Sunny Night & Updates

Hey Everyone ! Happy Sunday!

This week I have FINALLY finished this painting, called Sunny Night. I really enjoyed working on this one, it felt much closer to coming from the heart than usual. this is the type of thing I really want to make more often, artwork that means something special to me and is unique, expresses emotion that I want to share with the viewer. 

I want to do more artwork like this! First of all, its exciting to finally feel like I am approaching having a style. I think I am finally convinced of this because I see the deeper source for it all. Emotions that are unique to me and my experiences, and realizing certain things I always come back to even after trying soooo many different things over the last 4 years, including my entire past. I feel like If I let go of the barriers keeping me from going all in on this, I can become an artist that actually supports themselves with their own work. That highly sought after dream many artists have. I believe that its within grasp simply because Its so hard for most to get to this place consciously. At the moment, I think in order to become a 'famous' artist one needs to have a unique experience and passion to share it. Then to unashamedly pursue it and nurture it long enough for others to take notice and connect, and long enough for it to mature into something really quite profound as you gain more skills. 

The second reason is because I still have a dream to sell my work at conventions one day. I was thinking the other day that I'm going to ask the first person who buys my work in person if I can take a picture with them to savor the moment lol. Its funny how the first person to buy a print from me online was already a friend that I had met recently. 

And the third is that its simply the thing that gives me the most excitement out of life. You know that feeling when you have to pull yourself away from something late at night and you go to bed hoping that 8 hours of sleep goes by in a split second so you can get back to what you were doing? If you don't know that feeling is pretty great and I have it when I am working on something creative that I love. I think its a healthy addiction for now lol. 

A friend of mine has challenged me earlier this week to spend less time using references of other artwork and this has been really insightful. She said a big part of why we think other people's artwork is so amazing is simply the fact that they came up with something that we didn't. Therefore, we think its better. Amazing. Brilliant. How could I have not come up with that!?! But in reality, they think the same thing about others. She said she only realized that after enjoying my artwork in the past, but then after getting to know me she was surprised how conflicted I was. 

My biggest issue with the work I make now is being able to flesh out the details of my first sketch, and coming up with ideas of how to best represent those details beyond just lines. I feel like I have to look at other artists and see how they did things. Which isn't a bad thing! I dominated most of my architecture classes that way back in school. But I need to exercise the ability to come up with my own ideas, and celebrate those. Who knows? People might think the silly way you do something is amazing and wonder how you came up with it! But sitting at a blank canvas trying new things is tough. 

Thats why a big part of my goals this year is to complete artwork after artwork. Leave sketching and studies for youtube videos and tutorials I make to sell only. Thats the only way to discover new ideas and ways of expressing things that can become part of my process. I really envy these artists that I have seen recently on youtube, they are able to sit down for 3-8 hours and just create a new amazing piece from what seems like just their head. They don't spend hours searching for reference or trying a million new ideas. They simply make enough artwork to explore new things in a more organic way than forcing it by studying all the time. 

https://youtu.be/b7GGgZ9OEcw

https://youtu.be/jduQJyL2z9Q

https://www.twitch.tv/rinotuna

Now yeah, these artists are extremely skilled and have years of practice on me. BUT! I am making more friends with artists at or below my skill level who do basically the same thing. Yeah objectively I can draw a figure with better anatomy faster than them, but the thing is they don't stop, and they finish something amazing that reaches people. And THATS what matters. I encourage you to find those people just as passionate as you are, even if their art isn't jaw dropping. They will quickly inspire you to work harder! If they make you feel like you need to hurry up and get good...thats where its at. I find people through Twitch & Discord Servers personally. 

So yeah thats it for me this week! Its been a good one and a very introspective one. Look forward to the gigantic psd and clip files for this painting at the end of the month lmao.