• Sign up or login, and you'll have full access to opportunities of forum.

Discussion space for artists - open discussion

Go to CruxDreams.com

Leatherchain

Magistrate
I haven't seen a place where artists can just talk about...well, whatever. So I thought I would create one. It's not really a technical question, but I thought this might be the best space to put this thread.

So, if you are an artist, or have questions or comments for artists, this would be where you can put it. Whatever medium. Drawing, writing, photography, 3D, something I haven't considered.

Technical questions, stylistic viewpoints, philosophical discussions, mindset, tools, just blowing off steam. Whatever you want, so long as it relates to the creation of some type of art, or the art community, post it up here.
 
I'll start this off. I've been watching a livestream discussion with Ken Lashley, and it got my brain jumping. For those not familiar, he is a comic book artist at Marvel, best known for his renditions of Black Panther and the X-Men.

I think watching this was both really good and really bad for me. He answered questions while doing a live drawing session. He answered a ton of questions from fans, both technical and personal. He gave a lot of good advice, and would also discuss what he was doing, as he was doing it. So he explains his drawing style and philosophy, while you watch him doing it.

I learned a lot, and got a lot of ideas. But, it also makes me feel like a rank amateur with no talent. The man doesn't use pencils or sketches, or use reference. He just starts drawing...with markers. He made a complete, fully inked and shadowed, two figure drawing in under an hour and a half. Poster quality. There is no way I could do that.

I'm torn. Now I wanna try new things, but have so many things on the backburner, as well as the rest of my 'normal' life. I have a feeling I'll soon be trying new styles in my drawings.
 
Last edited:
He made a complete, fully inked and shadowed, two figure drawing in under an hour and a half. Poster quality.
If he knew he was going to be interviewed in this style, he probably spent the previous afternoon making sketches to ensure that could produce his drawing directly from memory, to avoid any risk of screwing up. That's what I would do. ;)
 
Actually, he's a production artist. He had a 10 minutes sketch that was better than my best work. He recreated and improved on that sketch during the livestream. The man is a serious machine when it comes to this kind of work. He's one of the best in the business, and can take shortcuts that others cannot.

As he explained it, he has committed about 250-300 poses to memory, and so can recreate them on different characters with adjustments quickly. He draws roughly 12 hours per work day, and turns out, I believe, at least two or more books per month. The sketch he did was a classic Black Panther pose, which he has probably done hundreds of times. He didn't need to practice it the night before, because he's spent the last fifteen years drawing it, over and over again.

As I explain to people in my other trade (leatherwork), it doesn't matter that I can knock out a basic belt in ten minutes. You're not paying me for the ten minutes I spent making the belt. You are paying me for the twenty years that it took for me to perfect making a belt in ten minutes.

Anyway, it was really cool watching someone with that kind of skill and confidence. I know I will never get to that point. I am under no misconception that I have that kind of talent, nor can I spend 20 years drawing for twelve hours per day. But that doesn't diminish, in any way, the enjoyment that I take from doing it. It just takes me longer to do it. And, after seeing some of his techniques and shortcuts, and hearing his drawing philosophy, my work might get a little better...or at least a little faster or more varied. It was definitely worth the watch.
 
It is really astounding how quick professional artists can work.
Every line is immediately exactly there where it should be.
In contrast I have to draw, look, erase, draw, look, erase, draw, throw away the whole thing, start anew, draw, look, erase ...

But I'm not doing it for money. Just for fun and it's like sex. The longer it lasts, the longer the fun lasts.
Finding the line that is just the right one to draw a thigh is very much like caressing this thigh ... and while I do it I am communicating with the person I draw.
So, I'm really glad that I don't have to produce drawings just as objects on a production line.
 
Nice idea for a thread! Sort of “Writers’ Lounge” but for artists.

@Leatherchain , I have the same reaction watching such masters at work. Simultaneously inspired and discouraged, knowing I’ll never get there, but wanting to try anyway. I watched a pro comic artist draw Wonder Woman, from memory, no references, and it was absolutely beautiful.. and kind of horrifying too, because he just never made a wrong mark, never needed to erase anything.

@Zungur , agreed, I’m glad I’m not tied to producing art in a production line... it MUST lose some of its charm ... and yes it can be rather like sex sometimes :p Most often I find it a meditative process though, I forget about the “subject” and become entirely focused on line, form and volume.. then I suddenly realise it’s four in the morning and I have to go to work in a few hours:doh:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Quick question for all artists. Any interest in a challenge? I mean, like we used to do on DA back in the good old days.. For example, someone picks a subject and does an artwork on it, then nominates someone to do another related work (in their own way of course.) I know I and @Zungur and @bobinder and @MahaShiva (and others!) took part in a “pony” challenge which was a lot of fun.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The idea is great, but I don't like the 'challenge' part. It shouldn't be a kind of contest.
But yes: if the idea is catching my imagination, there is no way to stop me :)

For those who still have an account on DA, there is such a thing starting right now.
I commented on a wonderfull photograph by Swiss photographer Gorgonack, that I would love to use this idea for a drawing,
He said: go ahead and now also Emarukk and our very own Sherry/Chinadoll want to give it a try.

It's guys like this Gorgonack or Tastethewine, why I still go on DA everyday. Let's see how long they last there ...
 
Quick question for all artists. Any interest in a challenge? I mean, like we used to do on DA back in the good old days.. For example, someone picks a subject and does an artwork on it, then nominates someone to do another related work (in their own way of course.) I know I and @Zungur and @bobinder and @MahaShiva (and others!) took part in a “pony” challenge which was a lot of fun.
Great idea. If it's open to 3D artists, count me in, the only condition is that the theme is a topic that interests me.
 
I've been finding it REALLY hard to get inspiration...no, that's not even right. I've been finding it hard to get the desire to work on drawings or writing. It used to be my outlet. Lately, all I can seem to find the energy to do to relax is play solitair or watch Netflix.
And if Covid doesn't put us into lockdown (again), then soon, I'm going to be too busy to do any drawing or writing. I feel like I've completely wasted the summer.
BLAAHHHH!!!
Sorry. Just venting. I get like this a couple times per year. And it's been kind of an insane couple of years.
 
I've been finding it REALLY hard to get inspiration...no, that's not even right. I've been finding it hard to get the desire to work on drawings or writing. It used to be my outlet. Lately, all I can seem to find the energy to do to relax is play solitair or watch Netflix.
And if Covid doesn't put us into lockdown (again), then soon, I'm going to be too busy to do any drawing or writing. I feel like I've completely wasted the summer.
BLAAHHHH!!!
Sorry. Just venting. I get like this a couple times per year. And it's been kind of an insane couple of years.
I flick through folders of old, classic images (Farrel particularly, but others too) and often iges based on details appear, they rarely look anything like the image that inspired them.
 
I've been finding it REALLY hard to get inspiration...no, that's not even right. I've been finding it hard to get the desire to work on drawings or writing. It used to be my outlet. Lately, all I can seem to find the energy to do to relax is play solitair or watch Netflix.
And if Covid doesn't put us into lockdown (again), then soon, I'm going to be too busy to do any drawing or writing. I feel like I've completely wasted the summer.
BLAAHHHH!!!
Sorry. Just venting. I get like this a couple times per year. And it's been kind of an insane couple of years.
I find inspiration comes and goes like the tide; you can’t force it to be there when you want it. Having the desire to make art but not the inspiration, is a common situation. Don’t blame yourself, it’s all part of the mystery of creative process. Mine has been a bit dormant for over a year.. though I’ve done some vanilla stuff.. but I can feel the itch in my fingers again.
 
It’s possible to have the desire to make art, but lack inspiration .. it’s also possible to be inspired yet lack the desire to act on it. So you need both inspiration and desire to happen simultaneously.. and devotion too.. devotion to the craft of image making… and then even if all these planets align perfectly, you find you don’t have any time to draw (or whatever you do). No wonder creativity is so fragile; even when it works fine, it’s like a moth in a thunderstorm.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk :doh::p:rolleyes:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I used to draw a lot and I also played the guitar. But in my mind it always was better than what I actually accomplished, so I often lacked inspiration to do it. I also didn't have the discipline to put in the hours that were needed to get really good at it. Maybe I lacked the love for the activity itself. Unlike writing. I love writing and do it every day, even if I don't need to. I don't even need discipline to practice, I simply love words. So maybe that's the thing with the artists that are mentioned here: they love drawing so much, they don't want to do anything else. So my advie would be: find what you love to do and then do it, no excuses.
 
It’s possible to have the desire to make art, but lack inspiration .. it’s also possible to be inspired yet lack the desire to act on it. So you need both inspiration and desire to happen simultaneously.. and devotion too.. devotion to the craft of image making… and then even if all these planets align perfectly, you find you don’t have any time to draw (or whatever you do). No wonder creativity is so fragile; even when it works fine, it’s like a moth in a thunderstorm.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk :doh::p:rolleyes:
And things get even worse when you are trying todo kinky stuff. Inspiration, dedication, will to work, paper, pencil, coffe, a multitude of lewd pictures in my mind, trying to burst out ... everything there, ready to go.
But then the door opens: "Daddy, can you help me with the homework, please?".
 
Back
Top Bottom