So other than a Halloween competition i'm entering for I really have no motivation to draw anything right now..... My freebie shop has an almost endless line of commissions but I just don't feel like i'm going anywhere... Yeah my art's getting better but....I just feel so meh about it....
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2014 7:59 pm
Aww sorry to hear about the lack of motivation Momo :< It can be tough keeping it up.
Motivation is a personal thing, everyone has their own reasons for pursuing art and their own goals that make them keep at it.
Maybe you need to take a step back and think about why you feel 'meh' about your art and what you could do to change that feeling, because it certainly isn't a good way to think! You should be happy doing what you do.
At the very least, your art shop should be providing you with the inspiration to draw. You should be picking orders you want to work on, that you think will be fun/challenging to do.
Aww sorry to hear about the lack of motivation Momo :< It can be tough keeping it up.
Motivation is a personal thing, everyone has their own reasons for pursuing art and their own goals that make them keep at it.
Maybe you need to take a step back and think about why you feel 'meh' about your art and what you could do to change that feeling, because it certainly isn't a good way to think! You should be happy doing what you do.
At the very least, your art shop should be providing you with the inspiration to draw. You should be picking orders you want to work on, that you think will be fun/challenging to do.
I am....I've had a few interesting offers....the shop isn't permanent....it was never supposed to be....It's not what I wanna do in the end it was just to help get there. It's not just my shop art though. I just don't feel like anything....I spent ages trying to decide what to do with the collab because I didn't wanna just add some clothes and in the end I wound up doing that anyway....
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2014 8:14 pm
hmm im different ahaha in a very personal scale my motivation is to get better so i can sell art for more money so i can buy more art so i'll feel a little less lonely maybe you could try actually charging for your art? doesnt have to be huge amounts, but gold is a motivation or you could ask for items, and the cute items that would come your way would be a motivation to get better :3
Perhaps you just need to take a break and chill to clear your head.
Lol Nyebe - I totes understand that personal motivation XD I want to be famous = make art consistently, get some followers, make more art to keep them interested, get more followers on top of the old ones....
But yeah, you just need to try and objectively think about the problem and then work out a solution. Are you bored with your current style? Change it. Try Disney just for kicks. Don't like the subject matter? Draw something you've never drawn before. Me and my friends used to do animal mash-ups for fun. Just pick two random animals like a shark and a frog then draw them as a single creature. It was interesting to see cause everyone's turned out different.
Part of doing art for Gold, even if the money doesn't mean much to you, is the obligation that comes attached to it. it's no longer a freebie that you can pick up then drop if you lose interest - you've entered into a contract with someone and now have a responsibility to complete your end of it.
I didn't want to bring that up before because sometimes obligation can be an un-motivator just as it can be a motivator.
But yeah, we don't know what motivates you. YOU have to look into WHY you want to do the art and find what motivates you. You've said no to the above motivators, so seriously, think about. What makes you want to draw?
I personally have a lot of different motivations that keep me drawing.
For art shop things, it's an obligation - I've entered into a contract with someone and I despise myself if I can't finish the job I've agreed to.
Time limits - I have the weekly time limit on the shop as well, which means I don't have time to mope around, I have to jump in and work to get things done on time. This is kinda like training for an art related job too, you might not be enthusiastic about the work but you have a deadline you need to meet so you have to power through and just do it.
Improvement - Every drawing I do I might learn something new, or my process might become quicker. I might have to reference a new image to try a pose I've never done before.
Glory - Ha, I would love to be popular/famous one day and to do that I need to constantly draw. I need to be active, show people new work to keep them interested and potentially get new people discovering my art.
The reactions of people - To this day I have people that tell me they still have drawings I did of so-and-so character from years ago. Or even just the reactions of people when they see me bring their characters to life. That feeling, knowing I've just made someone else super happy, is like a happy boost for me too. It's addictive for me.
Love - I love drawing. Where other people watch shows or play games for fun, I'd rather sit at my desk and just draw.
So yes, those are some of my motivators right off the top of my head. There are probably more subtle ones I don't acknowledge buried in my subconscious somewhere.
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2014 11:41 pm
HitokiriChibi
I don't need the gold to feel obligated though....I already said yes to those people, wouldn't be good of me not to honor the agreement....I don't want to put a time limit on it because, unlike you guys, i'm still reeeeally slow. It takes me a couple of hours to draw things that'd take you a few minutes maybe. It's just....I pick up my tablet, start sketching and then just lose interest entirely..... I really want to draw....I have this huge thing about finally getting good enough to draw the story i'm writing. I recently started watching Log Horizon and that really got me going for a few days because the premise was similar and the art style is what I was looking for...but idk....I just feel like everything I draw right now is garbage....
(Also really wish Gaia would tell me you're replying.....)
I don't need the gold to feel obligated though....I already said yes to those people, wouldn't be good of me not to honor the agreement....I don't want to put a time limit on it because, unlike you guys, i'm still reeeeally slow. It takes me a couple of hours to draw things that'd take you a few minutes maybe. It's just....I pick up my tablet, start sketching and then just lose interest entirely..... I really want to draw....I have this huge thing about finally getting good enough to draw the story i'm writing. I recently started watching Log Horizon and that really got me going for a few days because the premise was similar and the art style is what I was looking for...but idk....I just feel like everything I draw right now is garbage....
(Also really wish Gaia would tell me you're replying.....)
If it helps, look back at some of your older drawings if you think your current work is 'garbage'. It really helps put things in perspective to see how you've improved.
Sometimes, you just have to work through it. Some people think artist block is like this huge insurmountable obstacle. A lot of artists will just tell you to keep going. Draw anyway. Yes, it might not look that great in the end but you've made something. Then think about why it looks bad. Fix it. Maybe then it won't be as bad as your first attempt at drawing it.
Sometimes you are your own worst enemy and you have to shut up the inner voice that tells you it's horrible and just keep at it.
Try sketching on paper. I draw a lot faster on paper than I do on the computer, in terms of getting ideas out.
Also, are you losing interest in art shop stuff or your own personal work?
If you're inspired by Log Horizon, why not do some fan art or some studies of that art style for practice?
Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 12:06 am
HitokiriChibi
Just losing interest in my art as a whole. My freebies are done in my style. The only things I take are the characters requested and the pose, and most people don't even ask for a specific pose...
Idk sometimes fan art seems a lil too much like copying....
Well, do it as an art study. People do that all the time, when they're told to study art and try to replicate old master's works. Especially because you said the style is similar to what you wanted.
If you're losing interest in your art as a whole... well that's something you need to figure out for yourself. Again, work out your motivators - both long term and short term. Set goals for yourself if you need to.
At the moment I'm working on something I'm sorta regretting picking up but I'm still pushing myself through it because I have to.
Nah, motivation is one of those tough things you have to work out for yourself.
We can give our own personal motivators that keep us going but they won't apply to you. You really do need to take the time to sit and think about it. It may not be a quick and easy solution, but sometimes you gotta think it through before you can take those next steps forward.
So far to every sort of thing we've put forward for you to consider you've turned it to a negative. That's okay cause it means they aren't your motivators. So find your positives that will work best for you smile
Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 4:02 am
HitokiriChibi
I just want to be better sad I mean it's not like i'm not getting anywhere....
Is way better than when I started out and drew.
And I did it in maybe a quarter of the time....I'm just not even near where I want to be.
So other than a Halloween competition i'm entering for I really have no motivation to draw anything right now..... My freebie shop has an almost endless line of commissions but I just don't feel like i'm going anywhere... Yeah my art's getting better but....I just feel so meh about it....
You take, " you are your own worst enemy," to a level beyond. Whoa.
When I was younger, I thought the same way. Got pretty depressed and quit art for a looong time. I was too stubborn to actually study how to draw rather than just drawing the same mistakes over and over again. I thought I was too good for guidelines or anatomy in general. Boy was that a huge regret of mine. It was only a few years ago that I actually decided to study anatomy and break out of this rut. My next goal is landscapes and putting people in the enviroment.
In short, you want to improve? Study art. Get artbooks. Heck this guild has a pretty decent amount of resources for you to look at. Get the basics down and everything will go better. Go back to pencil and paper, and practice. The only thing holding you back is yourself.
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