[Wrath]

I've come to the conclusion that the most frustrating feeling on the planet is to have a vivid image, dark and beautiful, in my mind and not have the creative ability or artistic skill to show it to others...

I come to this board every day and look through all the new posts. I see everyone's work am left in amazement. Everyone really impresses me. Maybe some day I might post up some of my own work, but it seems that the ideas and images in my head are too vivid for my skill to keep up with.

I don't know if this is normal or if I need to switch to decaf, but I was just wondering if some of you had the same problems...

[aquamire]

Every day since I started drawing Ninja Turtles (where my artistic abilities, if you wanna call em that, began) I've had that problem. I've literally torn hair out of my head. But, the solution is to draw anyways, not just from your mind, everything around you, people, cars, popcans are a favorite of mine since their plentiful around my room, draw everything. It helps conjur more powerful images.. but dont stop drawing the stuff around you once you can draw from your mind better. Keep doing it.


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/Aq
[email protected]

I'd put my wittiest remark here, but I'd scare you.

[Wrath]

Thanks for the reply aquamire...this has just been bothering me for quite some time... I completely understand what you mean, and I will always continue to draw things from life. It seems that a big downfall for my abilities is the fact that I have had little to no instruction in the arts at all. Growing up in a very small, backward town in Tennessee, my classmates (35 total in the graduating class) and I were taught art techniques (shading, perspective, ect.) by a damn english teacher every other week and the ArtI and ArtII classes translated into "yearbook staff." So basically, I don't even have an extensive knowledge of the basics. Frustration overflows me...hehe

[surferboi]

well, maybe in the time between when u get good enough to do ur thoughts justice on paper.. try writing them down so later on if ur even in a slump for lack of idea's u can always pull out some from the old days. also there are some crutches u can use if u cant quite get the shapes down... 3d programs helped me to be more cautious of perspective and shape.. but thats me

[Wrath]

I've always been a better writer than artist, but like they say: A picture can say a thousand words...


[EDIT]: so I'll probably do that =]

[This message has been edited by Wrath (edited September 13, 2000).]

[yoszi]

get 20 or 30% cool gray prisma marker and put some garbage on paper, lines, dots, circles, whatever. Than start scribbling something with pencil, your brain will start connecting everything into shapes. If that doesn't help then part of your brain is numb.

[black_fish]

2 things:

First you need some basic raw talent. If you don't have it don't bother trying. I know I don't have any musical talent for example, and I won't try to do music even if I LOVE it.

Second: I don't really have images in my head. They come when I draw them on paper. I don't think it's a good idea to try to put 'mental images' on paper. It doesn't work for me anyway.

[aquamire]

Mostly just work with the basics.. simple things, learn to observe, and definately have patience. Any good art teacher wont simply teach you different ways to do art, a good art teacher will teach you to learn on your own, and to develop your own ways of seeing and drawing things.



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/Aq
[email protected]

I'd put my wittiest remark here, but I'd scare you.

[Wrath]

Yeah...I've had the usual, "Hey man you can draw," or, "hey, that looks pretty good," but it doesn't mean anything if -I- don't think it looks as good as I want to. Thanks for all the responses guys, this was my first topic post...just expected it to be cast into the 2,3,4,5...pages...lots of good advice as always.

[aquamire]

Hmm, I'm pretty fricken bored, so I've been hanging around the forum, but as a last piece of advice to you, dont look at it like it wont be good enough until you feel it is. I doubt very many artists ever feel that way, and if they ever do the effect doesnt last very long. I know it does with me. Dont throw away your drawings if you think they suck but other people like them.. just look at it as means to improve, because you'll always be raising the bar on what you finally want to be able to draw/paint.

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/Aq
[email protected]

I'd put my wittiest remark here, but I'd scare you.

[yoszi]

eheh, forgot.. I was whining for some time that i couldn't draw anything from my head (like u!). It turned out I don't need that at all. I can work everything out on paper just by drawing some vague shapes and adding detail. It's very dependable and enjoyable. Heh, having an ability to visualize an object with different light settings would be neat thou.

[rdgraffix]

Tell me about it Wraith!
It may not be *the* most frustrating thing in the world, but it's sure up there.

I guess we'll all just have to make do untill they finally develop the technology to download images directly from our brains.

Oh well, shouldn't B long now

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- rowan dodds
RD Graffix

[Tinusch]

My slump has lasted about a month so far... This sucks

[Wrath]

Since i've been working at a design firm (i do web development), i've had ideas trampling through my brain...just gotta get into a groove...

[above]

Hey Man! If you really wanna learn stick around and listen to what everyone says. I've tried for a while now almost a year and I've noticed some major improvement, in my art and many others, and I doubt it's natural progression. I've learned more here then in any class I've taken in public schools. So just stick around a while and listen, and I'll garantee that you'll improve.

[Tinusch]

Yeah, that sudden kick you get when you see a really nice pic is something you won't get from school. You know, like when you see one of Micke's sketches, or one of Craig's quickie pics, and you get a flood of ideas and have the sudden urge to just draw them all. That inspiration and eagerness, I think, is what leads to rapid improvement. And here is the best place to get that.

[Wrath]

I've only been here for about a month and already i'm seeing an improvement in my sketches, particularly a 10min "roughy" that i did of marlin brando.

of course i'm gonna stick around, too many talented people not to =]

[BooMSticK]

wraith - not being trained in a school is no excuse. Sure, everyone would like to know the easy way how to do composition, anatomy, colortheory and so on. Thats why tutorials in posts on this site and the internet are so popular.

The only excuse you might have for lacking abilities (in your own eyes) is that you're not practicing enough. I know it sounds rude since I have no idea how much you draw each day. It might even just be that you don't have enough confidence in yourself at this moment. My advice can only be this. Draw, draw, draw and then draw some more. Read all the stuff posted on this message board and don't be afraid to ask for help. Yes! You will probably run into people that will tear your pictures apart, but learn from it.

From my own experice when I've those down periods I will still force myself to the drawing board (or tablet these days ) and just sketching until something I like pops up. It's usually just getting started thats worst. For me anyway....

yeah...its early and I just wanted to say something...hope you can use some of it...

,B

[dEATH.Tool]

Wrath.....plain and simple! When you get an idea get a piece of paper and scribble as much of it as you can.....hell do about 3 or 4! Each time you draw another sketch turn the others backside up...sp you can't see it! The idea is to get it out before the idea leaves you! The reason I said turn them backside up is because you don't need to copy what you see on the other sketches.... and each time....tho you may not notice it while drawing....more and more info comes out! You don't see what you just sketched while doing anew....so you eventually end up with about 4 sketches.....and if you add them later into one piece....it's likely you've captured most of the idea! All is left is to work on the finished product!

Well that's how I do it anyhow.....work for my uncle....works for me! LuCk!

[Svanur]

I can feel your pain. I have experienced the same problem and still do.

[Duran]

well everyone loves to sooth a ranter so here I go

Personally, I just got my wacom tablet, I'm 15 years old, and I'm split- should I practise on the wacom or conventional? I know you need a knowlege of conventunal stuff before you do wacom, but my sketches are getting better the more I practise with the wacom. Anyway, this fourm is whats kept me going on art, and I'd say Dhab started it (for those of you who havent heard the story, I met him on the realm and he encouraged me, and I watched the old Chapels Realm web page and then he moved here) Anyway, I've had more of trouble with inspiration then getting it on paper, so its been really crusual to me to be on this fourm and to watch Dhab. (steps off the soapbox)

-Duran

[Sumaleth]

Art is not one of those things that you can one day decide you'd like to do and suddenly be reproducing the images that you see in your head. I've been doing it for more than 10 years and I -still- can't get the images in my head onto paper, but I can see progress.

It's all about practice. I know some people say you need "talent" but my take on talent is;

. the ability to learn something new
. enough interest in something that you are happy to put in the required practice
. starting on this path at an early age (the younger the better)

If you practice enough, you -will- eventually be able to get those images into a form that others can enjoy.

Sumaleth

[benk]

Wrath:
I've just been through the very same awakening that you're probably going through after readinig all these well-thought replies.

After I realised that all I had to do was *stop* obsessing with what was in my head, *stop* trying to get every little detail to mirror this perfect mental image, I started to improve with every sketch I did, I was amazed, the image would develop a life of its own once down on paper.

My only problem now is, I keep running out of sketch books

good luck, I'd love to see some of your stuff!

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-benk-
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~bkers/

[This message has been edited by benk (edited September 14, 2000).]

[Nomadik]

This may sound really really lame, but I learned a lot about the basics of art from a tv show called Mark Kistler's Imagination Station.. It may sound lame, but in every episode he re-enforces the basic techniques to drawing.. When I was a kid, he made it possible for me to learn how to draw anything I wanted by using basic shapes... I think his show helped out a lot.. So I suggest to you, just learn the basic techniques(you can find tutorials everywhere, like www.wetcanvas.com for instance), then keep drawing using those techniques.. Im sure your work will improve a lot..

[Tinusch]

I've had a Mark Kistler book since I was like 7 or 8... I didn't learn a THING from it. His pictures kinda suck, I think...

[Wrath]

I'd just like to say thanks to you all for all the great replies and encouragement. After going home from work last night, looked back at my message, and I'd like to apologize for sounding so damn whiney. Got off of my ass last night and filled up 50 pages of my sketch book with landscapes and still life...i'll get some stuff scanned soon so you guys might can give me some hands on critiques. Thanks again to all of ya.