the_gneech (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
the_gneech) wrote2003-03-19 02:23 pm
the_gneech) wrote2003-03-19 02:23 pm
Derivativitude
Okay, so I've got a yen to do a piece of furry art[1], but I don't have a specific idea for a subject, so what do I go look at for inspiration? Why, other furry art, of course!
It makes sense, it's the natural choice ... but it's often the wrong answer.
If all I'm doing is echoing other artists, what's the point of my doing the art at all? I can't do a Herbie Bearclaw pic as good as Herbie can ... I can't do a Terrie Smith pic as good as Terrie can. I don't add anything to the genre by doing that, and who's going to want to see that, when they can go see a superior original?
I'm not referring to doing studies of other artists, here ... my art skill jumped by leaps and bounds by the careful study of Herbie's work for instance. But when the time comes for me to do a piece of "My Own Work," whatever that may be, I don't want to be a Herbie Wannabe, I want to be The Gneech.
To that end, I need to remind myself to look outside the genre for inspiration. I need to look at great art and junky schlock; I need to go outside and look at real life, fer cryin' out loud, and use THAT to inform and inspire my artwork. What can I learn by checking out the cover of a trashy pulp novel? What does "The Last Supper" have to teach me about drawing Tiffany Tiger?
I have been checking out a lot of anime lately, something that's old hat to a lot of furry artists, but until recently wasn't much of a direct influence on me. Most of the older stuff isn't worth a second look, from an artistic perspective, but a lot of the richer, more modern stuff is very nice artwork indeed, and has a very nice blend of fine art traditions with more cinematic sensibilities. And I've been incorporating a lot of what I've learned into my work ... sharp-edge coloring techniques and bold lines for instance. But as before, I don't want to turn into a Madhouse Studios clone any more than a Herbie Wannabe.
That's the hardest thing, I think, to immerse myself into a style or set of techniques, and let myself go and really absorb it all -- without losing the valuable things I've learned from other styles along the way. Sometimes they're just not compatible ... Disney style is very lush and has lots of bouncy curves, while anime style is all sharp corners and hard lines, for instance. But if I can achieve a synthesis of the different things that jump out at me and say, "THIS is good art!" and blend those in a way that is unique to me ... then I will have something worth noting. AND something that brings new value to the genre, instead of just feeding off of it.
Or maybe I'm just rambling. ;)
-The Gneech
[1] Insert "comic," "manga," "toon," "fantasy," or any other genre/art style of your choice, here.
It makes sense, it's the natural choice ... but it's often the wrong answer.
If all I'm doing is echoing other artists, what's the point of my doing the art at all? I can't do a Herbie Bearclaw pic as good as Herbie can ... I can't do a Terrie Smith pic as good as Terrie can. I don't add anything to the genre by doing that, and who's going to want to see that, when they can go see a superior original?
I'm not referring to doing studies of other artists, here ... my art skill jumped by leaps and bounds by the careful study of Herbie's work for instance. But when the time comes for me to do a piece of "My Own Work," whatever that may be, I don't want to be a Herbie Wannabe, I want to be The Gneech.
To that end, I need to remind myself to look outside the genre for inspiration. I need to look at great art and junky schlock; I need to go outside and look at real life, fer cryin' out loud, and use THAT to inform and inspire my artwork. What can I learn by checking out the cover of a trashy pulp novel? What does "The Last Supper" have to teach me about drawing Tiffany Tiger?
I have been checking out a lot of anime lately, something that's old hat to a lot of furry artists, but until recently wasn't much of a direct influence on me. Most of the older stuff isn't worth a second look, from an artistic perspective, but a lot of the richer, more modern stuff is very nice artwork indeed, and has a very nice blend of fine art traditions with more cinematic sensibilities. And I've been incorporating a lot of what I've learned into my work ... sharp-edge coloring techniques and bold lines for instance. But as before, I don't want to turn into a Madhouse Studios clone any more than a Herbie Wannabe.
That's the hardest thing, I think, to immerse myself into a style or set of techniques, and let myself go and really absorb it all -- without losing the valuable things I've learned from other styles along the way. Sometimes they're just not compatible ... Disney style is very lush and has lots of bouncy curves, while anime style is all sharp corners and hard lines, for instance. But if I can achieve a synthesis of the different things that jump out at me and say, "THIS is good art!" and blend those in a way that is unique to me ... then I will have something worth noting. AND something that brings new value to the genre, instead of just feeding off of it.
Or maybe I'm just rambling. ;)
-The Gneech
[1] Insert "comic," "manga," "toon," "fantasy," or any other genre/art style of your choice, here.
no subject
How did I know that the moment I started talking about artwork, you'd pop up with a self-derogatory remark? *bopples you with a halibut*
-The Gneech