#I'm just using my digital warm-ups to generate shit posts at this point

[ask-artsy-oncie]

If you’re wondering how Jules ended up acquainted with Black Arts Beagle beyond just “they’re both magic users in Duckburg” - this is how Jules looked in their teenaged years:

#I'm just using my digital warm-ups to generate shit posts at this point #They never really got good at applying makeup #They would have been the type to wear colored contacts if not for the fact that they already wear perscription ones #Those Hot Topic watches fucking SUCKED to wear lmao but they looked so cool ;-;;;;; #Also do NOT fucking look at me I had those clip-on extensions because I wasn't allowed to dye my hair but I didn't fucking curl them HELP #I just fucking let them hang limply as a straight strand of hair when it just didn't look right at all #In my defense - I don't have a curling iron and probably never will because I don't need one #The coveted black skull t-shirt.... in reality mine was as kingdom hearts shirt but I didn't want to translate a design that complicated #I do have a choker like that though. It's white jade instead of moonstone. which is what I used as inspo for Jules's pendant #Julio Starleta

[mauesartetc]

How do you find inspiration to create shows, characters and whatnot?

Whoa well first off, I've never created any shows and have no plans to do so in the near future. It might seem like every independent animator has a pilot out these days, but the truth is very few of us possess the resources necessary to take that path. Maybe someday I'll have the money and desire to work full-time on my own series, but right now... nah.

In terms of general inspiration, though, it helps to have a travel-sized sketchbook handy when I'm away from my digital art-related battle stations. That way I can rough out whatever ideas come to me so I won't forget them later. Just before going to sleep a few nights ago, I had a vision of a magenta space lion (like something straight out of an ‘80s action cartoon), which I sketched in the book and then recreated in digital form.

The animal kingdom is a huge inspiration for me. I like discovering cool species that tend to fly under the radar and seeing what I can do with them. We've all seen countless character designs inspired by wolves, horses, lions, tigers, bears, oh my. But what about Malabar Giant Squirrels?

What about the newly-discovered Rose-Veiled Fairy Wrasse?

But if I have no idea what to draw, typically I warm myself up in one of two ways: Starting with circles and adding to scribbles.

"Starting with circles" is kinda self-explanatory: I draw a circle and use it as a foundation for a character's head. I don't have a set plan for how I want the character to look; I just improvise the features as I go. Basically I aim for variety: Different eyes, noses, proportions, ages, species, etc.

The latter method is a habit sparked by a moment of frustration I experienced a couple years ago. I was drawing and drawing, but somehow everything I drew came out looking like shit. Finally I threw up my hands, closed my eyes, and scrawled a loose scribble on the page, figuring it couldn’t look any worse than what I’d already churned out. I realized I could see a face through the chaos, so I drew those outlines in darker strokes on top. This created a sort of caricature effect.

Of course I don’t follow every scribble line exactly. The point is to maintain their original energy while translating them into recognizable forms. And if I particularly like a certain doodle, I might revisit it for a more polished drawing.

However, it seems the pertinent question for artists doesn’t involve what inspires us but what motivates us. Why make art at all? What drives us to do it?

When I was younger, a rough patch of grief and emotional turmoil led me to draw more and more frequently. It was a form of therapy, of exorcising my own demons. Pretty sure my current OCs wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for this dark period. Fast forward to the present, and my motivations for making these posts are strengthening my sense of purpose through helping others, and honing my skills in both art and communication.

Ask yourself what motivates you, and don’t be afraid to doodle some dumb shit that makes no sense. If you’re doing it as a hobby in your free time, it doesn’t have to be super-serious business where you’re constantly stressed about quality. Just have fun and get random with it. Good luck!

#ask #anon ask #anonymous #art tips #art advice #inspiration #sketches #drawing #character design #sketchbook #artists on tumblr #animals #motivation