#i don’t trace everything just silly shortcuts for silly shit lol | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

orowyrm · 1 year

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YOU WENT TO ART SCHOOL? I thought you were self taught damn. Impart some wisdom on us sire

i have a whopping semester and a half at LUCAD under my belt yeah but in all fairness i spent the entire time holed up in my dorm room playing warframe and having mental breakdowns instead of actually paying much attention or doing my assignments. it’s really not all it’s cracked up to be tbh, there’s no secret ~insider knowledge~ that you get at art school TM and nowhere else. the only thing i retained was a few very basic composition tips (avoid tangents, pay attention to where the eye is drawn, utilize color and light to guide the viewer through the piece). the only thing i regret was not sticking around long enough to do any life drawing courses because my human anatomy is still pretty wonky. most of the stuff i learned i could’ve looked up online for free and probably would’ve understood better that way. it’s whatever, really.

you wanna know my wisdom? use references whenever you might need them, tracing isn’t evil and can help figure out where the moving parts go on complicated objects (just don’t outright trace other peoples art and claim it ofc, but tracing a stock photo for a pose or something is not punishable by death) and get sillay with it. play with mediums and styles and methods. don’t focus on making ‘good’ art, just have fun with it. once you figure out what works for you it’ll start to fall into place. draw with as loose a hand as you’re comfortable with (i ahve tremors so i get how it’s hard, but try to move with your shoulder and elbow as opposed to putting all your tension on your wrist) and stretch often. take breaks and come back to pieces with fresh eyes when you’re starting to get frustrated. don’t be afraid to ask for critique or advice. play with color and light and shadow. allow yourself to take inspiration from artists you admire, be it style or technique. let yourself make mistakes and don’t strive for perfection. don’t be afraid to take shortcuts that make your life easier (i spent years manually coloring everything i drew because i felt like the full tool and mask layers were ‘cheating’ somehow. it literally does not matter. do whatever you want). make bad art. make silly art. doodle in the margins of notes and the backs of receipts. art is subjective and you can do whatever you want forever

also, don’t feel like you NEED go to art school to be an artist. i was only there for a semester and a half *on scholarship* before i realized i had no desire to get a degree and it still took me like five years to pay that shit off. you’re in no way obligated to drown yourself in debt for a piece of paper. also, acting like someone suddenly becomes an authority on art just because they went to art school is weird lol. schooling has no bearing on skill because skill is subjective and art is whatever you make of it. be free

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