samarasart

[samarasart]

she got to him. but is he alive...? also... where's her little daughter at !? stick around to find out. I'm illustrating one of the chapters in my book with storyboards. part 1 here. part 2 here. 7 parts in total. parts 4,5,6,7 not yet drawn. working on it. ©samarasArt, 2022. All rights reserved. DO NOT repost, copy, edit, trace.... etc.

[samarasart]

oh no, it's too late and the boy fell through thin ice as his twin helplessly watches... what will his dad and big brother do now??? and mostly... will mama mermaid be able to reach him in time before he drowns in the freezing water or hypothermia kills him...? I'm illustrating one of the chapters in my book with storyboards. part 1 here. part 3 here. 7 parts in total. ©samarasArt, 2022. All rights reserved. DO NOT repost, copy, edit, trace.... etc.

[samarasart]

How it all began... 10 years ago in 794 AD... Featured here are my characters: Mermaid Atali aged 11, Atali's mother, younger Gunnar aged 18, his little brothers Bjartr and Bjarkan aged 8, their dad Durin aged 45. I'm illustrating one of the chapters in my book with storyboards. part 2 here. 7 parts in total. ©samarasArt, 2022. All rights reserved. DO NOT repost, copy, edit, trace.... etc.

[samarasart]

Why I left instagram as an artist

might have been a little sudden, but i feel the need to explain why i did what i did last night. instagram is bad for artists. let's not beat around the bush here. but why is it bad for artists? let me explain. 1) They just hate you. :) first off, instagram hates you. it hates you and you art. especially if you're a small account. now why is that? well, you're TINY! you're not one of those big guys that got picked up by the algorithm by some miracle! you're not keeping people's eyes on your account long enough to let instagram think you are worthy (yes, WORTHY) of growing. Imagine that. the NERVE of them! Not thinking you or your content are WORTHY or GOOD ENOUGH to help grow and reaching that big audience that you deserve to reach (because your content is amazing. You're amazing, you hear me?!?!? Don't let anybody tell you otherwise!!!). Instagram is like this mean old bully that favours big accounts and ignores small accounts. No matter how good or bad the content is. And why does instagram favour big accounts? MONEY. it's all about the MONEY! it's not about their content or the creator, all instagram wants is people to stay on the app as long as possible, consume content after content, so they can charge more companies for advertising. Doesn't matter if you're a big account, a small account, a beginner artist or an amaaaaaaaaaazing artist..... In the end, instagram does not care about you. Instagram hates you. :)

2) the constant threat of the algorithm So. You've finished your artwork and are ready to post it? Well, better hurry up! You haven't posted anything in 3 days and you WILL be punished with low reach! That's exactly what it is. You even THINK about taking a break because you're burned out or you have to take care of your life in other aspects, instagram punishes you. It won't show your new posts to your followers, you won't show up first anymore in the story queue...... And WHY does it do that? Well, because it hates you and it wants you to NEVER beat its algorithm! :)

3) so much work, for nothing? (content lifespan) So you've uploaded anyway. Congratulations. The clock is ticking...... Sorry, time's up! One fraction of a second is over and you don't stand a chance. Again. :) You have 300 followers. Your post has been shown to 10 people, 3 of which liked your post within the first hour, 1 of which was not following you (and will not follow you, let's face it, bcause you suck and everybody hates you :D ). Jokes aside. Looks like you've been punished with low reach because you DARED not to post anything for a few days. One moment, your post was there. The next, it was gone. More and more content of other people (your competitors) is piling on top and drowning the creation you worked SO HARD ON. Nobody, and I do mean NOBODY will see that post ever again, unless they go to your account to see what you've been up to. But who even does that? Also, even if someone WANTED to look for your content..... It's basically unsearchable because all you can search for, is hashtags. And then you have to navigate that mountain of hashtags that millions of people use, just to find a post. Well unless the person searching knows the artist's name (your name), they will NEVER find that post again. And let's not forget....... after all of this, you still have to engage with other people. Which in itself is tiring enough, after all the stress you've been going through with instagram. Engagement does the trick? haha bullshit. I was stuck at around 350 follows for over a year. Despite posting sometimes twice a week and being active in stories multiple times a day and talking to my followers and followings on a daily basis. Tough luck, eh. :) So ask yourself, is instagram REALLY worth YOUR time and effort? Cause it sure as hell ain't worth MINE anymore. I'm done with this bs. Took me a good long while to realize, but.... no more instagram. That website can fvck right off. :) I'm looking forward to just draw my art and finish my book in peace, without instagram's algorithm standing behind me with a knife and threatening me to work faster until I die from burnout.

[samarasart]

some art of the female main. 21 year old Mermaid Atali. ©samarasArt, 2021 & 2022. DO NOT REPOST MY ART.

[samarasart]

the twins :) Bjartr & Bjarkan.

characters and illustrations by me.

©samarasArt, 2021 & 2022. All rights reserved.

Reblogging my art directly from my page: YES PLEASE OwO

Reposting, copying, editing, tracing, using my characters or illustrations for your own stories, etc.: NUUUUHHH! DON’T DO THAT!

[samarasart]

Heidrun Haraldsdottir.... The beautiful wife of Durin and mum of Gunnar. She and Durin have 3 sons. Gunnar and a set of twin lads aged 18. Will be showing them next. character and illustration by me.

©samarasArt, 2022. All rights reserved.

Reblogging my art directly from my page: YES PLEASE OwO

Reposting, copying, editing, tracing, using my characters or illustrations for your own stories, etc.: NUUUUHHH! DON’T DO THAT!

[samarasart]

papa norseman.

also known as Durin Sigurðsson (54/55 years old). Jarl (Earl) of the settlement and dad of Gunnar. here is a newer illustration from april 2022.

And here's an older illustration from last year 2021. I have to redesign some of the tattoos on this character to keep them as accurate as possible to the timeline (aegilshjamur on his hand has to go, definitely!). ATALI takes place in a parallel universe and fantasy setting (therefore I allow myself the freedom to design my character's clothes and weapons), but the timeline is strongly based on viking era and I want those tattoos to be accurate.

character and illustration by me. ©samarasArt, 2022. All rights reserved. Reblogging my art directly from my page: YES PLEASE OwO Reposting, copying, editing, tracing, using my characters or illustrations for your own stories, etc.: NUUUUHHH! DON'T DO THAT!

[samarasart]

Meet Gunnar Durinsson. 28 year old introverted norse lad and male protagonist of my book, ATALI. character and illustration by me. ©samarasArt, 2022. All rights reserved. Reblogging my art directly from my page: YES PLEASE OwO Reposting, copying, editing, tracing, using my characters or illustrations for your own stories, etc.: NUUUUHHH! DON'T DO THAT!

[samarasart]

Hi. You may call me Samara or Mara. I am 33 years old and an author/illustrator from Germany. After being on instagram for more than 2 years and trying to get people to see my art and grow my account, I not even cracked the 400 follower mark despite posting weekly content and trying my best to be an engaging active user (aka "please the algorithm by becoming dumber and dumber from the overwhelming amount of content and burn out from the pressure the algorithm gives you if you DARE not post anything for 1 week"). I've just about had it with instagram. You need golden child status to grow on their platform. That's what it's all about for them: Money. You don't make them money, they don't grow you. You dare to take a break because you're burned out or you have to work fulltime and have a life offline? They punish you with low reach. I tried for more than 2 years. Wasn't enough. Maybe on tumblr I can finally be at peace and create my art in peace, without pressure. Instagram makes me feel bad. I work hard on my content and artwork, only for it to be seen by maybe 5-10% of my (organic) audience of 350-ish people and then disappear into the neverending void that's called the Algorithm. And I am not going to play this game any longer. So byyyyeee, instagram! That's just how it is, eh? Anyway on this blog you can see how my book/art project comes to life. You like norsemen (aka "vikings", but not every norseman is a viking!) and mermaids? Well today is your lucky day, because my story is about a norseman and his mermaid.... or... a mermaid and her norseman? Wait.... who fell in love with whom first? Oh whatever 🧔🏼💙🧜🏼‍♀️ Enjoy the story and enjoy the art. And don't forget to follow 😊 -mara