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Do I have potential? and other urgent questions!
m.brooks42
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Hi I'm Matthew... I'm 22 at school at UCSB in CA. I hate school and I'm not majoring in art. I draw and I try to learn things from the internet. Basically I'm looking for guidance. Am I wasting my time or do I have potential and should I bother going to some kind of illustration school or what options are there for "drawers" (also in terms of careers) and if yes to school which ones in CA are good!? I can work hard and I always try to improve, I'm just worried I don't really have any chance of doing anything with this. Like all the American Idol contestants who's friends told them they sing great and they go and embarrass themselves... not that I'm ready for Simon (or whoever it is now), I just want to know my personal odds according to your opinions... Thanks guys! (it's sort of in order from newest to oldest)
m.brooks42 on
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What part of the artistic spectrum of jobs would you be interested in? Illustration? Concept Art? Animation? Truth is, the industries are tiny, and breaking into it would be quite a commitment. If you want to, I think take a realistic look at how much money you want to make, and if you are willing to go broke for any amount of time trying to go for it.
It looks like you are doing pretty okay teaching yourself. School, really, wont make you magically ready to be a pro, but it can help buy you time to work on your skills. Before you do anything, I would think of the particular job you would be the most interested in, because it will effect what sort of path you should take.
Despite what the world tells us there in no magic talent genie that hands out artistic gifts to people. You've obviously put some effort into learning how to draw and I see no reason why you shouldn't pursue further if that is what you want to do with your life.
You'll always go through delusional stages where you think you are better than you actually are. That's why it's a good idea to find a group of artists who you are confident will critique you and will do it without mercy in order to give you a anchor point of where your skills are actually at.
The one piece of advise I will give you is to try drawing more from life than just photographs. Photo's are great and are always a perfect place for reference, but they will only get you so far in terms of construction, but more so in terms of colour and light. Photographs, relative to your eyes, are extremely limited in what range of colours and lights they can display, where as your eyes are vastly more competent.
I disagree that you would need to immediately decide what you want to pursue specifically... that's why art schools often have a foundation year that introduces multiple subjects to students. Illustrators, animators, and concept designers all use the same fundamental principals of anatomy, perspective, color theory, composition. All of these things can be learned and mastered by anyone with effort. It just takes time. Keep drawing and you're already on your way.
PS: Had to post because I love your Charlie Sheen sketch... "I'm bi-winning"
since im here already i have another question: ok so i am A HUGE fan of MMA and especially of Jon Bones Jones (fighter)... now the way i see it i would someday like to be the jon jones of drawing or illustration, but how will i know when im there? in other words, jon wins fights, it's objective... but something like art doesn't always make sense to me.. like i DO NOT UNDERSTAND Picasso (Jon jones is sometimes called the picasso of MMA).. see what i mean?
Or, in other words, don't aim to be Jon Bones Jones.
That's not to say don't take inspiration from the dude, but rather that you should focus on forging your own identity. There's no static, unchanging path that you have to follow - it's easier said than done but if you have the motivation and are willing to back it up, you can get about anywhere you want to go.
That said, no matter what - whether your goal is illustration, animation, concept art, portraiture, painting, etc. - you've got to put your heart into it. In any profession there is a lifetime of learning to be found
So I suggest try not to ask "do I have potential" but try asking yourself "do I care about this enough to get better at it." The former suggests that the only way to be anything in life is to be gifted by ye gods on high, as if such a thing as learning is blasphemy. Uncertainty of personal skill is something every artist (or MMA fighter or writer or physicist or or or...) has to deal with but if art is something you like enough, then you should not consider "potential" among your most urgent questions.
I make no assumption of you or your goals, so I hope no offense was taken. I can't suggest much on the technical side of drawing as I've got more than enough of it that I need to take to learning, but you've already come across quite a few forumers that can.
I do suggest, however, keeping in mind the importance of attitude. It's what will keep you going during those times where you're not sure if you can get anywhere at all. It's what will keep you wanting to go further and further, going to places you'd otherwise never even dream of getting to. It's what will remind you of why you're doing what you're doing in the first place and if you can't answer that, that is what I think you should try asking yourself before questions of potential or years of schooling.
Think on this, my friend. As the saying from a certain rat-infested movie goes, “Not everyone can be a good cook, but a good cook can come from anyone.”
Good luck!
The truth is anybody who is properly motivated can learn how to draw or paint well. It's a craft that can be learned the same as any other practical skill, so put the question of whether or not you have "potential" out of your head. Everyone has potential.
The real question you need to seriously consider is whether or not you are properly motivated, and how badly you want to be an illustrator or whatever. It's not an easy profession to make your way in, and so you really have to have an actual passion. It's not a fall-back career by any means.
I didn't mean to imply that he need to choose a job right away, But doing that research early on can be really helpful when trying to go through school. He will be learning the same fundamental stuff, but getting to know what Industry you want to wiggle into can be motivating, it enables you to give yourself specific assignments when you are hitting art block.
Having an end game is also great for keeping supportive friends and family hopeful and understanding. It sorta depends on your folks, but that can also be pretty important.