#I'm very proud I've gotten so much better at digital art

[wrendo]

hello, I drew this again!

[vera-deville]

Mob Psycho 100

10/06/2022

So, I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF THIS ONE.

I'm someone who unwillingly is a stickler for exact, precise, and perfect details. And this gets in my way a lot in daily life. 

So, while I enjoy art, it takes a lot for me to try to make something, because I have to push down that perfectionist in me. Luckily, over the past years, I've gradually gotten better at being more "free style" with my art and not always trying to be perfect. 

When I started the sketch for this one, a lot of my friends thought that it seemed a little to perfect and it was clear and precise lines, which wasn't true to Mob. 

And I'd agree with them. 

One of the reasons I love Mob Psycho 100 so much is because of the art style. When I first read the manga, I felt relaxed and constantly in awe of how beautifully simple and free form the art was.

So with some reminders from friends, I was able to not be too perfect. 

Now, mind you, I did have some inspiration from another artist for this. I came across their work in Tumblr, and I was immediately drawn to it. It was absolutely stunning!

In fact, the entire reason why I made this artwork is because of them!

The artist is @cranity. Here is the link to their artwork: Link

Isn't it so striking? I knew that I wanted to draw it, but I was unsure of how I was going to do so.

I figured that I could try practicing digital art and try drawing this in Ibis Paint, but I ended up quitting that as soon as I started-

Then, I decided to draw it in my sketchbook, and I have learnt something.

I prefer drawing in my sketchbook or some other medium similar to it rather than digital art.

Here's the rough sketch:

What do you guys think? I personally really like the sketching process (even though I usually end up getting carried away with my perfectionism). It's because I love how raw and unfinished the work is, how it's the last thing from perfect, and you can draw whatever kind of lines you'd like.

Now, after finishing the sketch, I was pondering what kind of coloring I would give it. Did I want watercolor? Or perhaps colored pencil? Or something else?

Of course, in typical Vera fashion, I ended just making the entire thing black and white (plus gray, courtesy of a 9B pencil).

So, without further ado, here's the final work:

Like I said, I'm VERY proud of this work.

And, thus my tribute to Mob arriving next month is complete!

Once again, I'd like to thank @cranity for inspiring me!

[alanshee-keeper-of-realms]

Speaking from one artist to another, I saw a hurtful anon that insulted your artwork and that makes me angry for various of reasons — BECAUSE I'M A FUCKING ARTIST WHO WAS ONCE A BEGINNER (Sorry for my outburst, but I needed to get this off my chest)

Whoever sent you that without publicly giving you a positive constructive criticism or useful tutorials - they don't realize how beginning artists also exist. Art exist in many forms like illustration, digital, music, pictures and literatures. To call one art "shitty" isn't the best criticism to go around, but you can prove them wrong by asking them if they can do better OR you can keep on going to see how much love your art will receive that they'll stop giving awful comments. They can't stand a certain art style they don't like? Give tips and tutorials! Give kindness, and solutions. But I guess that'll be too much for them?

I never knew the Ninjago fandom was this toxic when people are calling some arts ugly. People have this weird but terrible mindset that certain art styles are better than the other. If the whole artists have the same art styles, it'd be pretty boring and repetitive to see, we'd rather have something new instead for a change. I love to see your art contributing for The Owl House fandom, welcome btw! I know people will love your art there and get more love and positivity. ^^

Thank you I am actually working on a Raine Whispers AU art piece for everybody from the Fanfic WIP I posted

The Song of the Owl Beast

That post really didn't bother me because of the shitty art comment(though it's understandable why it would upset other artists wish I could hug yall that would allow me)

It doesn't bother me because well I like my art and I know there's people out there that might like my art as well, just because a few people say that doesn't mean my art is bad itjust needs improved and I've always been actually quite like Eda (if we compare me to a character) people can throw things at me all they want but it takes a lot for me to be actually upset.

Like I always say, I'm only vocal when I'm actually upset over something. I'm silent when I'm not and it's okay,

I'm very proud of my style because I have a lineless art style that has taken me 4 years(ditched the lineart and sketch layer full time in 2019) to develop and learn and I'm still learning more about how to render it properly, but during this process I know it can be quite ugly. Especially when I'm doing my sketch layers before the rendering as you can see with Raine here I've gotten to that phase, and if I was to share it, it can look kind of uncanny valley haha

I still have to trim the face back down and correct the nose and eyes in general,

What did bother me about that Anon more so was being accused of tracing my art, because there is no way one can trace my art well at least not easily... because there's no lines to trace.

My art style is very very unique in the sense that outright my style doesn't even have a sketch layer to copy. It's stupidly hard for somebody to trace this sort of style where the artist has learned anatomy enough where they can shape the color into the shape one needs like I do.

One can try, but if you don't have enough experience, it won't turn out looking right. Basically, the closest comparison I can put it to is like molding clay only digitally and 2d, so I need to make it look 3d.

(Some anatomy practice fails haha)

I don't think there's anybody else.... at least that I've seen that does this type of style. But if there are people, I would love to know them, because honestly, I have felt alone with this certain art style and not really knowing what to call it or how to render. I know it's lineless, but the technique isn't like other lineless artists as they usually have sketch layers at least.

I appreciate the welcome into the fandom I've already felt very very welcomed just by the interactions I've already received, I haven't had my page this active in years, honestly all it took was me moving a fandom and I wish I had seen that sooner.

You guys really already have helped me in a way nobody else in the Ninjago fandom ever did and that's just opening my eyes even more to how toxic it unfortunately was, because this is all what I was just looking for is a supportive loving fandom that will accept me for all my crazy quirks and ideas.

You guys even got me to do my art and writing already! I hadn't felt inspired in weeks, especially after that retraumatizing event a couple of weeks ago,

I honestly was at the verge of quitting and then I started getting into Owl House and then on the Valana Alt, I started posting and my blog was so active right off the bat, something I again hadn't seen in years on this account. And then you wonderful anons came in telling me to keep going and I wanted to hug you and tell you thank you,

People are actually interacting with my posts, and here I've transferred over a few, and it doesn't matter to yall that I've double posted. You guys still reblog and like it. Some even make comments! And that for somebody like me who has been in a fandom situation where they didn't do that at all, that means the world to me guys honestly, and I will never be able to say it enough, you've already shown me support and love and for that again I can't say it enough

Thank you

[mi4014izzygraham]

Finished bedroom

I'm very pleased with my finished result. I think it's developed a lot and I'm proud with how far it has come. I've learnt a lot and looking back at the start I didn't think that I would be able to produce this. I was a bit scared of Maya at first but now I feel much more comfortable with it. I've never been that good with digital software as I have a fine art background but I enjoyed using Maya much more than I thought I would. There's still a lot that I still want to learn and I'm looking forward to continuing with it. I've gotten much better at using short-cuts which has made it much quicker when making objects.

One of my favourite things in the room is my record player. I really like how the light reflects on it. I think the curved lid came out good. I think it looks true to life. I also like the plant and mug. Those were both more technical to make so was pleased that i managed to do it. I did have a problem with images transferring from my laptop to the lab computers, which i had to re-import. However, in the end it turned out well and i it tied my room together nicely.

[handinlovablehand]

Here are some thoughts/reflection/process things re: the Tallahassee comic. Since this is my art blog, I figured this was the best spot to put it! Lots of images and pretty long, so I've thrown it below a cut.

This is the first time I've seriously worked with Microns and a lot of 'em since... oh, lord, 2020. I'm pretty sure I've done some other stuff along those lines, but here are examples and an emulation of the style digitally:

(Respectively, May 2020, March 2020, and September 2020. Apologies for quality on the first two; I had to rely on old photos.)

Compare with this spread from the comic:

I'm still not super comfortable with backgrounds (or cars; all the shots at the beginning are framed VERY carefully so that I do not have to draw one), but you can see that they've gotten a lot better. The sparseness of the floor was intentional - I wanted to create the effect of an infinite-looking space, with the ceiling fan to provide depth. There's a bit more depth and weightiness than in that drawing of Karkat or the seagulls.

That's partially because the house is as much of a character in Tallahassee as its narrators. Aside from the space in the liner notes devoted to describing their environment, there's also quite a bit in the album itself. There isn't much physically happening in the notes, either, so I had to rely on shots of the house in order to fill panel space. Three cheers for symbolism and vivid imagery!

To pull up another page, I've also gotten A LOT better with natural environments in particular. I'm quite proud of that rose bush and the fence, although I could've taken a little more care while filling it in and the lighting leaves something to be desired.

Speaking of, my attempts at lighting are quite a bit more solid, but still not perfect. Consistency isn't great, and I have some qualms about the Alphas' hair and the shadow cast by the Alpha Male sitting up, but what can ya do? At least I'm drawing shadows being cast by things, haha.

I think the attic, the window shots, and "knocked down" panels look the best light-wise. I was trying to convey bright moonlight, and I think I did a pretty good job! I adore the curtains. A solid runner-up is the open door; I wanted to use it as a reverse light source, of sorts. In retrospect, I could have spaced the door shots out a bit more to make it feel more ominous.

Craft-wise, there's also a lot of improvement. Normally, I'd do a longform, easy-to-fuck-up project like Tallahassee digitally. However, I forgot my drawing tablet stylus in a very stupid place that I won't return to for a few months. So, I've been going back to pen and paper again.

I felt very confident right out of the gate, which is very strange considering it was the first time I'd used many of those pens for art in a hot minute! I actually did another casual-ish piece with Microns and gel pens in my sketchbook a few weeks before this, shown below:

but while I was VERY excited about my use of color, I wasn't super fond of the ink work. That's because I fucked up before I even started.

My sketchbook is, er, a sketchbook. The pages are pretty rough. I learned while working on the comic that technical pens are meant for use on smooth paper, and will often appear spotty/inconsistent on the rougher stuff. You can REALLY see it on the frame around the magpie. I switched to standard-issue copier paper in the comic, which plays much nicer with them. Sketch paper also frays brush pens. Oops! Guess that explains what happened to one of those poor, poor souls...

I got my first set of Microns in 2017-ish. I was really only interested in the fixed-width pens; I'd tried a brush pen earlier on and HATED. IT. With a burning passion. My hands have always been pretty unsteady, but it was worse when I was younger, so my lines looked godawful. The set came with a brush pen, though, and I made many valiant attempts to use it. In my sketchbook. Which inevitably frayed it terribly and rendered it unusable for most purposes.

I used the set quite a bit, but infrequently enough that I've still got most of them! My 005 is going strong, but the 05 is lost, and the 1 and 03 are not long for this world. I've known the 03 is on death's door for a while now, but the 1 just started giving out on me while working on Tallahassee. I tried to replace both, but instead ended up with a 2. It worked out, though; I used it to fill in large, dark spaces. I really should've been using an alcohol marker, hence the streakiness.

Back to the brush pen, I ended up getting another set in 2019 that was all brushes, but this time with colors! "It will be different now," I told myself. "I'm a better artist. I'm stronger, and I do colored lines digitally. So I will use a brush pen, and I will like it." I did not use those brush pens and I hated them. But I did end up with a mercifully unspoiled black brush pen thanks to those, and also a red.

All three of the brushes I've named make an appearance here. I used the frayed pen to texture the grass and the Spanish moss; it ended up perfect for soft, fluffy things. I used the healthy and whole one for the tree branches and the Alphas on the "knocked down" page to lend them a more organic feel. The red makes its appearance on the last page.

It's the staircase on the left. I drew the lines with the red brush, then VERY, VERY, VERY carefully colored around them with the black. The red lettering was done by writing it out in pencil, writing over them in red gel pen, then VERY, VERY, VERY carefully tracing around them with a black pen and filling things in. Do not do that. It is stupidly time-consuming. If I pull a similar trick next time, I'm just going to write with my white gel pen and then go over it again with my red brush.

For the sake of my sanity and yours, I will not discuss that process in any more depth. I will also abstain from telling you about the hellish nightmare that was trying to print copies to distribute as zines, because DEAR FUCKING LORD.

I've already spent an hour writing this, and I've got quite a bit to do today! So I'll end it off here. Thanks for reading this!

[arcanacards]

when you get this, you have to answer with 5 things u like about yourself publicly. then, send this ask to 10 of your favorite followers :D (no pressure to do it, of course!)

I almost didn't see this until I did the earlier ask game, sorry about that! this is so sweet even for a chain post

1. I'm very skilled when it comes to color, detail, and design! I may not be professional but I'm very proud of how far I've come learning on my own, and especially mobile-bound. this also goes for my art and anything i've done digitally!

2. I kept my special interests and favorite things close for so long, there were times where they could've been ruined or left completely behind for something new, but they're integral to my person and make me happy and confident where I can be myself unapologetically, especially lately 🧡

3. I love my friends! but. like. genuinely. i love them a lot and it's important to me that i've gotten better at being vulnerable around others, communicating my needs, and that i can maintain healthy social relationships again after the emotional trauma i've endured in recent past years. i'm proud of myself for always finding who i am even if it takes me a long time and i go back on it temporarily, because i know i'll get where i need to be eventually and every day i learn something new about myself that brings me closer

4. I feel ... intelligent? like, not in a conceded way. It might make me seem dry to some people at first, but that's okay. And I like to believe I'm funny when I want to be especially when I'm in a safe environment around equally energized people with the same humor! I'm great at holding serious conversations and honest at giving thoughtful advice. I'm also full of unique facts of all sorts of things - my special interests and otherwise - and love to debate, but I equally love to listen. I'm happy that the people around me trust me so much and I hope I'm as fun to be around as I see them

5. I'm running out of immediate ideas rn but i make a mean schmackin mac and cheese. straight from the box. i know, ladies, i know. it's okay to be honest about how you feel

[darkurgediary]

For the 80’s film asks: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Karate Kid, Drugstore Cowboy, St. Elmo’s Fire, Dangerous Liaisons, E.T.? >.> (Or whichever of those you’d like to answer. ^^ Thank you!)

Ferris bueller’s day off: what’s your guilty pleasure?

I'm going to say Anime. I watched a lot of it growing up, I really loved stories like Wolf's Rain, Spice and Wolf, and Fruits Basket. I outright stopped watching it in High-school, because I was relentlessly bullied in middle-school. I rarely talk about it now or share shows. I don't watch any new anime (aside from castlevania), anything I do watch is 90s-early 2000s. Sometimes I still get physically sick watching anime or even seeing tiktok trends of it.

The karate kid: when did you last have to work really hard to achieve something you’re proud of?

I don't know an exact date, but for years I've been working on my writing, and drawing on the side. I've gotten hit with the "when are you going to get a real job" and "no one cares about your writing" so much that for a while it tore me down. After years, I've finally reached a point where I'm happy and proud of my digital art. I get praise for my writing that warms my heart of hearts, even if I have bad days where I want to give up. I know my stories matter, and I have a right to tell them.

Drugstore cowboy: which historical figure most spikes your interest?

Goodness there's so many. It may sound cliché, of everyone that comes to mind I'd say Vincent Van Gogh. I took an art class one year of college and I don't know, something about his story just resonated with me. He's one of the people I'd want to meet just to say "I'm proud of you".

St. elmo’s fire: what’s one piece advice you would give to someone two years younger than yourself?

Pick your battles wisely, sometimes not saying anything is better than fighting fire with fire. It doesn't make you weak, you're not "rolling over". You just realize it's a battle not worth the energy.

Dangerous liaisons: which language would you most like to learn?

I am honestly enthralled by Russian. I watched a movie called "I am Dragon", which is both in Russian and dubbed in English. All of the dialogue sounded so beautiful, almost elegant. So it's one language I'd love to learn, I did a few duolingo courses but never finished.

E.t.: what’s one ‘weird’ feature that you love about yourself?

Does imagination count as a feature? Cause let me tell you I have an imagination that can go from 0 to 100 real quick 😂

I tend to especially write fantasy, so ya know I'll have this whole world built with all these characters with weird names, and towns or cities hidden away in some pocket dimension. I'll have very specific traditions written out for each group down to religious practices, family recipes, and histories.

THEN I'll have extremely cookie cutter characters who's life purpose is nothing above a middle aged individual just trying to live a day to day life.

[doomednarrative]

So I gotta show this off cause I'm super proud of myself and that's allowed sometimes and I don't feel that way often about my art:

This pic is from like exactly a year ago. I had just started digital art, and I didn't know what the line correction tool is, so everythings shakey, and my style is just. Bland and lacking.

This one is from 2 months later. Not as much improvement style wise, but we've at least learned how to use the line correction tool so things are a bit smoother. Shading is very basic as well.

This one is from tonight, a year after the first one!! I've finally figured out how to do digital art better, my style has evolved into something softer and a lot more pleasing to the eye, and I've gotten better at shading!

This is the difference of a year full of practice and experimenting and getting out of a toxic enviornment to somewhere where my art is supported and encouraged as well. I'm finally getting to a place where I'm able to be proud of what I produce, and thats an Amazing feeling.

[elliemuze]

when you get this you have to answer with 5 things you like about yourself, publicly. then, send this ask to 10 of your favorite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool!!) 💕💕

@touch-of-mischief Oh goodness, thank you! I'm not sure when you sent this, somehow I missed it! ❤

5 things I like about me? Usually tough, because I'm quite self-deprecating.

1. I love to write and I'm very good at world-building and outlining, character creations and backstories. I go crazy for all of that.

2. I love making art and though I can be very hard on myself, I have a lot of projects that I'm very proud of. All mediums. Digital, sculpting, videos, all of it.

3. I'm excellent with doggos. I adore them and they seem to adore me, which puts me over the moon.

4. I've been told I'm a good listener, and I give good advice. I'm not so great at following my own advice, but apparently I am very wise for my years. (It's the trauma lol) I feel better when I'm helping people, encouraging them. I don't like bullies, and I feel like I'm a protector at heart.

5. I used to be very full of love and easy-going and a joy to be around. Someone incredibly openhearted and genuine, I was told. A person anyone could get along with. I still am, to a degree (or try to be), but again... a lot of trauma and burnout has really wore me down these last few years. I miss that old version of myself. I've always been an introvert and a very inwardly sad person, but I've gotten much worse and more closed off, and it's affected my interactions with others quite a bit, and it's disappointing to myself. Something I need to work on and improve, to regain a little sunshine back.

Thank you again for this. ❤❤❤