/ic/ - Artwork/Critique

[Anonymous No.3470677]

Just what exactly ARE the secrets the pros don't want you to know here?

[Anonymous No.3470682]

They draw a lot and only show you about 1% of what they actually do. They have a ton of absolute trash just like you. This is how they get so good.

[Anonymous No.3470690]

>>3470677
There are no secrets. Why are you all so determined to find this "secret" sauce?

Everyone on this board has access to books and videos that others have to pay for use we have CGPeers and Megashare yet ya'll won't even bother reading and instead hold out for that single thing that'll make you insta-good.

[Anonymous No.3470691]

the pin never moves

[Anonymous No.3470710]

Good job confusing her with those nonsense.
OP, we can not reveal the secret. When you are ready, you will just receive it

[Anonymous No.3470739]

they don't go on /ic/

[Anonymous No.3470741]

>>3470739
This, never been on /ic/

[Anonymous No.3470748]

Be careful what you ask, OP. Don't go digging through things that are better left alone. For your own safety. Some people are very serious about allowing these secrets to remain secret.

I have already said too much.

[Anonymous No.3470760]

>>3470748
there are some dark forces at work on this board to be sure

[Anonymous No.3470766]

>>3470748
spooky

[Anonymous No.3470837]

>>3470677
You will NEVER know the secrets of the runes! You will NEVER have the answer to the riddle of steel! Ahahahaha!

[Anonymous No.3470856]

The only secret is be humble enough to study the fundaments everyday and never stop practice it. People that think there "secrets" to be good at something just lack the discipline of sit down and study for at least three hours everyday and dedicate time learn something.

The only way to learn something is actually doing it. The only way to learn how draw is drawing every single day and stick to the fundamentals of drawing.

[Anonymous No.3470876]

>>3470856
lol okay retard, doesn't have the secrets obviously

[Anonymous No.3470882]

>>3470677
>secretS
you're smarter than the rest of them

[Anonymous No.3470883]

>>3470876
How would you know if it’s the secret if it was told to you anyways?

[Anonymous No.3470887]

>>3470677
Every pros trace and photobash. Steal color pallet from others. That's the secret.

[Anonymous No.3470891]

>>3470887
They only do that because they already made it and have a lot of work to do, deadlines to fill, so need to save time by tracing and photobashing. You have to earn the privilege, to be so buys, to have the courage to trace and photobash

[Anonymous No.3470926]

>>3470856
hahah whatever loser while you're grinding 999999999 boxes i know the secrets and got good in 2 weeks

[Anonymous No.3470990]

>>3470677
The secret is there is no secret.

[Anonymous No.3470995]

>>3470677
Thumbnails, apparently. For some reason no one mentions them on here

[Anonymous No.3471191]

Pro artist here to makes a very comfortable living.

I've filled in my gaps in fundamentals with cheats and tricks I learned along the way, and to this day I struggle with perspective and anatomy. I just pout more time and energy into a finished piece than most people would bother with.

[Anonymous No.3471192]

>>3471191
What kind of cheats and tricks? How much time and energy?

[Anonymous No.3471206]

>>3470677
The secret is just shut up and fucking draw already.

[Anonymous No.3471241]

that not everybody can make it

[Anonymous No.3471243]

>>3471241
That's not a secret. That's the exact first thing people will tell you and then tell you to give up.

[Anonymous No.3471276]

>>3470677
When you're ready and deemed worthy, Feng Zhu will send you a space bug messenger with an invitation to Hog-arts where you will learn the REAL fundamentals.

[Anonymous No.3471277]

>>3471276
When will I be ready and deemed worthy? I want to go to Hog-arts.

[Anonymous No.3471305]

>>3470677
Here is the secret.

>Make everyone think there is a secret.

>while everyone is spending their time and money looking for the secret, grind life drawings/paintings, master studies...

>once pro, keep the conspiracy going to eliminate the competition and sell books and tuts that by themselves are useless. But sell them as if it has all the secrets.

[Anonymous No.3471336]

>>3470690
Those books are a wealth of knowledge.
I don't get how people wouldn't read them. It's super ultra fun to apply new things you discover in them. It also sparks this thing called "creativity" or something, because when reading those books my mind is flooded with things to draw. But then you realise the day has only 24 hours and you sleep 6-8 of those.

[Anonymous No.3471436]

>>3471243
It's a secret hidden in plain sight. No matter how much you hear it, you won't get it until you realize that you have already not made it and it's too late now.

[Anonymous No.3471452]

>>3471192
3d

[Anonymous No.3471494]

>>3471436
>you have already not made it
oh shit, you do have a point

[Anonymous No.3472594]

>>3471452

Basically, when you can get away with faking your proportions and perspective without the image looking completely off. Also a suite of different painting techniques to help make things shiny/glowy/texturey and to lay in light and shadows easily

[Anonymous No.3472694]

honestly, everything i know currently i could easily explain. If only someone showed me this i would know it in week not one year.

The community lacks any guidence all they say are meme tier shit like "just draw". If you know how to do it you should be able to explain it and show easily.

fuck you all for keeping the secrets for yourself.

[Anonymous No.3472698]

>>3471305
lol, I'd rather be the second guy, first guy is a retard with more paint on the back of his hand than on his brush

[Anonymous No.3472701]

>>3470739

too real

[Anonymous No.3472702]

>>3472694
YOU are the one who needs to be able to ask concrete questions first if you want concrete answers. If all you ask is generic shit like "how do I git gud at drawing guis?" then obviously the only answers you can expect are generic shit like "draw a lot and learn the fundamentals".

[Anonymous No.3472703]

>>3472702
What would concrete questions be like?

[Anonymous No.3472712]

>>3470677
>the secrets
are the new spark/ neuroplasticity/ ligameme

[Anonymous No.3472713]

>>3472703
something that is directly related to a practical problem you have that you don't understand.
>"Loomis sucks, I don't get it at all, have I been memed? How do you into drawing heads???"
vs
>"Every time I draw heads with the Loomis method, the facial features seem to be wrongly aligned and the proportions are off. Here are examples of mine of different stages of the construction, can anyone help me figure out what I'm doing wrong here?"

Literally 99% of questions asked on /ic/ are passive aggressive bullshit like the former, so obviously if you can't put in any effort to formulate a proper, concrete question, people aren't inclined to put any effort into trying to help you either.

[Anonymous No.3472720]

>>3470677
I actually have some secrets that are working out pretty well for me.

[Anonymous No.3472731]

>>3472720
TELL ALL SECRETS PROFAG

[Anonymous No.3472741]

>>3472731
I want to because I want to blow everyone's mind but I'd rather just keep my secrets to myself and make heaps of cash.

[Anonymous No.3472744]

>>3472741
ANON PLEASE, GIVE ME THE SECRET JUICE

[Anonymous No.3472851]

>>3472741
This, just make a course on the secrets and make loads of money.

[Anonymous No.3472862]

>>3472720
same
not gonna tell anyone

[Anonymous No.3472924]

>>3472862
tell just me i promise nobody else will kno.plz.

[Anonymous No.3472949]

>>3470677
Well there's the grid system, color checkers, using a projector, tracing over 3d models, photo bashing, stealing textures from photos, using real photos with filters for backgrounds. you can use maquettes or figures to figure pose and lighting, that weird mirror system Vermeer used. steal from 3 sources so its harder to tell its copied. Call blatant copies Homages. Use blur, depth of field, chromatic aberration and lens flares to trick the viewer into thinking its more dramatic and difficult... Oh and don't set the point of view at eye level.

[Anonymous No.3472973]

>>3472949
>that weird mirror system Vermeer used
What?
I heard some people claiming he used a camera obscura but as far as I know there never was any hard evidence for that.

[Anonymous No.3472998]

>>3472949
>uses a grid
>fucks up measurements and likeness anyway
this guy is definitely NGMI

[Anonymous No.3473000]

>>3472973
Its a newer theory. https://youtu.be/XoqWwuRnj3o
starts at 2:30 if i screwed up the link.

[Anonymous No.3473003]

>>3472949
>grid system
AAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Anonymous No.3473007]

>>3470677
Drawing is actually 100% talent and how your brain is wired. People pretend it's all hard word to look good. This is the truth.

[Anonymous No.3473032]

I am a professional illustrator (ie. I make my entire income off of freelance illustration). I don't work in fantasy / sci-fi illustration, but more branding, advertising, editorial, etc.

There are two 'secrets' I think are really important to understand but I find that a lot of people on /ic/ don't value these things.

1.) Stylistic cohesion of your portfolio: Having a singular look & feel to your body of work is absolutely crucial. If your portfolio has work that looks like it could have been made by different artists, then you've got a problem with your stylistic identity and you need to address it. This really matters, and it will make your life so much easier to have a singular style represented in all your work.

2.) You need to practice your business & freelance skills as you would your drawing & design fundamentals. The difference between two good artists - one working and one not - is that the working one actually bothered to treat their artwork as a business and acted accordingly, while the other just sat on their ass and thought that once they were good enough, success would somehow just follow. If you've ever seen work out in the world and thought "This is awful, how are these people getting work and I'm not?", then the answer is those people actually bothered to push their work in front of art / creative directors and you didn't.

You NEED to be proactive in your career as an artist. Just having good work is not enough, you have to do something to promote your work to the right people. The most simplified actions you can take boil down to this: create your portfolio, look for businesses that you think could use it, and then reach out to them directly and pitch your work. The more you do this, the better. Occasionally throwing your work on social media and waiting to be discovered is a terrible plan and is not going to be sustainable. Don't neglect hitting up smaller businesses - they're great for getting your foot in the door.

[Anonymous No.3473071]

>>3473003
Man so many fresh meme potential this week. I'm gonna start pushing this grid system. Keep it up ic.

[Anonymous No.3473085]

>>3473032
Well said, The portfolio is the core of everything.
If an artist wants to be sneaky and can work without his real name is to have multiple to control client flow for different types of work.

My problem and i hope the problem of others is sitting down and just making shit for a portfolio only.
No monies is a good way to derail plans.

[Anonymous No.3473307]

>>3473032
What is branding, advertising, editorial, etc. work? I thought that was graphic design instead of drawing and illustrations.

[Anonymous No.3473338]

>>3473032
based mikeposter

[Anonymous No.3473357]

>>3473307
>What is branding, advertising, editorial, etc. work? I thought that was graphic design instead of drawing and illustrations.
I never really liked the term 'graphic design', since its so vague and its definition varies from person to person. Some types of illustration can be seen as graphic design, but it doesn't really matter - it's still illustration.

Regardless, here's some links to artists I like who do this sort of stuff. Try going through their work and seeing what types of jobs they've done & projects they've contributed to. There's really quite a lot of opportunities out there for all sorts of different illustrators. I've purposefully include a wide range of different styles.

https://www.instagram.com/ricardocavolo/
https://www.instagram.com/tomhaugomat/
https://www.instagram.com/samspratt/
https://www.instagram.com/barrytheartguy/
https://www.instagram.com/francescociccolella/
https://www.instagram.com/sirmitchell/
https://www.instagram.com/oliverbarrett/
https://www.instagram.com/geolaw/
https://www.instagram.com/boglio_boglio/
https://www.instagram.com/samislandart
https://www.instagram.com/kolfacekilla
https://www.instagram.com/davekloc
https://www.instagram.com/danmumforddraws
https://www.instagram.com/jean_jullien
https://www.instagram.com/grzegorz_domaradzki
https://www.instagram.com/r_kikuo_johnson
https://www.instagram.com/ghostco
https://www.instagram.com/rorykurtz
https://www.instagram.com/nicolerifkin
https://www.instagram.com/libbyvanderploeg

[Anonymous No.3473361]

>>3470677
You're trying to find something that will save your ass from years upon years of hard work.
Despite what some faggot on youtube says to sell you his newest tutorial, it's actually the fastest way to improve.
The road is long and dangerous. You better start walking it now.

Study consciously, don't grind. Set long term goals, that will influence how you set the short term ones. Work from simple to complex, from big to small. Try to understand, not just copy. Drawing is not a performance art, it's a language. Speak clearly. Always draw with an idea about what you're drawing, drawing mindlessly is worthless. Iterate. You can't make it perfect, but you can make it a little better than before.

[Anonymous No.3473397]

>>3472949
the sticky said if I use the grid system more than 3 times I'm NGMI
im scared I already had to do it twice for school

[Anonymous No.3473518]

>>3473397
It's just a tool. it's what you do with it that matters.

[Anonymous No.3473607]

>>3472851
I wonder how much money people make from courses though? There can't be that many people out there that want to learn art that bad and it's kind of hard to charge heaps of money for courses over the internet, if you had a brick and mortar school in America I imagine you could make shit-loads but that also sounds like a lot of fucking work.
That being said Jama Jurabaev gives out some good secrets in his tutorials. It's funny watching him on podcasts being real sneaky and not giving out anything for free, like he always pretends his computer is acting up and like "oh, I wish I could show you this cool thing but I just can't"

>>3472862
Have you seen anyone else that's also come up with the same ideas as you? I've tried searching for tutorials for my techniques and people have similar ideas but haven't taken it all the way yet, or they have and they're keeping it secret too. Also, some people's work looks like they're using similar techniques and have it figured out but it's hard to tell.

[Anonymous No.3473611]

>>3473607
You don't make enough on courses for the time and promise you give to the buyers wanting more. I know some guys who made $3000 every month selling tutorials. I myself was making $300/month on average. The trick is you have to be willing to be that guy who has the balls to do something different. Otherwise nobody is going to buy from you, especially if you're unknown. That is how I was successful with the courses thing.

However, it is a path that leads you down to being a tutorial boy like Sycra. Where people care about your information snacks over your portfolio of work. So only get into it if you actually love helping others.

[Anonymous No.3473627]

>>3473611
Thanks for the info. Yeah, that's what I thought. If you can make $3000 selling tutorials you could just as easily make that as an artist doing commissions and it's way easier to make another picture than come up with new techniques.

I'm pretty much unknown too and I've seen other unknowns that post a free tut on their artstation and that post is really popular but it doesn't translate to followers.

[Anonymous No.3473640]

>>3472949
>horizontal distance between his eye corner and hair line
lmao fucking grid cucks BTFO

[Anonymous No.3473646]

>>3470748
Proof that us artists are being oppressed by the jew japs

[Anonymous No.3473649]

>>3473032
Thank you Illustrat-Anon, how do you find clients exactly? Be as practical as possible

[Anonymous No.3474267]

>>3473649
>how do you find clients exactly?
I can share some ways I've personally gotten clients.
+ Ol' fashioned cold emailing and pitching my work, especially when it comes to editorial gigs. Just reaching out to publications that I think could use my illustration, sharing my portfolio and making myself known & available for any illustration opportunities. The reply rate is fairly low and rejection is the name of the game, but if you can get over that then you'll eventually reap opportunities from all the seeds you've planted.

+ Design contests: Art / design contests are a double edge sword. Make no mistake - you are essentially working on a project for free with a low chance of it being repaid if they choose you. However, if you're good and actually win them regularly, they can become a good source of income and I've continued to work with some of the brands I've won art contests for. The risks are high, but the payouts can be very big. These are especially good if you have a style/workflow that isn't too time intensive, so you can just pump something out and it's not a big deal if that small amount of time goes to waste.

+Upwork: Upwork is a job site where you can find illustration gigs. I'd wager about 95% of all jobs listed are garbage, but also a lot of the illustrators on it are also not that good. If you're good and you have a versatile style, you can regularly land good jobs - they do exist. Even with Upworks cut of the money, I've worked very high-paying, easy jobs and developed client relationships where I continued working with them off-site to this day.

+Social media: I occasionally get hit up for illustration from businesses that just stumbled upon my work. It's rare, but it does happen - just not nearly enough to be relied upon.

+Referrals: These are jobs that come from being referred by a past client. Make good impressions by being dependable and by doing a good job, and you'll be recommended as a reliable illustrator to work with.

[Anonymous No.3474271]

>>3470677
>he doesn't know

[Anonymous No.3475133]

>>3474271
If you tell him you'll have bad luck for 30 years

[Anonymous No.3475175]

They don't don't want you to know that talent is real and skill is only supplemental to it

[Anonymous No.3475867]

>>3475175
we talked about this already

[Anonymous No.3475876]

>>3470677
Most of the actual secrets probably have to do with
a) becoming popular in social media and growing a fanbase
b) getting your feet between the door in the industry

I know because I've been in this for decades and I still haven't figured a) out and when I temporarily succeeded in b) it seemed more luck than anything else.

The "secrets" to how to actually make art aren't secret at all, it's all in the sticky, Loomis and all those other faggots tell you all you need to know in plain english. The rest is just hard work and that ain't any sort of secret, just something a majority of people seemingly live in willing denial of.

[Anonymous No.3476002]

>>3475876
This is a dumb post.

>I know because I've been in this for decades and I still haven't figured
In what for decades? Trying to become a professional artist? You're saying you've been trying for at least 20 years and you still haven't figured out how to make it work?

>I still haven't figured a) out and when I temporarily succeeded in
What are you even try to say here?

>The "secrets" to how to actually make art aren't secret at all
How would you know, if you are a self-admitted failure who hasn't gotten a grasp on their career spanning decades? Also, you say you know that 'most of the actual secrets' have to do with social media and getting your foot in the door, but then you turn around and say there are no secrets and that it's all Loomis and hard work.

Do you suffer from brain damaged? What's the matter with you?

[Anonymous No.3476015]

>>3475876
>>3475876
This is a dumb post likely written from a phenomenally retarded person.

>I know because I've been in this for decades and I still haven't figured
In what for decades? Trying to become a professional artist? You're saying you've been trying for at least 20 years and you still haven't figured out how to make it work?

>I still haven't figured a) out and when I temporarily succeeded in
What are you even try to say here?

>The "secrets" to how to actually make art aren't secret at all
How would you know, if you are a self-admitted failure who hasn't gotten a grasp on their career spanning decades and can only attribute their temporary successes down to pure luck? Also, you say you know that 'most of the actual secrets' have to do with social media and getting your foot in the door, but then you turn around and say there are no secrets and that it's all Loomis and hard work. Which is it?

Do you suffer from brain damage? What is wrong with you?

[Anonymous No.3476027]

>>3476015
>In what for decades?
In being an artist.
> You're saying you've been trying for at least 20 years and you still haven't figured out how to make it work?
I did figure it out, in a way.

>What are you even try to say here?
>a) becoming popular in social media and growing a fanbase

>How would you know, if you are a self-admitted failure

Secrets to making art (as in the technique) and secrets to MAKING IT in art (as in, the business side of things) are two different things.

I think the retarded person here is you, with zero reading comprehension.

[Anonymous No.3476077]

>>3470739
delet

[Anonymous No.3476084]

>>3470748
You fucking autists, the anime threads get deleted because the alternative art/stylization thread already exists

[Anonymous No.3476087]

>>3471436
It's not a "secret hidden in plain sight." You just think it's been somehow hidden because you've been deluded so long

[Anonymous No.3476105]

>>3473032
Actually no, they want diversity, even in style. Why do you think Craig Mullins is one of the most booked illustrators in the industry? He's constantly changing shit up, and in many pieces it's like "phew.. no idea Mullins did this", and this is exactly the key effect your clients want. Adaptability is all. If you've done some touhou shit the week before, your client doesn't want stylistic remnants or subtle hints from that in his gritty new action game illustrations.

>I make my entire income off of freelance illustration). I don't work in fantasy / sci-fi illustration, but more branding, advertising, editorial, etc.

You're not a professional illustrator. You're a graphic designer. Better fix your title on your sites and profiles, people might get confused.

[Anonymous No.3477231]

>>3476027
>Secrets to making art (as in the technique) and secrets to MAKING IT in art (as in, the business side of things) are two different things.
At no point in your post did you make this clear. To suggest that your post made sense and that I just have 'zero reading comprehension' is downright stupid.

[Anonymous No.3477269]

>>3476105
>the industry
The world of professional art does not revolve around the industry that Craig Mullins works in, that being sci-fi / fantasy & concept art (often for video games). These fields obviously exists, but other types of illustrators work different types of illustration jobs. Just because it isn't digital paintings of sci-fi & fantasy stuff, doesn't mean it isn't illustration. To deny that fact is to be immersed in /ic/'s delusional tunnel vision and ignorance, and in that ignorance, you build up these delusions about "the industry" and what it means to be an illustrator.

> If you've done some touhou shit the week before, your client doesn't want stylistic remnants or subtle hints from that in his gritty new action game illustrations
It is unlikely that these two jobs would even go to the same artist in the first place. This is a terrible example. That being said, it's truly foolish to think that clients want to hire a confused and unreliable illustrator who doesn't know their own style. You say clients want diversity - sure. They get it by hiring different artists who have different, strong, distinct styles. As an illustrator, you are there to deliver work in the style that is prominent in your portfolio. That style is your brand, and it's what you show clients to get them to hire you and it's what they expect from you when they do.

Also - your point about Craig Mullins is ridiculous. Do you honestly believe that Mullins doesn't have a cohesive look & feel (aka a STYLE) to his portfolio of work?

>You're not a professional illustrator. You're a graphic designer.
Here >>3473357 is a list of illustrators, many of who work in branding, advertising, editorial, etc. How can you look at the work of these illustrators and tell me that this isn't illustration - it's graphic design? I'm genuinely curious. Can you not grasp the idea that illustration is more than just fantasy & sci-fi digital paintings?

[Anonymous No.3477282]

>>3477269
Can you post proofs? Paypal history or bank account/upwork. Like other anon who posted upwork acc in money thread as proofs of his credibility.

[Anonymous No.3477317]

>>3477269
Out of curiosity do you think that a skilled artist is capable of producing work in a variety of styles? I.e. Generic concept art, anime to whatever french comic style? You post artists like Mike Mitchell who would be exceptionally easy to emulate and when it comes to copycats you can look easily find them in the wake of artists like Sakimi and Zedig. I'm sort of asking a moot question as you talk of them hiring specific artists for their style which I agree with, I just also think that style is completely overrated and very easy to imitate.
I don't think using words like confused and unreliable is in anyway appropriate when talking about what amounts to a set of really fundamental skills to solve a problem. You could spin the opposite for plenty of illustrators who never leave their comfort zone or are scared to challenge themselves.

[Anonymous No.3477325]

>>3470682
First post absolutely the fucking best and most important post, and it doesn't surprise me even a little that this dumbshit board didn't give it any (you)s this far down into the reply chain. Stop shitposting and get to fucking work.

[Anonymous No.3477331]

>>3470677
There aren't any secrets. This meme is one of the more funny ones here - you're searching for some mythical magic bullet that will let you skip the hard work of developing technique and talents, and it simply doesn't exist.

[Anonymous No.3477336]

>>3472973
Not a camera obscura, he is believed to have used a camera lucida - the obscura projected light, the lucida uses a mirror at 45 degrees to put a reflection of the subject on top of the drawing/painting surface in the artist's eye.

There's a movie, "Tim's Vermeer", where the guy who founded Newtek dedicated a bunch of time and money to prove that the theory has weight - he found chromatic abberations and lens distortion in Vermeer's painting. The documentary makes a pretty compelling argument. And, it's not just him, David Hockney has been theorizing about the obscura and lucida use as well - both devices existed in that era, and other artists are documented as having used them.

[Anonymous No.3477338]

>>3470682
too fucking true. i have files upon files of sketches or half colored shits. you GOTTA draw over and over to get good

[Anonymous No.3477344]

>>3476105
>You're not a professional illustrator.
No, that's you.

I'm also a professional illustrator, who also does design. There's overlap, but illustration covers a wide range of topics and industries, and everything he listed is perfectly legit. I've done everything from technical illustration, packaging illustration (food), and editorial, along with books and album covers.

I'm a member of the Society Of Illustrators. One look at their annual proves you laughably wrong. As a professional, I'll take most commissions that pay good money, instead of neckbearding and insisting that comic art and game design art is the only illustration work available.

https://www.societyillustrators.org/

I suggest that you get a hold of one of their annuals, and look at the breadth of work that's considered illustration, then trot back here and tell us what illustration is.

We'll wait.

Just FYI, the categories their annual covers is sequential and uncommissioned, editorial, book, advertising and institutional.

[Anonymous No.3477373]

>>3477282
>Can you post proofs?
Sure thing, though I don't know how much something like this will help / if it's enough for you. This is a snapshot of my Upwork earnings. It's not too much, but I mentioned previously that multiple of these jobs lead to continued work with the clients outside of Upwork, so there's quite a bit more earned than shown here. The 'fees paids' on the right are the cuts that Upwork takes out of the job. It sucks, but depending on the job it can still be worth it. I really only pitch to a very small percentage of jobs on this site, since a vast majority of gigs have terrible budgets for the amount of work they ask for, and the clients generally seem inexperienced / a pain in the ass. Happy to talk about Upwork more in general. Overall it's a pain in the ass and generally not worth it, but I'd by lying if I said I didn't occasionally find some good opportunities on it.

>>3477317
>do you think that a skilled artist is capable of producing work in a variety of styles?
Totally! Regarding emulating / imitating an artists style, you need to look at it from a clients point of view: They hire you based on what you show them in a portfolio. Clients value style, even if you don't. They like to know what they're getting. No one is going to ask you to emulate another artist, even if you know you're perfectly capable of doing so and would do it for cheaper.

>plenty of illustrators who never leave their comfort zone or are scared to challenge themselves.
I would also agree with this. I personally place style in high regard, but I also think that a good style comes first from a strong understanding on the fundamentals, and then deconstructing them. There's a balance to be struck between growing as an artist and developing your skills, and honing in on your stylistic identity.

>>3477344
Well said. Just curious - has joining the SoI been worth it to you? What are some positive things that have come from it?

[Anonymous No.3477400]

>>3477373
Yeah the crux of it is as you say, people value the name or brand of the artist which I find to be rather shallow and is something deep rooted in how people are, no hope in changing that.
I agree with how you view style in general, I have a great deal of respect for the effort it takes to define your own set of rules and aesthetics. I think my issue with stagnation has more to do with subject matter as I wouldn't levy the same criticism of artists like Otomo or Mignola as people like Mike Mitchell or Tom Scholes when despite it being easy to tell who created what the diversity in whats being drawn is huge. I consider it a shame when you're dealing with people that do have a distinct vision but don't apply it to a wider range of things, I would pin it on a fear of failure and ego but that makes me into a faggot armchair psychologist.

[Anonymous No.3477408]

>>3477373
>Well said. Just curious - has joining the SoI been worth it to you? What are some positive things that have come from it?

Getting in front of art directors and ad agencies, for the most part. Most art directors in the advertising world will have the annual on their desk, for when their normal stable of artists aren't fitting the needs of their client/project. That's really the only reason to do it, unless you have an agent. A lot of places won't take an unsolicited portfolio these days, so at a certain level, it's a good investment. If you don't get anything from it, don't renew - it'll look good on your resume. I havent taken much advantage of a lot of the stuff they offer, especially the social stuff, but that can't hurt either.

[Anonymous No.3477750]

>>3476084
>the joke
>your head

[Anonymous No.3478654]

>>3477408
I'm looking at the SoI website and it seems the membership really doesn't do a whole lot, except a slight discount on your submissions to the Annual and a bunch of shit that you can only really take advantage of if you live nearby in NYC. How does joining the SoI get your work in front of art directors?

Have you been in the annuals? I'd love to submit but it's so daunting & intimidating just imagining the competition being so much better than I am.

[Anonymous No.3478662]

>>3477344
>instead of neckbearding and insisting that comic art and game design art is the only illustration work available.
Wait til /ic/ finds out concept art isn't limited to vidya and movies.

[Anonymous No.3479826]

>>3478662
>Wait til /ic/ finds out concept art isn't limited to vidya and movies.
....wut.

[Anonymous No.3479845]

>>3470748
wtf im scared, i didnt know the rabbit hole went this deep

[Anonymous No.3479945]

>>3477373
Holy shit the fees are big.

[Anonymous No.3480093]

>>3479945
It truly is a significant chunk of the projects budget going to the platform that they just don't deserve, as it's little more than a glorified job board. 20% is just under how much an agent charges, except an agent actually works for you to get you great high paying opportunities. There is no good reason for Upwork to take so much, except for the fact that they simply can. The breakdown of fees is based on the amount of money you earn with an individual client, so the more you work with them, the less is taken out of the job, like this:

20% when working with a new client up until $500.00
10% when working from $500-$5000.
5% when working $5000+

It's an attempt to encourage users to stay on Upwork. However, there is absolutely no reason to do so, as it's only to your detriment and their gain. The only time I've continued to work with a client on Upwork is because they were kind of flaky and Upwork will act as a mediator to help you if a client tries to pull some bullshit. Though I generally try and avoid working with those troublesome clients in the first place. There are so many obvious red-flags to look for on the job postings that it's pretty easy to avoid crazy clients.

But - again - some jobs can still be worth it (especially that $3000 one - that was a really easy job!) even after the fees, and that's enough for me to occasionally check in to see if there's something remotely worth applying to.

[Anonymous No.3480125]

>>3470995
Explain.

[Anonymous No.3480147]

>>3480125
nta but he probly means the thing pros use to create compositions, color palettes, character designs. it helps you understand the big picture so you can start refining and you wont just be polishing a turd

[Anonymous No.3480149]

>>3470748
DELETE THIS BEFORE THE GAIJIN KNOW

[Anonymous No.3480160]

>>3473640
HAHAH YOU ARE RIGHT
>Throws grid away
>Cries in a corner

[Anonymous No.3481198]

This thread is surprisingly full of really useful and insightful info. Especially the /biz/ stuff.

gud thred

[Anonymous No.3481241]

>>3470682
this basically
also EVERYONE copies other peoples work and most good artists use references

[Anonymous No.3481249]

>>3481241
Every good artist use reference except for maybe ones who draw the same thing repeatedly (sakimi - and she copies and pastes photos onto her work for clothing textures)

The people on /ic/ who insist you HAVE to draw from imagination not using any references to be GOOD and MAKE IT are retards with pipe dreams

[Anonymous No.3481724]

>>3481241
>EVERYONE copies other peoples work
This is just not true at all. Sure - lots of people use references, but that's a pretty far cry from literally copying other artists work, which is blatant copyright infringement and would have disastrous results if attempted in commercial work.

[Anonymous No.3482087]

>>3476105
I don't think I've ever seen someone so thoroughly BTFO this badly on /ic/ by real professionals in long time. How does it feel to be so profoundly and utterly wrong?

[Anonymous No.3482377]

pro artist here. here's an important distinction.

COPYING the art of of great artists is a good thing, it's called a "mastercopy" and will really help you learn and was a staple of academic drawing education. Trying to pawn it off as your own original piece though is of course bad.

If you copy 100 Ruan or Charles Bargue artworks to an extreme level of accuracy, I guarantee you will powerlevel your artistic skill. The hard part is doing it.

[Anonymous No.3482386]

>>3482377
Really? All you have to do is copy to an extreme level of accuracy?

[Anonymous No.3482441]

>>3477373
>>3477344
Hey senpais, I’m developing a style that’s influenced by more classic illustrators like Rackham. As far as I know there’s only two others who do this (Charles Vess and Cory Godbey). Do you think it would be hard to monetize something like that?

[Anonymous No.3482512]

>>3482386
https://youtu.be/_jWTSQhG-TU?t=18m11s

It challenges you. This video isn't exactly about that, but it makes a good point.

[Anonymous No.3482597]

Ok I will share it. The secret is to study Jack Hamm.

[Anonymous No.3482858]

>>3482441
Yo! I'm >>3477373

There are definitely plenty of other illustrators that have a more modern twist on stuff like Rackham. I feel like I follow a few others on Instagram but their names are escaping me. It'd be totally possible to monetize it, but you should take notice on one of the key differences between Vess + Godbey, and Rackhams work.

Vess + Godbey have taken that classical approach and modernized it with sharper, clearer shapes and more vivid contrasts & colors. Compare this to Rackhams often soft, delicate and whispy work. Rackhams approach to work - to be frank - just doesn't have a lot of uses in modern illustration. Clients generally tend to be attracted to work that is a bit more succinct & vibrant, and less attracted to expressive & messy styles. I think that's something you should keep in mind when further developing your style.

In terms of monetizing and finding opportunities for this type of work - I'd simply look at Godbeys website (he's younger and had to build his career more recently as opposed to Vess who's been around for a long time). Take note of what types of work he's done - you can do the same type of jobs. He even lists some of the art directors under his editorial illustrations. With a strong portfolio, you can reach out to these same clients and you might get some work.

You can also just email Godbey directly and ask for advice. I've reached out to illustrators I really admire before, and I've gotten some really great advice that helped start to get more work. Most folks are generally happy to help.

Hope that helps!

[Anonymous No.3483783]

>>3482377
>pro artist here.
I know you probably won't post your work, but would you mind talking a little bit about what you do in terms of the types of jobs & opportunities you get?

[Anonymous No.3484205]

>>3470926
Crabs hate him!
/ic/ is SHOCKED that this chad piece of shit is drawing like Ruined Jew and basically you >>3470856 can barely draw boxes.
How? Just grab a few (yous)

[Anonymous No.3484210]

>>3474267
Thank you. This is really helpful.

[Anonymous No.3484494]

>>3484210
For sure - glad its helpful! I'm happy to talk about each of those topics more.

[Anonymous No.3484498]

>>3470856
Yeah keep drawing them floating nude women studies and boxes. You'll be good in no time.

[Anonymous No.3485890]

>>3482858
I'm not any of the people on this thread, but I just wanted to say I love your sage input on the board.

[Anonymous No.3486064]

>>3485890
No problem friendo. Let me know if you have any more specific /biz/ questions and I'll see if I can help.

[Anonymous No.3486911]

>>3484205
Lel

[Anonymous No.3487002]

>>3482512
I thought I was doing something terribly wrong when I had trouble with cheap canvases I bought for studies when I was starting out. I switched to just using a masonite panel and never looked back

[Anonymous No.3487012]

>>3470748

[Anonymous No.3488931]

Bumpan