[throbgristle]

i've spent the last 6 years in the games industry as an artist. I started texturing basic cubes on playstation one, but as the technology advances i find the demands placed on me are always increasing - but having stagnated in the previous few undemanding years, i think i'm not always up to the demands placed on me...(concept art being a particular horror)

...SOOOoooo its back to basics then - i need to work from the ground up and develop my skills in anatomy, colour, and even painting techniques (i'd love to work in oils or acryllics but they scare me!)

craig mullins' stuff (www.goodbrush.com) is a good example of how impossibly great i would give my hands to be.

But how do i ascend such lofty heights? what 3 books on art technique would you recommend for the journey?

Or anything else you can think of.

Hope to hear some replies, i'd like to get myself out of this rut as soon as possible

[Jason Manley]

well...here is what Id do first.

start drawing and painting from life as much as you can.

craig's traditional understandings of light, space etc can only come from his ability to observe and understand what he sees...same goes for you.

however...the content, idea development, creativity thing is another challenge altogether.

though...contrary to what a lot of artists will say...I do think that creativity can be taught.

[Svanur]

Even Doug Chiang fights artistic blocks everyday.

Creativity and skill can be learned as long as the person wants to. I have seen many people go from average artists too amazing artists.

As long as you fight for your skills and don't give up you will prevail, no matter what.(something I say to myself everyday even though times can be hard.)

[Muzman]

first step; don't sell your hands to satan for art talent. Makes gripping the stylus rather difficult.
Better options include:

Soul (don't gimme that "I'm using it" crap neither)
Feet or legs; fridges come in a variety of designs and can easily be moved adjacent to the computer. Catheter and colostomy bag technology advances in leaps and bounds.
Computer: In these days of outsourcing and contracting, property ownership is becoming a thing of the past. Satan has a wide variety of leasing agreements and hell is otherwise in need of computers with which to torment the damned with Daikatana for eternity.
Mother: When you're drawing away madly with your new art skills you won't want to hear about how untidy or what a disappointment you are and "why didn't you go to law school instead" regularly anyway.
Genitalia: As an artist you'll spend so much time staring at other people's you'll be trying to cut down.

These days satan also has a flexible financing and time sharing plan which has it's ups and downs. The rotational basis works across three or more people over a three month period. So for your art skill you might have to give up your legs and get Salman Rushdie's soul. But the next three months you could get your legs back and be stuck with Tommy Johnston's guitar playing skills, Bill Clinton's genitalia and Sylvester Stallone's mother.

[throbgristle]

Thanks for the words of wisdom, and as a gesture of thanks check out this link i got from a fella across on the teamGt boards
www.geocities.com/lev_232/2dlinks1.htm

i've only had a quick glance, but seems to be some useful stuff.

Of course i could be wrong...

[Muzman]

Uh..I hope this got so few replies because the few were of high quality, and not because of my tomfoolery.

[Derek]

Sorry you've seen so few replies, but I think the title of your post may be pushing a few people away. Also, you've asked questions which, probably unknown, take so much to answer. To be 'artsy-fartsy' for a minute, you've asked the question that artists and creators in a sense ask themselves every day. That is, 'Okay, this is where I'm at, where do I go from here?'

To answer about your three books... Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain and/or The Natural Way to Draw. Then, find a good book on art history that covers, at the very least in a lot of images if not as much text, the Renaissance through the Victorians. Pay attention to the various European groups and schools, but fer Pete's sake try to avoid '-isms' at all cost. You'll know what I mean when you get to them.
For your third book, find one that specifically attacks the area you feel weakest in, and/or want to devote yourself to. If you were a student of mine, I'd throuw as much figure drawing at you as possible. But you aren't so I won't.

Above all else:
Good drawing.
Anatomy. Perspective. Lighting.
Learn the names of at least 20 people doing what you want to, and I mean those who are doing it well. Then find out what they know, and teach yourself.

Lastly; in time you will learn that you are your own teacher. Comparatively, we all suck relative to someone else. So suck less every day. Good luck, you're gonna need it!