#aphantasia artist

[sketchyorsomething]

Important distinctions

@blue-logos I'm finally done!

This is my painting to one of my all time favourite comfort fanfics. I struggled so much to get the perspective about right and also the motive... I hope it conveys at least the tiniest bit of the humor and beauty of the fic

#wangxian #art #mdzs fanfiction #mdzs fanart #important distinction #digital art #lan sizhui #wen yuan #lan yuan #lan jingyi #ouyang zizhen #cloud recesses #bunny #art of the day #aphantasia artist #woman artist #my art #artists on tumblr

[kat-root-art]

Just a little watercolour painting of a willow tree

#art #artists on tumblr #drawing #aphantasia #aphantasia art #aphantasia artist #watercolour #watercolourpainting #watercolour art #watercolor #watercolour illustration #willow #nature #nature art

[demidrip]

Some summer vibes ☀️

I did a different shading method than usual and just used flats instead of an airbrush and colored the inside line art. I think it looks honestly better this way but I always take different opinions.

#art #artists on tumblr #digital art #drawing #artistsoninstagram #procreate #aphantasia artist #summer #sunflower

[edenatknight]

So as someone who wants to start with art but also likely has aphantasia do you have any tips for how I could go about drawing something I can't get a reference for?

For example: I wanna draw one of my characters but I cannot for the life of me get anything visual about them onto the screen so I have no reference to go off of, and with no reference I cannot figure out how it properly looks. Might you have any solution for this or atleast know of anywhere I could go to find some?

Oh gosh I appreciate the ask! I wish I had some expert advice but I’ve literally only just figured out I have aphantasia about two days ago lol! So this is poured out of my brain from being an artist for 30 years and my own common sense - you can decide whether it can be trusted haha and sorry it’s not a quick fix either.

The approach that comes to mind is to start building a library of your own so you can start self referencing. But that means initially letting go of that specific idea you have that you can’t find a reference for.

My suggestions are…

Find any pose with a similar body build to your character and use them to sketch your oc so you can practice drawing them in different ways. Then find poses you like regardless of the shape and try “mapping” your oc to that pose. (Such as picking a slim figure and using it as a frame to draw your muscly oc) you’ll be able to fit your oc to any reference, so it’s less vital to find such a specific reference. Don’t be too attached to the concept you’re after you have so you can explore. Looking for one specific reference can be a block, and also not much fun.

In terms of other references to enhance a character, I’d probably start a Pinterest board with outfits and accessories and do lots of little quick studies of them to slowly add more complexity & details. I’ve definitely made the mistake of trying to do all the things all at once and over complicating a lot without doing this kind of work! Start simple and build. I think this is key. Think of it like a puzzle, we have to build all the pieces individually outside our brain bc we can’t put it together on the inside. And like in a game we don’t get all the best weapons and armour at the start, you can upgrade over time.

Having to externalise the visual building blocks others are able to do in their heads, means we have our work cut out for us. But I think there are ways to make it fun and interesting. If they’re a knight, what do they look like commuting to work on a bus reading the newspaper? If they’re a old granny, what do they look like performing the high jump? This will give you an exciting visual library all of your own, you can then start to reference your own work!

Aim to have a toolbox of poses, activities, outfits, scenes etc. Those can be Frankenstein-ed with new external references to develop your work. So it becomes less vital to find that one reference, and more about learning how to build the blocks of your oc through exploration and familiarity.

I haven’t got around to it yet, but I’ve got a list of aphansasia artists to study. Glen Keane is the illustrator for The Little Mermaid. If he can create such an iconic character, so can we! I want to learn from his other aphantasia artists, so I suggest doing the same.

Most of my art is drawn from life or I make my own references specifically to paint from photos, I do a lot of portraits for example. So for me it explains why I’ve longed to do character design or fan art and just been so pants at it and it felt so hard I got 0 reward and gave up. I always return to realism, it doesn’t rely on my inability to internally visualise. Now I know about aphansasia, I can change my approach entirely maybe I’ll attempt some fan art again :)

I’m literally pulling this out of my head off the cuff. So I’d love to know if any other aphansasia artists have similar or better methods they can add to this, this because I am learning anew too.

Any feedback welcome, let’s work this out together :)

#artist on tumblr #aphansasia #aphantasia artist #answered asks #asks open

[misscromwellsmonocle]

Grasshopper (1987) by Peter Blegvad from Imagine, Observe, Remember

#Grasshopper #1980s #1987 #Peter Blegvad #art #painting #artist #aphantasia #hyperphantasia #visual thinking #reference #Miss Cromwell

[1004knightingale]

she's obsessed.

#kissu #lae'zel just got back from adventuring and she's already bothering shadowheart #let a girl read lae #also finish undressing maybe #new pc new csp install new brushes lol #also artists with aphantasia #i need advice bc i'm losing my mind #how do you cope with accepting what you draw versus what you think you want to draw? #and also liking your art #i don't hate this at least #shadowzel #practise sketches

[roachemoji]

A “Guide” to working with Artists with Aphantasia

DISCLAIMER: 

I KNOW ARTISTS WITHOUT APHANTASIA ALSO USE REFERENCES

This is not going to be applicable to ALL artists (with OR WITHOUT aphantasia)

I don’t speak for everyone!!!

PLEASE Read the information artists provide you THUROUGHLY

ASK ARTISTS WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION THEY NEED

I’m sorry about the typos I am dyslexic and no one is beta reading this :3c

HERE IS THE OG TWITTER POST

I made this guide out of frustration. I was having a hard time communicating with commissioners how much visual information I needed, and that giving me creative freedom doesn’t, personally, work for me. It all comes down to the why; Aphantasia. 

... I realized a lot of people don’t understand what that is, and how it might affect an artist. 

Note: I am a character artist!!! I do personal commissions!!!! I don’t do commercial work!! This guide is about things that I have found extremely helpful!! This may not work for everyone!!!!!!!!!!! 

So, here is the official written guide to what I, personally, have found helpful when getting commissions:

A healthy dose of both written and visual information is needed, but the percentage of which heavily depends on the type of commission and how familiar I am with the characters. 

- Is it an illustration of a scene between two character? Descriptive information on the scene, the emotions, general vibe, dialogue are more important to the composition - but visual references on each character (and their characteristics), the space, the palette, and any objects would be needed. 

- Is it a reference sheet commission? Descriptive information is no longer as important, and the main focus is on the visuals. Descriptive information would be limited to a brief description of personality, placement of certain markings, and/or the written information on the reference. Visuals would be EVERYTHING - every single aspect of that character would need a reference. 

Google Docs, Google Drives, PDFs, Character pages (Toyhou.se or Refsheet.net) is an easy way to compile both written and visual information in one place! 

What is some good visual information to compile for your characters? 

Physical

Age/Race/height/body type

Skin colour/ scars/ freckles/ skin conditions etc

Eye colour/shape

Nose shape

Hair colour/texture/style/decorations

Any additional details (prosthetics limbs/no limbs!/tattoos/piercings/wings)

Face Claims are extremely helpful - and it’s okay to have more than one!  It’s good to specify which parts of what reference are important to your character

Items

Clothing/Jewelry/Accessories

Weapons

Personal Items

Companions

Here is an example of how I organize my Pinterest boards for my own Ocs:

Appearance: Every single visual reference I would need for their physical appearance. Faceclaims, hair styles/texture/colours, facial hair, body types, hand shapes, nose shapes, lip shapes, eye shapes

Aesthetic: Helpful for illustrations. Palettes and aesthetics that I attribute to these characters. Art styles, symbols, colours, settings, etc...

Outfits: Outfits and accessories. Full outfits or single items, textures, colours, patterns.

NOTE: It’s important to remember that some artists can only work with certain references (ie. drawn references vs photo references). If you’re unsure/your artists hasn’t stated which works best for them - ask!  

I cannot work with drawn references in simplistic styles (anime specifically), and I struggle with using nothing but Final Fantasy screenshots. They’re important when it comes to providing colour or even outfit references - but facial features are much harder for me to translate.

Some artists are okay with things like piccrews and can translate them very well! I can’t.

What is some good visual information to compile for your characters?

Written information can vary from commission to commission; unless the illustration is based off a story, I don’t need a novel to be written about the piece. 

Being dyslexic also makes it a struggle for me to parse through written information - I tend to have to break it down outside of the initial commission submission to fully understand what. I also tend to ask a ton more questions when I’m provided more written information than visual - revisions take time and energy.

It’s important to have visual to accompany your written info; 

( shout out to @moki-dokie​ for letting me use their info as an example!! )

Commission information examples 

DESIGN COMMISSIONS:

Info given:

Outcome: 

Easiest character design commission I have ever done. The information given was so concise that the only revisions were my own suggestions on the design itself. 

---

Info Given:

Outcome:

a TON of written information was given to explain the characters backstory, to further drive my understand of the aesthetic and setting of the world the character lives in. The pinterest board provided had a lot physical references, outfits, aesthetics, and colours.

---

ILLUSTRATION COMMISSIONS:

Info Given:

Outcome:

I had a lot of previous information on both of these characters (I designed the top one myself), but I was provided limited written information for this; Holiday Discord call where Toad (character one) is getting a present from Zalem (character two). Zalem is barely hiding how they feel about Toad who is excited.

 All other information provided was visual; Outfits and room aesthetics. 

We discussed poses in Dms and collaboratively found references.

---

Info Given:

Outcome: 

Absolute favorite example of the PERFECT amount of information given and the PERFECT amount of creative freedom given. 

I was handed character references with all angles as well as their armor + how to simply the armor. Pose + expression references. A general aesthetic + palette to work with. The setting. A doodle to lay out exactly what they were visualizing. 

I have all the information you could need! Now what?

I am very privileged to no longer need to take first come first serve commissions, and it’s given me the ability to really sit back and filter through the commissions that I want to do, and those that I immediately do not consider. 

I think it’s important that,  before commissioning anyone, you should ask yourself a couple important questions:

Does this artist’s style suit what I want?

Does my character suit what this artist usually draws?

Do the references I have provide the right amount of information for the specific artist I want to commission?

Sometimes the answer to these questions are; No.

... and that’s okay?

Unfortunately, not every artist is going to be able to bring your vision to life, or feel happy with the completed piece! 

If you’re someone who has Big Buff Demon Men characters that are drawn in a heavily realistic style - you might not ask an artist who draws smaller, softer characters with squishier shapes and a general aesthetic that doesn’t match your Ocs! 

If you’re someone who has characters and all of their references are in an anime style (including other commissioned work), and you have no realistic face claims... maybe commissioning that semi-realistic artist and not providing them with the references the need to translate your character into a semi-realistic style isn’t a good idea? 

I don’t understand when some people get upset when they commission an artist who clearly doesn’t draw characters that look like theirs and they clearly... don’t translate them as well.  I am making this extremely clear RIGHT NOW before anyone says anything:  Everyone can and SHOULD learn to draw the entire spectrum of humanity. From facial features, hair textures, body types, etc...

But some artists struggle to draw characters with certain aesthetics? Outfits? Accessories? You wouldn’t expect an artist who draws soft pastel art to suddenly translate your extremely rough, hard, and hot character properly?

Now, if all the answers are Yes? 

Read all information provided thoroughly 

Ask questions for clarity

Provide what you can, collaborate on what you can’t

Resources

@anonbeadraws​ post: Reference sheet for your commission references!

JAMIErightmeow’s video: I have APHANTASIA

Aphantasia Dot Com

#my art #artists on tumblr #guide #aphantasia #artist with aphantasia #UH #damn i wasnt gonna write this much lmao #I hope this helps people #its helped a ton of people on twitter already #UH ANYWAY #if youre about to comment some shit like oOoOigiOIgioOIoI #IT HELPS PPL WHO DONT HAVE APHANTASIA TOO #shut up #please #i know #i am AWARE #THIS is for MY HOMIES #but also use this as a resource if you need it??? #kiss kiss kiss kiss

[mysticdragon3md3]

Source: https://x.com/Myrmidia/status/1706787607995195876?t=uCJ5eCWP4Gse1Gw3jqWDIA&s=09

#a.i. generated #aphantasia #artist problems

[reptil-enjoyer]

Eh whatvs

#what having aphantasia does to an artist #auuaghhh #whatever #remd original #tf2 #tf2 scout #scout tf2

[cosmicrot]

Sorry I split your miku into colors of the rainbow and I don't know how to put her back together.

#hatsune miku #vocaloid #fanart #character design #artists with aphantasia #rainbow #digital art #artists on tumblr #cosrot art #my.stuff #rot.png

[plantify]

Random tangent but Aphantasia is so weird

Like I used to think that whenever people would say "imagine this" or "visualize that" that it was more metaphorical. Not that they could legitimately see it

Despite my inability to see images with my mind's eye while I'm conscious, I still have super vivid dreams with sight and all

And AGAIN despite me having aphantasia, I can still IMAGINE the image in my head and KNOW what it would look like if I COULD see it, sorta like having sight without actually having sight if that makes sense

Apparently the rest of my family doesn't have aphantasia, it's just me who does

I wonder what it's like being an artist WITHOUT aphantasia

#aphantasia #ramblings of the deranged #artists on tumblr #text post

[sketchyorsomething]

A couple of months ago I got into mdzs and I obviously searched it up on here too. In this process I discovered the wonderful @yutaan whose art greatly inspired me and so I also made a papercraft painting (?) featuring a watercolor portrait of Jin Ling

So yeah thats my take on it (and I hope he looks at least a little how he's supposed to)

#art #traditional art #traditional illustration #art of the day #aphantasia artist #woman artist #jin ling #mdzs art #jin ling fanart #papercraft #inspired art #asexual artist #aroace artist #suihua #my art #artists on tumblr

[kat-root-art]

A drawing of my own eye, using graphite and coloured pencils.

#art #artists on tumblr #drawing #aphantasia #aphantasia art #aphantasia artist #eye drawing #eye #hazel eyes #coloured pencil drawing #coloured pencils #pencil drawing

[medkits-system]

cuntspace

#phighting! #phighting roblox #phigter #subspace #subspace phighting #roblox #fanart #phighting #artist with aphantasia #my art #artwork #digital arwork #digital art #this took me ten hour. im gonna implode

[devilatelier]

being an artist with aphantasia is funny because a solid 80% of art tutorials out there just don't apply to you. the second i hear the words "ok and then imagine / just imagine / visualize in your mind" i know i'm gonna learn nothing from it.

#aphantasia #the rest are a godsend and i learn a LOT from it #which yes. you can be an artist if you don't have a mind's eye. but it's going to be rough and your work style will be atypical.

[da-looney-bin]

I'm out here thriving 😺

(PRETTY sure I've got undiagnosed ADHD and aphantasia. I would say, not the best combination when being an artist lmao)

#mental illness #mental health #aphantasia #random #traditional artist #adhd #looney lets loose #I made myself a hashtag ✨