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fallout161 — How Far Ive Come
Published: 2004-08-13 23:27:58 +0000 UTC; Views: 11568; Favourites: 75; Downloads: 4977
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I could use some serious advice about my work. Why is it going nowhere?here are some areas that I haven't improved on (and in some cases, gotten worse at) in the past few years:
1) imaginitive poses
2) different, dynamic angles
3) drawing full-body characters (most of the time I just draw torsos with no feet)
4) inking
5) scenes that depict action
6) scenes that include backgrounds
7) designing my own characters
8) drawing objects other than the human body
9) drawing/designing clothing, wrinkles
10) drawing the human body, esp. hands and legs
11) using my imagination
12) drawing hair that actually looks like hair (and not spikes or hay)
13) productivity, prolificity
14) speed
15) number collaborations or trades or gift arts for other artists
16) number of commissions
17) number of prints created/sold
18) using a variety of media
19) using/adapting new styles
20) completing bigger, more ambitious pictures
21) pushing artwork to further and further points of "finished," resulting in better quality of a final product
Here are some things I *have* improved upon:
1) CGing techniques
2) Drawing anime eyes
...I'm not feeling too good about myself now.
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Comments: 252
I have the same problem...try researching tutorials on the subjects, that always seems to help me. (if this is late, sry...)
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i know this is a looooong time ago, but i must say at this point already with the 2002 iam so jealous you would never understand.
anyway, i like it, i faved it, time to reach up to somethin
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I think your art is pretty amazing. You just need to practice more I guess, if you realy think you need to improve that much. (im no good at advice giving)
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I havent seen your art since back at the Team Artail website, and I understand that you think you may be dis-improving (which is impossible) but your just used to different techniques from what you used to draw before.
Just remember to try those old techniques every once in awhile.
BTW: either use of techniques from different time periods, your art still has those details and lines that rock
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Don't get frustrated! Take heart! You've got fantastic artwork! And your bodies look much more realistic than before. You're improving quite well, I find that having someone pose for you or getting how to draw books is a big help. Also, sketch everything out nice and messy at first, and then trace over it and clean the lines up (this gets rid of those annoying pencil and eraser smudges). So yes, keep up the work and before you know it you'll be thinking "Dude! I drew that?!" besides, you're your own worst critic!
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Let's face the facts there is improvement and growing with time, it's your devotion on the certain aspects of your work that makes you feel unfinished. I'm not good with distuishing persective and depth, it's a ladder that you have to keep climbing, cause the journey never ends. Take practice in drawing your friends in the 3 dimentional plane and adapt it into your style. No one ever said that art had to look a certain way, realistic or not, you have a talent, and a dream that you love. Don't ever let yourself down to failure, for you are your own worst enemy.
Your pictures great!
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Oh, puh-leez. You've improved a whole lot!!!! Your art was amazing to begin with, and now its just fantastic!!!! Dont worry about it! Your art is wonderful!!!
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don 't worry, you're not alone. I suck at some of the things on your list too, like :
1) imaginitive poses
2) different, dynamic angles
3) drawing full-body characters (most of the time I just draw torsos with no feet)
4) inking
5) scenes that depict action
6) scenes that include backgrounds
8) drawing objects other than the human body
9) drawing wrinkles
17) number of prints created/sold -- I don't even do that...
18) using a variety of media
19) using/adapting new styles
21) pushing artwork to further and further points of "finished," resulting in better quality of a final product
you see. You're not the only one with that problem. Although I think you have improved a lot, comparing those two drawings.
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That's what I've been noticing... I've been working harder to do more dynamic work... I hope to get a Wacom to play more with digital mediums but I'm happy were I'm at now... nice work!
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Have you tried highly-dynamic foreshortening?
You know. Meant for hands and objects pointed towards the work's viewers?
Or have you experimented with varients of weight on your lineart in one piece?
It's an effective way to achieve depth and attention.
-
I'm probably throwing things that you've seen or heard before. But I'm just helping those points to be easily seen.
Your intricate detail in...detail. It makes me so envious because it is so elegant.
If you combined 'expansion' with 'description', so much could be achieved.
-
I look forward to more good work from you. Good luck.
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you feel you need to improve why?!?!?!?! your art is awsome!
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It could just be you found your perfect style and grace? *Patpats* Just try new things, new styles, tools ect. Its usually works for me ^__^
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I fail in many of those same areas (though I'm not as good as you, and a good computer editing program would make a difference). One thing I would like to comment on: "3) drawing full-body characters (most of the time I just draw torsos with no feet)". I also do this. But, thinking about it I suppose it is not without reason... so, possibilities maybe that you 1) don't plan before you start making lines (i.e. not seeing a picture to put in the frame of the paper) 2) you draw to big for your paper (upgrade your size -- I find 8 1/2 x 11 to be small) 3) you suspend the character in a void of whiteness instead of imagining at least a fraction of a setting (though void is a setting, but only if you plan it that way) 4) you're just plain lazy (which probably means you need to learn how to say no to videogames).
Maybe that is helpful?
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I just zipped through the other comments to see if anyone else had said anything similar, but I figured reading all 236 of them would take me the better part of the day, so I'll skip that.. Though I did notice someone mentioning tutorials.. Screw tutorials.
So, to the point.. I'd say what I tell myself and everyone who ever says they haven't improved "lately". You have. Trust me. Just from looking at these two, you've improved in advanced anatomy, use of shapes and physics. Adding to the CG techniques you've aquired, which themselves are a giant leap when it comes to presentation. A good finish makes every bit of difference in how a picture looks. And looking at the CGs in your gallery.. You've gotten much farther than you think. See, one can only learn so much in actual figure drawing. Eventually, the figure can't improve, you've reached the end of human anatomy study. It's obvious you know what you're doing with the human body in each picture, there's nothing more you could learn in that style, which would be the reason you feel that way.
I stopped making sense again, but in the end, instead of comparing your best picture from 2002 to a quick, unfinished sketch from 2004.. Redraw the picture from 2002 using your current skills.. That's how to show yourself what you've learned.
Keep it up, don't you dare be depressed about your abilities (Makes me feel horrible, I suck compared to you) and dedicate yourself to finishing each project before starting a new one. Play with fire.. In simpler terms, practice that which you feel you've not improved on. Do some "impossible" poses, barely within the limits of the human body. Do complete, finished works, and don't post your works unless they're finished. Screw inking, you don't need it ( 
If you ever feel up for an art trade, hook me up
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OMG...how do you make it look like that?! It's like...so freaking great....drool
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I see some definite improvements since 2002(around when I first saw your work), however subtle they may be. Your lines seem so "sure" and purposeful, I'm really envious. Improvement is a long and arduous process, especially when you have already obtained such a professional level of skill. At least you already have a list of things you're going to work on to help hone your skills further, which is more than I can say for most people. So don't be discouraged, just keep working and always remember that you inspire so many people to improve their own skills, you must be doing something right!
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I actually prefer your 2002 work. While it lacks a certain reality. It's the reality that's far to overdone. While the 2002 is more cartoonish, I like it's sense of imagination. It fits more with the creativity and scenes you often put your characters in. Plus, there's a certain thing that made me fall in love with Halcyon. I think perhaps you should do some more of her soon. It'd be interesting to see what happens if you bring her back.
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If you're looking for poses, check out "Anatomy for Artists" (here's the bn.com review: [link] ). I have the book if you want to borrow it (it's Matt M. from the Matt and Choly devious duo =B).
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you've improved alot even if you didn't realize it. at least your better than me.:LOL:
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It's not the improvement, it's the growth..
It's impossible to rate yourself by how much you've "improved" because you'd already come from so far as it was.
But, you've refined your skills.. Every detail of your skills back then are finetuned to the point of where you're at now..
It's impossible to improve much when you're already so close to perfection.
And in any case, I'd say that you have improved anyway.. your figures hold a lot more depth now, your folds in material has become phenomenally SW33T, the costume/garb designs you make for your characters are extremely inventive and innovative and original, and your characters themselves have a more refined style to them, their personalities shine through more, and they come across as more "real" than your earlier characters.
I definitely look up to you as the best dA anime artist, if not purely for your awesome skillz, then for your incredibly cool style.
I'd comment more but I'm sure you get way too much to handle as it is
Kudos to you!
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Oh come on Matt. I've seen your stuff for years now and you've deffinitly improved a bunch!
One of the major things that I notice is your backgrounds. They've gotten incredible!
Maybe that's where all of your artistic focus has gone...
You can't say that you havn't improved with characters either. Your anatomy is WAY better than it used to be, which is actually saying a lot because you've always kicked my arse at it.
Something else too that I've noticed is that your artwork is VERY expressive. Often it is worth skipping out on the realism to get that across. If you want to acheive super details, you may end up loosing the emotion that your pieces have... which frankly my dear, is why your artwork kicks so much ass and is frequently favorited by everyone.
=^_~=
I understand the need for wanting to improve on the little things, I am after all and artist myself, but you can't forget what it is about drawing that you like so much.
(Something else you have going for you is the fact that you can pinpoint what you don't like about your art... there's a lot of people out there who can't do that and thus give up the trade altogether. Sad yes, but after working many years at the JACON art show I know it to be true =~_~
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I think you really maybe don't like how it's changed because you feel you haven't progressed but gotten no where. You've gotten somewhere but maybe it's not what you want exactly...I think more simplistic, is more your style which makes you unique, like before is good and don't stress the details as much^^
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Dude...ur pictures are awesome.....dont be so hard on urself.....i wish i could do stuff like that.....ya can look at my pics and laugh id it makes u feel ne better....i have like...two good ones...that took me months...but all the rest (like ones that are my own characters not something i used reference for) are reeally not all that good lol... but i think u have improved...a lot...
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there is definate change in the details regarding anatomy.. small but effective ones, like adding of muscles around the stomach and giving more definition to the bellybutton and collarbones.. and the facial structure has developed too.. All of your art, that I've noticed, within the past few years, has had a substancial ammount of very intricate details. and alot of it has been very dynamic and interesting. maybe there is few changes between these two pieces, but you definately have really great stuff.
this is only my two cents, but if you want to do something more exciting or dynamic, try focusing on that first; the dynamics (think of the pose etc.) ... get someone to post for you, and use their pics as reference. get the anatomy down before you start filling in the character details (and details in general.),,,
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For starters, I think sometimes you try TOO hard to make yourself a better artist. I mean, just reading that list boggles MY mind - I've never made MYSELF a list, because as I would be writing it, I'd probably think even LESS of myself as an artist, because of what abilities I had not exercised (if at all) enough to remotely master.
...
Um, yeah. I got 'ya. ^^'
*I* know my limits - and sadly, I reflect on them without making little if any change. Which makes me a poor example to learn from. But what I DO know, is that you are admired by a vast number of deviants here on all levels. And I'm SURE it's not just here - I believe your friends and girlfriend do as well. If she can't point out exactly what you need to improve, she's there with a hug and a "I believe in you."
Take a breather, and excell at a pace YOU feel comfortable working at. Sometimes, it takes a man or woman a lifetime to become an artistic legend - I believe you're already half of the way there. :3
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Read "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain". It's mostly geared toward people who haven't drawn before, and the woman that wrote it is one of those long-winded doctor people, so just... skip the first forty pages. BUT there are some exercises that help you break from old drawing patterns and it opens your mind. If you're one of those pople that needs to understand something to make it work for you (me!), it also offers theories on why these exercises work. Whether they're true or not isn't really the point
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I think your works awsome, try experimenting more ask for ideas sometimes that helps me
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well i think they're both pretty good ^^' better than what i can do now then again ive only been doing anime style art for 3 years
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hey, on the bright side, your still a helluva lot better than most people here! Anyway, I'd say there are different characteristics to your old and new style... being a geeky anime fan, Im sorry to say I prefer your old more, but the new looks more realistic and has much more depth. Maybe you can incorporate the best of your old stuff, like poses, face expressions, themes, clothings, with the best of your new stuff as in more realistic bodies and such. whatever happens, your still one of the best artists I've seen around. If it makes you feel any better, I'm horrible at anything to do with backgrounds, I still have trouble drawing shoes for some reason, and any pose that's not standing straight up is immensly hard for me... hahaha, now I feel depressed too. Imma go practice drawing some more now, see ya.
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For objects other than the human body check out [link] . He's very good at doing scenes involving backgrounds and rocks and and trees and such. And you have some of the most imaginative characters I've seen. Just work on different size of characters and exaggerate different features on different characters. FOrmore realistic type hair, take a picture of someone with hair you like, and upload in to photoshop. Then draw over it. That's a really good way to getting used to proportions and hair and more realistic aspects that you can apply to you characters. And inking? just darken the lines near the shading. That's all I have to say.
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I definitely see improvement. Seriously. Your characters have more depth to them, like more anatomy definition [that stomach area now is hotness xD], style and texture of clothes [the cool wrinkles and how you lineart them give sort of a feel to me about what they're supposed to be like], adn the face - it's got more detail and shape to it. I think we all improve in one way or another, and we'll never reach a peak because we could try so many new things like styles that could add on to make a new look. I think we see our own artwork too much we overlook the tiny things that really shows 'how far we've gone', but I have to say I this - you did go really far. 
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Well, I have an idea. Try drawin somfin' OTHER than anime. Like cartoons! Make fun of something, like anime! Or try drawing real animals. Seriously. It aint the end of the world.
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You could try drawing something different from the human body. Such as landscapes, buildings, animals, trees...
To do this, you have to look at all the small details the nature offers you, and then be able to put them on paper.
Believe me, I learned how to draw canines while trying to leanr how to draw dinosaurs 
Hope this helps
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Maybe it's as they say, you're trying too hard and it's making problems for you. I have times where I draw for a long time and then I seem to only do it because it's expected of me and the quality goes waaaay down, but, when I stop for a few months I find that I draw a lot better than I did before. I guess what I'm saying is take a break for yourself...Do what YOU need to do and THEN worry about drawing. I bet you'll find you do better and enjoy it more as a result. I don't know if this helps at all but I hope it does. Anyway, have a great day and smile ^^
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improving is a bitch.
solid.
ugh. sometimes it just seems like nothing has happened and your starting to get bored with your work. but when you push yourself too much you just dont wanna do it. so your screwed either way.
i would say work on one small thing in one simple picture and continue that way. draw a dynamic picture, a crazy pose, but dont try anything else with the picture, you can do that later. just try to create action without worrying about 2 birds with one stone... or more birds... cuz then that just gets difficult...
i do see improvements though, i notice a change in figure, more depth, more body. esp. in that stomach area. there is more thickness to the clothes. the wrinkles in the crotch area are awesome, while you dont have any in the previous. and ur arms, that is definately something ive noticed with your art recently, your getting really good at structuring your arms. esspecially with those big belty glove things XD!
the only thing i would see why the past one is better, is the fact that she has more movement.
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I've been watching your work for a while, and have seen a lot of improvement, especially as far as CG is concerned. All artists come to a point where they feel there isn't much improvement. Usually this happens if they think they have reached their limit or are incredibly happy with where they are. I believe that you have potential to go further. Keep studying things such as anatomy and color theory, as these will benifit your work. Keep an open mind and open eyes for artists you respect. You will get a lot of compliments here, but keep an open mind to criticism of teachers and collegues as well. Try doing things just for yourself in a different style from your normal one. I like how much more anatomical detail you've been adding to your newer drawings, I think you can take it even farther!
Just a few words of advice I could come up with from what people have told me as well.
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Giving my oppinion when you have about a trillion others is pretty pointless but what the hell im game and if im wrong or being a dumbass you can just tell me to go throw myself of a bridge..
I just notice that... compared to when i first saw your art, which was a LONG time ago. It seemed it had something more to it.. Like in your 2002 for example, She looks happy and carefree in spirit, even your lines and tones show that beautifully... I've always felt that art needed emotion to make it have that special quality it needs, just like music.. and how it can make you feel inside. Doesnt really matter how great you can draw or sing ... its your feeling that you put into it that reach other peoples hearts and minds. Resulting in the most smallest of things to be turned into something of a masterpiece.
If your spirits not in it mate then your gonna be one frustrated man...
Oh hell i am not very good at this kinda sentamental stuff or art for that matter of fact and i put all my feelings into it hehe but OH bloodyhell who gives a`damn right I draw because I like it.
So just hang in there mate you'll be fine. Besides you gotta fan club commin out the waazoo so you gotta be doing something right.
An if you want me to throw myself off a bridge your gonna have to draw me one cause there isnt a good one around the thousands of miles!
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now that you know what's wrong, you can fix it. put ur mind to it. but that makes a nice list for me to think about..
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You have a really excellent style - but if you wanna do something different you have to fight your instincts esp. as you seem to have stuck very tightly to the same style honing it to a fine point. Out of curiousity try doodling, I bet if you doodle you always end up with a similar set of shapes/characters and the overall feel is the same isn't it?
Try doodling again, but instead of subconsiously letting your hand work - try to work against yourself don't let yourself fall into your style or pattern, hold your pencil/pen differently even draw with your other hand or both hands simultaneously, try drawing with your eyes closed/blindfolded - imagining the picture in your head and then trying to control your hands with no visual feedback, it will give you a great insight as to how much you rely on the drawing "creating itself".
Once you have done this a few times and the results are totally different from the norm - you are ready to go and take inspiration from a famous work in a style completely different to yours... do something radically different like a De Stijl (Piet Mondrian or Theo van Doesberg [link] ) or Cubism (Pablo Picasso or Georges Braque [link] )
I bet you start with line sketches don't you? Try starting with shading & blocks of colour - defining all your shapes with tone instead of line - don't draw any single lines at all... send me a note and let me know how you get on.
There is a great book called "Vision & Art - The Biology of seeing" it's a cross between an Art book and a science book, but don't be put off, it is one of the best books I have read - it shows you why we see things the way we do and how different styles and media and line and tone and colour all go together to create art and the visual world we perceive. Something any good artist should understand - The understanding of the way people see is the key to creating visual art...
VISION AND ART - THE BIOLOGY OF SEEING. By Margaret Livingstone - ISBN: 0-8109-0406-3
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Something that I've tried occasionally when I want to give my art a different feel is to try a different medium. It's occasionally a good experience to work with a really crappy medium- it forces you to adjust your style to accomadate the limitations of whatever you're using. The last time I got stuck, I went out and bought some cheap tempra paints (the kind they give you in kindergarten) and some reeeally crappy paintbrushes. I wound up with an orange and blue leopard. You won't turn out your best work, but you will get something very different from your usual style. You can also conciously limit yourself by deciding to draw something using only two colours, or using only one photoshop brush. It's frustrating at times, but fun
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y'know I've been stuck in my creative abilities aswell. From reading your problems I've encountered a good majority of them and haven't been able to say that I've gained much in terms of progression since I was 21 and I'm now 25. But then again with a demanding work schedule which isn't art related it leaves me little to no time to even sketch something simple.
Heck I'm lucky if I can get one picture done in a month.
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I think that it's better now. ur able to do more detail and the colours you use now are even more vibrant and appealing to the eye. I personnally love all of ur work but maybe you havent improved much because you haven't been widening ur horizons. just a thought
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If you truely feel you are in a rut, go check out some other artists. Seriously, they need not be as good as you, but they have something about their art that interests you and you would like to use in your own. Other artists work always gives me idea of what I could do better or differently. I have been using this method of exploring artists, taking ideas from them (not copying or stealing their work) and using them in my pieces. If you just take a little ideas from different, soon you'll find you have a whole mess of ideas to work with.
Don't like your bodies or bgs? Find some who you do like in that category and do what they do. It's not cheating if your not copying. Art is the exchange of ideas. All the great artists began by beig inspired or copying techiniques of other artists. Do some exploring, and your ideas will grow.
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just incase you didnt get it the first 200-odd times it was said, dont be so hard on yourself! your work is awesome. i've had you on dev watch for aaaages now and you keep coming up with original pieces that just keep getting better and better (for example, your latest one, whispers of melancholy- i love it!) anyway, i'll shut up now...
p.s. i love your spikey/straw hair!! don't ever change it
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I see why you would feel a need to improve, most artists always try finding new ways to refine their style. I keep trying to improve on most of those listed unimproved skills and the 2 in the improve list you have. Your actually one of the few artist I look towards to for new ways to improve, by looking at what you have done and compare it to what I can currently do and have done, I try changing my skill to be closer to you skill. That and you are also one of the few artists I always look for in my 300 nearing 400 some unchecked messages.
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You've really made more progress than you think o.o
For one thing, your stuff looks a lot more realistic now than it did then. The face shapes in particular have gotten WAY better, judging by what I see here. Also, you've gotten some more variety in your lineart. It used to be really angular, but now you seem to be adding a lot of smooth curves as well as sharp angles. That makes a really big difference ^^ your muscle toning has also improved considerably. :3 As the comment above mentions, you've got some meat on cass, as opposed to the other one ^.^
I've also been looking through your gallery as of late, and I see TONS of improvement as far as detail goes. You've gotten much better at backgrounds, and the clothing detail has gotten to a point of where it's so awesome I'm amazed it hasn't exploded yet or something o.o
You mentioned you dislike the hair you draw, but I think that's one of the things that makes your style original. I see in some of your more recent pictures it's gotten a little more wavy and less stiff. It's getting more and more realistic as you go on, you just have to keep on patiently working it it :3
The only thing on the list that I think you could use a little bit of work on is the dynamic poses/scenes that depict action. Almost every artist I've encountered has of formerly has had this problem. It's one of those little biznitches that has to make life difficult. I think that some of your somewhat older works actually had some more motion/action than some of your newer ones. After a while, you started to focus less on action and more on detail. That's not bad at all; you were just attacking two different aspects of your work at different times. But I think you can learn from some of your older things ^^ One thing that I remember being particularly awesome was "freefall" which could have been one of the best action/movement pictures I've ever seen O.O Some of your quick anatomy sketchies have some really awesome poses as well o.o I remember some panthers swim being really nifty as well....*is rambling, slaps self* ANYWAY. So if you could fuse some of your old style in with your new one, I think you'd start to see some changes, maybe even big ones ^^
(coughtheblurtoolisagodsendwhenitcomesto movementcough)
Also, as you keep drawing, your art does improve; it just improves less dramatically as time goes by. It's like when you level up in final fantasy VII and at first it takes like two battles with a potato to get up three levels but then as you get stronger you have to kill like 3 billion ultima dragons to get half the experience you need to level up once. And no, I could not have chosen a less nerdy way to explain that XD I'm sorry XD
In conclusionzorzs, I think that your art has changed a lot, and that the improvement you're looking for is not beyond you :3 I probably have no room to say any of this, seeing as how I SUCK HORRIBLY at anything resembling art. (As you know at this point. That foku-Hal thing was probably one of the worst things I've ever CGed. I'm so sorry.) But...yeah. I hope this helps, in some way or another
...And I think your art is awesome, improvement or no ^^
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Draw from real life. Ask a friend to let you draw them, draw ads out of magizines.
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i know where your comin from, it is hard to notice for yourself exactly how much or in what ways you have improved. We all see it and somtimes you just have to take other peoples word for it since they have "fresh eyes"
i can see lots of improvement but like all artists, it takes time maybe even 2 years 
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