Something I'm getting worried about

Does art have to be /good and/or technologically interesting/ to attract other viewers?

I'm in a drawing craze atm and have been pretty much covering the whole "update" section in the fanart gallery. I've been drawing and drawing and comparing my work with others, and I found out something. My art is not the best and plus I don't use the computer to color. Partially the reason why I'm drawing so much lately is because im having a hard time drawing something that gives me satisfaction. (Although embarassing to say, one thing that leads to satisfaction is pretty much comments).

A lot of great artists have told me to practice, which technically I am through drawing more and more, but it's hard to learn how to imagine what you want to draw by just thinking about it instead of using reference.

Just some thoughts gathered. Anyone have anything to say? I'm curious...

Does art have to be /good and/or technologically interesting/ to attract other viewers?

Not necessarily, but I would say that it helps. In the end, people's tastes are hard to predict; there are perhaps some generally accepted norms of what makes art good, perhaps, but in the end I'd say it's more important for liyouli to be pleased with your work.

A lot of great artists have told me to practice, which technically I am through drawing more and more, but it's hard to learn how to imagine what you want to draw by just thinking about it instead of using reference.

First off, don't be afraid to use references. Even the most experienced artists will use references as starting points in many cases. In your case, using references is one way to learn how to draw better. In the drawing class I took, we did almost no "original" work. It was "draw these objects" or "copy this picture". Practicing is only good if there's something specific about your drawings you're trying to improve. Pick out something that you don't like, and figure out how to get better at it. References can help you figure out that sort of thing in a way that your imagination often can't.

If you're not sure what you're doing wrong, or at least can't identify it, try asking for a critique, either from an artist you trust, or possibly even here on the forum. (At the very least, criticism that isn't constructive will be subject to a quick deletion here.) If you come into it with the attitude of not taking criticism personally but as a way to improve your skills, it can be a great help. My own drawing teacher would practically rip my drawings apart when I started, but as I identified the things I did wrong and took his advice on how to do it better, I would consistently improve. Then, as you learn "the rules" (usually meaning 'the rules for drawing a photo-realistic drawing' rather than any other meaning) you can better understand how to break those rules to get the effect you're looking for. Cartooning in particular breaks a lot of those rules, but it's very good to have the background knowledge to begin with. n.n

If you have the opportunity to do so, I'd highly recommend taking a drawing class. You'll probably hate the stuff they make you draw, but I found it extremely invaluable to have in-person feedback from someone who already understood the various techniques involved in making a drawing look good. However, if you can't take a drawing class, you might also find some books that'll help you as well. I'd highly recommend the book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain". Here's another link that might also help you get started:
http://www.ozfoxes.com/art-main.htm

Note that this all draws heavily on my experience. What worked for me may or may not work for you.

Good luck!

Just out of curiosity, how have you artists learned about angles of the face (Particularly in NIMH-style)? I think that's the most significant thing I'm having trouble with. The circle has helped SO MUCH after trying it, but it's really hard to have the characters look above or below by getting the best muzzle shape for each situation or direction that the character looks at.

Would looking at the film carefully and seeing how the shapes of the muzzle depending on the angle be the best thing to do?

I don't know what other people do, but what I've done is look for someone who's done something with a character in the pose that I'm looking for, and then I'll draw the circle on top of that, matching the horizontal eye-line and (roughly) the vertical nose-line with that of the drawing. From there, I can kind of work backwards to see where they probably attached features to the head sphere.

Again, though, that's just me. There's probably better ideas out there. n.n

I know what you mean HolyArrow except my story is backwards. Im pretty good at digital desighn, but I cant freehand as good as Id like. I keep messing up Mrs. Brisby's nose! Something about it is throwing me off because I can draw Pinky near perfect, but I cant draw her!!

use reference! All the best artists do. get a Mrs. Brisby model sheet, or make some screencaps from the film and draw those a thousand times until you get it right! :}

use reference! All the best artists do.

Opinionated; the best do not always need a reference sheet.


If you want to improve and gain attention, it should be drawing for the sake of it and for yourself. That's how to improve. Drawing Nimh characters doesn't necessarily need to be within the Nimh style.

I know what you mean HolyArrow except my story is backwards. Im pretty good at digital desighn, but I cant freehand as good as Id like. I keep messing up Mrs. Brisby's nose! Something about it is throwing me off because I can draw Pinky near perfect, but I cant draw her!!

I find it interesting how the same animal can be so different depending on styles of films or cartoons. I can NEVER draw Bernard and Bianca's noses free handedly.

use reference! All the best artists do. get a Mrs. Brisby model sheet, or make some screencaps from the film and draw those a thousand times until you get it right! :}

Yeah I took Simon's advise of using reference. It actually works. When I draw Mrs. B I almost always watch the film as I do.

Opinionated; the best do not always need a reference sheet.


If you want to improve and gain attention, it should be drawing for the sake of it and for yourself. That's how to improve. Drawing Nimh characters doesn't necessarily need to be within the Nimh style.

True, I agree. There are many NIMH fans that don't use NIMH style to draw the characters. I just tend to use NIMH style because I'm more confortable with it. But like I said earlier, a mouse can be drawn so differently depending on the animators. I tried drawing Bernard and Bianca without reference (not a sideway angle), they never turn out right. Personally I like staying true to the style for animated characters and that's why I like NIMH style, I draw NIMH art most frequently.