FanArt: I am not an artist.

[HUnewearl_Meira]

I do, however, like to draw stuff from time to time.

I just want to point out though, that I have not picked up a pencil to seriously draw anything in something like four years. Until today.




I'm posting this as something of a demonstration. I am not an artist. I am an author. Art is not something that I study regularly to get better at, but yet, by sitting down, focusing, and just downright applying myself, I can still produce what you see there in about a half an hour to forty-five minutes, from when I take the pencil to the paper to when I pull it away, again.

I've spent the last two weeks or so building the image in my head; looking at references, studying the shapes of faces and hair, getting a mental concept of what this face should be shaped like, not just on the page, but truely, in three dimensions.

The point of is this:

If I can do this, then any aspiring artist on this site can do the same. There is no such thing as, "it's too hard," or "it's too much work." It is simply a matter of taking the time to just sit down and do it.

Artwork is no different than writing in one very important respect: it is of dire consequence that you know precisely where you're going before you start. If you go into just about any creative project uninspired and with no vision of the project's future, then what you're going to end up with will be likewise, uninspired.

I have plans to do more with this picture, and I'll try to keep this thread updated with its progress. In the mean time, I'd like to see some of our less experienced artists strive to improve themselves, and show us what they can really do when they kick it up a notch.

burning_card did it, I did it, and I've also seen a lot of artists in this forum go from doing rough doodles to drawing awe-inspiring works of art. This is, in no way, an unattainable goal. Draw your works! Take advice from the number of skilled artists here in Fan Works! Don't be shy about what you've done! And most of all, don't take harsh critism personally. The critics around here are only trying to help.

[CupOfCoffee]

Man, Meira, I really like this--her face especially. I see a lot of Michelle Branch in there, and I remember you saying she eventually became synonymous with Meira when you were writing the original Recollection, so I assume she was one of your visual references.

And actually, I'd like to suggest something that's been tried before but never really carried out too far, and this thread seems like the perfect starting point. I think it would be cool to have an event (lasting who knows how long... as long as it takes?) where people who are usually writers draw their characters or scenes from their stories or whatever, and people who are usually artists try writing something. I think it would be really cool if enough people participate... this time around. Haha.

[Flame]

its very true. It is always discouraging to create something you believe to be your best work and then see amazing semi professional works posted in the art forum 2 minutes later. Never give up. Meira has the absolute right idea. Regarding your own drawing, I admire that you did not go the straight up anime route.

[CupOfCoffee]

On 2007-01-13 20:01, Flame wrote:
Regarding your own drawing, I admire that you did not go the straight up anime route.

DITTO. I forgot to say that in my post, but I agree wholeheartedly. Not that anything's inherently wrong with anime, but... you know.

[HUnewearl_Meira]

The "anime" styling does a very good job of producing a drawn character in a simple, easy to learn/draw fashion. It wasn't what I was going for, though. My choice of styles has much to do with my later intentions for the picture.

I do understand what you're getting at, though. The anime style has been really quite popular for the last few years; I think people sometimes get tired of looking at it. Still, I'm a bit more familiar with drawing more realistic proportions, I think.

Also, as far as Michelle Branch is involved in this picture... Honestly, I didn't use her as a visual reference, but she did about as much for this picture as she did for The Recollection of Meira. I spent a lot of time listening to her music, piecing together what I wanted Meira's face to look like. From there, I pulled out one of my high school yearbooks, and started looking through it to study the shapes of faces, individual facial features, what hair does, in fact, look like, and so on. Last week, I also spent several hours just looking at hair styles on the internet, trying to find something similar to Meira's style. I did find a couple of similar styles here and there, though I found that I just couldn't find many pictures of a woman's hair fanned out like that. I did find one, but it was a fairly small image.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: HUnewearl_Meira on 2007-01-13 21:15 ]</font>

[Jared_T]

I know what you mean Meira, in the way of researching for your pictures. I have in the past designed my own shoes on nike.com, and I have several fashion web sites bookmarked for the latest picture I'm doing. How nice you want your pictures to look has alot to do with the amount of detail you are willing to put into it. But watch out it is possible to have to much detail.

[HUnewearl_Meira]

This, from the man who stared at an ice cube for twenty minutes, so he could draw Si'ev casting Rabarta.

[Sgt_Shligger]

Not sure if I qualify as an artist. . . I draw once in awhile.

Meira is completely right though. . . Drawing can be learned.

[HUnewearl_Meira]

Not my plan for the end product, but just for the love of doing it:

[Dhylec]

Heh, even Meira gets enough time & inspiration to put up a piece.
I can't seem to find mine. ;]