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:iconmonkeyslunch:

~Monkeyslunch

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Hell Week

Mon Oct 6, 2008, 1:36 PM
  • Mood: Tired
  • Listening to: the cat meow
  • Reading: Guy Davis' The Marquis
  • Watching: The Fountain
  • Playing: Spore
  • Eating: Cold pizza
  • Drinking: Nestea
Ugh ugh!

So there's a bunch of new work from me, mostly conceptual stuff for a new comic project I'm working on.

This is also one of the first hell weeks of the semester where we have 3 major projects due one after the other. Thankfully I've been working pretty speedy and efficiently this year though and have been on top of everything.

I've got to get ahead of everything though as I'm partaking in another art show this week, going to my hometown for Thanksgiving, submitting work for contests and submission to CMYK magazine, as well as trying to spend as much time as I can with my lovely girlfriend! So, wish me luck!

I'm also curious as to people's opinions of what they are doing to make themselves stand out or seem unique to critics, employers, against the rest of the crowd, and so on. The conversation keeps coming up at my school about some people having a hard time developing their own artistic style or voice. We recently had a large review of our school and the critics mentioned in a dissatisfied tone how much eastern influence (manga, anime) they thought our drawing and illustration majors seemed to have and wondered why they weren't developing their own artistic voices. I think its important, especially these days when the internet and e-mail have made art much more accessible, to stand out against the crowd. Any opinions?

16 Comments

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:iconmanamaraya:
*Manamaraya Oct 6, 2008, 5:36:32 PM
Everyone is going to have a hard time establishing their artistic voice/style. The ones who actually do establish it--are the ones who become the most successful in the industry. They don't even have to be stellar artists--just fresh. Well, look at Mike Magnola for example.

Those who stick too close to their influences--will be the artist who draws like "that guy" or worse yet, "those guys".

"You draw like those guys who do the japanime stuff!"

--
.Always believed we could fly
Through this life of bees.
:iconjurei-chan:
~Jurei-chan Oct 6, 2008, 6:42:51 PM
Actually, according to Teak, most artists don't develop their "style" until well after art school...usually two years or so.^^;

I disagree with those critics, personally...to find the "anime influence" in our illustration majors' work, you pretty much have to be looking out for it with a magnifying glass. >.> I don't think Sam Weber, for example, has an "anime" style, even if he DOES find influences in some of it...same thing with Connor.

*shrugs* Maybe if our grads were drawing big-eyed schoolgirls all the time...Haven't personally seen much of that kicking around. >.>

--
~*Being an Art Student isn't actually all that different from being a Vampire, except that I actually suffer from lack of sleep, food, money, and sunlight.*~
:iconmonkeyslunch:
~Monkeyslunch Oct 6, 2008, 6:59:59 PM
Yeah, I'm not sure. I wonder if it had more to do with that choice in work that the instructors put up on the walls for that review? I mean, Joy's stuff looks pretty heavy anime/manga influenced and that was plastered everywhere, so I'm not sure?

--
Visit my website here: [link]
Or the Monkeyslunch Artist Forums here: [link]
:iconmonkeyslunch:
~Monkeyslunch Oct 6, 2008, 7:05:51 PM
I just think its an interesting question to ask, especially in a place like deivantart where there's a lot of work that looks the same. I sometimes get tired of the criticism given to the "Manga and Anime" artists because I've seen quite a few people with asian influences with really strong individual styles that stick out, and I think its obvious that people like that market and it sells, so... where's the huge deal?

--
Visit my website here: [link]
Or the Monkeyslunch Artist Forums here: [link]
:iconmanamaraya:
*Manamaraya Oct 6, 2008, 7:28:39 PM
it's not really a huge deal, but when you think about how many people here want to become way great manga artists... then you kind of get an idea as to how it could be detrimental.

I didn't say being influenced was bad--being too influenced, however, can be. And there are a lot of artists out there who can't seem to draw that line between being influenced, and overly influenced. ' 3' <3

--
.Always believed we could fly
Through this life of bees.
:iconmonkeyslunch:
~Monkeyslunch Oct 7, 2008, 12:06:53 AM
indeed!

--
Visit my website here: [link]
Or the Monkeyslunch Artist Forums here: [link]
:iconjurei-chan:
~Jurei-chan Oct 8, 2008, 4:49:54 PM
Hmm...maybe...though I see more James Jean influence in Joy Ang's work. It does have some Asian flavour, but not in your usual animu sense. *shrugs* Ah well...I think it's kind of impossible to escape it completely, considering that even the illustrators we're looking at in Design History all had Asian influence. >.>

--
~*Being an Art Student isn't actually all that different from being a Vampire, except that I actually suffer from lack of sleep, food, money, and sunlight.*~
:iconmonkeyslunch:
~Monkeyslunch Oct 8, 2008, 5:18:29 PM
haha, indeed. You're definitely right about the James Jean influence too though, especially when drawing children. I bought her two of his pieces myself, so hopefully they inspire her a bit! But then... where does his influence come from as well, right?

--
Visit my website here: [link]
Or the Monkeyslunch Artist Forums here: [link]
:iconmenasha-ashd:
~Menasha-AshD Oct 8, 2008, 9:56:28 PM
It's interesting how you say that Spencer. I mean Japan was originally influenced by western culture and Disney. Now look, half a centry later there influenceing us haha! All the manga I've enjoyed had a disintly different style then most. Though any manga that doesnt have unique art I tend not to read... it's a real turn off for me if the art isnt new. So that's a prime example in my mind why imatateing... contemporary artists is a bad thing. I seem to be able to convince my self that it's ok to copy Andrew Loomis and his stuff since

1. He tells me to
2. He's long dead : D

He's become quite an inspiration to me.

Now I'm fairly certain that having a fairly strong understanding in fundamentals would be key in the illustration world. It's definetly a turn off if the art sucks =(

Artistic vision though... I don't know what mine is yet, I just really want to understand the basics first and formost anyways... However maybe I'm on the right track since I know the subject matter I like most is the darker undertoned ones. Thing about darker themes is they tend to bring up questions about life, you know, point out how imperfect it is and all. I like that >=)

--
The Feeling That Doesn't Reach
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