[ SECRET POST #2916 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2916 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 050 secrets from Secret Submission Post #417.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 1 (second time) - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ], [ 1 - posted twice ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

09. http://i.imgur.com/etI8lpt.png

[(Anonymous)]

If your drawings are just anatomically realistic well-drawn portraits of characters, that's not something anyone gives a shit about. People like pictures of interesting actions, concepts, something with humor or charm, flavor, emotion, maybe something connected to a canon event, an in-joke, etc. Something to draw them in. Something that gives you a reason to want to look at it and say something about it beyond "this is well drawn." People are always going to vastly prefer a mediocre drawing of a character doing something fun, interesting, or humorous, and canon-relevant, with another character over a good drawing of a character just standing there.

Maybe you do do all this stuff, in which case, my condolences. But in case you don't, it's a suggestion.

[dreemyweird]

I'm sorry, OP, but my first thought was that perhaps your art is not as good as you think. Sometimes people just don't see all the mistakes they make. If you really draw popular characters and your artistic technique is decent, you're going to have at least SOME recognition.

(well, there may always be weird exceptions, of course. But still).

[(Anonymous)]

Echoing what the anon above said. It takes more than technical ability to make a picture appealing.

Then of course there's other aspects of your technique that may be lacking ng. Why not try focusing on body language and facial expressions.

[kallanda_lee]

My somewhat shitty yet functional advice? Tr drawing a juggernaut pairing in cute popular tropes. Even if that's not your thing - it might get people to notice you.

[solticisekf]

Try drawing in small fandoms? Less competition. I get some feedback from DA though my fanart is subpar, I can honestly say. Star Trek TNG, ENT pics get some feedback.
Also on DA at least people visit your page if you leave a comment and a fave on theirs. DA also have themed groups, they usually contact you with a request to add your fanart in a day or two.
On Tumblr try using specific tags? Like, idk, woobie!Loki fanart Chrismas horns, if it applies.
Beingn appreciated by few is ok too.

[(Anonymous)]

I appreciate artists with a good grasp of anatomy, but if your drawings are super realistic then that's kind of boring and I probably wouldn't pay attention to it. impressive, sure, but also boring.

[anonymous4]

Without seeing your art it's difficult to comment or give you any useful advice.

There certainly are people--and I'm one of them--who would rather look at well-drawn art (even if it has no 'story') than at badly-drawn art with bags of story, but I think they're in a minority.

All I can say is: if fandom makes you unhappy, give it a break. Don't, whatever you do, let it make you stop drawing.

[(Anonymous)]

MARKETING MARKETING MARKETING

Shill your stuff! Find communities! Tag other artists! Find a mountaintop to stand on and shout "I DRAW STUFF!"

And don't be too concerned if nobody bites right away. These things do take time.

[(Anonymous)]

Eh, I feel like I'm in the minority for caring a lot more about an artist's ability to display their technical knowledge and understanding of the medium, over telling a story or being engaging.

Like, maybe it's just because I've thrown so many hours into the practice, myself.
But I value good anatomy and shading and all that junk over "it made me feel things."

Unfortunately, that's not a very prevalent view.
Especially amongst people looking for fanart.
Good luck to you, in any case.

[(Anonymous)]

Ignore some of these comments, OP. You draw what you want to, what makes sense for you, what you enjoy. It doesn't have to be "action packed" or a trope to be good or to have appreciative fans out there.

Tumblr may not be the place for your art. Most of Tumblr fandoms focuses on certain aspects of fandom; you might be portraying other aspects. Same with Deviantart. It is by no means a measure of how good, or "interesting" your work is.

You might find a more receptive audience in other sites devoted to whatever fandom you are in.

I would stop drawing for others, too. Draw for yourself, until you get a better feel for your style and how and where it will fit into the fandom scene.

[(Anonymous)]

Post one of your drawing here so we can help you and tell you what's wrong (if there's something wrong with it) or compliment you! :)

[(Anonymous)]

Your secret leaves too many questions. What style is your art? Is it flashy? Dynamic? Are you going to the right audience? Are you good with colors?

Try getting critiques. Sometimes what you believe your art is perfect the way it is, but in order to market to others you need to know what they like.

[(Anonymous)]

My first thought was that maybe all your fandoms are either really small or really huge. In my experience, I'd pass over a well-drawn piece of art if it was of some character I didn't recognize at all or one I was sick of seeing everywhere already, and others might feel the same.

Doesn't mean you should deliberately look for a fandom that strikes the right balance, but just that certain fandoms have a level of inattention that you have to expect. If you continue posting art regularly, you'll probably eventually get some recognition, even it if takes a while to spark the initial interest.

Good luck!

[(Anonymous)]

Is it just me, or is an artist who says "I'm a good artist" because "the line width varies correctly" not really getting the point of art, which is artistic expression?

I'm also joining in with those who suspect the OP is not as good as they think they are. Those are some weird criteria for what makes good art. And I'm speaking as someone whose art style was purely realistic, and for over 10 years regularly drew from life models, wanting to get it right.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm... sort of not sure why there's such a divide between 'good' art and engaging/tells a story art in this thread. If it's pretty to look at OR if it engages the viewer, then it's going to get noticed. Fanart in my fandoms runs the gamut from highly detailed realism sketches to cute chibis, and I'm not sure why liking one precludes you from liking the other.

As others have said, OP, it's hard to comment on your secret without actually seeing your work, but the only thing I can take from how you've worded it is that perhaps you're a little hung up on the technical aspects of your work and may be missing some passion or energy. It might also be a good idea to just draw something for fun, and not necessarily for recognition, if you think you might be over-analyzing things too much.

[cloud_riven]

I'm going to assume that on top of technical ability, you actually do know how to stylize and create dynamic drawings. Either you appeal or you don't, and I know it's easy to feel unappreciated or ignored.

If it's attention, you could try being prolific, or simply go the lowest common denominator route prolifically.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm in the same situation, and no, I'm not in denial about my artistic abilities, because my very first crappy pictures from years ago got a ton of reblogs.

I can only assume that our taste in art is different from most people's.

[raspberryrain]

Getting attention as an artist is really hard.

I expect line weight is probably one of the last things on most fans' & customers' minds. There's so much technically good art out there that people take it for granted.

[(Anonymous)]

Hmmm...maybe you're a good drawer but not necessarily a good artist?

Some people are blessed enough to be both. Some are not quite great at the technical aspect but their art is engaging enough that people forgive that. It's kinda like being a good writer versus being a good story teller. It doesn't matter if you use correct grammar and punctuation if your story is dull as bricks.

Play around some OP. Don't be overly concerned with correct proportions and line widths. Step out of your comfort zone and try some stylized stuff. Even if it's not your thing and you end up trashing the sketches, it might "loosen up" (for lack of a better term) your regular work and make it more visually engaging.

[(Anonymous)]

As others have said, it seems that you're too hung up on being a good artist/getting attention for being a good artist.

That frame of mind works with writing, too. You can write fic that is absolutely flawless grammatically, has no spelling errors, and uses "pretty language", but it's very obvious from a reader's stand-point if there's no passion behind it. It's like reading an essay.

Obviously I could be mistaken, and you could be very passionate about your art, but the way you worded this secret seems like you're a tad obsessed, which is never all that healthy. I absolutely understand, I've been there, but maybe try...making more friends? Meet other artists, whether you think they're better or worse than you, and share tips. Work on collaborations. Join fandom activities like big bangs or reverse bangs or prompt challenges. GET YOURSELF OUT THERE rather than just throwing your work into the abyss and hoping for the best.

Doing stuff like that certainly helped me (a writer, not an artist, mind you). And good luck!

[saku]

it can be difficult to establish a follower base at first. sometimes even if you tag properly it can be easily buried or missed. this happens with fic sometimes too, not just fanart (at least from what i've seen)

[(Anonymous)]

I don't know what to tell you, OP. I've often seen people squee uncritically over artwork that I think is appallingly bad. My guess is, sometimes it has more to do with how well liked the artist is (as a person) than the quality of their art.

[(Anonymous)]

So I'm a "technically good" artist, and I feel like my works get a pretty decent reception. Two things that are maybe tripping you up...

- You might not be as good as you think you are. Anatomy, coloring, shading, perspective, composition.... If even one of those things is off in your work, it might really turn people off. Sometimes goofy shit can fuck you up, too, like coloring on a flat-screen or laptop monitor can seriously throw off your colors and shading.

- Your subject matter might be unpopular, or you're posting it in such a way that people can't find it. Honestly, tumblr is fucking FANTASTIC for getting your work out there, if you tag it appropriately and keep your blog organized.

[dinogrrl]

You have to draw for yourself too, otherwise yeah, you will get burned out with art. What do you like to draw? What makes you happy when you doodle it out?

How the public likes art is an unpredictable thing. Maybe your art is technically perfect, but it lacks emotion, as tends to happen when art is 100% accurate--it's the inaccuracies that people find attractive, artists have been banking on that for hundreds, if not thousands, of years :p. And unfortunately, yeah, most work any artist does goes unappreciated. That's how it is with art of any sort. 90% practice, 8% finished work, and then 2%, if you're lucky, is what brings home the bacon.

Maybe it's not as technically good as you think. It happens. There are plenty of art critique sites out there that can give you tips on this front.

Have you ever specifically asked what people like to see? If you're really into feedback, it may be best to start here, draw several images of popular things, then slip in a doodle of your own.


(Reposted in the right thread this time!)