/ic/ - Artwork/Critique

[Anonymous No.3819126]

Hi, /ic/. I hesitated to make a thread and I often ramble about things, so I'll try to be as brief and informative as I can.

I'm an independent and non-traditional college student trying to get some accreditation to facilitate my hopes of getting into the animation industry as a storyboard artist/animator who can also illustrate and paint. Traditionally and digitally. But I've been really struggling as of late. I'm not sure if it's an accumulation of stress, duties, exhaustion, or general complacency, but I hardly draw for my own sake anymore, if at all the when not in class.
When I do bother drawing, I become very irritated with myself. Erasing any and all lines I put down and generally hating how my art is never what I envisioned it to be once I start. I can't even visualize what it is I'm trying to draw anymore, just a hazy blur of a rough sketch in my head. When I buckle under the pressure and give up, I just study, play video games, or marvel for hours at other's work on Instagram. When it comes to art assignments in class, I usually finish them, but they feel soulless. I daydream every minute of every day about what I could draw, what I want to, how I'll do it, and finally getting my portfolio started. I NEED THIS.

Should I just be forcing myself to draw more often to get out of this funk?
Should I study my fundamentals more? Like construction?
Should I just figured on completing my assignments?
Am I disorganized? Am I too meticulous? Too self depreciating?
What's wrong with me?

TL;DR: I hate my art process and don't finish enough of my work.

[Anonymous No.3819129]

[Anonymous No.3819133]

[Anonymous No.3819134]

>>3819126
Is that a grid I see?

[Anonymous No.3819135]

[Anonymous No.3819136]

>>3819134
No rules only tools.

>>3819126
This is beautiful. Sounds like you'd benefit from some therapy, anon.

[Anonymous No.3819137]

>>3819134
Yes. It was a requirement in the class to use one, it was a referenced image to be drawn on mid tone paper using charcoal. I didn't want to, but the professors insisted on it because of the nature of the project.

[Anonymous No.3819139]

>>3819136
I'm not sure if I can manage paying for therapy, in my current financial situation. I think I can manage if I can get some outside opinions on my problems and tackling them slowly.

[Anonymous No.3819140]

>>3819126
>Hi /ic/, let me be brief.
>I'm an art student trying to get into the animation industry, but I barely draw for myself anymore
>I get frustrated because my work never turns out how I thought of it and feels soulless
>Often I end up giving up and go fuck around, but I need to get my portfolio started
>What do?

If you say you'll be brief actually be brief faggot

[Anonymous No.3819142]

[Anonymous No.3819144]

>>3819140
My mind races a lot. I'm sorry.

[Anonymous No.3819147]

[Anonymous No.3819149]

[Anonymous No.3819157]

>>3819126
I don't think that /ic/ is the best place for you with your current mental state, it will only unnecessary drag you down.

[Anonymous No.3819158]

>>3819126
I want those lips on my dix

[Anonymous No.3819161]

>>3819149
this is really nice, but it seems too smooth and boring. add more texture to things like clouds and foliage, it'll add more visual interest. also, don't be lazy on more abstract areas. add some variation so it's at least not just a solid field of color.

[Anonymous No.3819207]

>>3819157
I hate myself more than anyone else ever could

>>3819161
It was color practice based off of a wallpaper I saved. I've learned about adding texture to things and thinking about getting back into drawing solely with fineliners in order to illustrate shadow, texture, and to generally guide the eye. I appreciate the input.

[Anonymous No.3819217]

>>3819139
Campuses near unilaterally offer free counseling to all students. Talk to someone more qualified than us, OP. Your art is good and you are worth the trouble.

[Anonymous No.3819228]

>>3819126
You probably need more concrete goals. You say you are interested in storyboards and illustration but I don't see much focus on learning to compose a scene.

You could focus on doing tons of small thumbnail illustrations. Which is actually a massively complex problem that would need to be further broken down into small bits. How do I pose the camera and draw things in perspective. How do I draw a simplified figure that feels alive and properly in perspective, stands on the ground plane properly or interacts with other objects. How do I manage values within objects and within the scene as a whole. How do I design the shapes of the scene. How do shapes and values I choose alter the mood. Storyboarding brings additional needs, thinking like a director and making sure the audience won't get confused from one panel to the next.

Set more concrete bite-size goals, find your art heroes and try to figure out how they solved those problems, see if there are any books or videos where artists tackle those problems. Compare your art to your art heroes, identify a problem, formulate a solution, create new work, compare again.

[Anonymous No.3819239]

>>3819228
>>3819217
>>3819157
>>3819140
>>3819136
I really appreciate this information, guys. When I think about it, I really am disorganized; a set of goals and the like would be really beneficial to me. I'll ask my campus center about counseling and then try to make a board full of my inspirations, heroes, and styles I want to emulate.

[Anonymous No.3819282]

>>3819126
You should try putting yourself in an environment where you have to draw. Find a group of people who have similar interests or who are working on a project that could use your skills. Even if it’s something small like helping someone story board for their own animation. You won’t have the pressures of creating something amazing like you envisioned and you’ll get the satisfaction of helping someone else out. You’ll have someone to help critique you, and if the project ends up being really good you can add the storyboard or whatever part you helped with to a portfolio.

I’ll admit I’m projecting a little bit...in college I wish I had worked with other people more, branched out, and made connections. Everyone I know who got jobs out of college joined clubs or worked on projects outside of class that they could put on their resume. But that forced them to work and develop their skills to the point where they would be hireable.

Mechanical engineering major btw.

[Anonymous No.3819307]

>>3819126
Story boarding and animation are two completely separate disciplines with completely different skillsets.

Having said that, your problems are not art issues, they're personal, and you should seek some sort of professional help, like a therapist, to work things out. It sounds like depression to me, I've had a few bouts of it in my life, happens to everyone once in a while - and very often to college kids, because of burnout.

If you're in school, you have access to mental health professionals. Go talk to one. They actually DO help sometimes. There could be issues in your life completely unrelated to art effecting you.

[Anonymous No.3819502]

I hope you make it, OP.

[Anonymous No.3819835]

>>3819228
who's the artist?

[Anonymous No.3820034]

>>3819835

answer anon you massive tease I want to know too

[Anonymous No.3820103]

>>3819835
Marcos Mateu-Mestre, Jeff Watts or his father I think, Eytan Zana, I don't know, Greg Manchess