# It Feels Hopeless...



## MikeTheBrownFox (Mar 17, 2019)

Do you ever feel like no matter how hard you try to accomplish something and no matter how much you give it your all, you end up with the same results and that will more than likely stay that way? That's how I feel about trying to getting my work noticed.

I hate how slow I am with art. I hate that the work I put into doesn't get noticed. I feel any attempt to "improve" my skills and style is a waste of time. I don't know, I'm just conflicted and I just hate how my work is overlooked...

I know my art isn't the greatest and could really use some improvements, I get that a lot. Many people said that my anatomy is off and the poses I draw look stiff, but I feel like it should be at least passable, but that's just me. I'm not liking my art style at the moment, I feel that it lacks personality and not something people would get commissioned drawings from.

My time with art is extremely slow, especially since I recently got signed up to some sort of program, forcing me to have a life. I seem to almost always lack motivation and ideas whenever I attempt to draw something. Usually I draw small shapes or a doodle of a character of mine when I can't think of something, but that's about it.

I thought it was bad enough, but then I've been seeing many artists get their works noticed at the snap of a finger meanwhile I'm working at a snail's pace which is hard to cope with.

I really wish I knew how to not give a shit about other artists' success, I’m tired of starting every day wondering what the point is in working hard when there’s artists out there who go from zero followers to over one thousand seemingly overnight. It feels like everything I’m doing is wrong.

I mean, being a successful artist is just a bloody lottery, you either get that lucky break, or you end up working yourself to the bone for seemingly little payoff, until eventually you’re just forced to give up because luck simply wasn’t on your side. It honestly feels like people are dilberately choosing who gets to make a living off of their art, and who doesn't.

I know all of this is sounds very cliched and it really is, but I really do not ever want to go through any of this ever again. I just wanna be successful and thrive with my art. That's a life goal for me since I took art seriously two years ago, and I don't wanna go through this current stress ever again. I wanna push forward.

Here's a link to where all my artworks can be found at the moment.

FurAffinity: Userpage of MikeTheYoungFox -- Fur Affinity [dot] net
DeviantArt: www.deviantart.com/mikeyokite/gallery/
Twitter: MikeYokite (@MikeYokite) on Twitter
Instagram: Michael (@mikeyokite) • Instagram photos and videos

Feel free to take a look, and provide advice on what I would do to make it more interesting or appealing, or if it's fine as is. I also appreciate advice on how to fight the feeling of hopelessness and more encouraged to create art.

I really dislike feeling like this, and I don't want to feel this way again.


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## Fallowfox (Mar 17, 2019)

I think we need to encourage people to change their view of worthwhile art from 'art that gets noticed' to 'art I enjoyed making'.


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## Doodle Bunny (Mar 17, 2019)

You’re not the only one. I also struggle with this and I’ve been drawing seriously for 9 years.

You feel yourself in a rut and you don’t know what to do about it.

What I do when this happens is give these feelings a face. Usually for me that’s a very gruesome, grotesque face like this:









Sure these horrific things don’t get any notice, but it sure makes me feel better again. Sometimes I just need to paint them just to not feel empty inside. Even if no one else is here for me, monsters always are.


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## MissNook (Mar 17, 2019)

Do you have something you especially like to draw? Maybe you could focus on drawing what you like the most to feel less distressed?

If you want to draw things and don't have ideas, I suggest you to use a generator. Here's one that I just tried for you and seems cool: ArtPrompts
The thing is, if you don't feel motivated, just draw what the generator gives you. Don't go like "hmmm not this one, not this one,.... maybe this?.... hmmm no". You click the generator, you draw the thing it's telling you to draw. You may not feel that good during the time, but just try to enjoy the process and have fun. Even if the result isn't great, you'll draw (and learn new things) and that's all that matters ^^
You can also accept requests if that's your thing, you'll get some form of recognition, but it's time consuming and can feel like it's not worth it. You'd want to not take too much at a time to not feel overwhelmed.

And I think you may want to ponder what are your goals in art. Is it to be noticed? To have fun? To improve (if it's part of your goals, is it to improve towards something specific)? To be able to draw things you like? To be able to make a scenery that's on your mind comes true? To share your creative universe/characters with people? Have people likes your art? Liking your art? Being part of a community? Have money? Have fame? Find people with the same interests as yourself? Being quicker at drawing?
I think "getting noticed" is not your only goal. It's a good thing to know your goals, so that when you don't feel motivated, you'll look at your goals and think "I'm still going right towards my goals".

If I understand well, you don't have that much time to draw. My advice would be to then set small goals. You usually have long time goals, you can then break into smaller goal (goal of the week, month, day).
For example, you want your poses to look less stiff, but that's a long time goal. You should try to think of smaller steps. Like day1: draw something as usual, week1: check tutorials on stiffness and try to follow up with those + have fun, week2: draw gestures each day + have fun, week3: apply that to my character's drawing + have fun, week4: draw characters doing specific activities with the use of references + have fun, end of week4: redraw the something of day1 trying to apply what you learn, see if you see improvement and recreate your schedule for next time with that and of course, have fun ^^

Hope that helps!


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## CartoonAnthroTales (Mar 17, 2019)

I totally feel you there friend.

It seems that its much harder to get noticed on FA than it is on DeviantArt (my works tend to get more attention there and judging by your account, yours does too). Being appreciated for what you love to do is one of the best feelings one could have. But sadly it seems some artists are more lucky than others in that department.

However, one thing that has helped me is that, I appreciate the small amount of compliments I get. I've had people say they love my art style and, even though its only a few people, its still something to be grateful for. Some of my art gets more favs and comments than others and I'm still happy for it. I haven't seen all your art but I'm sure at least one of yours has received a good amount of faves and comments. If it has then take the time to appreciate it as it can be used as a reminder that you ARE trying and you DO care about your work. Honestly its better to have few watchers and few favs from people who actually love your work rather than 100 watchers who only watch so they can get noticed themselves or whatever.

I think your art is perfectly fine! Good even! But if you're unsatisfied with your style then by all means, change it up into something that DOES satisfy you. I wish you the best of luck! 

Feel free to see my art as well if you like!
Artwork Gallery for CartoonAnthroTales -- Fur Affinity [dot] net


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## MikeTheBrownFox (Apr 7, 2019)

Fallowfox said:


> I think we need to encourage people to change their view of worthwhile art from 'art that gets noticed' to 'art I enjoyed making'.


But if the art doesn't get noticed, the artist can't start a business. Artists like me have a lot of potential and everyone just seems to ignore it. It's like I always say, "if you can't make a living off of your art, why bother with it?"


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## MikeTheBrownFox (Apr 7, 2019)

Doodle Bunny said:


> You’re not the only one. I also struggle with this and I’ve been drawing seriously for 9 years.
> 
> You feel yourself in a rut and you don’t know what to do about it.
> 
> ...


These look absolutely incredible! They look very detailed and have a spooky edge to it. In a good way, of course.


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## Pipistrele (Apr 7, 2019)

Doodle Bunny said:


> You’re not the only one. I also struggle with this and I’ve been drawing seriously for 9 years.
> 
> You feel yourself in a rut and you don’t know what to do about it.
> 
> ...


I'm scared D:


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## Italo Fox (Apr 7, 2019)

Just wondering, have you ever thought of applying more creative twists to your characters rather than just having them pose? Giving them a story, a crossover that makes sense, a parody? This seems like this is where I have the most success in terms of garnering attention and I would feel like this would make yours among the hundreds of other poses people make of say, Waluigi, stand out as a more unique and more personal element.

If you really wish to garner popularity, I would focus exclusively on the fanart and when you get to a number you feel satisfied with, you can try to work in an OC here and there. You're free to do what you want of course if you really like making the OCs more, but just remember they won't garnish as much traction because viewers prefer something to recognize.

I think these are some options to potentially put value in your namesake without stressing yourself on improving your anatomy too much. That usually comes with years of experience and error. Just remember, if things aren't working out, it's good to invent new tactics. I find that it can help rejuvenate your passion for posting art.


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## Pipistrele (Apr 7, 2019)

MikeTheBrownFox said:


> Do you ever feel like no matter how hard you try to accomplish something and no matter how much you give it your all, you end up with the same results and that will more than likely stay that way? That's how I feel about trying to getting my work noticed.
> 
> I hate how slow I am with art. I hate that the work I put into doesn't get noticed. I feel any attempt to "improve" my skills and style is a waste of time. I don't know, I'm just conflicted and I just hate how my work is overlooked...
> 
> ...


I had all the same feelings back in the day when I picked the pencil up, and they lasted for quite a while. If anything, if there's a good way to at least somewhat deal with them, it's to set your "regimen" and expectations properly - decide exactly what kind of things you want to practice on some days, what to draw for fun on the others, and generally set the ladder up for all those small achievements that will make you proficient at your craft one day. It's easy to lose sight of progress and kick yourself in the butt all the time when you don't have a clear roadmap for your improvement .з.

Another pitfall I see people falling into all the time is taking artwork as_ way too seriously_ by abandoning all the fallback plans or other sources of income and overfocusing on art practice. Not saying artwork isn't a valid career path (it absolutely is), but it's hard to become successful artist if you're basically sabotaging your own life by striving for it. Here's a good video from Needle Drop on this matter - I recommend to give it a watch, so you won't repeat the mistakes that ruined chances for so many aspiring artists (he primarily talks about musicians, but it's pretty universal)


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## Draakc from State Farm (Apr 7, 2019)

Not to depress you more but I Really Think You Would Find This Relatable


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## FuzzleTheMintyDog (Apr 7, 2019)

*It's not just you, don't worry about it. You want to find the aspect you're strong in and run with it. Don't settle with your art, don't aim for what you can do, always attempt to paint or draw something you cannot do, when you impress yourself with something you created you're going to impress others.  But its true that whether something goes big or fizzles out there in the art space is unpredictable. Don't feel discouraged, just look forward to your next piece. Put full effort into every piece of art you do, when you keep pushing the bar and attempting things you don't know how to do, you automatically become better very quickly, it's a problem solving routine that builds your skill considerably. Do you know how to paint a rainy scene? Does it sound hard? Jump in and try from memory, if it doesn't look right, look at references and note the way light works, how the texture works and try to reconstruct it by any means you can think of. Its a puzzle and I promise you it will pay off just attempting to solve it. You won't get it right but you will constantly get closer. *


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## Sarachaga (Apr 7, 2019)

Fallowfox said:


> I think we need to encourage people to change their view of worthwhile art from 'art that gets noticed' to 'art I enjoyed making'.


Totally agree with this. Unless you are considering to do it as a full time career which seems extremely tough it's good to see it as a hobby.

OP, don't stress about it. Just keep doing what you enjoy and in time, more people may start to follow you. It might not happen so don't put too much expectations on it. I wish you the best though!


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## SLCMedia (Apr 8, 2019)

MikeTheBrownFox said:


> But if the art doesn't get noticed, the artist can't start a business. Artists like me have a lot of potential and everyone just seems to ignore it. It's like I always say, "if you can't make a living off of your art, why bother with it?"


If you're looking to improve your visibility, it's all about making sure your art spreads far and wide.
For example:

Form relationships with other artists for collaborations and art trades
Watch for trends and contribute to ones with a lot of visibility

Seek out up-and-coming content creators (Youtubers, Twitch streamers, etc.) in communities you're familiar with and offer to make art for them (free or paid) as long as they credit you and link back to your page
Those are just some tactics, but a big part of it is just having the confidence and audacity to put your art out there in the first place. Just take things at your own pace. Focus on growth and don't stress yourself out.


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## MikeTheBrownFox (Apr 9, 2019)

DraakcTheDragon said:


> Not to depress you more but I Really Think You Would Find This Relatable


Everything about this just speaks to me.


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## MikeTheBrownFox (Apr 9, 2019)

Sarachaga said:


> Totally agree with this. Unless you are considering to do it as a full time career which seems extremely tough it's good to see it as a hobby.
> 
> OP, don't stress about it. Just keep doing what you enjoy and in time, more people may start to follow you. It might not happen so don't put too much expectations on it. I wish you the best though!


I agree that it's not going to happen. I tried everything but nothing seemed to work out. I really mean it when I say that I feel like people are choosing who gets to make a living off of their art and who doesn't.


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## Spicy Cheeto (Apr 9, 2019)

Good news is this feeling is totally normal and 99% of artists feel this way. Bad news is that it doesn’t go away XD. Keep trying and improving your work. For me I had to let go and say to myself “I will never get recognized by a large audience so get over it”. Being loved by a few close people is greater than being loved by thousands who barely know you. Apply this to art and followers.


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## Misha Bordiga Zahradník (Apr 9, 2019)

Your art needs work, but it's better than you think. I've actually seen it before I think.


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## MikeTheBrownFox (Apr 9, 2019)

Misha Bordiga Zahradník said:


> Your art needs work, but it's better than you think. I've actually seen it before I think.


What do you suggest I should work on, or attempt to draw something, or some other areas that I could add to my artwork?


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## Misha Bordiga Zahradník (Apr 10, 2019)

MikeTheBrownFox said:


> What do you suggest I should work on, or attempt to draw something, or some other areas that I could add to my artwork?


Practice keeping things aligned.


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## Fallowfox (Apr 10, 2019)

MikeTheBrownFox said:


> What do you suggest I should work on, or attempt to draw something, or some other areas that I could add to my artwork?



Drawing from life is always a useful exercise. A particularly hard challenge is drawing a jar half filled with water, with a spoon standing in it. 

Trying difficult tasks like that will improve your systemic drawing skills. :]


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## Saurex (Apr 11, 2019)

MikeTheBrownFox said:


> But if the art doesn't get noticed, the artist can't start a business. Artists like me have a lot of potential and everyone just seems to ignore it. It's like I always say, "if you can't make a living off of your art, why bother with it?"


You bother with it because you love it.

I've been writing for over 20 godforsaken years now and have 4 finished manuscripts. I haven't published a damn thing. Do you know why? Because I don't have a degree in English and haven't spent the last 20 years writing stupid puff pieces for idiotic magazines that no one but the worst type of literature snobs reads anyway. In total, writing has made me a whole $17.23 in the last 20 years (I framed a copy of that check because that money is a fluke from Amazon). So, considering that I hate my current job and love writing, but my job pays the bills, why keep writing? Why am I close to completing a 5th full manuscript?

Because I love writing. Yes yes yes, I would love to make money doing this, I really would, but I'll die of shock if it ever happens.

And that right there is why it will never happen. I've given up on my dream, I really have. It sounds like you've already given up too.

I've looked at your art, and you aren't a bad artist. Yes, your posing could be more organic, but that comes through practice and study. You can't just make that stuff happen overnight and become a breakout sensation. Yes, your art comes across as a bit flat, but it doesn't lack personality. It's yours for cripes sake! You show through in your art, whether you know it or not. So you aren't a Dark Natasha, big whoop. You can become the most amazing artist ever, but you have got to give it time. One of my favorite things to do with one of my buddies is we get out this huge box that has literally everything I've ever written in it and we read selections of my old stuff out loud. It's all terrible (mostly because a lot of it is from when I was 6 to 12 years old, but you get the idea) but it is really funny to read now and when we do that I can honestly see how far I've come as a writer. It took 20 years to get here though. I didn't just wake up one morning and go from writing "tHies mens war!" (a literal quote from the second story I ever wrote) to what I do now. You won't either.

Now, before I get off my soapbox, I'll say this: If you give up now you'll never get noticed. Don't quit. You're battling a hideous beast and it's name is Obscurity. You want to get noticed? Keep making art! Don't stop and don't give up. You WILL get better and you WILL get noticed and, by god, you WILL make a living producing art... but only if you want to.


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## zenmaldita (Apr 11, 2019)

your art isn't horrible as you think. it's pretty good intermediate level. it's clean and solid.
you just need to study and practice your fundamentals - get into life drawing. study how things connect, how things move. once you master the rules, break at will.

it'll take time. years. 
you only lose when you stop.


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## Minerva_Minx (Apr 13, 2019)

You have exceeded in a year what I have worked for over 11.

minervaminx on DeviantArt


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## MikeTheBrownFox (Apr 13, 2019)

Minerva_Minx said:


> You have exceeded in a year what I have worked for over 11.
> 
> minervaminx on DeviantArt


I've actually exceeded for 8 years on DeviantArt. I had my first account back in 2010, but it is now deleted because I wanted a fresh start. I don't have all of my old artworks but I have kept some in a folder.


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## Sinclare Lovelace (Apr 14, 2019)

Being someone with low self esteem,I fully understand this feeling of dread snd hopelessness. Still,it's the snall progress that counts for something. I'm 25 now but I've been drawing since I was seven,and style and skill changes but constantly I feel reminded of those who are far better than me. To ward off depression I try not to think about this and instead focus on what I _can _do. 

If your main platform is DA,a consistent upload schedule has helped me dramatically in these last 4 months,but some people find attention as well through posting speedpaints or tutorials on YouTube. Also to consider....on Deviantart OC art is not nearly as found as fanart. So maybe find a fandom you like and draw in your style more,if you dare to go down this road,offer some free requests every once and a while if you cant find something to draw on your own. That way you're given an idea,someone id interested in you enough to ask,and you gain views and watches.

Some don't like doing that though,since some people will assume you will always do things for free. But the important thing is to take each improvement one day at a time.

Upload frequently(even just linearts or works in progress) ,focus on a good thing you did in the piece (I think most artists hate something about their art) and make that good thing your specialty.  Mine is eyes and expressions.

Accept your weakness and aim to improve,but don't worry about immediate success.


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## Minerva_Minx (Apr 14, 2019)

Doodle Bunny said:


> You’re not the only one. I also struggle with this and I’ve been drawing seriously for 9 years.
> 
> You feel yourself in a rut and you don’t know what to do about it.
> 
> ...



I like them.

Life is harsh, cruel, and hell.  people in groups are typically worse.  sarcastic, cynical people like me are really softies scraped off someone else's shoes one too many times.

I get what you're saying: all this work and pouring of yourself into something for someone to just say it isnt worth the bother. But Doodle and the rest are right - if you do this professionally, you have to take the good and the bad.  I'm an author and really, two books and a handful of sci-fi writings to my name. I'll die a footnote and really, in the end, I did it for myself.  I can look back on what I accomplished and k n ow it was all me.

Believe me, there are some lucky people out there and Doodle reminds me of it and to stay positive.  Vincent van Gogh had the worst life, his art unappreciated, yet his art today is the most beloved in the world.  maybe that's the best any of us can hope for.


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## MikeTheBrownFox (Apr 14, 2019)

Sinclare Lovelace said:


> Being someone with low self esteem,I fully understand this feeling of dread snd hopelessness. Still,it's the snall progress that counts for something. I'm 25 now but I've been drawing since I was seven,and style and skill changes but constantly I feel reminded of those who are far better than me. To ward off depression I try not to think about this and instead focus on what I _can _do.
> 
> If your main platform is DA,a consistent upload schedule has helped me dramatically in these last 4 months,but some people find attention as well through posting speedpaints or tutorials on YouTube. Also to consider....on Deviantart OC art is not nearly as found as fanart. So maybe find a fandom you like and draw in your style more,if you dare to go down this road,offer some free requests every once and a while if you cant find something to draw on your own. That way you're given an idea,someone id interested in you enough to ask,and you gain views and watches.
> 
> ...


I upload my artwork across multiple platforms-- not just DeviantArt. I have a Twitter, Instagram, and FurAffinity. I can't upload consistently because I'm more of a quality over quantity person when it comes to art; all of my artworks need to be completed, otherwise I shouldn't upload them at all.

I want to create a speedpaint video, believe me, but the videos taken from my video recorder(OBS) never display properly when I put them into my video editor. I've given up trying to make a speedpaint since it doesn't function properly for me every time.


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## Minerva_Minx (Apr 14, 2019)

MikeTheBrownFox said:


> I upload my artwork across multiple platforms-- not just DeviantArt. I have a Twitter, Instagram, and FurAffinity. I can't upload consistently because I'm more of a quality over quantity person when it comes to art; all of my artworks need to be completed, otherwise I shouldn't upload them at all.
> 
> I want to create a speedpaint video, believe me, but the videos taken from my video recorder(OBS) never display properly when I put them into my video editor. I've given up trying to make a speedpaint since it doesn't function properly for me every time.



No one here to do editing?


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## demialien (Apr 14, 2019)

I know that feeling all too well, and I'm sure most artist do
Your art it's for sure more than what a begginner can do, and yes it would need work, but I believe you are in the right way. It won't improve fast, it took me years to get better, and yes it is frustrating. I still don't consider my art that good, especially because I know I can put a lot more effort into it and I'm not doing it. 
But last year I found what worked for me to get better. I went back to traditional. I got many nice paper sketchbooks that made me actually draw for fun. You need to start for what you like to do, and at the same time study what you want to become. Drawing from references is a must. Draw things over and over again too. Traditional has this thing that makes it easier to learn and to enjoy, it feels different. I would reccommend you to get some nice paper, not actually the expensive ones but one that is not just plain print paper either. And get some pencil or paint or your favorite tools and start creating, for fun. Go back to enjoy it, even if it doesn't look good.
Read about the techniques you want to learn, about anatomy, colors and how they work, etc. That is at least what worked for me.
And I say it again, references are a must, drawing from pictures or living things is the best way to start and learn.


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## MikeTheBrownFox (Apr 14, 2019)

Minerva_Minx said:


> No one here to do editing?


Do you know how long I should record my drawing processes? I'm feeling it's the reason why my videos won't display properly when I put them into my video editor, since they take up so much time. I used to either record the whole thing or record every 30 minutes of drawing time.


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## Minerva_Minx (Apr 14, 2019)

MikeTheBrownFox said:


> Do you know how long I should record my drawing processes? I'm feeling it's the reason why my videos won't display properly when I put them into my video editor, since they take up so much time. I used to either record the whole thing or record every 30 minutes of drawing time.


It's been a while since I've done any video edits.  YouTube and others aren't entirely about time, but mostly data size.  it also could be you size of your frames is simply too large.

I had that happen today on some raw videos I was uploading.  they scans were 30Mb per frame so I blazed a 1Tb drive pretty fast.


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## ReeseCapeesh (Apr 17, 2019)

MikeTheBrownFox said:


> But if the art doesn't get noticed, the artist can't start a business. Artists like me have a lot of potential and everyone just seems to ignore it. It's like I always say, "if you can't make a living off of your art, why bother with it?"


Well, not all art definitely has to make profits. Art isn’t just about making money. It’s what makes children happy, it makes adults happy, people enjoy it, and art can make YOU happy! Weather you are making it or admiring it, art is more than just a profitable commodity! It’s much deeper than that! If you truly do love art, or truly always loved drawing, it’s purpose in your life May have been to be therapy or a stress-relieving hobby instead! That’s my goal. To become an art-therapist. To teach people that art can bring peace and joy into their lives just by the act of creating it. Art is the expression of your heart and mind’s emotions and ideas! It’s not just an object of profit. 
But yes, all artist at some point have a strong desire to get famous and make lots of money off of their creation. But that’s just not realistic.


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## ReeseCapeesh (Apr 18, 2019)

MikeTheBrownFox said:


> What do you suggest I should work on, or attempt to draw something, or some other areas that I could add to my artwork?


Honestly it’s mostly anatomy to work on. And maybe some anthro anatomy like.... digitigrade legs. Isabelle’s legs look awkward in a recent post in your featured. Her calf seems to be completely missing from her right leg. That’s the digitigrade issue. To describe your work, the limbs look blocky in shape, but also puffy/swollen. A lot of the heads just look too close to perfect circles/ellipse. There is no separation of jaw, cranium, or snout. Some of that might be stylistic but it looks more awkward. But a lot of these limbs, necks, shoulders, and heads need a lot of refining to make it look more natural and flow better. So keep working at it as long as you love what you do! It already looks good so far.


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## ReeseCapeesh (Apr 18, 2019)

Saurex said:


> You bother with it because you love it.
> 
> I've been writing for over 20 godforsaken years now and have 4 finished manuscripts. I haven't published a damn thing. Do you know why? Because I don't have a degree in English and haven't spent the last 20 years writing stupid puff pieces for idiotic magazines that no one but the worst type of literature snobs reads anyway. In total, writing has made me a whole $17.23 in the last 20 years (I framed a copy of that check because that money is a fluke from Amazon). So, considering that I hate my current job and love writing, but my job pays the bills, why keep writing? Why am I close to completing a 5th full manuscript?
> 
> ...


GOD this is helps me. Thank you for sharing this even though I’m not OP, but I really needed this haaaaaah...


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## MikeTheBrownFox (Apr 20, 2019)

ReeseCapeesh said:


> Well, not all art definitely has to make profits. Art isn’t just about making money. It’s what makes children happy, it makes adults happy, people enjoy it, and art can make YOU happy! Weather you are making it or admiring it, art is more than just a profitable commodity! It’s much deeper than that! If you truly do love art, or truly always loved drawing, it’s purpose in your life May have been to be therapy or a stress-relieving hobby instead! That’s my goal. To become an art-therapist. To teach people that art can bring peace and joy into their lives just by the act of creating it. Art is the expression of your heart and mind’s emotions and ideas! It’s not just an object of profit.
> But yes, all artist at some point have a strong desire to get famous and make lots of money off of their creation. But that’s just not realistic.


But all art needs to get paid. Networking and having an audience means that artists get to pay their bills and feed themselves, and the easiest way to do that is either drawing something popular or NSFW...

I don't know man, we're all human...


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## ReeseCapeesh (Apr 20, 2019)

MikeTheBrownFox said:


> But all art needs to get paid. Networking and having an audience means that artists get to pay their bills and feed themselves, and the easiest way to do that is either drawing something popular or NSFW...
> 
> I don't know man, we're all human...



Not all art NEEDS to get paid. Only if they want to make money/make a living off of their art, then they potentially CAN make money off of their art. Not everyone has the same intentions with their art. What I’m saying is that if selling your art is going nowhere, and you NEED money, and trying to sell art is getting exhausting, you MIIIIGHT want to consider choosing another career path you like or just look for a job you might like. That’s what I’m doing. I’m looking for a calm office job, teacher, or therapist. Sometimes you can only have art as a side gig or hobby because it doesn’t make enough. But I haven’t totally given up on art, because if I get the opportunity to get an art job I will take it. So you don’t HAVE to be a starving artist. Artist can still be artists and just make a good income off of a different career/job.


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## Kopatropa (Apr 26, 2019)

Fallowfox said:


> I think we need to encourage people to change their view of worthwhile art from 'art that gets noticed' to 'art I enjoyed making'.


I agree, but only halfway.

Yes, you shouldn't draw if you don't enjoy it; that goes for any hobby. Why stress yourself for no reason?

But sharing your art isn't a bad thing, and is necessary for artists who do it for a living.

'Art that gets noticed' and 'art I enjoyed making' aren't mutually exclusive. The latter may be more important than the former to avoid mental discomfort, but the former still matters to some degree. People liking your art is a confidence booster, especially to those who feel bad.

Why is this demonized so much?


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## MikeTheBrownFox (Apr 29, 2019)

There's something I want to ask to everyone that reads this post:

*Is my art as of right now, commission worthy?*

I know I still have a lot to learn and change to my art, but I personally feel that my art skills are ready to be paid. Until now, I've closed them since they haven't been selling and feel it's not worth it to keep them open at this point. I closed it so I don't have to worry about it and focus more on improving my art.

Now that I have improved on my art, I wonder if my art right now is something you would be interested in commissioning.

Again, refer to the links to check out some of the art I have uploaded.

*I'm considering pricing my art to be at least $30 USD.*


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## Saurex (May 2, 2019)

So, I found this and I'll post it first and then give an honest opinion.
(All credit to: infinitedge2u on DeviantArt )


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## Saurex (May 2, 2019)

That little comic is the honest truth.

Your art is commission worthy. I've seen people commission terrible artists and believe me when I say you are not a terrible artist. You're good at what you do and you'll only get better as time goes on.

So, business plan time (should I even use that phrase when I'm not at work?): Do an art raffle. Encourage any followers you have on FA and DA to spread the word (you can incentivize by increasing chances to win if they post about the raffle in their journals, etc.) so that people who may not have seen you before, but who interact with your followers, get a chance to see your work. This has the chance to garner new watchers (and possible clients) while bolstering your existing watcher (customer) base. When the raffle ends, pump out the rewards quickly, but don't let your quality slip. If that happens you'll get grumpy people and loose traction. At the end of the raffle, announce that you're open for commissions. You may have to do more than one raffle. Hell, you may have to do a ton of them. However, if the participants come away from each raffle feeling good and they get some good art while they're at it, they'll be back and they just might bring a friend along with them.

As for price... that's a tough one. Price is very subjective when talking art. What someone values as priceless (such as a Picasso) others see as worthless (I'd never buy a Picasso, for example, because I don't like them... on the other hand I'd pay top dollar for an M.C. Escher). So, your job as an artist is to pick a number and stick to it no matter what and never do anything with a commission until you've been paid (or just hold their picture hostage when it's done... that works too).

Start at maybe $20 for something like a headshot/bust, $25 for something like a full body sketch and $30 for the full show. Diversification of product allows people to see what you have to offer, what skills you have they might want in the future, and makes your overall pricing look more reasonable to the naked eye.


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## MikeTheBrownFox (May 4, 2019)

Saurex said:


> That little comic is the honest truth.
> 
> Your art is commission worthy. I've seen people commission terrible artists and believe me when I say you are not a terrible artist. You're good at what you do and you'll only get better as time goes on.
> 
> ...


But aren't art raffles usually best hosted when you reach a certain amount of followers? What if I'm trying to reach 600 followers(my follower count is 550+ on Twitter right now) to start a raffle but continously struggle to gain any new followers? Where do I go from there?


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## SLCMedia (May 5, 2019)

MikeTheBrownFox said:


> But aren't art raffles usually best hosted when you reach a certain amount of followers? What if I'm trying to reach 600 followers(my follower count is 550+ on Twitter right now) to start a raffle but continously struggle to gain any new followers? Where do I go from there?


You can actually use art raffles to gain followers.

Announce your art raffle on Twitter and tell people to retweet _and_ be following you to enter.

Another method (Though less certain to gain followers) is to instead tie the raffle's end to your follower count. As in, declare that the raffle will end once you reach a certain number of followers. It incentivizes people to follow so they raffle ends sooner and they have a better chance of winning.


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## larigot (May 5, 2019)

Saurex said:


> So, I found this and I'll post it first and then give an honest opinion.
> (All credit to: infinitedge2u on DeviantArt )


Why aren't they wearing pants?


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## Yatima (May 5, 2019)

Gaining followers by ArtRaffles will not give you Followers who are willing to pay for your Art.
Thats a big Problem! A huge bunch of watchers makes not a big income. My FB Page has 4.6k Followers, but most of my Income is from Outside Facebook.


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## Fallowfox (May 5, 2019)

Yatima said:


> Gaining followers by ArtRaffles will not give you Followers who are willing to pay for your Art.
> Thats a big Problem! A huge bunch of watchers makes not a big income. My FB Page has 4.6k Followers, but most of my Income is from Outside Facebook.



Agreed. Raffling content also risks the possibility of some platforms perceiving artists as promoters of gambling, or exploiting the platform if they ask for shares in exchange for being included in the raffle.


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## MikeTheBrownFox (May 5, 2019)

What else do I do then? If I'm unable to make any sales even if I have a high amount of watchers, is it even a smart idea to stop trying to pursue my art career further?


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## Yatima (May 5, 2019)

Just making Art and improove. Try to stay in contact with others... rest will come by itself...


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## Kopatropa (May 6, 2019)

Yatima said:


> Just making Art and improove. Try to stay in contact with others... rest will come by itself...


And how exactly do you gain more contacts besides art raffles?


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## Yatima (May 6, 2019)

Kopatropa said:


> And how exactly do you gain more contacts besides art raffles?



Chatting here in this Forums is one of it.


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## Saurex (May 6, 2019)

larigot said:


> Why aren't they wearing pants?


Pants are an illusion. What you have to realize is that there are no pants....


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## Saurex (May 6, 2019)

MikeTheBrownFox said:


> What else do I do then? If I'm unable to make any sales even if I have a high amount of watchers, is it even a smart idea to stop trying to pursue my art career further?


A career in art is a slow, dawn out process. Yes, there are overnight successes, but they are rare. The artists that are popular today will likely fall out if favor tomorrow. To make art a career, you have to be patient.

Yes, a raffle will bring in people who don't want to pay for art. They'll be disappointed because outside the raffle(s) you don't do free work. If you want people to value your work, you have to value it first. Don't put your art down. Don't use statements like "still improving" or "sorry this isn't the best" and get rid of any content that promotes the idea that you aren't confident in your work. People won't always agree with you, but remember that art is subjective. Project confidence and it will reflect in your work. Project your enthusiasm and passion and it will show in your art. People will see that confidence and most people will respond positively (there are some out there who will accuse you of arrogance, but these petty creatures simply want to tear you down, so ignore them).

All that said, if you want to stop pursuing art as a career, make that choice and stick to it. Every interaction you have with people tells them something about you. If you're constantly talking about how you're frustrated and not happy and how you don't feel like your work is being noticed, you are projecting that you don't feel confident in your work and that you don't really want to be doing this type of work. So, if art is the path you choose to walk, commit everything- including a positive attitude -to it and be ready for a long battle. If you walk away, walk away just as thoroughly, because if you don't the negative feelings you're grappling now will never go away.


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## Cyberchowww (May 7, 2019)

MikeTheBrownFox said:


> But if the art doesn't get noticed, the artist can't start a business. Artists like me have a lot of potential and everyone just seems to ignore it. It's like I always say, "if you can't make a living off of your art, why bother with it?"


Why wouldn't you bother? You shouldn't do art for the sake of making money. There are easier ways to make money and more money. If you are able to have a career in art, a successful one, you are super lucky. But hard work pays off, especially if your PR is good. Network, talk to people, do raffles, join challengers, stream, etc
Establishing a career in art is more than just drawing and having potential. You literally have to throw yourself out there and make sure people like you. I have a few friends who are art gods skill-wise, but their social media skills are so poor and their twitter is basically them ranting, nobody bothers to commission them. Clients don't want to know about your personal struggles, they want to see your art. If you get what I mean xD

I mean take my advice with a grain of salt. I am not popular myself. But I have 0 interest in becoming popular, as I want a career in science and not in being a slave of my own artwork. HAHAHA

Anyway, I hope you can follow your dreams and career of choice. And hopefully you will look back at this thread in a couple of years and laugh, thinking "well I succeeded in the end" Good luck!


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## MikeTheBrownFox (May 9, 2019)

Cyberchowww said:


> Why wouldn't you bother? You shouldn't do art for the sake of making money. There are easier ways to make money and more money. If you are able to have a career in art, a successful one, you are super lucky. But hard work pays off, especially if your PR is good. Network, talk to people, do raffles, join challengers, stream, etc
> Establishing a career in art is more than just drawing and having potential. You literally have to throw yourself out there and make sure people like you. I have a few friends who are art gods skill-wise, but their social media skills are so poor and their twitter is basically them ranting, nobody bothers to commission them. Clients don't want to know about your personal struggles, they want to see your art. If you get what I mean xD
> 
> I mean take my advice with a grain of salt. I am not popular myself. But I have 0 interest in becoming popular, as I want a career in science and not in being a slave of my own artwork. HAHAHA
> ...


I want to be able to make money off of something I enjoy doing, since I prefer to work independently. I've been doing my best to really get myself out there, but to me, it's not worth it to compete with other artists.

Of course, I've been putting out all of my major works on my main Twitter account, and I have a private Twitter account primarily for venting, so there's that.

I don't know, being an artist on social media is a pain, because of all of these algorithms making it very difficult for me and my art to grow. Everyone keeps telling me to keep posting more art which is impossible due to the fact that I take forever to finish my art, and a program that forces me to have a life.

I do appreciate your advice though, I'll try to follow through it. <3


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## SLCMedia (May 11, 2019)

MikeTheBrownFox said:


> I want to be able to make money off of something I enjoy doing, since I prefer to work independently. I've been doing my best to really get myself out there, but to me, it's not worth it to compete with other artists.
> 
> Of course, I've been putting out all of my major works on my main Twitter account, and I have a private Twitter account primarily for venting, so there's that.
> 
> ...


One thing that should be pointed out: You're not in competition with other artists.

Unless you and some other artists are directly competing for a commercial work contract, you're not _really_ in competition just on art, because your product is your art, so fundamentally nobody else is making the same product as you.

The only problem is that there are a _lot_ of artists, which makes it seem like there's competition, but a big part is realizing that you're the only person making art exactly like you are, so it's less about competing, and more about finding your audience.

Social media might not be your strong suit, in which case you're gonna want to get creative about self-promotion. There are plenty of spaces other than social media. It's just a matter of finding them and making a name for yourself in them, which takes time, patience, and dedication.


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## Cyberchowww (May 11, 2019)

MikeTheBrownFox said:


> I want to be able to make money off of something I enjoy doing, since I prefer to work independently. I've been doing my best to really get myself out there, but to me, it's not worth it to compete with other artists.
> 
> Of course, I've been putting out all of my major works on my main Twitter account, and I have a private Twitter account primarily for venting, so there's that.
> 
> ...


Have you tried Instagram? I love watching people's stories and I check it more than twitter. Or at least on Instagram I manage to see ALL post. On twitter it is a huge mess.

What is your twitter? I will follow u :3


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## Wabbajax (May 11, 2019)

MikeTheBrownFox said:


> I really wish I knew how to not give a shit about other artists' success, I’m tired of starting every day wondering what the point is in working hard when there’s artists out there who go from zero followers to over one thousand seemingly overnight. It feels like everything I’m doing is wrong.
> 
> I mean, being a successful artist is just a bloody lottery, you either get that lucky break, or you end up working yourself to the bone for seemingly little payoff...
> 
> I just wanna be successful and thrive with my art. That's a life goal for me since I took art seriously two years ago, and I don't wanna go through this current stress ever again. I wanna push forward.


Hey OP,

I apologize in advance if this comes across as harsh. You are going about this in _completely_ the wrong way.

I am a jack of all trades. I do a little music, a little art, a little writing, etc. and so far none of it has gotten much notice because I haven't published it. I too have dreams of making a living off of my creative aspirations and leaving my day job behind. But there is a basic issue that I am still struggling with that I need to figure out before I do and I believe it is the same issue you are trying to figure out.

*You have to make art that you enjoy yourself, not caring what others might think. *If you only make art because you think it will make you money or because you are trying to please other people that art will not be genuine and it will not get noticed. Only after making art _for yourself_ will your art begin to truly shine.

So do yourself a favor and step back from your goals and ambitions. Put the dream of making money from your work aside for now and instead make art that you feel passionate about. Go back to basics and study the process of how to create character proportions. Do pieces that are extremely difficult because you struggle with a particular pose or style or setting and try to figure out why you struggle with them.

But above all, don't make art for others, make it for yourself. If you can figure out how to do this and keep doing this then it shouldn't be a problem finding a market for your art.


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## MikeTheBrownFox (May 12, 2019)

Cyberchowww said:


> Have you tried Instagram? I love watching people's stories and I check it more than twitter. Or at least on Instagram I manage to see ALL post. On twitter it is a huge mess.
> 
> What is your twitter? I will follow u :3


Yes, I have an Instagram as well. But even then I feel that it's nearly impossible to gain a following there.

My main Twitter account is @MikeYokite, by the way. MikeYokite (@MikeYokite): https://twitter.com/MikeYokite?s=09


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## MikeTheBrownFox (May 12, 2019)

SLCMedia said:


> One thing that should be pointed out: You're not in competition with other artists.
> 
> Unless you and some other artists are directly competing for a commercial work contract, you're not _really_ in competition just on art, because your product is your art, so fundamentally nobody else is making the same product as you.
> 
> ...


Which is exactly that-- I'm trying my best to find my audience but they're just not there. As I said before, there are artists out there that go from a few followers to over one thousand due to a viral tweet meanwhile I'm forcing myself to work on art for hours with no breaks and recieve little to no reactions as a result. It really feels like people are choosing who gets to be successful and who doesn't.


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## Minerva_Minx (May 12, 2019)

What is the goal?  how are you promoting yourself?  What are you doing to get noticed?  ads?  raffles?  

Who is your audience?  What do they want?  how do you meet that demand?

You want, but when all is said and done, more has been said then done.


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## Cyberchowww (May 15, 2019)

MikeTheBrownFox said:


> Yes, I have an Instagram as well. But even then I feel that it's nearly impossible to gain a following there.
> 
> My main Twitter account is @MikeYokite, by the way. MikeYokite (@MikeYokite): https://twitter.com/MikeYokite?s=09


 followed you!

tbh I know shit about insta. I never got more than 70 followers on my art accounts. My doll account is at 700+ now but that is such a small community, I prolly end up being stuck at 1000


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## MikeTheBrownFox (May 15, 2019)

Cyberchowww said:


> followed you!
> 
> tbh I know shit about insta. I never got more than 70 followers on my art accounts. My doll account is at 700+ now but that is such a small community, I prolly end up being stuck at 1000


Thank you for following! I hope you enjoy my artwork c:

Being an artist on Instagram is difficult. I have under 100 followers on it since its algotithms are the worst. I'm expected to post often otherwise I'll slowly lose followers easily, which is an issue since I take forever to complete my art. Meanwhile people that post photos of themselves and their lives get like hindreds of followers effortlessly.

I don't get social media's beef with artists...


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