The Artists Café! - You can do anything you want and it's always going to look good

So, here's a question to get your juices going!

What inspires you to make the art that you do?

Usually my biggest interests. Fire Emblem made me want to design my own characters, plus working with that style improved my skills at drawing good clothes and armor (since the characters usually have a lot of details and all).

I also love horses and enjoy drawing them a lot. I really need to start doing them more too. I've focused too much on FE. xP

And as I said on the first page, I like chibis. I also really like some styles of anime and looking at them gets my juices going.

Last, but not least, looking at the work of talented artists makes me want to pump out pictures myself as well. :3

I likelikelike this.
Seems like it's about time we got a thread rather than those silly social groups.

As for what inspires me? Life and the people in it, definitely. Anything really though, I don't usually consciously draw from a specific source. I've come across lots of tons of other artists who inspire me and who's work I really enjoy, but unless I'm really desperately trying to convey a style or era through a piece, I don't tend to think too heavily about other artists.

(that sounded uber pretentious, I didn't mean to!)

Originally Posted by brokenjoker

So, here's a question to get your juices going!

What inspires you to make the art that you do?

First and foremost, I think a lot of it has to do with the things that utterly fascinated me as a child. I feel like being a 90's kid had it perks, with all those awesome Disney flicks and the all-mighty Nintendo 64. Nostalgia fuels me more than anything else.

And of course, seeing other talented artists crank out masterpiece after masterpiece really motivates me to get my butt moving. I once referred to myself as an "artistic sponge" in terms of other artists and how they influence me. I take little bits and pieces from every creator I admire and combine it to make my own original flair.

And last but certainly not least- my proffessors at school. They work in the industry. They know what's hot and what's not. They aren't afraid to tell me what they think of my work.

---------- Post added 01-05-2011 at 12:03 AM ---------- Previous post was 01-04-2011 at 11:56 PM ----------

also yaaay this thread is a nifty idea

Originally Posted by brokenjoker

So, here's a question to get your juices going!

What inspires you to make the art that you do?

Other artists.

Be they musician, sculptor, illustrator or dancer or actor, when I see something which communicates emotion/personality/more than the physical audible/visible layer, it's just a breath of inspiration.

Writing music is very similar to drawing. It's live art that is centered around communication of emotion, so really it's the emotional information I can pull out of another artists work that gets me going. A few artists on this forum them selves have done that for me as well.

Right now, what influences me the most definitely is Homestuck! Of course most of my friends already knew that but anyway! I love the simple, colourful and interesting style of series, especially anything in Hero Mode (scroll down for examples) One thing that'll definitely get me drawing is if a new outfit is revealed or an animation. I've drawn so many Homestuck fan art, and orignal art based off it, so this isn't really that much of a surprise.

For designs, Homestuck, Pokemon, and recently Hanna is Not a Boy's name influences my modern style clothes. A collective of oldschool FinalFantasy/Zelda/Fire Emblem, and other fantasy games really help me if I'm stuck on ideas for medieval clothes.

That aside, what else inspires me is art that breaks the norm and has their own flair. This includes official Cartoon Shows, to people on DA. Just seeing art that is so different and unique is refreshing. Right now for example, I completely love the art of a person who goes by the name of Lexxy's art. Her art is just <3 and just makes me want to try to draw new things.

(PS: I love this thread. <3)

Originally Posted by brokenjoker

What inspires you to make the art that you do?

-_-'


At the moment, nothing really gets me going other than doing gift art. I rather like doing drawings and watercolors of people (internet folks) rather than inventing my own characters. Partly this has to do with the fact that I have little self confidence in my drawing ability, and gift art just has to be fun, not really accurate or fantastically-skilled, ya' know?

But 2011 is going to be a better year for me! I'm going to have more time to myself --- that's the plan anyway --- to learn, practice, and create.

<3


Having said that, if there's anybody that doesn't mind being a guinea-pig, I'll put you down for makin' a portrait of ya'. (o.0) It's a dangerous thing, though; you never know what it's going to look like, since I don't actually have a subscribed style yet.

I'm droppin' in to tell that this is a sweet thread and I love every bits of it! <3

What inspires you to make the art that you do?

Usually, there's a spark that comes from seeing something IRL; music; others' art; or just a sudden feeling that strikes me out of nowhere. It's a cool feeling when your mind is filled with ideas all suddenly - I always, always have ideas, never have I experienced authors block before. Generally main problem is that I often feel I can't give back in art what I have in my mind.

:3

Fantastic idea for a thread, Mel <33

What inspires me? I started drawing when I was... five, I think, after I watched Street Fighter Alpha for the first time. Up 'til about 12 or 13, it was anime/manga that directed my style of art ('til Pokemon/Sailor Moon etc etc exploded with popularity and I ended up hating that style of drawing lol).

I've been Photoshopping for about three years now and, uh, honestly, I don't really look to anyone or anything as an idol of sorts. I pretty much do art for experimentation in there, and I try not to be repetitive with techniques. In fact, being diverse is probably one of my greatest drives with digital art.

In regards to traditional hand-drawn stuff, my Dad is probably my greatest inspiration with it. He's a fantastic artist who can master almost any medium put in front of him, whether it be paint, sculpture, spraypaint, etc etc. If I could be like him, lawd, I'd be happy.

With ideas, my general rule is a theme is as great or as lame as you make it. Whether it be super-broad or specific, I tend to try and play on themes in a way that's clever (bonus points with puns lol), though sometimes I lean more toward making my art look more weird than clever with the theme. If I can mix the two, GREAT, but it's still a balance I'm learning.

Originally Posted by brokenjoker

So, here's a question to get your juices going!

What inspires you to make the art that you do?

Well I don't mean to sound pretentious here, as I don't think any of my art is particularly good. But anyway:

I kinda already mentioned a lot of it, but it's the fact that drawing (and most other kinds of art) is a form of escapism in a sense, and allows you to see things unfold that can't happen in real life. The biggest hook to me is being able to create my own stories and characters and having it go however I want. It can reflect how I feel about something, be for humorous purposes, or maybe even neither.

As for what specifically inspires me, I guess I have to go with everyone else and say that often really good artists do. Whenever I see something really amazing or cool, it usually inspires me. Same thing applies to stuff like games (or movies on the rare occasion I watch one, especially if it's an animated movie).

Games being my primary medium of entertainment (besides drawing), they play a big role in my inspiration. Zelda's always been a big one of course, as has Paper Mario for all its charming personality and smartly streamlined gameplay, but some surprising ones are major players as well-- I've drawn huge inspiration from Animal Crossing of all things, and Ace Attorney has also left a big impact.

My friends also inspire me as well. Whether seeing their art makes me excited to work on my own art, or I get pumped up because of a brainstorming session, my friends play a huge part in keeping me drawing too.

*cough* Anyhoo

Drawing is fun

EDIT:
Holy hot damn, I only kind of have an avatar and sig set about it, but Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes is also a major influence in my life.

Oh man, Calvin and Hobbes had such cute comics. We used to have a big book full of them. <3

I also forgot to mention that seeing cool movies and TV shows gets me inspired to draw, and especially write (which the Nancy Drew books are by far my biggest inspiration for) as well.

Well said, Tonch!

Mmm, when I draw, I usually just do it because I want to/have nothing to do. Oftentimes I try to replicate things or images in the dream I had the night before, or spinning off of a conversation I heard, etc.
I am also greatly influenced by Harvest Moon & Rune Factory. I play those games waaaaaaay too much to not be influenced by them. Yeah, I do draw in a... manga-y style but I don't think I do it right and I like it better that way.
I also am very inspired by the idea of length and fluid movement which is why a lot of times, my limbs are way too long for the body they are attached too. I think it's sexier and far more eye-pleasing to have a drawn out curve of a thigh and calf than a normal one if it fits in.
I bake to please other people and I suppose baking is an art form on it's own. Theres a chanciness to baking, because anyone can go "this is delicious" and they're totally lying, but I like the time and effort it takes to do it.


Totally unrelated, I just requested this print from my good friend & longtime artist, Justin.
He told me I was the first person to request a print from him, which is crazy. So I want you to all go look at his crazy art.
Justin Houston (Artist) | Facebook

Originally Posted by Calliope

also yaaay this thread is a nifty idea

Originally Posted by Gold

(PS: I love this thread. <3)

Originally Posted by Huntress

I'm droppin' in to tell that this is a sweet thread and I love every bits of it! <3

Originally Posted by Liah

Fantastic idea for a thread, Mel <33

Thanks guys! :3 I'm glad you approve. I thought it was a good idea to bring all of you together in one peaceful homely thread to chat about what you love. :>

Originally Posted by Jehanne

Having said that, if there's anybody that doesn't mind being a guinea-pig, I'll put you down for makin' a portrait of ya'. (o.0) It's a dangerous thing, though; you never know what it's going to look like, since I don't actually have a subscribed style yet.

I don't mind at all! I've seen your line art and I really like it!

Originally Posted by Tonch

kinda already mentioned a lot of it, but it's the fact that drawing (and most other kinds of art) is a form of escapism in a sense, and allows you to see things unfold that can't happen in real life.

Oo, this reminds me. The main reason I really started drawing was to use it as a form of escapism, because, sobsobsob, my life was lame and I would always escape into my room and draw things until I got blisters on my fingers (and I did, and still do genuinely love art). But now that my life is not lame, I've had less and less motivation to draw, so in the past couple of years, I've drawn maybe a handful of things, and it's awful, but eh.

Originally Posted by The King Of All Cosmos

Totally unrelated, I just requested this print from my good friend & longtime artist, Justin.
He told me I was the first person to request a print from him, which is crazy. So I want you to all go look at his crazy art.
Justin Houston (Artist) | Facebook

I skimmed through and liked it!

It's new, but very interesting!

Kee should be added to that waiters list.

For tablets, I'e mostly been using a wacom intuos 2, which is 5+ years old. Still works great. Got a wacom intuos 3 recently, also works great, the tablet surface on mine is more textured, but it's easy to get used to.

For a long while though, I was using a really old wacom digitizer 2. But it got the job done surprisingly well for a very long time!


Also, I opened up a thread a week or two ago, showcasing some of my favorite artists in the comic field, if anyone's interested. It's about time I update it again.
http://www.zeldauniverse.net/forums/...y-country.html


As for my art tastes, I prefer realism over everything, by far. But I do like a lot of varying styles and elements(different styles of line, infusions of pop art and bold graphics, many different comic book styles) . But I have to note that I generally do not like the Japanese style of art(but there are a few exceptions), and I absolutely hate abstract art.

As for artists that inspire me, I have this long list(and it's always growing).
First and foremost would definitely be my Dad, he got me drawing in the first place.
Classical, Retro, renaissance artists:
Michelangelo
Leonardo Da Vinci
Alphonse Mucha
N.C. Wyeth
Howard Pyle
Norman Rockwell
Andrew Loomis
Robert Mcginnis

Fantasy Illustrators and Concept Artists:
Frank Frazetta
James Bama
Burne Hogarth
Paul Bonner
Gerald Brom
Ron Cobb
Boris Vallejo
Arthur Suydam
H.R. Giger
Massive Black
Brad Rigney AKA Cryptcrawler
Wayne Barlowe

Comic Book Artists:
John Buscema
Katsuhiro Otomo
Geoff Darrow
Barry Windsor Smith
Bernie Wrightson
Michael Kaluta
Jeff Jones
Alex Ross
Adam Hughes
Frank Cho
Mark Schultz
Juanjo Guarnido
Liam Sharp
Glenn Fabry
Kev Walker
Brian Bolland
Dave Gibbons
Ashley Wood
Phil Hale
Vaughn Bode
Gary Larson
Rael Lyra
Akira Toriyama
Katsuya Terada

Heavy Metal Artists:
Richard Corben
Alex Horley
Tanino Liberatore
Moebius/Jean Giraud
Paulo Serpieri
Simon Bisley
Juan Gimenez
Alfonso Azpiri
James Ryman
Dan Luvisi

Other:
Yasushi Nirasawa(Sculptures)
Takayuki Takeya(Sculptures)
Nishimura Kinu
Bengus
Akiman(Akira Yasuda)

Originally Posted by brokenjoker

So, here's a question to get your juices going!

What inspires you to make the art that you do?

Paul Bonner:

I wish I could find higher quality pics of his epic scenes (and by epic, I literally mean epic) with what seems to be hundreds of orcs, mutants and humans duking it out to the death. Oddly enough, Bonner does this in a playful way. Each character is carrying out a task, and you find find a lot of silly ones. He certainly knows how to make death charming and light-hearted.

Playing Zelda AlttP, LA, OoT and MM are very inspirational for me. I like the worlds created for those games, and the characters that populate them.

Super Mario RPG, Paper Mario 1 and 2, and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga are also very inspirational for me.

As far as music goes, I find Nujabes and Michael Jackson very inspiring. I listen to their music a lot as I draw.

[edit] Forgot Simon Bisley, Brenden McCarthy, the Batman universe, Dragonball, The NeverEnding Story, Ninja Turtles, The Road Warrior, Metroid (Super and Prime 1 and 2 mostly) etc, etc etc etc.

Originally Posted by Ke$ha

GIMP, but I suck compared to a lot of GFXers. My best sig is definitely low mod, maybe even almost close to solid (but not really), while most of my others are either high nov or just barely making the cusp of low mod (I know the standards don't apply if you don't know or care, but whatever).

[IMG*]http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/169/a/9/Cool_Abstract_by_DeathKillington.png[/IMG]

I can link you to some really really good people, if you'd like.

Sure I'd love to be linked to others.

I tried GIMP once. But I just couldn't get used to it or use it effectively.

Yeah, same here. I tried to use GIMP and then abandoned it for the exact same reasons. xP

I'm working on a new picture in Photoshop though. Remember that dragon monster I showed in the Critique Central? Well, I'm gonna finish it. Finally.

Whoa, a whole lounge?!



Phobos-R, I do recognize some of those names, but many (MANY) I'm unfamiliar with. I'll have to look them up!

Originally Posted by Jehanne

Whoa, a whole lounge?!



Phobos-R, I do recognize some of those names, but many (MANY) I'm unfamiliar with. I'll have to look them up!

Yes, you all now have an entire lounge dedicated to all types of artsy talk.

Go nuts in it.

So, here's a question to get your juices going!

What inspires you to make the art that you do?

Well I was inspired to draw back in school by surrealism. It was just so weird that it really captivated me. My favourite artist still is Salvador Dali. His work was just amazing.

Now, usually it is whatever I like at the time. Since pretty much all of my art is fan art. I lack the skills to create my own characters. But, I think I could try again soon since I think I have gotten better since the last time I tried making people from nothing.
I don't really look to any artists for inspiration. I just draw what I like and in the way that is easy to me. Even though I would prefer to shade better instead of the blocky shading I do.