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Forum Thread

the (in)complete guide to all things art!!

Forum-Index Fanmades the (in)complete guide to all things art!!
kitkat
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Trainerlevel: 54

Forum Posts: 2,512
Posted: Thu, 09/03/2017 14:45 (7 Years ago)
and i bring to you :a very dumb idea by kit.png
(edit) hi i started this a year ago and i never finished oops
Art
1 : skill acquired by experience, study, or observation: the art of making friends
2a : a branch of learning: (1) : one of the humanities (2) arts plural : liberal artsb archaic : learning, scholarship

3 : an occupation requiring knowledge or skill the art of organ building

4a : the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects the art of painting landscapes; also : works so produced a gallery for modern artb (1) : fine arts (2) : one of the fine arts (3) : one of the graphic arts
-----
What is art? Art is the action of making imagination and creativity come to life, via dance, music, drawing, acting, and etcetra. It takes practice, perseverence, and time to master an art, but it's very easy to start! whether if you're a fledgling just starting art, or already an expert who just wants to see what this thread is about, I've compiled a forum thread of basics and helpful stuff for the visual arts!
( You can't really upload the others on here , and I suck at all of them lmao OTL // Well you can via youtube but, you get the point, this is visual arts.)

(all art here is by me or I was given permission to post it. You are not allowed to use them unless allowed.)

Table of contents
Starting off
Different mediums
Getting noticed
Is it art theft?
How to improve
ARTBLOCK
Interviews with artists
Conclusion

kitkat
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Trainerlevel: 54

Forum Posts: 2,512
Posted: Thu, 09/03/2017 15:49 (7 Years ago)
Start
5 : to begin a course or journey

6 : to begin an activity or undertaking; especially : to begin work
-----
Starting off is easy! It doesn't matter how old or young you are, it's always a good time to start! Many people start off by just instinct, drawing on the walls with crayon, doodling during class. Other people start when they feel like it, enrolling in classes and programs. I recommend starting art or classes with a few friends! It's always fun when there are more! That is, unless you are very competitive, well then that won't be a good choice. Classes are optional, but recommended, as you are taught the basics by a more experienced person!( And look at me, saying this when I don't take class because I'm too lazy to find one ;D).

Materials
There isn't really a proper checklist, but here's a draft of some things you should have on hand while starting!

x1 Time
Like math and other learnable courses, art takes time and patience to master! The timing depends on how much drive you have toward mastering art, and sometimes natural talent. All people are different, who knows, you could take a month, a year, 2 years, and on.

x1 Perseverance
Art is fun, easy, and complicated. That's a paradox, isn't it? At some times, art may seem very easy to you, but at other times it might seem impossible and you feel like giving up. Don't give up. Even if you feel like others judge your art, don't give up! In truth, the one critic that effects you the most is yourself. Don't say that you hate your art!! That you suck at art! That you want to stop art because it's not worth it!! Say that you're not satisfied, and strive to reach that point you wish to reach!! It is worth it, seeing how much you have grown over time!

x1 Creativity + x1 Imagination
Creativity and imagination are huge foundation blocks for art. If Leonardo Da Vinci had no creativity, we might have not had the Mona Lisa! Your creativity and imagination are used in expressing and showing the emotions of what you are drawing. Like perspective, for example (which I suck at), you need to first imagine how you'd like to sketch it out, in a creative way unlike just boring non perspective drawings.

x? Art supplies in general
In general, always have a pencil and a sketchbook or something to doodle in. Great ideas come at the strangest of times, trust me. I'm sure many other artists can vouch for that too. There are many different art supplies available, but the ones that you need vary on the kind of art medium you wish to delve into. Why not check the different art mediums down in the next post?

kitkat
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Trainerlevel: 54

Forum Posts: 2,512
Posted: Thu, 09/03/2017 17:01 (7 Years ago)
Different
1 : partly or totally unlike in nature, form, or quality : dissimilar could hardly be more different —often followed by from, than, or chiefly British to

2 : not the same

3 : unusual, special
----
In visual arts, there are many different mediums, or styles, like the genres of music. The most widely recognized is probably just plain drawing. Yet, there are way more than just that. I suggest starting with drawing, and along the way, try something new. But that's my suggestion, you should choose your own path! If you see another artist doing a different art medium, and that makes you really want to try, go for it!!. If you feel pressurized to learn a certain medium because others are, don't be ! You are you, not anyone else, there's no need to have to follow the crowd. You are always different, and you should be proud of that!

Now here is a list of art mediums and some details on them!
Please note that, you don't have to choose only one or two! You can expand your limits, even do all ,if that's what you want!

Traditional art
What is traditional art? Traidtional art is, in a way, the most basic kind of art!
Everyone starts off with it, even if you don't take classes or technixally see yourself "drawing" it. Think about it, every little assignment your teacher gave you to draw something, that is traditional art!
——
In all honesty, traditional art is so vast I doubt I’d be able to fully set into your mind every little detail ‘bout it.
different kinds
supplies
tutorials



Digital art
Moving on from traditional, because heck, technology!!! , we get into the wonderful world of digital art!!
"So kit, what is digital art?"
Digital art on its own is a huge category, way too complex for my smol kitkat brain to define.
But basically, it's whenever you do art and it's digital ;D
So technically, pixel art falls under this category too ;D
---
Details
many different kinds
supplies and programs
tutorials

continued ↓
kitkat
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Trainerlevel: 54

Forum Posts: 2,512
Posted: Thu, 09/03/2017 18:33 (7 Years ago)
continued from ↑
Pixel art (Spriting, pixel art, binary art , etc.)

See these words? Your computer/device screen? One of those hideous emojis right here -> :* ? They are all made of pixels.

Pixel art is when artists take these pixels, and bend them to their own will, forming magnificent shapes and images. Pixel art is always completely made with pixels, using an airbrush tool/ other tool other than pixels with auto anti aliasing on is a big nO.
Anti aliasing: a technique used to add greater realism to a digital image by smoothing jagged edges on curved lines and diagonals.
If you do anti aliasing, you need to do it by hand, pixel by pixel. Does your program offer pixel shape tools? Try to refrain from using those, as sometimes they don't result even and nice. This is the golden rule of pixeling lines and outlines.

To pixel, all you need is a program that has a binary brush/pixel brush/ an option to turn auto anti aliasing off!
If you can't download one, piskel is a nice and reliable online pixeling site!!

So what kind of pixel art is there? There are many kinds, like the following: Pure pixel art, binary art, spriting, isometric pixel art, and more. The most known are probably pure pixel art, binary , and spriting.

Pure pixel art
Pure pixel art is literally just drawing with pixels. One wide known technique, dithering, is recommended to be learned if you do delve into pure pixel art, as dithering makes shading much smoother and nicer! Antialiasing is also optional, depending on how detailed you want the pixel art to be. Just remember, if you are anti aliasing, do it by hand! It's a grueling process, but the ending result will make you proud!!


Binary art
Binary art is when you take a bigger version of the pixel brush (still no auto anti aliasing), and just draw like that! It's basically the same as pure pixel art, but the limits are decreased! Dithering is kind of impossible, as binary art is much bigger than pixel art.


Spriting
Spriting mostly refers to videogame pixel art, for instance, pokemon sprites;)
In spriting, there are 4(?) kinds of spriting(that I know of :v): Scratch spriting, sprite editing, splicing, and pixel-overs.

Scratch spriting
Scratch spriting refers to making a sprite completely out of scratch, no other sprites or images used whatsoever.
in depth guide :v


Sprite editing
Sprite editing can refer to many different forms, revamping, adding accesories, color swapping, etc., as long as you are editing the sprite.(Splicing doesn't really count, as you are fusing together different sprites, not just editing the sprites .)
See our beautiful event pokemon? Those are great examples of sprite edits, made by our wonderful official pokeheroes spriters !! <3( Eggs technically count as splicing, unless you edit the egg without moving other parts from other sprites onto it.)
recolor tutorial
revamp tutorial


Splicing
Splicing is basically just fusing two or more sprites together. Eggs count if you are taking parts off of other sprites for the finished egg.

the following is not by me but by the wonderful people at the cave of dragonflies!!

way better than me hahha

Pixel-overs
Pixel-overs are sprites made by taking an already existing image, sizing it down, and literally pixeling over the image. Pixeling over 3D pokemon sprites count for this, as well as just turning images smaller and more pixelized.
Pixel-over tutorial(Hello I hope ur not getting bored of dragonflycave yet lm ao)


And that basically sums up my rendition and view on pixel art owo. If you want a more well-written guide, go here :"D.


Sculpting/pottery/modeling
details
clay/3d/etc
classes, programs
supplies
etcetc


Animation
what it is
what is reccomended you know before doing
can apply to all
stop motion, 3d, 2d, visual effects
12 principles
good excersises


Other (crafts, woodblock, caligraphy, etc.)
asdfadsfadsfad
✌️
kitkat
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Trainerlevel: 54

Forum Posts: 2,512
Posted: Thu, 09/03/2017 19:35 (7 Years ago)
Notice
1(a) : warning or intimation of something : announcement
(b) : the announcement of a party's intention to quit an agreement or relation at a specified time
(c) : the condition of being warned or notified —usually used in the phrase on notice
b : information, intelligence

2 a : attention, heed
b : polite or favorable attention
----
Sometimes you'll find yourself at a dead end with this one question: Why won't anyone notice me??? Why do all those other artists have more attention when I work as hard?? What do people have against my art?
Well friend/bypasser/lurker, this chocolate bars gonna answer for you.
1: Because you aren't going out and making your presence known!! It takes work just to be noticed.
2:Tch tch, they just have more experience or just have a bigger presence. Don't play this deadly game called comparison, it'll drag you down and destroy you!! Just be patient, and maybe you might become one of those other artists.
3: Nothing! There might be some people that don't like your art style/ way you do art, but just ignore mean comments on your art!! Instead, ask them why they don't like it, constructive criticism helps!
----
~Now here's where I drop my tips on getting noticed and recognition~

Art shops
Art shops are the most go-to thing for artists looking to earn money/currency while doing something they love!
They are pretty simple in setting up, the problem is maintaining them.
I'll also drop this one notion. If you only do art for profit, don't have fun at all, yet expect to receive attention ,stop right there and take a break. Rethink your life choices look on art. Art should be fun!!
--
How to set up an art shop
Show hidden content

• establish what kind of art you’re willing to do for that cold hard cash (chaching)
-Perhaps, come up with a goal for what you’re trying to get e.g. 8000 nuggets for a yearly premium
• Decide on a minimum payment, or leave it PWYW( Pay what you want)
-deciding a minimum payment can be quite a hard task, so be sure to ask people how much they think your art is worth!
-don’t undersell yourself!! but then again, don’t charge way too much!
•establish your rules, and list what you can draw and what you can’t draw
-throw in your estimated time of finishing art (in a best case scenario)
-throw in a password into the rules to make sure people read your rules!
•decide the maximum number of slots you can take (or minimum)
- and of course, don’t overburden yourself 2-3 slots is good enough
•Look at other art shops for ideas on how to format
-sometimes, the best inspiration comes from your competitors fellow artists ;3


Requests
lorem impsum dolor sit amet

Contests
asdfadsfadsfs

Designs and adopts
afstgsfgfsysfyfs


kitkat
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Trainerlevel: 54

Forum Posts: 2,512
Posted: Thu, 09/03/2017 20:47 (7 Years ago)
Theft
1a : the act of stealing; specifically : the felonious taking and removing of personal property with intent to deprive the rightful owner of it
b : an unlawful taking (as by embezzlement or burglary) of property

2 obsolete : something stolen
----
Entering the art community + getting noticed= theft

art theft vs not art theft

ways to avoid

what to do if your art is stolen

resources to help deal with it
kitkat
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Trainerlevel: 54

Forum Posts: 2,512
Posted: Thu, 09/03/2017 23:18 (7 Years ago)
Improve
1 archaic : employ, use

2a : to enhance in value or quality : make better
b : to increase the value of (land or property) by making it more useful for humans (as by cultivation or the erection of buildings)
c : to grade and drain (a road) and apply surfacing material other than pavement

3: to use to good purpose

1: to advance or make progress in what is desirable

2: to make useful additions or amendments
----
Improving

ways to improve

styles

tutorials

doodling/sketching

don't just trace!!

U R NEVER, I REPEAT, NEVER GONNA IMPROOVE UNLESS U TAKE CRITICISM AND BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO TRY NEW THINGS
kitkat
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Trainerlevel: 54

Forum Posts: 2,512
Posted: Fri, 10/03/2017 00:51 (7 Years ago)
Artblock
1 : Also known as an 'artist's block', a usually random occurence in which one loses inspiration and motivation to draw.

----

Art block. Yikes. The very name of this devestating monster sends chills down all artists' spines.

What is it exactly?


kitkat
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Trainerlevel: 54

Forum Posts: 2,512
Posted: Fri, 10/03/2017 04:22 (7 Years ago)
Artist
1a obsolete : one skilled or versed in learned arts b archaic : physician c archaic : artisan 1

2a : one who professes and practices an imaginative art b : a person skilled in one of the fine arts

3 : a skilled performer; especially : artiste

4 : one who is adept at something
----
Still indecisive about how to art? Why not read some fellow artist's opinions and tips! It is said that true motivation and inspiration comes from hanging around similar people and listening to their stories. Who knows, you might pick a thing or two up too!
----
Quote from arti old art|more recent
What did you feel when you first started art?
"well when i first got my drawing tablet i was hyped to do some art on my laptop (it was a really crappy laptop tho) and i didnt have any other art programs beside microsoft paint :v my first drawing i did with a tablet was pretty horrible lmao."

Why did you start art?
"well my mom she kinda wanted to be an artist but couldn't so she kinda gently pushed me in the direction of art and i really didnt mind since i already liked it."
Any tips for artists looking to improve?
"well the first thing i would say is dont give up >:v!! even if ur art is sucky at first dont just flip the table and walk away man!! flip that table back over and draw like ur hand is on fire for like a year :v
also references is a mussssssssssst-
especially for anatomy"

Quote from lizzagnaold art|more recent
What do you dislike about your art ?
"everything tbh. I don't like the way my lineart looks, and i've tried multiple coloring and shading styles that still only look half decent to me."
How did you feel when you started ?
"i don't really remember, probably something along the lines of "my art sucks" and "I'll never be as good as xxx or xxx""
Why do you still art ?
"because i love to do it, and know that i get a little better everytime i do it. plus, i think it's fun nwn/"

Quote from girafarigold art| more recent
What's your opinion on your own art?
"i personally don't like my own art, lmao, I can never stick to a style I like, but what keeps me drawing is that some day I will find a style I like, and that i'll actually enjoy my art for once x)"
Where do you get your inspiration from?
"I get inspiration from the artists on this site <3 It's great seeing what they all post so I can learn from their own styles & the way they do their shading/anatomy, its' definitively helped me improve my anatomy overall and shading as well"
Any tips for new artists?
"as for tips? determination is key, it takes a super long time to get to a satisfying level where you're okay with what you produce, determination, and patience is key, especially willing to take critisism, it's super important to not take what you draw to heart, so you can improve if someone has suggestions to improve, y'know?"

Quote from woopersold art|more recent
What do you like to art the most?
" I like drawing characters from fandoms I'm currently in. (ATM it's Lance.) If you want a more general category, then I like drawing human/humanoid characters."
What about your art do you like the most?
"My favorite part of my own art is probably how I draw eyes. They look ok."
How do you get over artblock?
" I just keep drawing little doodles until I get inspiration to draw something."

Quote from keefimprovement meme
What made you start art?
"Definitely my family’s influence. My sister always drew when we were little, and I often tried to copy her and doodled a lot as well. My father always encouraged us to draw, so it was a big part of my childhood. My cousins also encouraged me to draw, we would always draw cats from the warrior series during elementary school lol."
What art medium do you like the most?
"Normally I draw digitally using my art tablet and paint tool sai, but traditionally I stick to pencil/colored pencil drawings. I also enjoy doing quick pen sketches to pass the time. It’s hard to narrow down to the mediums I enjoy the most, because I enjoy using different types for different things. "
Any tips for beginners?
"You may be discouraged with how your art turns out, especially if you compare it to people who have been drawing for many years. Don’t be upset by a lack of progress in a short amount of time. No one is born with talent, all you can do it practice until you get better. Don’t be afraid to use references for parts you don’t understand about anatomy and such. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to mess around with your art. There are no limits to what you can do. Draw for yourself, not for everyone else."

Quote from dcasomimprovement meme
Why do you like art?
"no specific reason tbh, it just happened to be my passion"
How did you start art?
"i dont know, it just, happened"
How did you get so good?
"i practiced a lot and i keep telling myself that i need to be better than my current progress"

Quote from liffyimproovement meme
Why did you start art?
"Out of fun. I started with drawing since I was a child, mostly because I prefered to stay at home to create my own little world instead of meeting with friends. It always had an effect to calm me down. As I got older I was determined to improve, especially in finding my own art style. By and by it became a serious hobby with the wish of reaching the goal as professional artist, which I sadly gave up for many reasons. However, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s still a passion for me."
How have you improved?
"Mainly with the help of art books and the Internet. I tried to study a lot of references, preferably photographs, to understand anatomies better."
Any tips for others?
"Enjoy and love what you create! Many artists make the mistake to concentrate only on improvement, popularity or, in my opinion the worst case, compare their works with other artists. If you have a crisis or an art block, just think about yourself and the reasons why you have started with art. Don’t hesitate to try out something new, start a challenge, speak with other artists, find your own desire by testing different drawing materials, enjoy - as an artist you’re free in your decision! Fun comes always first, along with practice, determination and patience. With that, you’re going to improve real quickly."

Quote from akiruru
Where do you get your inspiration from?
" I usually get inspiration while listening music. If the song is sad my drawing will look gloomy. If the music is happy, the drawing will be extremely colorful and usually giving a good vibe and so on. No music, no drawing, no life."
What's your favorite part about your art?
"Favorite thing about my art ? A hard question for someone that has such a low self esteem but I guess I like my line art ? While it is my least favorite part to do, I am a perfectionist and looking at smooth lineart soothes me..."
How do you get over artblock?
"Getting over art blocks is hard...once I lost my motivation...getting back at doing art is hard. I guess...here I depend on my friends and their ability of healing my sadness; if I am sad, I also have an artblock as I can't draw while I am feeling down...So whenever people think I do vent art, it is not really vent art, because then again, my inability to draw while being sad always gets me and I can't even draw to feel better."

Quote from furretold art|more recent
What is the hardest part about art?
"Sketching"
What is the one thing you dislike about your art?
"I can't draw anything realistically."
What is your favorite kind of art to do?
"Just regular digital drawing."

Quote from twinsharksold art|more recent
What is your opinion on your art?
"My opinion on my art would be that it's gotten more colorful than when I first started as well as the proportions , so I'm currently pretty satisfied with it!"
How have you improoved?
"The how I've improved ; Im not sure if it's a question about how i did it or what i have improved specifically, but ill answer both I've mainly improved on proportions, like I said, and anatomy in general. How I've improved; I simply took 30 mins to an hour each day to sketch or draw something i had in mind and later on redline everything that looked off, thus helping me improve 8 )"
Why did you start art?
"I started art because it's a great emotional outlet aswell as being the exact thing for creative thinking people!!"

(Shout out and a big thanks to all the lovely artists who agreed to let me interview them all ❤ You're all amazing!)
kitkat
OFFLINE
Trainerlevel: 54

Forum Posts: 2,512
Posted: Wed, 15/03/2017 05:34 (7 Years ago)
Conclusion
Well look at you, you made it through my horrible and spelling mistake filled writing(Like literally i spelled improved wrong like 200 times) !! Congrats!!
But , well, I suck at writing guides, so don't expect to be a perfect artist just by reading this whole guide! Go out and do the things I suggest, I bet you you won't regret them uwu!
Remember, art is a way to express oneself, there are no boundaries on how you should do art, this guide is just a basic map!! If you want some more examples or tips, ask a few other fellow artists! I'm sure some will be willing to lend a tip or two!
And with this, I bid you adieau, and good luck with arting !!

~Now here are some wonderful artists you should definitely check out !! ~
and just for fun, ⭐️ denotes one of my personal favorites! owo (not in any specific order)

(If your'e not here and you want to be, feel free to tell me via palapd/PM)
QuoteArtists of PH
artist | artshop | Da/ main art site
keef
Sylvswifeandgirlfriend
Eraserhead
Lombax
Zuckerbeere
toma


--
Some artists you should check out not on PH
Monekiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
charinqo
Forgets-the-keys
seabunneh
memomorii
citykings
cutgut
macaarons
ariamisu