An Art Blog Emerges From an Art Blog!

These six weeks have certainly been a ride. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we’ve learned a lot, and made some experiences we’ll benefit from for a long time. I know it was like this for me.

This project has made me grow as a person and as an artist. Drawing every day allowed me to improve my art skills in the area that needed it the most- digital art. Exactly the type of art I wanted to pursue! I hadn’t been using my tablet consistently ever- I always figured it was because of school. This assignment gave me the chance to push that excuse out of the way and give myself no choice but to keep working at it. Thinking of things to say to lift people up lifted myself up as well. To put these positive thoughts into writing and see it represented in my art- the advice didn’t leave my mind (as it often does). I feel stronger and happier.

Having April as a mentor was really fun and inspiring. Getting to work on my art with a person who’s so well-versed in it is so exciting and enlightening. We worked with things I’m unfamiliar with, like scratch art (which I haven’t touched since I was 9) and oil pastels (which I haven’t touched ever). We discussed my art and swapped ideas for self help - which kind of kept me going, turns out it’s really hard to think of something new to tell people every day. But mostly, to see myself improve in skill and in my mind was incredible- and for that I think this project was a success.

But enough about what it was! What is my blog going to be now? I’ve decided to convert it into just a regular art blog. I used to be really self-conscious about my art, and so I wouldn’t post it on my personal blog. I don’t have to worry about it anymore! I’ve got a blog made specifically for my art with a head start of followers and posts already on it. I’m going to start posting anything I’m drawing- fanart, doodles, sketches, studies, it’s all going on this blog. So if anyone wants to check it out, it’ll still be there- it’ll just be a bit different. Why am I not doing inspirational art anymore, you might ask. I’ll still be doing it. I’ll just do more elaborate concepts. I want to start telling stories with my advice, like in my first post on the art blog- I feel it fleshes it out more, gives it more of a meaning. Expect to see more art from me! I’m not finished yet. I don’t think I’ll ever be.

This blog is going places. Or maybe not, I don’t know. But either way, it’s going to keep going. I’m going to keep improving and growing with my art, and I’m going to document it on this blog. I hope some of you might join me on this journey! It’s been a great 6 weeks, and I know it’s only going to get better from here! Have a great summer, you guys, and I hope you all keep doing what you love.

(By the way, if you happen to want to check out this blog, the link is on the tab that says “The Tumblr Where I Post The Stuff” /wink, nudge)

Let me tell you about the first time I ever used a tablet.

If you know about digital art at all, you know how you need a certain device to bring the movements of your pen to the computer screen. This is an ‘art tablet’, ‘computer tablet’ or just ‘tablet’- I’ve heard it called many things similar to these. The strangest part about this device is how you use it.

I had always been passionate about art. I drew every day in the margins of my homework and scrap pieces of paper, but when I finally delved into the internet and looked at art websites and such I was mystified by how well-drawn the ‘digital’ art looked and I wanted to do it myself. I had no idea how this was done, I assumed people used their mouses and had the patience of a saint. I wanted to do it myself. So, I closed the browser and opened MS Paint. (Y’know, the program that comes with Windows where you draw?) After multiple attempts to replicate the skillful work of an artist on a less-than-appropriate program, I gave up. I left that idea alone for a long time.

A couple years later, I went onto Tumblr for the first time. It was completely new and exciting, there’s so much to see, communities to be a part of. Most importantly, there were tons and tons of digital artists showcasing their art- mostly in fanart and the like, but still gorgeous pieces! I was just as mystified as I was years ago. There were so many art styles, so many different ways to color and express an idea! I wanted to know how these people did this part of their drawing and how they make it that way, and so on! I followed tons and tons of artists in the hopes of gaining some of their skill through osmosis. One day when I was browsing, someone asked one of my favorite artists how they did their art. They answered, “With a tablet.” They proceeded to name the brand of tablet they use and what program they used to draw. I was astonished. I mean, I knew at this point that they couldn’t do it with a mouse but I had no idea what exactly they were using to make this stuff! I guess I just filed it under “magic” or something.

I decided I wanted a tablet really badly, and I was going to make it happen somehow.

A year or so later, I finally manage to save up money long enough to get a tablet! I’m practically vibrating as I order the tablet, as I wait days for the tablet to ship and as I finally open the packaging. ‘It’s so beautiful,’ I think to myself in a totally serious manner, because I covet technology a bit too much. I plug it in and barely restrain myself from squealing as the software starts to download. When everything is finally set up, I’ve downloaded an art program, everything- I sit down and prepare to make the masterpiece of a lifetime. I draw a line. My hand is uncharacteristically wobbly and unstable. What? Why am I drawing worse than I usually do? I keep drawing, but the most I can manage is a squiggly smiley face. I had heard that getting accustomed to this was hard, but really!? I can barely draw!

Before I go any further, let me explain. Usually when you are drawing or painting or whatever you look at what you’re doing while you’re doing it, right? Not the case with a tablet. Your hand is working somewhere while your eyes are somewhere else, looking at the screen. This may not sound like a big deal (it obviously didn’t seem that bad to me), it really is very disorienting and takes a long while to get used to. So, expecting to be able to do well on my first run, this is a bit of a shock. Frustration is had, hiatuses occur, I wonder if I should even keep using this infernal device. 

But I never get rid of it. As time passes, I get better with it- I learn things about art programs that come in handy, the idea of digital art slowly becomes appealing to me once again. I’m glad I never got rid of it. It has lots of scratches on it now, showing its usage. Its also shows how much I learned and how much skill I gained. Persistence is the true key to skill.

Digital Art IS Art!

Many people say that digital art is not “real” art because they think all you do is “type in some stuff and art comes out” or they think “you’re not really using real tools to make it”. Many people think it’s effortless to make a piece of art digitally, and while some aspects make things easier it is by no means like an art vending machine where you press a button and art comes out. Maybe I can change a few minds with this post.

Let me first ask, is it really so bad if digital art makes things a bit easier for people? Digital art is cost-effective - Traditional artists spend a lot of money on supplies like paint, charcoal, canvases and more but digital artists only have to pay once for their tablet and art program. A piece of art isn’t ruined if you make a mistake, they can hit a button to redo your stroke. A painter has to paint their scene in a particular order to layer the paint correctly, but a digital artist can simply paint under their first layer if they choose. It makes art less stressful and more progressive.

Don’t think I’m saying digital art demands no effort, however! Obviously a creative process is still involved, a creative mind is still needed to make art. Like with any other art form, the artist needs to be familiar with their art form to make better art. Like learning how to oil paint, they need to know how to use your art program. If they can’t draw, that still translates onto the computer screen. They need to know what is aesthetically pleasing, what colors to choose, how to arrange a piece so it looks its best. You practice that in digital art just as much as in traditional art.

Digital art is still art, because after all it is in the name. Making art on a computer has its perks but it is still an art form and as such is something that requires skill and knowledge. Art is defined by aesthetic appeal, not how it is made. I hope I changed your opinion on this matter or at least made you consider the other side! Let me know what you think in the comments.

Getting on the horse again!

Overall, my project is going pretty well. All I’ve gotten so far is support from the people I’ve discussed it with, which is pretty encouraging. I had my first mentor meeting with April last Wednesday, and we got to work with a new art medium. I learned a new function on my art program recently, too! This project has been very educational for me so far, art-wise. I have gotten off-track with posting every day, though, and I think I need to keep the momentum going. What would help is if I started making posts ahead of time. I think I’m going to start making an extra drawing for every one I make so I can queue it-- that way the blog won’t wait for me to post.