Forum Thread

YEP. Making this because i can
and to put stuff that i might need to remember sometime.

im lazy to figure out a cute layout or whatever so ill edit this later
but ye welcome, ya bunch of stalkers
(please refrain from posting here)

shinies that i like cause mal asked me to do it

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Kanto

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Johto

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Hoenn

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Shinnoh

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Unova

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Kalos[/hr]
eeeh broken images. ill fix the links later =_=

my shinies n stuff



yea nvm for now im lazy

Reserved for the Improvement Challenge

Chart

First challenge (August 2015):

Participants


Themes

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Second challenge (2015):

Participants:


Themes:

How to give or ask for critiques

To indicate you've read this post, write an emoji on your post.


What is a critique?

cri·tique
kriˈtēk/Submit
noun
1.
a detailed analysis and assessment of something, especially a literary, philosophical, or political theory.
synonyms: analysis, evaluation, assessment, criticism, review, study, commentary, exposition, exegesis
"a critique of North American culture"
verb
1.
evaluate (a theory or practice) in a detailed and analytical way.
"the authors critique the methods and practices used in the research"


A critique is a constructive opinion given to the artist of their artwork.

These are examples of a bad critique:
- "omg so good! i wish i could draw like that"
- "idk i think the leg is weird"
- "lol it sucks. idk whats wrong with it though"

On the other hand, these are examples of a good critique:
- "this looks really good! next time though, try and get the perspective figured out before you sketch the person. it should make your drawing pop a bit more"
- "the proportions are a little bit off, here and here. you could also work a bit on the anatomy. I really like the pose though, it's really dynamic!"

A good formula for a good critique would be saying a good thing about the art, and then what needs to be fixed. Or, vice-versa.



When giving a critique, you don't necessarily need to be an extra-elite artist or anything. In fact, sometimes it's actually better to ask someone who is not an artist to point out things that may look a bit off in your artwork. Very often when you're working on something you get used to what's in front of you; an untrained eye could really come in handy.

Unless you're asking my mom, who says stuff like "omg that's so pretty! But what is it?" and I swear it makes me cringe



When asking for a critique, don't just ask "pls critique" so generally. I mean, sometimes we can see that something is wrong but you can't quite pinpoint what; those are usually exceptions to the rule. But most of the times, you can SEE that there's something that you're not quite happy with, but you can't exactly see WHAT is wrong with it. So, when asking for someone's opinion, say something along the lines of "can anyone help me figure out what's wrong with the leg?" or, "what do you guys think i should add in the background?"

Please state it clearly in your post if you want a critique on your art.

Giving critiques can be rather easy. What's painful and hurts is to RECEIVE a critique from someone. It hurts our pride. In the other hand, though, if a constructive critique is given out nicely and consistently, the artist can improve with it. One single stroke may change a lot a drawing, every artist knows that; but sometimes, when you look at your drawing and you say "there's something wrong here", you may not be able to find that little mistake by yourself. Other people might. And, by actually listening to other's people's opinions, you will be allowed to learn to see with other people's eyes.

People who don't accept critiques always make up excuses right after receiving one. The most common ones are "I made it with a mouse, that's why it's not that good" or "I know the legs are obnoxiously long. That's my style. I'm not going to change it.". So don't take it personally and get defensive about your own artwork. Unless the person is doing it on purpose to piss you off, which is highly unlikely, we're all here to HELP YOU OUT. You asked for opinions, we gave opinions.
If you are one of those people, by any chance, then please don't ask for a critique.

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The main rule in art is, "kill your babies". I'm serious.
Don't get attached to something in your artwork, because there's a 90% chance it's going to change. And if you have to erase it, or if you have to redraw it from scratch, there's a 95% chance you'll do it even better than before.

Some of you might have heard of a technique called "redline".
The redline is something that artists usually do in other people's art pieces, to help them improve (specially with anatomy). It's more of an informal sketch, pointing out the flaws of the drawing, and it's done in red.
If you want, request a redline from someone you know is good at said thing. Sure, we might make some mistakes as well, but no one is perfect.

Please understand that the purpose of this Clan is NOT to inflate your ego. Sure, you may show off a little bit, by posting your art. Every artist wants to show off their drawings, me included. How would we get noticed by our art if we didn't? But spamming the thread with different drawings all the goddamn time, being like "How do you guys like it?" is not going to work for you. That is what won't be happening here, so please refrain from doing it so and save your time. Both yours, and mine.
SO BE OPEN TO CRITIQUES.

Oh, and no need to write the emoji. You can just dance the hula while hopping on one foot, and post a picture upside down.
No, I'm kidding.
If you haven't read the post, it's your problem. 3 strikes and you're out of the Clan. :'D

In this section I'm going to post different Tablets and Digital Programs. It might help some of you to decide what you want, specially regarding Tablets.

Programs

1.GIMP


2. Paint.NET


3. Adobe Photoshop


4. Paint Tool SAI


5. MS Paint

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Tablets

If you want to be a good Digital artist, your best investment would be on a drawing tablet. Of course, there are some people who can do wonders with simply a mouse. BUT, if you're the kind of person (like me) who can't do crap with a mouse, I assure you a tablet is gonna make your dreams come true.

So what's so good about a drawing tablet? It allows you to draw on the computer as if you were drawing on the paper normally. Except you have all kinds of pencil, pen, eraser and brush in one.

I'd separate drawing tablets in two categories: the ones with your computer screen on it, and the ones without a screen.
The ones without a screen are the most commonly used: they're cheaper (even though not worse than the ones with screen) and they're easier to find in stores. If you do want one with a screen though, you're gonna have to be psychologically prepared to pay a bunch more. It DOES make your life easier and holy crap it was the best thing I've ever bought in my life (yes, I do have one), but it's mostly for professional use; therefore, if you just draw as a hobby, I'd suggest buying one of the screenless ones.

Now, about brands: like every other product out there, there are a lot of brands you could check. The best one though, by far, is Wacom. I heard Genius tablets are good too, but I've personally never used/seen one to say anything about it.
I'll post here the different kinds of models and pricing, as well as customers' opinions, so you guys can have some kind of base if you really want to buy something.

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I'm going to post here the tablets that I personally recommend, if you're looking to buy one.


1.

Price:

Description:

Specifications:



2.

Price:

Description:

Specifications:



3.

Price:

Description:

Specifications:

How to overcome art blocks
(under construction kind of)

If you're an artist, you've had an art block before. It's a fact. If it happened before, better get ready because it will happen again.
It may last a few hours. It may last a day, a week or a month. My worst one (and I still feel traumatized by it a little bit) lasted for nearly 3 years, and I got so depressed that my friend had to help me by forcing me to draw.
When you're in the middle of an art block, you don't feel like drawing. Or, if you do, everything you draw looks terrible and out of proportion. You have no ideas, you sometimes envy people who can draw while you can't. I know what it feels like. It's terrible, but it's natural. That's why I'll repeat it: every artist has art blocks. If someone told you that it never happened, they're lying.

Suffering from a "creativity drought", how some may call it, doesn't mean that you've completely lost your ability of drawing/painting/whatever you do. You're just going through a temporary slump, that you will overcome. It may be hard, but not impossible.
Quite a while ago, I've bought a book called "200 Projects to Strenghten your Art Skills", by Valerie Colston. It's simple and thin, but I like it a lot. Not only because it shows 200 projects that could strenghten your art skills (duh), but also because those projects do help a lot. It was written with simple words and it has neat pictures.
I'll get a few topics from that book (of course, not going to write down the entire book. If you want to take a closer look at it, try searching for it in Amazon.com or at the nearest bookstore) and add others of my own that I learn among the years. These hints should help you overcome art blocks, find your own style of drawing and improve your own abilities.
And here goes nothing.

1. Variation on a theme
If you're still not sure which material you like to use the most, you can always try different ones. You should be able to see those differences better if you draw the same picture over and over, but using variations.

2. Use your surroundings as a drawing theme
By surroundings, I don't mean you should always use the reality to draw a picture. Instead of drawing reality exactly as it is, try simply using the idea of it.
Sometimes you need to imagine the kinds of images that you want to create. They might be fantastical or based on an event or story, which requires doing some research. Your drawing skills will become in handy, both for documenting your research and creating the final drawing. After all, it's what people say: a picture is worth 1000 words. When you research, besides using your own mind to create something you're not used to, you'll also be able to see other people's points of view. What might look like a red bird for you could be a giant phoenix for someone else.
A good exercise is to illustrate a story you've read before, or getting common themes and transforming them into your own. An example of that would be the zodiac signs: ever noticed how many interpretations there are? If you haven't, take a look at it in deviantArt or Google Images.

3. Exploit different colors
How about drawing a purple cat? No? Believe me, it doesn't look bad. Look at this example (Art by xChelseax92 @ deviantArt, used with her permission).
Don't be afraid of using contrasting colors in a drawing, like purple and yellow. At first you might think "it's going to look terrible", but it won't if you know how to use them properly.
Color isn't just a powerful mood generator, it's also a vital tool in your compositional kit. You can use color placement to create balance. Take a look at paintings of your favourite artists and study how they use colors in their work.
Using different tones of a single color in a drawing also looks good, if you wanna try it out. I like to do that a lot, specially with cool colors (like blue and dark green). Try not to diverge from the theme in your drawing though; if you want to picture a hot place, use warm colors (yellow, orange, red, ...) and not cool ones.

4. Always have a sketchbook with you
Your sketchbook is your own private place for collecting visual notes and creative doodles, and for experimenting freely with all of your artistic ideas. Write/sketch down all of your ideas, even if they look trivial or silly. You might be able to compose something better later on by putting all of those silly notes together. Experiment new ideas. The more you doodle, the better and more confident you'll become.
Inspiration may hit you whenever it feels like it, so you'd better be prepared for when that happens.
Since I was in the 5th grade (and that's a long time ago), I've been using little sketch notebooks. I can't really call it a Sketchbook because it has all sorts of stuff in it (which includes from drawing sketches to fanfiction ideas. And even some school stuff I wrote down so I wouldn't forget it). I take my notebooks everywhere, and I don't think I could live without them. I've just recently finished my 10th one, and I just started my 11th. Sadly I don't use them as much as I used to, but I still write down a lot of things I find useful. I even give names to them. ;-; Crazy, I know. But that's how much I depend on them.
So, if inspiration hits you on the face, counterback with a pencil stabbing. Sketch whatever comes in your mind. Write down whatever you just thought of.
Writing down/sketching your dreams also helps a lot, but it has to be right after you've woken up. After 5 minutes, your brain forgets 50% of the dreams you've had. After 10 minutes, you'll have forgotten 90% of it. So don't let that chance slip away.

5. Embrace the suck
Just... Admit defeat and scribble on paper until the fires of rage consume you. Eventually, you'll get " in the zone" and something will come out of it - good or bad, doesn't matter. What matters is that you're actually doing something.

6. Just DO IT
DON'T LET YOUR DREAMS BE DREAMS
Print out inspirational quotes and put them right above your workstation. Sit down at your workstation at least once a day for a couple of minutes, even if you're not going to draw anything. When everything looks crappy and you think about giving up, look up and don't ask how to get someplace, but look back and realize how much you've improved from years back. And imagine yourself going the same distance, or even more, in the same amount of years.
Now grab a paper and pencil, and JUST DO IT

7. Take a break
Just get out there, breathe in the air (yes, there's something called "nature" outside - I heard it's pretty - and get your mind off everything for a moment. When you go back in, drink some water and try again.

8. Don't panic
It's the fear of not being able to do it that is making you feel you've lost your inspiration. To get rid of the fear, you must approach your art as if it were a job and DO IT. Force yourself to set a goal of 'X' number of drawings. Find contests around PH that you think that are simple and that you'd be able to do it even with your eyes closed, and do it. If you must, copy other people's drawings, take pictures from the internet, try to get a family picture or something like it and reproduce it. The simple act of getting to work on something will start to inspire you, even if you don't like what you're doing. Also, drop your fear that your project has to be perfect. It does not. Give yourself permission to do"bad art", which is better than no art.

9. Talk to someone

10. Draw with a friend, or even with a stranger

11. Listen to music.
Music is also a kind of art. It uses combinations of sound and silence to produce something that we all like. I personally can't live without music, and I'd die if I had to draw in the middle of a quiet room.
Now check this out.

Quote from Wikipedia

Music therapy is an interpersonal process in which the therapist uses music and all of its facets—physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic, and spiritual—to help clients to improve or maintain their health. In some instances, the client's needs are addressed directly through music; in others they are addressed through the relationships that develop between the client and therapist. Music therapy is used with individuals of all ages and with a variety of conditions, including: psychiatric disorders, medical problems, physical handicaps, sensory impairments, developmental disabilities, substance abuse, communication disorders, interpersonal problems, and aging. It is also used to: improve learning, build self-esteem, reduce stress, support physical exercise, and facilitate a host of other health-related activities.

Quote from Wikipedia

[...] It is also used to: improve learning, build self-esteem, reduce stress, [...]

Quotes from Wikipedia. Link to original article

'nuff said, right?
Music has long been used to help people deal with their emotions. The lyrics itself have the feelings of its writer's in them, doesn't matter how bad they are.
So, if you're in the middle of an artist's block and you have simply no idea of what to draw, put on some calm music. Or, if you prefer, find a music you like and get its lyrics. Try to draw something off those lyrics.

If you'd like, check out my Playlists. I've separated a few songs into different categories, such as upbeat/soothing/classical etc. If you do, though, please note that our musical taste may differ and I don't really care if you starting flaming on mine.


12. Remake old drawings.
Here's the perfect example: a drawing done in 2003, and the same thing later, in 2009. I don't even need to say anything about it. The distance between my skills back then and my skills in 2009 is obnoxiously gigantic.
First rule of the Artist's Book: Keep all your drawings, no matter if they're ugly or not. By keeping everything you produce, you can see how much you've improved along the years. That's a huge bump to your self-esteem, believe me. So all you gotta do is: get an old drawing, or and old idea. Draw it all over again. Compare both. Do it as many times as you want. The end.

13. Cloud watching.
Crazy? Maybe. Useful? Yes.
Everyone has, at least once in their life, watched the clouds and pointed out forms and shapes. "Hey, that one looks like a dragon!" or "Damn, that cloud looks weird.". Sound familiar?
Clouds are a good inspiration source, exactly because they have lots of different shapes. Maybe it just looks like a whale, but you see it in a pose that you've never imagined drawing before. A dragon with open wings, upside-down; a puppy jumping; a man blowing his cigarette.
Maybe you have no patience at all for that kind of thing. But I tell you, that helps. So, if you wanna try it, lay down outside on the curb or on your backyard, and take a piece of paper and a pencil with you. Draw whatever you see in those clouds, and then make it better afterwards. Add fire to the upside down dragon, make the jumping puppy play at the beach with a frisbee.

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Anyway, that's all I could think of. I hope it's of some use.

STAFF 101

The useful, visual guide as to what everyone in the staff does

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Administrator (Admin)

Riako


Coding


Bosses around the rest of the staff

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Moderator (Mod)

CatLady, -Mikaela-, EternityOfMagic, KiraTrikk, Liirah, SilverLugia456, Yato


Use the Banhammer on scammers and people who break the rules


Deal with reports


Delete, lock and move forum threads


Take care of the Support Center

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Artist

Abby, Kainbunny, Marikot, Requiem


Drawings
NOT PIXELS
Plushies and Index announcement pictures go here

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Spriter

Abby, SpicyPants, WhiteAndBlack2


Pixel art
NOT DRAWINGS
New Pokemon events go here

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Wiki Administrator/Wiki helpers

-Max, DavidS, EternityOfMagic, Kimie, Malkins


Edit and update the Wiki page

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