's more important to me than technical skill :) (and i just want to point out that this is my personal opinion and I do acknowledge that technical skill is not just important but also beautiful to look at and essential at many jobs in the art field, I just personally don't like studying hahahah)

[iztea]

Maybe you have some drawing tips for beginners?

Your style is incredibly beautiful and it just inspires this thing inside me to grab my iPad and start drawing but unfortunately I have no idea where to even begin

Or maybe you have some recs where to look to learn how to draw stuff?

But I understand completely that it’s your thing and artists should never feel pressured to share all their techniques and secrets, you worked hard on it!

I just really really love your art to the point where I just look at it for 30 minutes straight with this big feeling in my chest

<3

ah it was never about being secretive, i'm pretty open about my drawing process since gatekeeping knowledge is a big pet peeve of mine. It was more like,, laziness because writing a cohesive and helpful drawing tutorial is pretty difficult and i wouldn't even know where to start; i'm afraid i'll get maybe too technical and what have you.

As for tips for beginners, i've shared plenty on my couriouscat so you can scroll through the answers there, i also have some drawing timelapses on my twitter account as well (albeit you'll have to scroll a little)

I'm very flattered you feel that way about my art, it really means a lot to me and i'm glad to have inspired you to draw as well that's awesome and i wish you best of luck!

I actually don't know how different drawing on an iPad is compared to a graphic tablet+desktop, so I am actually pretty clueless in that regard. I think Procreate is the most used digital art app for iPad so you can start by getting it and familiarizing yourself with the UI. I think this step is often overlooked. The brushes and the chosen program can make or break the drawing experience. If you simply find yourself not enjoying Procreate, experiment with other apps or maybe try switching to a graphic tablet, maybe that feels better and is more suited to your tastes.

To be completely honest, one "bad" piece of advice that i should probably keep to myself is to draw something you actually enjoy: fanart, Pretty Girl Portrait(tm), your cat, landscapes etc even if it's above your skill level (becoming obsessed/ fixated on some character from a piece of media also works wonders i'm just gonna throw that out there). The main point is to actually care about your chosen subject in order to get inspired and to have that inner desire of "doing them justice" aka drawing them well. The traditional art learning route probably involves studying the fundamentals, shading spheres and cones and simple 3D forms blablbablah which. Yeah ! sure that's probably better advice but i'm telling you what will make you want to keep going and not get discouraged after a few failed attempts.

As for the drawing subject, I highly recommend having photo references to guide you.. you always need refs it's a recurring thing. My fastest artworks are the ones where I have the right references. the less references the more difficult it is to draw something

As a beginner it is also a good practice to draw OVER your photo reference to get the proportions right ( i'm not talking about literally tracing the contour of a face or limb ( just an example ), but moreso identifying the Main shape which makes up that body part and observe how long is it in respect to the other components, how does it connect to the other parts etc - big difference. Tracing won't help you in the long run).

Another thing you can do is to study your favourite artists and see how They tackle whatever it is that you like in their work. how do they simplify facial features? what about anatomy? color/ light etc and kinda reverse engineer your way through their process. ( but i highly recommend to just keep these practice sketches to yourself, and to not share them on social media- unless you get the artist's permission)

This is how i got into drawing and what i did back then, again, for more technical hands-on information i did answer similar CCs before so with a little bit of stalking you'll find them in no time

I wanna finish this with some resources that helped me:

>youtube guys - sinix, ahmed aldoori, marco bucci, and also just speedpaints in general i highly recommend watching those

>for simplified anatomy i found @/ taco1704 's ref sheets to be very helpful but ........... I'm pretty dry here i just look up refs on Pinterest tbvh

speaking of, here's my pinterest i have a bunch of art related boards board cool stuff overall maybe they can help guide you towards some direction or inspire you in some way idk

ok i kinda suck in the resource department listeN. im starving too just.................. watch youtube speedpaints ok

SORRY IT'S SO LONGGGBGGG i hope it was at least a bit helpful? this was all over the place... I'll try to come up with a tutorial as well but i really gotta be careful with how i go about it. I'll leave you with this for the time being. Again, thank you a lot for the kind words, I really am very grateful and touched esp by that last part about staring with the big feeling stuff eeeeeeeeeeeeee really wow T T that's so lovely and a big compliment thanks ty ly

[ocsgsupportgroup]

hi, im sorry for the huge message but i was banned a couple days ago for tracing this image.

i used that image as a reference when i was drawing the piece (this was an old piece where i did trace a sketch of the pose/proportions), however i was under the impression that the tracing rule was only in reference to tracing/stealing another artists drawings and not photography. at the time that piece was created i was very unconfident with my posing and anatomy skills so i used references, i didnt just fully trace the image but the photography and model did heavily influence the design. this specific image inspired a lot of her design as it was actually what inspired me to design her.

as i said this is an old drawing from around early last year so since then i have gained much more confidence and knowledge around anatomy and posing. however that is not to say that referencing images is a bad thing, especially to people who are learning. i still do it if i want to casually draw something while im tired/short on time. i only really posted that image because it was the only clear one i could find as i have not properly drawn her recently and needed help/advice on how to make her design more accurate.

i was honestly quite upset at the message i got with the notification i had been banned as the message came off quite hostile and the implications that i had stolen my oc and my design are very serious to me. art theft is not an accusation i take lightly as it is something i feel very strongly about. i will admit that my piece was a redraw of the original image but i was not sure how i would have credited the original as i found it on Pinterest where the photographer and model were not listed. i dont think using an image as a pose/anatomy reference (especially as i drew this while i was only just really getting my bearings with digital art) is a fair reason to ban me from the community with no warning or conversation.

i dont want to start drama but i think it is unfair to ban me with absolutely no warning before hand as it did really upset me to be banned so suddenly with only a passive aggressive message as explanation

ok, so. i understand why you're upset. i am not the mod that banned you, but the message is clearly not hostile, just straight forward, not intended to be passive aggressive. generally we do not reach out to people before banning when we have concrete proof of tracing, which in your case we do.

you see how this is indisputably art theft, right? the images line up exactly, down to the positioning of the model's hands and the spider's legs. also, in what world would the tracing rule not apply to photography? the medium doesn't matter, it's still someone else's art that you are passing off as your own. if this is old art from when you were less confident, why did you still post it knowing it was traced? why would you not redraw the image or do your own research to work on her design before posting? why couldnt you take literally 30 seconds to google the image and find that the model is toby taylor photographed by lindsay ruth? it's so easy to not do this

this is not referencing. this has nothing to do with referencing. all artists reference, regardless of skill level. you were not banned for using an image as a pose/anatomy reference, you were banned for tracing it.

[thevulturesquadron]

Hi! I just want to say that WOW you are an amazing artist. Your anatomy and colouring are just breathtaking. How long have you been drawing?

I am a thirty year old baby at art and trying to improve and push through being bad at art, but i'll be honest, it's frustrating having hands that just cant make what i am seeing in my head! Basically... how long do you think it took you to make art that is kind of good? And do you have any tips?

What??!! Thank you so much!!!!! 💜💜💜

I have no words, really. I always feel like I am such a fake when it comes to art because I draw once every 5 years under the impulse of a hyperfixation or another, and I feel like I never take the time to improve. You are too sweet, I don’t deserve it!

I’ve been doodling here and there since I was in highschool, but only seriously picked it up in my 20s. And trust me when I say ‘here and there’. I used to try my hand for a couple of months and then it would take years to go back into the mindset of wanting to do more and better. It’s been like this ever since. I just do things when I have too much love for something and I need to let it out somehow. But in all honesty I feel like I started to be confident with myself and my range only when I hit my 30s so what I am saying is - it’s never too late, as long as you return to it no matter how rusty you feel. But that feeling of never being good enough compared to what you envision - be it art or writing - that’s never going to go away, you just need to conquer it and accept that every piece you make is another step towards getting better. And I know it sounds like a cliché but try not to put any pressure on yourself because of that either -  even if you end up drawing once in a blue moon like me, it counts. It really does! And sometimes you get a bit proud of what you do, sometimes you’ll feel like you learnt nothing. Knowing and understanding that - that it’s not just a way up, that it has highs and lows - has been the one thought that has always kept me going. Gosh, when it comes to tips I feel like there are so many other artists here that are better equipped to help than I am, but I’m happy to share a couple of ‘quick/dirty first stops' that have saved me from giving up:

References!!! Don’t EVER be afraid of using references especially when learning anatomy. Look for poses that inspire you, gather angles for hands, feet, eyes. You are not cheating, you are learning. If you are like me also, and drawing/sketching is a hobby and not a career, using references for poses comes with no strings attached. I can’t stress enough how important it is to use references. 

Colours: I. suck. at. picking. colours. Trust me. Most of the things I draw I leave as sketches because my brain can’t comprehend colour theory so when I do end up adding colours it feels like a miracle each time it looks ok. So I use palettes. There are sites online but also most tools for digital art offer ways to create colour pallets. Sample & drop is your friend! 

Also depending on what tools you are using, don’t shy away from playing with colour balance, brightness, curves or from experimenting with colour overlay layers to unify the look. 

In general, based on what program you use to draw - look for simple tutorials to get familiarised with it. I use Procreate and to this day I am amazed about how many ‘cheats & tricks’ it has. 

Probably a beginner move but one thing I rely on is Pinterest - I create boards for poses, references, colour pallets. So that when I get an impulse to draw and I am not sure where to start or what colours to use I have a library of things I saved in time! 

Hope this helps! Again, I don’t consider myself a real artist, I don’t sell any of my work and I just post what I create here out of love for a fandom or another. BUT I am always happy to share the little I know or learned along the way so don’t hesitate to ask! <3 

[shynetyme06]

1 - 23 :3

cracks knuckles okay

1. how would you describe your art style? uhhhhhhhh, maybe "safe" is the word rn. whenever I think of my art style, what comes to mind is just how little I've been pushing things with it. I wanna change that ;D

2. what's your favorite thing about your style? I realize I like to use semi-realistic proportions, its cool how comfortable I've gotten with drawing faces and bodies

3. what's your least favorite thing about your style? It's so static man. same thing I said for the first question, I don't think anything really looks bad, but it just is lacking in creativity in comparison to the older art that should be looking worse than what I do now. I prefer my older stuff ;D (looking at you inktobertale2021.. where did it all go wrong)

4. favorite thing to draw? regular ol people. human characters are def more in my comfort zone, which explains why I keep hitting skeletons with the humanization ray (also I prefer to draw feminine characters)

5. least favorite thing to draw? I can't even say I rlly dislike it cuz of how rarely I even do it, but I am procrastinating so hard on learning backgrounds..

6. warm colors or cool colors? cool colors are my fav, but i find it easier to work with warm ones (I used to put a cool overlay over all my warm toned drawings hgdhfg)

7. show us a WIP behold, the wip ever. this drawing... was supposed to be posted on august 2022. and then, it was supposed to be posted on dec 21st, dream and nightmares birthday. (atp if I do end up wanting to finish this idea again, I'll probably just scrap it and start over)

8. what's the most fun and least fun parts about your process? most fun is flat color and rendering. (though I rarely do the latter anymore) and for least fun, tbh a lot of the sketching part tends to be difficult for me, sometimes its cool tho

9. show us a finished piece alongside the original sketch example from when sketching was fun

10. how many different sketches do you usually have until your piece is finished? I think I do need to make more of at least thumbnail sketches tbh.. I usually just make one and keep editing it, trusting the process. (and that fails like 70% of the time. woww wonder why sketching isnt fun for me-) 11. show us the last thing you drew, be it a finished piece or a small doodle can this count,,

12. show us an old drawing first deltarune drawing. here's the redraw I later made of this :3 (also old hsgdhgf)

13. how long do you usually take one a piece? depends. I'll have like 276478923 wips started, and then I get a random idea that I just have to do right at that moment, and I'll get it done in like 1-4 hours. meanwhile old sketches start to rot and maybe if its lucky I'll revisit it before my motivation dies and my style is too different to wanna continue from where I left off 14. digital or traditional? digital all the way, i've gotten too dependent on the transform tool + liquefy ;D (and many other things tbh but I'd be here all day if I tried comparing them more jhdjdf)

15. if digital, what program do you use? procreate, the layouts on other drawing programs scare me

16. favorite media to work with when drawing traditionally pen on paper (am I understanding this right wdym media-)

17. what do you love getting compliments about? I like when people enjoy the humanizations I come up with, and also original designs in general 18. are you satisfied with the attention your art usually gets? hmmm yeah

19. how often do you draw? very often, I just don't have finished things to share most days

20. a piece from this year that you're really proud of :3

21. something you would like to improve on the dynamicness (well, the lack of it) of everything, as said before

22. what inspires you? Ink sans and a ton of creators in this fandom (also animated shows and movies, I love animation)

23. what's something you hope people notice when looking at your art? idk tbh, just notice it at all and I'm happy :>

[bvannn]

Weekly Update January 26, 2024

I am still very sick. I just took my second increased dose of the medicine, hoping it will help. Whatever stomach issue I was having a bit ago appears to have returned as well, or it could be more side effects from the surgery. Or something else. I don’t know. I tried fasting on Wednesday and felt physically better but also guilty, and I don’t want to keep doing it because I know it’s dangerous. I’m still a healthy weight for my height so I can probably get away with doing it like, once a week, but I don’t want to accidentally lose too much weight either because I’m already a 22 year old adult who buys clothes in the kids section I don’t need to be any smaller. I’ll figure it out, I’m trying to focus what I am eating on fruits and nuts, hoping it’ll detox me a bit.

I did a couple drawings this week. Kinda. The one I posted was actually sketched back before the surgery I just hadn’t digitized it yet. I only posted the one drawing because I want to hold on to the other for a bit because it’s part of that epithet prompt set I made. I’m fully not expecting to do every one of those prompts, but I figured hey since I missed a few I can do a batch of the missed prompts and release them at once. I sketched the one for this week and planned on finishing it on Wednesday but I got sick again. Once I’m feeling better I’ll try to focus more on drawings. I think I gotta scrap the big animation project I was working on due to circumstances beyond my control, which sucks but theoretically I can try other animation things too. I’ve been sitting on an idea for a short Detective Conan animation, maybe I’ll do that. Or maybe I’ll stay sick. Idk. I kinda want to figure out how I would animate Shaun, since he’s a ghost so I’d have to deal with both transparency and glow effects, plus certain aspects of his design that were meant to be more flowy, like his shirt-tail-thing. I could poke after effects again but it seems a lot more tedious than I had hoped.

I did review over comic stuff this week too, although I haven’t made any progress since I really started getting the surgery after effects. I like how it’s flowing for the most part, but I’m probably going to have to do second drafts of a few pages. Kinda sucks that everything feels so rushed, since I want to fit the whole introductory chapter into ~32 pages, which I’m totally able to do but I have to hold off on some little dialogue exposition conversations that I think people would like. Any story with ghosts is going to have people wanting to fully understand how the ghosts physically work, especially when it becomes relevant, but some of that can be put off until later because character moments are more important. Whatever, I can always keep going.

I feel super bad about not being able to do anything but I’m still so screwed up. I want to take another stab at music, and maybe I will, but I need to sit upright to play piano which screws with my stomach, and in order to pick out VSTs I want on a song I need to be able to have a midi that resembles what the final will sound like and I need to be in the headspace to listen to music without going into sensory overload. I’m pretty sure all of this is sleep related, I have the weekend to hopefully catch up on sleep, but I need to do some homework as well. And I need to stop waking up in the middle of the night. I’m afraid to double dose on sleep medicine because even though I know it’s safe after 6 or so hours, I don’t want to be reliant on sleep medicine because that’s how Michael Jackson died. Might have to wait for my surgery bs to subside before I can try to detox though.

I don’t know what to do with myself right now. I feel awful, I feel like my insides are rotting, but I know they’re not since I’m not in pain from it (or at least not enough pain to really believe that). Plus surgeon looked at me before I moved back to Uni and seemed really impressed with how quickly I was healing. Even though I probably disobeyed her ‘don’t lift more than 20 pounds’ rule. Like a lot. I did feel better this week than I did last, so I’m hoping I can bounce back pretty quick. I’ll give it another week or two before I ask my primary if I need another medicine. I’m hesitant right now because both she and the surgeon seemed to agree beforehand that I wouldn’t, and I want to trust them. I don’t know. Time providing I’ll try to do more drawings this week.

[bboonni]

Project 01 (week 4)

To start off week 4, I was asked to make a collage by my tutor. Personally I didn't really enjoy this process as I didn't think it related with my theme of the unconscious and shadow, for the collage i thought of using the tape to look like a sound wave. I was told to then photocopy them as well which I did later on.

Later on the week, we had a self directed study session where I worked on my sound. I used the samples I took from the market and then decided to edit it and play around with it as well as collaging the sound samples. I then thought of making it more immersive and experimented with surround sound and left to right sound.

I did few sketches of different creatures that would be eerie, it doesn't necessarily relate directly to the sound but I was going off with how the sound i created made me feel and what creature did it make me think of. I also did more research into the phycology side of the unconscious and how I could understand it better.

Next are notes I took from digital skills class(3) , but next I am aiming to create the short film.

During this week, I also got some feedback from people for my sound which was helpful as I would then develop my sound more and make it communicate my theme.

[citrus-cactus]

Creative Goals & Progress (June 20)

Oh wow, been in kind of a fugue state these past few months where I haven’t felt like documenting my thoughts much. But June has been a relatively creative-intense month, all things considered, so I wanted to take a minute to reflect on what I’ve been doing since uhhhhh… March ^^;

Accomplishments:

1). Crafts! The end of May was a cross-stitch frenzy in the name of finishing a present and card for @vidramon’s birthday. Here are the results! I probably shouldn't count these as accomplishments for June, but I am, so there XD

2). Art! Picked up the ol' tablet again after a long period of being too busy to do digital art/not feeling like it. Posted a quick sketch, and will probably post the thing I spent a good part of last week on sometime this weekend.

Otherwise, I’ve been sketching a decent amount, and doing a little work for Secret Personal Project. Still working towards making a sticker sheet 👍

In Progress:

1). Art! My top priority right now is a piece for the biannual I-get-paid-to-draw-for-work extravaganza (all 8 hours of it XD). This job doesn't bring me nearly as much joy or satisfaction as it used to, but my art(/characters) were specifically requested this time around, so that did make me feel pretty good!

2). Writing! Yeah, still writing Gargoyles fic. I have two in work that are both around 85% complete (probably more). Both are about that darned babygirl, rotfl. In other news, happy (approximately) two-year anniversary of me falling back in love deep, all-consuming obsession with the Original Fandom again after a very, VERY long hiatus. It's now a 24-month brain fever. UNREAL!!

Oh man! And I know Haru's birthday is coming up. I feel like I want to make something to mark the occasion, even if it's small. I have NOT forgotten about him, but I have been neglecting the Haru blog rather more than I intended to. Alas! T^T

Other (Reading/Watching/General Musing):

Put under a cut because it got kind of long!

1). Watching! I started "Anne Shirley," the new anime adaptation of Anne of Green Gables. At the same time, I decided I would start reading those books again, because I know they definitely had an impact on me as a kid (when I was approx. 11, the same age as Anne at the beginning of the first book). The anime is a surprisingly faithful adaptation so far. I'm enjoying it, and I’ve enjoyed talking about it with my oldest online friend!!

Also, this documentary about Mike Mignola popped up in my YouTube feed. I watched it and it was excellent! It also took me down a rabbithole of (re)watching the Hellboy animated movies (DIRECTED BY TAD STONES—aka, the Darkwing Duck guy!) and The Amazing Screw-On Head pilot (PRODUCED BY TITMOUSE—aka one of the studios that worked on Venture Bros.!). Genuinely, after watching the doc I feel like I REALLY need to read the original Hellboy comics now. I yearn to experience more of these weird, off-beat worlds with their gorgeous art! Also, Steve Purcell is in it, and he talks about the origins of Fizzball (Sam & Max fans will understand).

I have been thinking a lot about how to define my taste in American comics ever since someone asked me about it on Free Comic Book Day. I did not have a good answer then, but right now I feel like… like… well, you know how there are Marvel fans and DC fans? Well, I think (I think!) I’m more of a Dark Horse and SLG girl (maybe). My approach to discovering comics (and everything, really!) is very slow-paced and non-impulsive… but also kind of random if you try to tease out common threads or trends. I just like what I like! But generally speaking, I suppose short, creator-driven stories with some inherent sense of humor are what I’m more likely to gravitate toward 🤔 It also helps if it has an animated adaptation I can get into first, I guess. Animation is literally the only reason I ever started looking at graphic novels in first place XD

2). Reading! As mentioned above, I'm currently re-reading the "Anne" books. Not sure how far I'll make it through the series, but I did finish "Anne of Green Gables" and am about halfway through the sequel ("Anne of Avonlea"). I read “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir in May. I enjoyed the “buddy movie” aspect of it pretty well. I'm also still working my way through my to-read list of longform fanfiction.

Gargoyles comics are also keeping me reasonably well-fed and watered, and are the real reason I’m trying to navigate the world of American comics right now at all. I wish Dynamite (the publisher) wasn’t so plagued by delays, but I will continue to be patient. I would really like to buy Demona #2 from a local(ish) shop though. I cannot keep paying Dynamite $5 in flat-rate shipping when each issue also costs $5 :/

3). Playing(?) The only video game I'm semi-actively playing right now is the indie RPG "Sea of Stars," though I'm not sure I've picked it up since April. I've made a LOT of progress on it this year, but it's only because I've been sick several times, and that's the only time I end up playing video games anymore (that or when I get on an airplane, rotfl!). I do really want to finish it though, because afterward I can move on to Digimon Cyber Sleuth and play that for the first time!

4). Gardening/Home Improvement! I am engaging in what I call “opportunistic gardening” this year. What that means is people keep offering to give me plants, and I keep saying yes, rotfl! I have inherited two amaryllis bulbs, two aloe plants, a succulent, a rosemary plant, and a sweet potato. None of this was planned in the slightest! I bought a thyme plant, two hanging flower baskets, some pots, and potting soil in response, and have just been focused on keeping all of them alive (in addition to trying to revitalize a couple of houseplants). So yeah. It’s not *challenging* per se, but I do care about all my plant babies, so I’m trying my best! I bought an outdoor table to keep some of the smaller pots on, and got stalled on assembling it because one of the pegs is mis-aligned with the corresponding hole. I need to deal with that by sanding it down or something, argh! :P

My spouse and I also had to call someone to fix our air conditioner, we’re sanding and repainting our (tiny) deck, AND we’re in the planning stages for a kitchen remodel that will start in the fall. After investing virtually zero dollars in our house for ~5 years, we sure are making up for it this year. Wish us luck!!

[mollykochblog]

Visual language post 2

Session 6- 04/03/25

Today I went to The Ford foundation gallery. I walked 40 mins there and was about 30 minutes early, me and professor went in early and into the 'Reverberations' exhibition. It was so good and I really enjoyed looking at all of the art work. I used a laminated map which showed me who created each piece and how they were created. I took my time at each piece as it was really quiet before the rest of the class arrived and I took photos of what inspired me. I paid attention to the use of symbolism and signs, facial features and book cover designs.

I also went Into the garden after which was really pretty.

Session 7- 11/03/25

Today we started class by presenting one piece of work that we loved and inspired us from the exhibit - I chose to talk about The Native Guide Project by Anna Tsouhlarakis. I didn't realise we had to write a paragraph for 3 pieces we liked so I kind of just made it up but I did believe the things I said and I completed the work after we presented. There are the 3 I spoke about and submitted-

After this we went round the class and looked at everyones beginning sketches for the man on wire film book cover.

My sketches are very simple and very basic but I just wanted to jot down my quick initial ideas and I feel the annotations are more effective anyway- at least for me anyway. I also didn't realise that we had to create sleeve covers too for 3 different categories- I am finding it hard to understand the briefs professor puts online but she explained them to me one on one and now I think I understand the project. We are creating 3 different book covers and sleeves to go with them- for 3 different categories- psychological thriller, children's book and then typography based.

Homework- create 4 rough sketches for each category including sleeves. I completed these in my break between classes-

I did some secondary research for book cover design before doing these sketches for some inspiration-

Homework- come next week with 3 solid concepts for each category and begin planning how to create each one- think abstract.

Session 8- 18/03/25

Today we had a studio day and worked on our book cover designs. Our deadline is two weeks from today and next week we need to have completed our designs and have a rough print out of them to get feedback.

Session 9- 25/03/25

Today we had a short critique for people who brought out rough print outs of their book jackets and covers. We then had a studio session for the rest of class and I worked on typography (body text, blurb...) for my designs.

Due next week- final designs, final presentation, final print outs onto a book, final photographs of the book designs.

28/03/25- I sent off my print fx file but I ended up spending £50 on prints I can't even use because I left on the fold lines on the file...

[what-gs-watching]

“Remember, I’m Donald ducking it okay? Shirt, no pants. So my poke bowl and my smokin’ hole are OUT…”

HI. I just have to gush for a minute, because it was a really shitty weekend and I’m decidedly avoiding thinking about the reality of my life so I finally fell down the rabbit hole that is the SNL 50th anniversary content.

YOOOOOO. The thing is, I, like all weirdos, grew up on Saturday Night Live. When I finally got a tv in my bedroom I’d make sure everyone was asleep on Saturday night and I’d turn it down real low and I would just get sucked in to whatever was going on that week. It was edgy, it was funny, it was always on point even when it wasn’t, and as we all know, SNL has given me some of the great loves of my life. 

Andy Samberg. Jason Sudeikis. Bill Hader. Will fucking Ferrell. TINA FEY. Amy Poehler. Goddamn Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon. MYA RUDOPLH. Jimmy, my hometown baby, Fallon. 

SNL is just so absolutely special. It’s this powerhouse, cultural beacon that plucks fucking crazy comedians from obscurity and gives then a platform and lets them do weird things with celebrities and highlights just the strangest smattering of musicians. It’s the perfect amount of controlled chaos. I really don’t know what part of my brain it feeds, but it’s just so STUPIDLY human.

When ringtones were a thing, I had a text tone of Will Ferrell doing Robert Goulet. I had no idea who Robert Goulet actually WAS, but Will’s impression for some reason was incredible. I can honestly still hear it, it was that sound bite of him saying “dinkle donkle dinkle donkle, someone’s calling you! GOULET!” Like, why? WHY did that make me so happy? 

Literally, not even a few months ago I posted a Weekend Update video in my engineering team’s slack channel to explain that I have ‘VOICE IMMODULATION, TINA!’ because of how insanely loud I can be. And that wasn’t even the first time I’ve used that sketch to get people to understand why I am the way I am.

I fell disgustingly in love with Lonely Island, and I still very decidedly am - I probably know all of their albums by heart. I was deeply obsessed with Jimmy and Tina hosting Weekend Update, and then even more deeply obsessed with Tina and Amy hosting Weekend Update; I’m pretty sure I’ve formed world views based on their snark.

 Keenan Thompson has created some of my all time favorite bits, and I respect the fuck out of him that he does them for a bit and then never does them again. I still sometimes sing my favorite song from “Deep House Dish” because ‘THIS IS MY SIGNATURE LOOOOK! And I’m gonna WEAAAAR THIS OUT!’ I also still scream ‘WHAT UP WITH THAT?’ 

The point is, this show is ingrained in me in a VERY real way. And I’m so thankful for it. And if you are too, at the very least, you need to watch the 50th anniversary special. There is a lot of other content you should watch too - the concert special, the documentary about the music of SNL - but good lord, the live anniversary show is two and a half hours of fantasticness. 

Debbie Downer. The Laurence Welk Show. Keenan scaring kids straight with his prisoner persona. Sabrina Carpenter and Paul Simon. BRONX BEAT! Featuring Linda from fucking Coffee Talk!!!!! Adam Sandler singing his fucking heart out about 50 years of the SNL experience, with more emotion I think I’ve ever seen from him. A digital short about the crippling anxiety that fuels the entire goddamn show. 

Bill Murray’s ranking of the top ten Weekend Update hosts. The girl you shouldn’t have started a conversation with at a party. Kate McKinnon’’s frequent pantless alien abductee, whose mother was played by Meryl. Fucking. Streep. 

I’m honestly just like vibrating out of my skin, that was exactly what I needed. And I’m sure that some people might just look at it like an excuse for celebrities to pat themselves on the back for no reason, but truly, there’s magic in this show. There’s legacy. It’s just…pure joy. People being absolutely ridiculous in an attempt to get someone, ANYONE, to laugh. Because it’s fun. Because it feeds us.

Comedy is healing, you guys. It’s art. And SNL has given us 50 years of beautiful, stupid, irreverent creation. That should be celebrated; let them be proud of this monstrous, sparkling, inane thing they made. It’s so, so, so remarkable.

Like I said, I had a hard few days, I was going through some things that made me act the fuck out and I lost control of myself, but then I sat down and watched SNL appreciate it’s own existence, and it helped to bring me back to who I am. Is that ridiculous? Probably. But that’s the magic of content. And I’m so thankful for it.

[seankoillust]

From Sketch to Screen: My Journey from Traditional to Digital Art

Creativity has always been at the core of who I am. From childhood sketches to exploring the worlds of photography, graphic design and animation, my artistic journey will take me through a very dynamic blend of discovery and growth. With each medium, I will learn new techniques, adapt my skills and always find new ways to tell stories through visuals. This post is simply the beginning of my journey as a multimedia artist and how I will learn to integrate different art forms into my creative process.

In my early days I fell in love with the idea of drawing, the thought of turning my thoughts into visuals into a sheet of paper always intrigued me as a child, and like many artists, my journey began with a pencil and paper. Drawing was really my first love—it was my way of expressing ideas and bringing characters to life, and as someone who is interested in not only illustration but also photography, graphic design, and, eventually, animation, learning digital art feels like a natural progression. Graphic design, for example, depends heavily on software such as Photoshop and Illustrator. Animation necessitates knowledge of digital drawing tools. Photographs frequently include digital retouching. By honing my digital illustration skills, I can bridge the gap between these creative disciplines and broaden my artistic horizons.

Well, of course, moving from traditional to digital isn't easy. Unlike a pencil and paper, where I can feel the texture and control every stroke with precision, drawing on a tablet feels completely different. There's a learning curve—getting used to the pen sensitivity, understanding layers, and figuring out how to blend colors digitally.. At times, it's frustrating. But I remind myself that every great artist started somewhere. One of the most difficult challenges is getting past the comparison mindset. I see digital artists who have mastered their craft and wonder if I will ever reach that level. But instead of allowing doubt to hold me back, I remind myself that this journey is about progress, not perfection. My traditional art skills will serve me well in digital illustration; all I need to do now is figure out how to apply them.

However.. There is another of my interests that I want to share.

Illustration isn't my only creative outlet; I also enjoy photography and graphic design. These fields work better together than most people realize. Photography helps me understand lighting, composition, and color, all of which are useful in digital illustration. Graphic design teaches me about layout, typography, and how to produce visually appealing images.

By combining these abilities, I hope to create one-of-a-kind artwork that blends illustration, design, and photography. Eventually, I'd like to experiment with animation, bringing my drawings to life through movement.

Finally, this blog will serve as a personal journal of my journey—documenting my struggles, achievements, and everything I learn along the way. I want to show that transitioning form traditional to digital art isn't an overnight process, but a rewarding one. I've always wanted to become an amazing illustrator or an amazing animator, so I am willing to take this journey to achieve my goals.

To any other artists out there feeling intimidated by digital art: I get it. It's challenging, but it's also exciting, there is something incredible about thinking about how much potential you can unlock by putting in the time and effort to patiently learn a skill. Every new skill starts with a first step, and I'm ready to take mine. Let's grow and prosper together!

So for now, I'll show some drafts that I worked on in my design classes in school! The whole idea is to combine cats and an animation/illustration vibe..

With all that said, if you're also learning digital art or just have any tips to share, feel free to comment below! Let's support one another on this journey!