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Everybody's First Post Is The Hardest
Obilex
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So I was sitting here today, looking back on what drew me into digital painting and the world of art in the first place. Most people knew they wanted to become an artist the second they set foot into that classroom in Kindergarten, others later in middle school, some in highschool, and others later yet. Once they identify that spark of interest, the desire to create, it's hard thing to stop yet so very easy to let go of. Without the right motivation, brutal truth and encouragement, a young mind with a dream may be swayed. If I had to give an answer, of why art is still such a dominant fragment of my life, this forum would be it.
I would think I'm not alone in this when I say I stumbled across this forum over a decade ago thinking I could interact with Gabe and Tycho, that this was where they hung out on the internet. That dream was short lived. I did however snoop around long enough to see the most unbelievable artwork, and some not so unbelievable stuff as well. There was always an answer to why things didn't look right, why a hand looked "wonky," people were LEARNING. So naturally, I didn't post a single thing for 2 years. I was horrified and ashamed that my art wasn't even in the same universe as the people posting. If I have a regret, it would be that I hadn't posted my artwork sooner. I put off the free education and motivation this community provides.
I would like to take this opportunity to display the very first piece of artwork I had posted on these forums. I encourage everyone to rummage through their old photobucket accounts, hard drives, archives or what have you and do the same. Let this also be a chance for those long time lurkers without the courage to post (YEA YOU!) to get in on this wonderful environment of growth, learning, and awesome doodles all around.
I leave you with this Masterpiece...
I would think I'm not alone in this when I say I stumbled across this forum over a decade ago thinking I could interact with Gabe and Tycho, that this was where they hung out on the internet. That dream was short lived. I did however snoop around long enough to see the most unbelievable artwork, and some not so unbelievable stuff as well. There was always an answer to why things didn't look right, why a hand looked "wonky," people were LEARNING. So naturally, I didn't post a single thing for 2 years. I was horrified and ashamed that my art wasn't even in the same universe as the people posting. If I have a regret, it would be that I hadn't posted my artwork sooner. I put off the free education and motivation this community provides.
I would like to take this opportunity to display the very first piece of artwork I had posted on these forums. I encourage everyone to rummage through their old photobucket accounts, hard drives, archives or what have you and do the same. Let this also be a chance for those long time lurkers without the courage to post (YEA YOU!) to get in on this wonderful environment of growth, learning, and awesome doodles all around.
I leave you with this Masterpiece...
+9
Posts
Also, if you're looking for horribly embarrassing things that you wished were obliterated from the internet, look no further.
Edit: oh god it even has a border, ugh.
Oh god what was I thinking posting that shit?
Now it's on the Internet forever
I'm sure I've reposted these before, but it's always fun to look back. Very necessary to remind yourself that you've grown!
I think this was in literally my first post. Morrowind fan art, probably 2004.
WoW fan art, probably late 2004.
Some of my very first digital pieces, early 2005.... I just noticed that the dragon has a part of a lady's anatomy on its back. Wow.
And a bit later, I dared to draw a face. But I hid most of it because I was scared.
Circa mid-late 2007. Brown.
Also, since it's my first post in the Artist's Corner I think it's only right to tell you guys you're all super awesome and I really dig all your work. There's some really incredible talent on this forum. You don't know how many times you've all almost encouraged me to draw something and then simultaneously dashed all my ambition in the exact same moment =P
I redrew him about 5 years ago:
I think I had finally felt brave enough to post because I had gotten a tablet and this was my first drawing with it.
But I was pretty into that tablet at the time, producing gems such as this uniquely-skulled girl
facebook.com/LauraCatherwoodArt
I don't have anything from when I was 3, and my first post on this forum is so old it doesn't even exist anymore and isn't in bombsy's archive (like holy shit that's old), but thanks to the internet Wayback machine, I can show the first stuff I ever put on the internet (presented in glorious original upload resolution), rockin' at ya from somewhere in between 1997 and 2000. If this doesn't prove that persistence and training is a bigger factor in succeeding than 'natural talent' I don't know WHAT will.
I was kind of into Dragonball Z at the time, which clearly in no way influenced any of my drawings in any way, no way.
Check out this fine arts shit, I thought I was so clever drawing every last tree branch like that.
Twitter
You guys are all really inspiring. Thanks for digging those out!
Hot Sephiroth Fan Arts. Probably like 1998.
Bacon's embarrassing anime bullshit is way better than mine.
Forum signatures. My first drawing ever shared online. Yes, my name was Big Daddy. The 991st, in fact.
2 edgy. 2006, when I learned about using bright colors on the layer mode "screen". I still use this.
I did not realize that this was phallic in nature at all at the time. Really. I was 12. It took someone pointing it out to realize I had drawn a fully detailed cock and balls in military getup.
I even signed it with a Japanese phonetic translation of my name! Ffs.
Oh, and the first thing ever colored digitally from an 11 year old m3nace
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/19419675#Comment_19419675
Twitter
Also my first experience with a tablet:
And one of my first commissions.... a portrait for someone in the aol MUD Gemstone 3:
I think stuff from the first year or so of me posting here is now long gone, which is probably a good thing. I remember the first pic was an entry to the monkey-cowboy-robot-ninja competition. Bombsy asked me why the fur was so fucked up, it was an excellent question.
edit: oh, shit, yeah, the artchive. I forgot. Hey and it's there! ...
... oh god I can't post that I'm pretty sure it violates forum rules now
I went and dug around and this is the oldest thing I seem to have, from '05
I also found a comic I drew as a dare from someone (I wanna say Noom?) which was 'six pages of a man yelling at a chair'
Ahah, oh man, you can faintly make out the image of more Sephiroth fan art on the page behind that one in the sketchbook.
I have no idea how that fucking sword was supposed to function.
So I've posted those before. That is some of my older art that isn't just shitty Garfield tracing. Chronologically, This is just after I was drawing comics about my conciseness, who were an anime devil and angel, of course. Before that everyone in my comics were Kirby shaped. I do have some paintings from middle school but they are probably at my parents house.
Unfortunately, Most of my really early digital is lost. The combination of harddrive loss and the internet not really producing anything of mine before 2004 is a little too bad. Here's a relic:
2004:
2005:
It took me a really long ass time to learn to paint without lines/figure out that I needed light. Like, It did not really sink in until mid-late college. Honestly, My work improved super slowly if you consider how long I've been at this. I could do one of those DA Memes, But I indulge in contemplating my old art a lot as it is.
If Gabe saw that tangent on the hand, you'd be finished.
i remember thinking this was so effing rad. (It still is really)
Straight outta 2007. I am 12. A truly great year for DeviantArt.
I'd also like to point out that during this time I only painted floating torsos because I had absolutely no idea how legs even began to work.
The first thing I posted on the forums was in a thread I made where I asked for colouring help:
@Angel_of_Bacon and @Wassermelone gave me some advice that stuck with me, and probably kept me going past that period where you just have no idea how to do anything, it really inspired me to learn more.
Unbeknownst to anyone, though, I had already figured out before posting that thread that linework was a waste of time entirely, and tried my hand at straight-up alla prima digital work. the following was probably my first 'painting' ever, something I called "pipeman":
I used references for this and everything. Don't ask me where the pipe came from. Ref below:
This was all mid-2010, I think. Over 3 years ago, feels like forever
So I have a tablet and I've just messed around before, trying to copy a photo here and there or what have you but what's the best way to really just start learning to digital paint. I mean I've lurked this section of the forum for a while and I've seen a lot of great resources posted but I guess it's just a bit overwhelming and I don't even know where to begin. I guess more specifically I don't really know what I should be trying to draw/paint. Should I be doing basic shapes and stuff, or should I be trying to copy photos/doing still lifes. For that matter, how do people do still lifes digitally, it seems a bit impractical to set up assuming you're using a desktop.
@Ash of Yew Without knowing where your skill level is, its hard to say. I think that if you are really at ground zero the first thing you have to figure out is what you want to draw. As shitty as most first drawings are, its an important step to just start getting in there. Learning a bunch of technical stuff doesn't help if you have nothing you want to apply it too.
After that, yeah, I would try some simple studies. You don't have to make a complex still life, just draw whatever shit is already on your desk.
But really, a big trick to finding the way forward is thinking critically about what you want to do with your art. Look at a ton of art and decide where you want to go and what you make. Looking at the artists you admire and trying to break down their skills into basic components helps a lot.
I'd say I'm pretty much at ground zero, I basically get the urge to draw something once in a blue moon and give it a go. Which is probably my biggest issue, a lack of focus. However, that does tie in with what you're saying, and I suppose I ought to give some thought as to what my goals actually are. As well as drawing something more than once every few months =P
And I suppose Obilex has succeeded in his goal and echoing these sentiments here are my first bits of art to share (unless you count my avatar)
I am gonna spoiler it though because ugh.
first attempt at a photo reference
latest attempt from reference (probably 2-3 between this and previous)
and an attempt at pixel art
You guys got no idea how long it took me to click post. Or maybe some of you do =P
Hiking Essentials
I put this thing together for SE++'s webcomic thread a while ago.
Same characters, then and now.
Huh, seems like I'm still drawing embarrassing anime bullshit... :c
I kind of really miss noom now.
Lizard woman, if I'm not mistaken.
More Blacksad-themed work is never a bad thing.