Been thinking about my style almost 24/7.
"You don't have to be "good," you just got to have your own voice."
Seems like trying to be "good" was all I tried to do. The only forte of mine, Japanese influenced style, just ended up being something obsolete. Cute? There's tons of people here that can do that better then you. Anime style? The same.
Seems like there is a trend in Japanese illustration world to like childlike looking illustrations. I don't really get whats so great about them, but I try to understand that its new, interesting and that it shows emotion (and etc). This is in part because of the fact that so many teachers at Palette Club said what you feel, what your trying to show (not physically, but emotion and feeling) is what matters.
After few disappointing classes (as in I-feel-like-shit), I realized that my illustrations had none of that. If it was an apple on the table, it was that. I wasn't thinking about showing how lonely the apple was or anything else.
After a few classes, I didn't have a favorite piece or a piece I was proud of. I didn't know what and how I wanted to draw, and drawing wasn't fun anymore.
I guess it should be written in present tense since that is still the case.
But in any rate, just thinking about drawing wasn't going to solve anything... Now that I realize I really don't know what I want, or how I want to draw, I decided to try to draw every day. I hope that someday this will lead me to an answer.
Or at least that is what I'm trying to tell myself
3 comments:
I hear ya Mie. I feel very much the same... and it is a bit depressing. But I think that first, maybe we have to go through these different stages in our work before we eventually start to focus on something that really makes our work uniquely "us." Maybe it's just a really long process of elimination. But we're young! We have lots of time!
I think the idea of drawing every single day will definitely help and it's something I should be doing too :) I think when you draw everyday you just start to naturally gravitate towards a way of doing things - the way you draw a line or make a shape, and then as you do it continuously you start to learn what really appeals to you what doesn't. Ok, this is getting really long.. I wish I could chat with you! I haven't talked to you in such a long time!
Anyways, this train drawing is my absolute favorite so far and I'd REALLY like to have a copy of it to put on my wall:) I think it's just beautiful.
I really love the shapes and what you're doing with the color in this piece.
I know exactly what you mean about working to be "good" and not knowing what is "you".
I always feel like before MIAD my work was so much more intuitive. Not to say it was better but it made me happy. I drew whatever, however I wanted. I felt confident in my abilities. I experimented with panting and using color. The pieces I made then, use color so much better than the stuff I make now. Because now I analyze it far too much. I always think I have to be up to par with everyone around me. I know it's very competitive to be an artist.
But recently I realized something very important. I am an artist because of how my brain is wired. Even if I had never gone to college. Even if I never made a penny off my art. I am an artist for myself, selfish as that sounds, the stuff I make is primarily for my enjoyment. Even if I was a janitor all my life, I'm never going to stop making art.
Not to say I won't keep trying to make money with my art.
I feel like the best I can do to find "me" is to let go of all these pressures and enjoy making art again.
I also have hard time knowing what my style is. It's hard for me to stick to one thing, because I always like trying new things. I'm just fickle that way :/
Like Tara said, I think drawing everyday will help you a lot.
For what it's worth I have always enjoyed you work very much. I think you have a much more unique voice that you give yourself credit for.
I wish you best of luck out there, I know you will go far :)
Thank you both for the comments. It made me happy. :)
I indeed been depressed now that I think about it... Before, I didn't want to really stick to a style because I felt like people were making the "style" and limiting themselves.. but now I feel like I should've been sticking to a style... :( Perhaps it is all just a looong process as you say, Tara..
I understand what you mean, Rick! I feel the same way.. I do want to think I learned a lot, and I don't want to say I wish I didn't go to school but... I feel like I just learned to draw "well" and make illustrations that "looked okay." -_- I mean, that's all my fault but..
My personal goal after reading your guy's comments!
1. Enjoy drawing again.
2. Drawing a lot = style
(however long it may take)
I wish I can talk to you too Tara. I misses you. >_< I like this drawing too, but unfortunently this is as big as it is!
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