Caveat. My POV may or may not resonate with people but I only have my experience to go off of. The specificity of the context of each person matters too.

I was never a good student. Never developed any discipline and I come from a difficult family. I exited my teenage years in very, very bad shape psycologically and emotionally.

Went to university for classical piano performance and graduated. Got a couple of scholarships to pursue a two-year masters at one of the big music universities in London. Moved there and dropped out after the third week.

Worked doing various things in music, tried (unsuccesfully) to launch several businesses for years. Music and non-music related,

At 25, as a new year resolution I decided to take up drawing. Nothing serious at all. I was looking for soemthing new to sink my teeth into and I dont smoke already and I was in shape so the two classics for new year’s were already taken up.

Over the next year or so drawing and sketching grew from a thing I do once or twice on weekends whilst I relax to three times a week, to starting to research why do things look the way they look, why and how do we see things the way we see them, how does the brain build a picture, etc, etc out of curiosity and eventually I decided I´d like to found my own studio to take on projects that interest me as an artist.

I downsized my life to allow me to just work part-time during the day and I would get home, go to sleep and wake up very early to train drawing and painting, anatomy, figure drawing, composition, experiment, etc before going to work.

I´m 32 years old now and I’ve been working professionally as a concept artist and art director for the last year or so already.

I dont really have a specific point to make other than maybe dont buy into the doom and gloom view of the world and the industry and group-think. Dont be afraid to be contrarian and make your own choices that make sense to you.

I am unable to work due to chronic illness, so I am trying to take up painting and drawing again. I want to improve my 'space' and make it more accomodating so that I am more inclined to use it. I predominantly sketch with pencils and use watercolours, but I also want to invest in acrylics (eventually).

I live in a small house and I am on a tight budget. I have been using my small table in the corner of the living room, but the lighting isn't great, and my back hurts with my current set up. Does anyone have any hacks or recommendations for seating, lighting, and making the most out of the space I currently have? I have an old easel which I plan to try once I dig it out of the storage cupboard. Is it worth investing in a special type of chair or lamp or something?

I am prepared to spend some money on strictly necessary items, but as I said, money and space is tight due to my health and living situation. I live in the UK, in case that is relevant.

*Hope this is the right place to ask

Hello, as the title goes I was wondering do people pre-draw monthly art challenges in advance? I haven't done one personally but I know that drawing everyday can be tiring and lead to burnout especially if you're making these full illustrations and posting them on social media.

So, my question here is; is it a thing to pre-draw? If yes does it still count as a challenge or has that become more of a drawing prompt? Or is more like just planning ahead?

how do i know if someone inquring about purchasing by email is legit or not? and is there an appropriate answer i could send back to prove it's real?

At the beginning of the year, I came across a post on Pinterest and hunted down the original creator until I discovered them on RedNote.

After that, I followed a couple of artists, and one major difference I noticed was their approach to copying.

At first, I didn’t fully register what was happening. I thought it was the same image being reshared over and over again, but I soon realised that they were trac1ng. Because I started a lot of my art-learning journey with American creators, this wasn’t something people generally encouraged, so I knew not to even attempt it. And when I did, I felt like I wasn’t actually learning.

However, the techniques these artists use are quite different from my own, and they seem to approach them in a more technical way. So, while I initially questioned the method, it seems to work for them. Some say it’s to practise line art.

All this is to say that I’ve also noticed differences in the language people use when talking about art.

On RedNote, I see a lot of productivity videos where people practise calligraphy and handwriting. They don’t seem to shy away from copying existing examples as part of their practice, and I feel this approach carries over into how they learn art.

American creators, on the other hand, seem to place a strong emphasis on individuality. I’m not saying this to shame either group or suggest that one approach is better than the other. I’m simply pointing out the differences.

What I found particularly interesting was seeing so many creators reference the same piece for practice and watching them grow. Some even share breakdowns of how they went from the original reference to their final image. American creators, in my experience, seem to focus less on this kind of process and more on practising skills on the spot.

For example, when it comes to drawing boxes, some creators might simply tell you to draw boxes from different angles or practise drawing a certain number of boxes each day.

Again, this isn’t a bad approach. It teaches you to understand three-dimensional space and perspective. As you practise, you begin to recognise how a box changes depending on the angle, such as how its lower side can appear narrower, and you start noticing these visual patterns in real life.

However, I can’t help but wonder how these differences affect the way people learn to draw.

I like the emphasis American artists place on individuality because, in a way, the idea of developing your own style and not relying on copying can push you towards creativity. At the same time, I appreciate the approach many RedNote creators take towards sharing resources and learning from the same references, without placing as much emphasis on individuality.

I’m not saying American creators don’t share resources or learning tips. I’m more interested in the difference in approach and how it might influence the way people learn art.

What are your thoughts? Not on who has it right, but how you feel they impact how a person learns. If the society you are in also plays a part in how you adapt to learning something especially a skill you have to be able to transfer?

I'm searching for a good free to use drawing app for windows but the problem is that I don't have admin access on my school laptop and so every time I try to install one (Krista, medibang, firealpaca, ...) the laptop refuse to install. It asks to be able to make modifications to the laptop, thing i can't do.

Does anyone know one that doesn't ask?

basically as the titles says. asking this cos the art discord server I'm in 'ttzewo's art café' is basically all 'cutsy' art or ppl that mainly draw women (no objection to that, just hear me out).

meanwhile my art style is darker n more 'handsome(?)', which basically means that most ppl don't want to do art trades w me 😭

so now I'm j looking for a new discord server for art trades/art collabs. self promotion or art critiques wld be helpful too (but not necessary, I mostly ask for critiques on 'the wyvern nest')

I want to start as an artist and get my work featured in galleries.

Some back story: I am 34 years old and based in the US. I have always been drawing and sketching since I was a kid. Started off with comic art and graffiti and then moved on to graphic design. Worked as a graphic designer and Art director all over the world. I am a decently successful creative so to speak. I’m an associate creative director at a big PR firm, and have won a decent amount of global awards in advertising. Even been on the jury for a couple of those. So I am pretty content career wise.

But my work never scratches the art itch, so I do create a lot in my spare time. Usually digital art and work related to gaming and football. I post them on social too. My football work did go viral in 2020 and I still post but I can never play to the algorithm. I can’t create fast enough to post every day. I don’t like how artists have to sell out and make reels, “art reveals” etc.

What I really want to do is get make more conceptual work and get it out there. In art galleries. It’s not for money or networking but just a dream I’ve had. Like many here I am not good at networking. Is there any advice you guys have? I saw some galleries have open calls for artists. I’m not sure if they would be open to digital art, that’s what I make. I can do sculptures & paintings too but my current portfolio doesn’t have that. I want to see if I can get my digital work out there too. Thats what I really want to make next with my spare time.

I can share some of my art if it helps provide context.

I was raised on analogue and tactile media. I still love vinyl records, cassette tapes, and physical books. I can't stand reading on a Kindle. I miss when shooting on film was the norm, and when animation was drawn with pencil and ink. I don't know if I'm crazy, but I sometimes struggle to connect with the polished, digital look of so much contemporary art.

And please hear me when I say I appreciate what digital tools have allowed artists to achieve, myself included. There's incredible work being made digitally, and I'm not dismissing any of it.

But as physical media becomes less common, and more of what we consume exists on screens or behind subscriptions, I feel like we're losing something important. There's a warmth and humanity to physical art, its textures, imperfections, and evidence of the artist's hand, that I find increasingly precious. Preserving that feeling seems more important than ever.

So I'd love to start a discussion about artists keeping that handmade spirit alive, particularly in animation, manga, and print comics.

I'm especially interested in contemporary work. Artists who are embracing traditional techniques, or even using digital tools to achieve that organic, tactile quality. The imperfect linework, pencil textures, painted backgrounds, and distinctive visual identities.

A few recent favorites of mine are Goodbye, Lara, Go for It, Nakamura-kun!!, Look Back, Cocoon, and The Girl from the Other Side. They're all quite different, but each has something visually that feels wonderfully human to me.

Who are your favorites? Are there any contemporary artists, animators, or independent comic creators you think deserve more attention for working in this direction?

I'd love to discover some new work and hear what draws you to it!

Thank you in advance for sharing your picks!

❤️ L

Hi, I'm a digital artist of one year and still feel like a stumbling deer..

So I'm here to ask, how did you find your art process? What order do you do it in and why? Do you sketch and then go straight to rendering? And how did you work around finding how to go about a process in your own way? Or in general, how did you progress in terms of art?

How did you get better?

As the subject says. Mainly asking for digital art but traditional would be good to hear from too.

I seldom post to Reddit really but I wanted to ask this. To avoid going into a long rambling fit, as I'm prone to doing, I'll just say that my art process involves a lot of redrawing, starting from stick-figures and simple shapes and then redrawing on top of that over and over and over until I reach what I consider to be the "completed state" that I will then line and color. Is this a normal process? Do others do this and, if so, how often?

I guess I'm mainly just paranoid that this is a sign I'm doing something wrong.

I've been doing art for a while and I get this comment surprisingly a lot and I don't know what it means. What does it mean to have edible art. Or, "I could eat your art". I love the comments but I genuinely have no clue what it means.

Is it like dating back from liking cake decorating so it's edible? I sound like a boomer but I really have no clue lol

I come from a technical background and have recently started drawing/creating visual art. It is very fun and I am enjoying it a lot!

I have recently joined a local group where each month you create art with a specific theme. Before I start on my piece I want to channel my inner GCSE art and do research into the theme, examples of the theme from history and contemporary artists who may create work that I could use as inspiration! I can google the theme and find lists or articles from galleries or art-websites, these are useful and interesting but I worry I might be missing a trick!

If I was researching something computing related, I'd be a lot more comfortable as I have done that plenty at Uni and for my own stuff, but with art, I was just wondering what other people do during the research stages of their process!

If this isn't super appropriate for this sub just LMK! Thank you all :]

Prospective students should look beyond the promotional wording and photographs on the school's website and carefully investigate the actual teaching provision.

The academy has a longstanding reputation associated with Michael John Angel. However, he no longer teaches students at the school and appears to give only occasional lectures. Despite his greatly reduced teaching involvement, the academy continues to trade on his name and reputation. When he was actively teaching in school, the learning experience was very different. Since his teaching involvement has significantly diminished, the quality of teaching has declined considerably. The current teaching provision is not worth the high tuition fees.

The school was due to close in August 2026 due to declining teaching quality and insufficient student enrolment to sustain its operations. It was subsequently sold to anther person. This raises legitimate questions about the school's teaching quality, financial sustainability, student enrolment and long-term stability.

There are serious concerns about the instructors' level of engagement, the overall learning environment and management professionalism. These issues can make the learning experience discouraging rather than supportive. Students paying these fees deserve experienced teachers who genuinely care about their teaching and take their responsibility to students seriously.   

Student retention is another concern. Prospective students should consider why lots of students choose to leave, rather than assuming that the school's past reputation, established when Michael John Angel was still the principal instructor, guarantees a good learning experience today.

Given the overpriced tuition fees, declining teaching quality and concerns about the learning environment, I would not recommend this school. Prospective students should research other classical ateliers and compare the actual teaching provision before committing their money.

My advice: look beyond the name and promotional photographs. There are other schools worth considering. 

Hi, everyone! I’ve been wondering about something interesting. We all know DrawABox -it’s a great and very popular free resource for learning the basics.

But I’ve noticed a paradox: the course creator himself (Uncomfortable) is only an intermediate-level artist. Many course graduates -young concept artists and illustrators aged 21–25 - produce work that’s far more impressive. Not to mention the professionals on ArtStation, who create true masterpieces

Why is that the case? Is it really true that you don’t have to be a brilliant artist yourself to develop an effective teaching method? Have you encountered something similar in other fields? I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the distinction between “knowing how to do” and “knowing how to teach.”

Hi, im a latinoamerican living in Spain with an EU passport wondering if someone could recomend public universities in Europe that offer bachelors degrees in english. Im interested in a fine arts degree (i'm an oil painter), but anything related that could lead me to work as an artist could work. It would also be great if anyone could share their experience working and studying at the same time in a foreign country.

I know there are very good ones here in Spain, but I really don't want to keep living here for 3 or more years.

Has any NSFW artists had any luck with dmca takedown their art from Rule34 Paheal? I’ve emailed them with all the proof I’m the artist of the work but with no response.

Been trying for months. Just curious if anyone here has been successful with this.

I recently got a pack of 60 Arrtx acrylic markers after doing research on which brand was best. Arrtx was very praised online (and honestly most easy to buy in my country), but despite being advertised for being very opaque there are a few colors in the box that are not opaque at all and go on very watery. They don’t cover pencil lines. I don’t mind it too much, but I just thought I would share this in case anyone else does need absolutely opaque markers.

Hello folks. I've been trying my hand at egg tempera on gessoed wooden board (linen cloth under the gesso fixed with rabbit skin glue) and I find throughout all of my attempts that whenever I brush a second layer of colour, it literally runs off the previous layer and I can't figure out why.

I've tried with more and less dilution, different amounts of paint on the brush, and I've adjusted the weight of my hand but nothing seems to help.

How do I prevent this issue?

I have always had ideas for art projects in the realm of storytelling media that where just terrible. While most of them quickly faded, others just keep invading my creative mind.

For example, the concept that currently plagues me the most is a minecraft AU comic about multiple different undead protagonists, living in a post apoclalyptic halloween themed landscape, that is supposed to represent the distant past of the modern day minecraft world. It was supposed to tell the orgin story of each lost soul and the fall of the civilisation that they once inhabbited back when they were still alive.

(If anyone tells me that they want me to actually write this webcomic, then I am gonna throw up!)

It's not just that I think about these ideas, but I actively feel the urge to fully realize those concepts. And sometimes I manage to trick myself into thinking that they are actually good for a few hours, during which I fantisize about these projects, until all the the hype I feelt is used up and I loose interest once again.

It's like a parasite lurking inside my brain, that takes every opportunity to take over my mind.
It is frustrating!

Has anyone here made similar experiences with awful concepts that just won't leave you alone and are seemingly trying to force their way out? And if so, do you know what I can do about it?

Welcome to the Fanart Fridays where we share artwork and writing we have created in the spirit of fanarts.

- Please post your artwork and/or writing in the comments below.
- Social media promo / shop links and commission info are allowed alongside your work as a comment!
- Always ask for permission before posting someone else's work!

If you really feel the need to share someone else's work because you are super excited about it, or if you feel like you'd like to share fanarts made for you by someone else, please ask them for permission to post and also include their social media links.

If you don't have any fanart to share, leave a comment with a list of your favorite things in the spirit of "Fandom".

If this is popular enough, we can make it a weekly or monthly scheduled post.

Lately I posted my adult female OCs on r/OverlookedOCCreators.... and the reaction has me distraught.

I love drawing girls and bodies, but I got mixed reactions, some praised me, some hated it and also said they all looked the same

I deleted it after I got overwhelmed

Now, I know, I do plan to work on body diversity and my designs but I feel like people were being too hard on me... this is my work and I won't let anyone change my mind. I should be proud of my designs, not shamed for it...

I am active in both SFW and NSFW side of the art world, I have OCs and ideas for all, and I keep the mediums separate depending on the subject matter. I never want to make anyone uncomfortable. I was planning on making a 2nd account for my NSFW art...

Also I made another post on there that showed off some of my younger OCs which I poured my heart and soul into like my girls but it barely got any notice.... frustrating me even more. Algorithm fs me over again...

I should take criticism but I haven't been having great days lately and this hurts especially as an artist...

Do you think i'm a swell guy? A good artist? Its this moments where I have impostor syndrome and villainize myself. I never meant to make people angry over my art...

Hello!
I noticed that art that is quite decent has less visibility and engagement on social media.
That's not the case with what i consider it to be "bad" art or high level artworks.

Usually, low level art tends to attract people who see the artist is struggling so they come in with advices and supportive comments. Sometimes, that kind of art makes people engage because it does a good meme material.

High level art doesn't need any explanation - it's breathtaking, it was engineered over days or weeks of work and the artist has a lot of experience that contributes to their artworks being very eye catching and successful.

But medium level art? It seems that most people scrolling go thinking "Mhmm... yea, it's ok... not horrible but not good enough to stop and leave a comment and like". At least this is how it looks like when I am looking at subreddits that are destined to art (not referring to this one).

I would scroll, see a few top posts that gathered thousands of upvotes (which are well-deserved because their art is breathtaking). Upon scrolling more, I see worse art that gathered dozens or hundreds of upvotes and be like "Ok, that's nice, it's a supportive community, this artist will only get encouraged to learn and draw more". And then I see a really decent piece of art and... it's been up there for hours, barely a few upvotes... much less than what I'd call a lower tier level art I've seen before and ask myself "How? This is much better than the previous post that got hundreds?".

I also noticed that low quality art that is mixed with some NSFW elements tend to also rank better than decent SFW art, but that's a discussion for another time.

What do you think?