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History of my ARTSESEESSESESE: tagged by

I think I'll mainly focus on the art I have here right now, since I haven't really started getting full-on serious until I took art in high school. I do know that I started drawing in the third grade, though, when this salesman came into our classroom and sold us all these magic slates. I started doing little comic strips with my seatmate and gradually started drawing more and more, but doing it more as just a valuable skill for illustrating school projects and the like.

In high school, though, I took a formal art class (as formal as you'd get in HIGH SCHOOL xD) that taught me nothing valuable, except the notion that I have to draw more. I first used the inking techniques that our teacher made us do, but I gradually had the urge to get color into my art.

Thus began what I'd like to call my *pyromaniac stage. I bought myself a bucketful of pens and a gigantic set of Prismacolors (that are still alive). And, looking back, I'm not proud of it. Not at all. Admittedly, it feels like I was just basically copying from this guy's aesthetic. My coloring techniques, my inking, EVERYTHING was ripped off from him. I feel ashamed to admit it, but now I have that off my chest, so it kind of makes me feel better. An important thing I learned from this stage, however, is that my art does need some color... and that I was actually not as bad as I thought, even though I was still copying my art technique.

I liked the compliments that people gave me about my coloring techniques, but I let that get into my head. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I copied it to gain myself e-attention from dA. As I said, I'm not proud of it. Then came the stage that I am still in right now, though. A certain person (and you know who you are. ILY.) pointed to the capabilities I have and how I'm squandering them away by making copied pseudo-anime with no hint of anatomy or anything vaguely resembling progress. All I was doing was copying, not really doing anything that's actually me... and it never made me feel fully contented.

So I spent that summer poring over anatomy books, watching and reading figure drawing tutorials, drawing naked people (!!!) and overall developing a style that's my own. I got myself a tablet and started owning my own signature coloring technique. I'm actually proud of what I have so far now, but I have a long way to go.

As of now, I'm no longer copying and still developing my skills. I don't know if you can call me an artist, but at least I'm not a complete rip-off anymore. Also, I went from perusing the manga section to constantly being in the comics section. 15-year-old me would disagree but Manga < Comics.

Now, it's your turn, I want to hear how your style developed and who influenced you to do so:


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ALSO: ANOTHER TRACING RANT. inb4 callout journals are lame.

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Everytime I'm linked to that exchange, I'm disgusted. It's one of the reasons that I'm actually contemplating a long hiatus from this website. I have no idea how the mods can actually TOLERATE disrespect of art in this community. Holy shit, you could actually just take your pen and trace Kakashi or whoever Naruto fans are drooling on nowadays, submit it and watch it soar to the front page. I've ranted about this before, but I actually considered that this person only did traces to improve her vectors, but now it's true: She's doing it for ATTENTION.

I know how that feels, I know how it is to want attention for your work and copying something popular in order to achieve that. The difference was that I realized it sooner rather than later and that I didn't LITERALLY copy anything. And I hope she (and everybody else like her) feels like shit when she finally realizes that without the pageviews, she's nothing. She's not an artist and at least she has the guts to admit that she doesn't have the talent to be one.

Sure, she's not breaking any rules, sure she might seem nice and sweet IRL and sure she might think what she's doing is "art", but that doesn't matter if you're an unoriginal hack and actually proud of it. Why is TRACING not real art? Because they only take the brains of a monkey to do and you're not using any skill or creativity to do it.

Your real life doesn't matter, you're still a jerk online and that's how I'm going to judge you because that's the only facade I know. Let me say this: Every single one of you, no matter how unpopular you are in comparison to someone like this, your art will ALWAYS, ALWAYS be greater. They're made with heart and talent, so don't ever doubt yourselves. I love you guys.

I hope I never encounter people like this IRL.

Oh yeah, also because they banned :devnihil-ss:. *RAEG*

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