I've been asked what I enjoy working in more. "Traditional art supplies or digital art programs?" My answer is, "I enjoy what I'm working with at that specific time." I'm not just saying that either. I really mean it! Once I start creating a piece I literally get lost in the process. Hours can go by and I'm oblivious to it. I'm simply excited to be trying a new softer colored pencil, working in tempera paints with a palette knife or simply clicking my mouse on a new filter.
That aside, the business of creating art for a living requires you to "BRAND" yourself. Or in other words, create and market a style that is recognizable as YOU! So how can you brand yourself in traditional materials AND digital? Over time I've learned to not force my style to change to keep up what is popular but rather allow the materials I'm working in to change it for me. My water colors will always look different than my Corel colors so it'll be different__ yet the same. Thus my love for drawing every day has never diminished and I'm still excited to be trying new stuff.
4 comments:
I agree, Scott. The process is part of the joy of creating. Both your styles are recognizable as yours, and both have unique qualities that delight the eye.
The way you used your colored pencils on the first image just shows how much you enjoyed working in the media and on the subject.
I also agree that you cannot change a style to match another's for the sake of the marketplace. It is so important to develop a style that suits the artist and allows one to be true to oneself.
Thanks for the great post that keeps us thinking and investigating.
I get lost creating but I am a digital artist myself.
I totally agree. I work both digitally and traditionally and I love them both. I love all the different things I can do with Corel and Photoshop. It can take a new illustration and make it look old and vintage like, but then I get to play with ink and watercolor, gouache, and acrylics and charcoal and it's a total other outlet. I enjoy live art. It's breaths. You can touch the media and I really love that. I think as artist we should allow ourselves the joy of experimenting with many different types of media. You never know what will inspire you. I say try them all and see where it takes you. Even if digital is not for you, try another media besides the one that you are using at the present. I hear that a lot of publisher don't really like the digital as much. Stating that it's to mass market. I know lots of digital artist who's work doesn't have that mass market feel to it. Actually you have to look really hard at their stuff to see if it's digitally rendered. To each his own.
Great post Scott.
Love this post... it's the joy in the process that keeps us creating.
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