The Importance of Joy in Art-Making
Vložit
- čas přidán 20. 09. 2021
- Take my gigantic drawing course: www.FormFromImagination.com/
Unpopular opinion- you should be feelin' pretty good while you draw.
Grab video tutorials here: gumroad.com/stevenzapata or here: www.proko.com/course/secrets-...
This demon with stinky hairy eye pits was drawn in my A3 Moleskine sketchbook with .5 hb mechanical pencils, .3 H mechanical pencils, and Palomino Blackwing pencils.
Support me on Patreon for early access to these videos and other perks like high-res scans, Discord, and exclusive in progress shots: / stevenzapata
Follow me on Instagram: / stevenzapata_art
Reach out: stevensketches@gmail.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Wondering what those quick buttons are on the side of my Photoshop? Check out Sergey Kritskiy's Layer Factory on Gumroad: gumroad.com/a/726930547/FUszh
I'm usually drawing on Strathmore 400 Series Bristol Paper Smooth or in my Moleskine Sketchbook with some sort of HB lead and Palomino Blackwing pencils. - Jak na to + styl
I think when I started to hate art was when I was studying Kim Jung Gi, and I tried to draw faces like he did, and every time I messed up a thing like the nose, or the outline of the face, I’d get upset, and throw down my pen. I set my self up for failure, since he’s had many many years of practice. He’s been drawing almost 40 years, I just picked up drawing a month ago after 2 years of a break. And then I decided to do a blind contour, or at least semi blind one. I had looked at someone and started to draw out by feel, not by drawing the face a specific way to make it look good, but just draw. It was so much better than when I tried. Seriously, if you want to draw well, don’t worry about getting things absolutely right, and just let you hand move with no restrictions. My scribbly drawings look better than the ones where I try.
Another thing I’d compare it to is almost meditation? I don’t know, like automatic drawing. It’s like after you draw it and someone asks “How did you do that?” And I would say “I don’t know, I didn’t really think about it.”
It sounds like you're successful and happy in drawing because you use your intuition.
I speak for myself and surely many others on your channel that it's been such a joy to be part of your channel.This was really my remedy when I was feeling burned out and losing my passion for art, now I'm back on track on my art journey again and it's really from all the videos you post.You're really a godsend sir!
While I feel digital art is important, and worthwhile I find myself constantly going back to Oil. There is nothing like working in front of the easel for me. I was fortunate last year to do a YA Book cover in Oil and it was awesome. I find that for a bit there was this tug of war going on inside me, “ I need to do digital to be marketable, but I want to do oils” the reality is you can skip back and forth and do both. That way neither gets old and stale. I find though at the end of the day I will always come back to Oil on panel bc to me that is when I experience “the joy of painting” as the late Bob Ross would say
This year has been the closest I felt to freedom while drawing since I was a little kid. That happy go-lucky feeling of drawing and showing it to others when you were five and you just wanted to create, it didn't matter so much what it looked like. I found myself lost with art for so many years, even taking a couple years off to pursue other interests. It took me a long time to get back into it and to be happy doing it. A big reason is because of those voices in my heads telling me I'm not good enough or saying others are more successful with far less experience, etc. It really wasn't until I sat down with those thoughts that I remember how my art teachers, friends, and even family would tell me art was wrong or even make fun of it. There were a lot of weeds I had to pull out, and granted not all weeds are bad, but it's made this year my happiest when it comes to drawing. I've learned so much more than even in the subject, made more pieces this year than in past years, and more importantly I relearned my love of drawing, of creating. I draw cause I can, no other reason needed.
Dude, I listened to this 3 times already. Had a blast all three times.
It has always bothered me how so many "artist self-help" videos broach this topic and immediately conclude "maybe you should just quit lmao". It always seemed irresponsible, so I'm happy to see this sentiment tackled thoughtfully.
I think a lot of artists who have "made it" (whatever that means) fetishize the often inherent suffering of the learning process-- as if their transcendent bootstrap-lifting willpower was the only thing that got them through, and if you can't match it, you should go kick rocks. It's just totally not true-- there are infinite paths through any forest
Thank you for talking about this. I've been drawing on and off for the past 10 years. I would enroll in an art program, get really good at drawing, then quit. I did that three times believe it or not. After each time I'd quit, I would feel this huge wave of existential depression and get really pissed with drawing. But thing is I just cant seem to quit drawing, I keep going back to it because there's this huge fire that keeps burning for it. Now going back to it the fourth time, it doesnt feel as straining as before because this time I know my identity is not linked with the art and I know what I need to do. There's more joy somehow. When I study something about the anatomy and something clicks when drawing it, there's a huge grin on my face. When I draw, it's like I enter this other magical world and the more I improve technically, the more fluent and free I become in the language of this world.
Artstation...artstation makes me feel insecure about my own art. It's brutal seeing the best artists out there and realizing your art doesn't hold up in comparison.
How can we compare your art if we can't even see it?
I feel exactly that. I am always very afraid of videos like this because I always think they might tell me I should stop making art if it makes me miserable, but I know very well I will not stop, and I can't stop. Every time I'm making a painting I feel this dread and all I can think is how much I hate every second of it, that I'm making it, that I'm not good enough. It's been like this for a while, a couple of years I think. But this video was so good, maybe someday I'll get over this.
It's not the art that makes you miserable like you have said. Kindly, it's your thoughts. I do believe that all abundance comes from joy and that ultimate happiness is that. It's not to say that art and life won't have its challenges.
Through meditation is how i learned that my thoughts aren't my own. Meditation is weird since you ignore all thoughts and it's made me be able to choose a bit more what thoughts i interact with, and which i don't. I haven't meditated in a while sadly so thoughts creep back up, but it's really remarkable. I need to get back to meditating...
Your videos are like coffee for the brain...but for art. Your videos always show up when I need them the most. Thank you as always! 🔥🔥🔥
Oh what did we do to deserve 4 steven zapata videos in 2 days!! As always, thank u for being such a positive influence on my (and many others) journeys ✨✨
you know in traditional media there's no resizing proportions or undo-ing etc. so i've been sketching and re-sketching [basically starting over on new paper] a few stuff again and again. it's fun. as well as kinda feels perfectionism is taking over, as i feel nope doesn't look quite right. but redrawing the same thing again definitely makes the process a lot easier and removes the initial rustiness. and also discovered some compositions i like better. this is totally unrelated to the video but thought i'd share. it's fun when you're finally happy with how the sketch turns out haha.
Actually there is an "undo" in traditional art. It's called an eraser.
Now look obviously there is a point in which an eraser won't work to "fix"
a piece of traditional art but at the same time there is a point in which "undo"
"won't" fix a piece of digital art.
From my experience suffering rarely comes from drawing itself. But mostly from two sources: guilt and consequences.
Guilt is all the self-inflicted suffering that only happens in my mind. Mainly when I'm drawing and I feel I should be doing something else. Sometimes real sometimes not, either way causes great stress.
Consequences is when the guilt is real. Drawing takes time away from my well being. Things like drawing when I should be sleeping, eating, exercising, spending time with friends and family, answering the phone, you name it.
Whatever the case, while drawing is happening everything feels right.
I hope that people will overcome the pit that they're in right now. Overcoming that would manifest on their art which is a good thing to see.
The algorithm did its job today, this is exactly what I needed to hear at exactly the right time.
You've got a subscribe from me man, hope your channel blows up!
Ended up having to watch this video twice in two days just to make sure it sinks in. You are a tremendous help when I feel helpless or unable to draw; it has been much more enjoyable since I started watching your videos.
hell yeahhh a 50 minute video from steven? thats godsend
Steven, you have and still are transforming the way I think about my art and it's for the good. Thank you for sharing so much with us and not expecting anything back. So good to hear someone talk about what you talk. Have never found anyone to relate to in my 39 years of life. You are the first one that gets it haha. You are definitely one of my top three Artist ever. The other one is Feng Zhu and the third one is my wife 😀
you are my favorite philosopher, your videos remind me of all of the discoveries I have made in my life that I stand by. Its like listening to the old young wise me from the past telling me once again that everything is great because I choose to think so. Thank you Steven Zapata for sharing your thoughts with the world
Best part: "Shut up! I don't care about your answer!"
As a beginner in drawing I need to agree with you. At first there was a lot of frustration around it, and there still is. I often hate what I make because it doesn't match what I had in mind, but at the same time... I really love it. I could make absolute crap and still find something that was quite well done - even if it was one smooth line or one good shape. I can stare at it forever.
And even when I have a bad day and there is nothing enjoyable, this one thing keeps me from quitting - all these images I need to get out of my head! Otherwise I won't stop ruminating about them and "drawing" them in my mind. It feels weird to me that I didn't find out that I love drawing earlier in life.
As for just observing the thought / feeling and doing it anyway - this is what actually got me through this first month of learning. It is also useful when you are afraid of making the first mark on paper, afraid to screw up the drawing, not feeling motivated etc. :) Mindfulness all the way!
Thank you, Steve. Ill remember to keep these things in mind when I draw and just take things slowly. I appreciate your help to all of us and how willing you are to enlighten us all❤
I think I got more mindfulness tips from this than anything else I have consumed on the topic! I think it is just such an underrated topic that artists need. Beautiful! Thank you!
Sorry for the long post, I'll be trying to condense this into a video later. Speaking as an artists struggling with bipolar type 2 disorder, which for me is signaled by long periods of being unable to feel or at least hold on to joy, I largely agree with a lot of what you say. A lot of it seems to tie into ideas from mindfulness and meditation, which are super helpful for me to manage my mental health day to day. Adopting mindfulness and meditation into improvisational art practices has made me able to draw daily, even when in depression, a goal that seemed impossible for me just a few years ago.
I do think it's important to expand the definition of joy to include things such as meaningfulness, mastery, learning, peace, as you say, or just interest. These are all things that are great excuses to take a class, listen to a song, play a videogame, or watch a movie, yet are not necessarily "joy". But in hindsight it's easy to forget the experience and think of it as joyful, because the result brought joy.
But I do fear that the idea that you can somehow think your way out of the dark periods is potentially damaging. Of course, as diagnosed bipolar this seems sort of obvious in my case. My depressions will come at regular intervals. That's a part of the diagnosis. But the interesting thing is that before I was diagnosed and noticed the patterns, each time I went from a depressive period and into a hypomanic period, I would be convinced that I had thought myself out of it. I would get all these ideas on how to find joy in art and life, very similar to yours, and think they were the solution to never being depressed again. And when the depression came again, I would feel it was a failure of my thoughts and ideas. Of me. And I would blame myself for the depression coming back.
Now that I notice the patterns, and have the diagnosis, I still "think myself out" of my depressions, but when I lapse back into one of them I don't blame myself as much. It's not a failure of thinking, it's just a pattern.
And when talking to other artists who show no symptoms of bipolar or depression, or just occasional symptoms of depression, I notice similar patterns. When talking about art block, or lacking joy, or other areas of struggling with their art, they will often present these great ideas of how they manage to think themselves out of their last ditch. And then a few months or years later, they will wonder why they are in a ditch again. And blame themselves for not having good enough ideas to think themselves out again. Blame themselves for not being able to shift perspective.
And I guess that sums it up. I suspect creativity is in a sense cyclical, and that not acknowledging that may lead to less joy in the art.
I love your thought process and point of view, the philosophy and approach behind the art. You're so inspiring and empowering in a positive way. Thank you for being my art therapist for today! ❤️
My work made me hate life in general, not just art. Actually, art is one of the only things that still gives me hope for this world.
"But Steven..."
Steven: "SHUT UP".
"O.. Ok ..." *quetly picks up pencil and starts shading doodles"
Jokes aside, your art videos, lessons and rambles are packed with awesomeness and truth! Thanks for all the honesty, motivation and encouragement to pursue art and enjoy ourselves while doing it! I found out about you while watching Proko, and I'm so grateful I did! You have inspired me greatly, and I can't stop watching/listening, while scribbling stuff in my first ever sketchbook :)
Take care, and doodle away! Much love
I come back to these monologues every time I need guidance ❤
I enjoy the blunt delivery. It's about embracing feelings and also ignoring other feelings that have no real bearing on the actual art once you're aware of them.
Wise words and thank you for your insights Steven. You are the poet under the artists. For me, turning inwards, looking "inside" is important to this topic i guess. Not meditation like "I meditate 10 minutes a day, watching my breath". I mean, really looking inside all the time, living a meditative live. Watching the processes of the thinking mind.
Im a new artist nd I jus want to say ur videos have saved me nd my art path was it the draw 100 boxes phase I had high expectations of I need to be able to draw within a year nd it lead me to hating my art then I released with ur videos that I was hating my art because of the expectations I put on my life nd others put on me nd I decided to not care im ready for it to take ten years and way more and now I enjoy evens making a simple stroke
This was incredibly helpful and allowed me to work through some difficult feelings as I was drawing and listening. I got hit with one of these walls of joylessness and then took some time to stop and examine what was really going on. Got some new insights. thank you.
you answer questions that i thought would never be answered and that i thought id never try to ask
Thank you Steven, this is one of my favorite videos of yours. So much good stuff in this. Really echoes the mindfulness and acceptance that I have been working on in my own life. It's also interesting because I am relatively new to this drawing thing, but I've experienced the exact same resistance/suffering etc with many interests in the past that aren't really "art" at first glance.
Also I like this drawing, those legs are amazing, love the mix of tones and linear hatching.
10:28 "Yes, I've been there, I've lived through that" - that's me! *cries* But this video helps. thank you
I only start to “hate it” when I become self conscious. I don’t want to be seen as a flake in any way. I am trying to embrace it though. It hurts when others don’t believe in me. But no one really has to believe in me but myself. But I care a lot.... i wish I didnt.
When Trent Kanigua said that everyone who feel pain while drawing should stop, because art should be joyful, I started questioning myself looking at what can be wrong with me. Short answer: everything. But today I found your video and just started drawing mindlessly, not caring about anything, just doodling with symmetry on, and I just slide into some sort of flow when time stops existing. I just draw for full 5 hours. And then 3 hours on top of that. Of course end result it’s not a masterpiece, but I love it. All this years inside me was a will to draw, and I tortured it with cubes, cylinders, perfect ellipses because strangers on the internet said to me that I should “get good”. How stupid was I’ve been for letting anyone decide how should I draw correctly. Thank you for waking me up
Very happy for you rehaze, I love to hear it.
damn. this was A COMMENT, very very inspiring of bravery to make the impossible decision of returning to the child while being an adult. i hope you had joy in success and strength in hardship, good luck to you brother - dont stop going.
new Steven video as soon as i start looking for something to listen while drawing, workday is starting just right
for those of us that struggle with long term mental health issues, art can be really hard. but its far harder to be without it. chasing your own aesthetic vision is the ultimate journey, we just need to give ourselves permission and maybe even seek permission from others (if you have kids or spouses or a dog etc) to use that time we have to just make art, paint, draw, etc.
I think this is the second video of yours I'm watching. This is amazing stuff Steven!
Been trying meditiation on and off and benefitting from it, but teaching it through the lens of art and the application of meditation towards spending your time how you want (doing art) and enjoying it is just brilliant man!
Thank you Steven.
beautiful, flowing style. You stir inspirations in me my friend. Thanks Steven
I can’t make it half through your videos before wanting to draw again! You’re amazing. Hearing you speak and seeing what you make, makes me want to make things so yeah thanks
The way you put into perspective how useless are negative thoughts about drawing are...is hilarious!!...I'm just gonna pick up a pen and listen as i draw!
One of my favorite videos for sure ; probably gonna rewatch it a couple times ; alsoi love the weirdness of the shapes in this drawing
I really struggled with that feeling when taking an environment concept art class, I couldn't for the life of me draw as well as the other artists in the class, and one guy in particular had far less experience drawing than myself. I had alot going outside the class and it just felt like this mountain of expectation crushing me and it was hard to draw a single line because I felt like I wouldn't be able to finish. I question now whether it was due to inexperience with the subject matter, the design process, or lack of certain fundamentals at that point in my journey.
You did a lot more than teach me more about art in this video, thank you
One of the best metaphors I found for the NEED to make pictures I found in Suicide Squad 2 of all places. That guy infected with that inter dimensional dot virus? If he didn't "expel" them in some way (combat, vomiting them out, ect) they'd destroy him....that's what creativity feels like sometimes, like a omnipresent, terrifying swirl of colors and ideas that will EAT you from the inside if you don't get them out.....
That being said, I still find joy in it, and don't hate making it, but sometimes I hate the NEED to make stuff when I am so consumed by it.
This one truely kills me. I love that drawing so much!!!!
@ali hussain probs gotta do with patreon members
@ali hussain yep Patreon 👍
Amazing. thank you.
Wow! What a great video!
What kind of trick here,you are like the magician,i love your rendering style.
Steven really just summarized the upanishads and turned us all into the most peaceful divine beings we always have been
i lost my joy for art 10years ago as i did it on and off for 20years and just last year i got into acrylics and now oil as i got inspired by artists like you on youtube and now ill keep doing it forever i hope.
For a long time people told me that I was blessed because I'm able to draw and paint. But to me I felt that it was a curse and not a blessing because it got in the way of me being an engineer like my diploma says. After years of struggle, I became a Math teacher which I also love and try to do as much art as possible on my free time. I got lucky too and taught art for kids for 3 years and being surrounded by all sorts of art supplies, I taught myself to paint and improved my drawing skills. My one advice to everyone out there is to do exercise because sitting down for so long messed up my back and arms for a while.
The part where you act the part of the thought. How to say this? That’s gold and I couldn’t stop grinning. Because it’s funny and so on point. I have to keep my door open to these thoughts when I am drawing or else the drawing doesn’t happen. And I think that sometimes when it is so encompassing and blocking my vision I just sit down and stare at it and draw it. You should see it blush man.
I did not think of it this way before but your award winning roleplay exercise made something click inside. I can’t wait to invite my dark thoughts back in and try it again. Up to this date it’s the best way for me to drain the darkness, when I have somewhere to put it and study it in relative safety.
This was great. Thank you.
Thank you for the reflection, such wise words, thank you!
Loved this. You have put some of how I feel in words. That's brilliant. You have a new subscriber
You speak like an Starseed. Elegantly throwing a spear of truth right into the souls heart, its seeds blooms into a flower Garden of Wisdom & Joy.
I love the act of drawing but i think it might be impatience. For many (including myself) its often not "Wow there's so much amazing stuff to learn!" but more like "wow i still have to learn so much stuff"
The joy of a notification from this channel hahaha ❤
Thank you!
Thank you 🍃🌸🍃
Thank you for this! It was just what I needed right now. And I don't even draw at all... I just happened to stumble across your videos a while ago. I felt the need to make some kind of art pretty much all of my life and now I try to make a bit of music and it's working out OK. However, I constantly think about how my music turns out in the end and what people might think about it. I always keep forgetting that it's the process of creating and learning something that I'm really drawn to. For me, it's probably because I was teached that everything needs to surve a purpose and must generate money because otherwise it's worthless.
I think it's really when we do things that we truly love ( and then share it with others) that we have a chance of it generating income. Effective marketing helps.
@@lesliemctavish4300 That's true. If it's inspiring for yourself, chances are high other people will feel the same.
Wonderful video 😭😭
incredible stuff
I think the people who are investing their time in drawing and who are miserable doing it, would be highly advantaged to investigate their life beyond the drawing. Why do they draw and is drawing just a bandage/distraction for their thoughts which are at a subconscious level. I agree that" joy may not be everything in drawing, but it's RIGHT UP THERE." For me, joy is the very essence of a life lived. Life and goals have challenges even when we love something, yet if our hearts aren't alligned, then it's difficult and if not improbable that we will create anything worthy of our greatest life.
thank you
Didn't watch the entire video before posting but still:
I understand the whole ghing about freewill like this: If I look inside mysef and what is most meaningful to me, I find something that's a given. It consists of things I learned throughout my life and is not changeable in a short term sense. The decision aspect is where you either choose to go wirh or against your inate instincts/ desires. Usually I find this to be the root of my resistance.
When I become concious and sit with my motivations, think about whether they are driven by positively or negatively, that's when I can let go of resistamce and even do things I dislike almost effortlessly.
That's my 2 cents. So yeah. Nice vid dude
Thank you
Hi Steven, I'm not sure if you'll read this, but I feel the need to thank you. In January I quit my job because, among other reason, i thought I neded more time to study to finnaly get a 'professional level'. but the more i tried pushing myself through practicing all day, the more i hated it, and along with that i hated mysel because, well, why was it so hard to do what i wanted to do? why must this be so painful?, soon enough I realized that the problem wasn't the lack of time. Then in whatched to your video "ancient drawing truths" wile i was doing a still life study, and two things you said hit me like a bomb. First was "its not about you, you selfish egomaniac, it's about the picture..." and the second was "why don't you start doing the things you say you wanna do for the next ten years..." And with those words you set me free from my own chains, I mean, ive rescued the joy of painting and drawing, and ive been studying acording to what my personal project asks and it just works! things just work. even if im having a breakedown or something, I don't just feel guilty for not drawing, I am constantly drawing now... I don't know how, but this line of thought made a whole difference in my life. Thankyou.
Thanks Steven. I stuck with it but I stopped looking for confirmation on the Internet and started being kinder to myself on the day rather than making continuous goals.
I really appreciate the video and it has given me a lot to rhink about. This subject is one I've already been battling with for a while.
There are subjects I do enjoy drawing. And in general I notice that I'm having a enjoyable time while creating them. For me that's mainly cool and sexy fantasy pinup characters.
But i have this small, annoying voice in the back of my mind that keeps telling me that that type of art lacks meaning and depth. And doing cool pinups are equivalent to fast food. And I should be diving deep and create something more meaningful. Whatever that is.
I don't think I've come up with that idea on my own. I think a part of it is from my parents' expectations of me to be more of a "fine art" artist. And some CZcamsrs i watched when I was starting out.
So my question is; how does one define meaningful art? And if drawing certain types of subjects brings me joy, does that art then actually have meaning?
Pleasure and pain, joy and suffering share the same spot in the brain. Human beings are weird indeed.
sounds like you might have read the untethered soul 🤭 i'm super curious about your favorite books, actually!
wonderful video also, as usual. perfect stuff to draw to
Looking at this I would imagine you could draw and epic Spawn character, cool shading on this one.
I am that person - need to get untrapped
Ted Talks Steve. Amazing monologue
"The creative person has no control over his life. He is not free. He is captive and driven by his daemon." -Carl Jung
Great sharing friend😃beautiful👍😃❤️..
Not sure if you are going to read this but this is the fear I have for wanting to purse art as a carreer and leave IT behind.
I used to like programming a lot but the industry crushed a good portion of my pleasure in doing so. And this same industry also keeps me from having these moments of enjoyment where I can just draw and do other things, so I never get good at making art because time is so limited.
I wanted to shift to an art career because the lack of a creative outlet is really killing me inside and maybe, even if I was doing something for a client, I could at least inject my craft in it and have a bit of fun in the process.
Maybe I'm mistaken, but I was hoping for an advice.
This is me rn. I have almost no passion for my own art and I find it draining. But seeing the final project is pleasant. But I do it cause I have some sort of compulsion pushing me through
to be any honest, at the root of the problem lies not a problem with art, but with joy; or any other spontaneous or deeper than conscious drive to create that nobody can know why. its a problem with oneself and not art; and should therefore be approached accordingly. personally, i cannot speak for myself, as i do not remember the person i was before, but sometimes they whisper truths to me earned for a dauntingly high price. whoever feels this way at the present moment, should rather see why suffering is central in their universe, and why it blinds them to joy which is an inherent possibility, and organic drive of all living beings; to thrive.
i find its the same issue pain might be "holified" inherently in our culture; this violent rupture of consciousness, the tiny tree spurt revolting against the vast earth wise roots that are still, the roots of the tree which voluntarily stays a small, deprived twig. i especially see this in young people, and myself am familiar with the now relatively outmaneuvered urges of universal destruction, coming from wishing the destruction of oneself. creativity and destruction go often hand in hand and are the birth, or death of one another; the biggest fault is to assume there is ever an absolute, abstract ideal good essence, either independent or inherent to certain aspects of what we think creativity or any other thing we might see as a quality in itself. these notions are but illusions, perhaps necessary.
i once heard happiness is an asymptote, an ideal that is striven for yet never reached; and that is because it is an abstract, unradical ego desire completely astray from the wisdom of our subconscious, our nerves, our bones, muscles, stomach and heart especially; a sensitive and vital part of all our life. i see that our culture is also deeply starved, and at war with natural fulfillment with debauchery and asceticism being the ugly weeds to kill off a once robust sprout. both are weakness, a deprivement of vitality. a guilt infested condition.
i wonder if humans were the first to discover the horrors of being all too conscious: making us small, and stupid, yet so blindly self-centered in our own erasure.
well steve, highly doubt youll read this but if ever you do, just take it with a grain of salt, i still got a whole life ahead of me to mature furher, rejuvinate further.
I don't hate it, but i don't really enjoy drawing. It is a giant struggle against myself for hours. I feel joy in the end result, even when just a part of it turned out nice. i just finished a cross eyed owl and i love that bastard.
35:00 Zenpata moment
So the noticing your negative thought come and go, it’s stoicism, right?
I think many philosophies take a good look at the nature of thoughts. I wouldn’t say it belongs to any particular ism. I do like the stools though, Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations are hugely inspirational and wondrous.
Hey Steven👋
I know it a super casual subject, but could u maybe talk in a video about freelancing?
Im currently 19 and doing an „Ausbildung“ in Graphic Design. How should I explain it, since you don’t really have „Ausbildungen“ in the Usa. It’s like learning specifically for a certain job and then having a professional degree in just that job.
Anyways I’ll do that for 2 1/2 year and after that I want to slowly transition into being self employed.
What would your advise be if you want to be a freelance illustrator? I mean you are one right? There‘re options like merch, artbooks, Patreon, commissions etc.
Could u speak about that topic in the future? I think that these aren’t topics you like to speak about. But it’s be glad to hear your opinion about that? From a professional, whose work I admire!
I'm very interested in this style of art, what can you call this particular style?
Oh no, Steven Zapata. No no no. If you keep dropping these bombs, Mr. Smith is gonna find you. Beautiful drawing.
Most of the days I just draw using reference, and that makes me feel like i am doing nothing except copying what I see. And when I draw without using reference, it just looks meh.
Top 👍👍👍
Im really curios jn your creature drwaings do you use any any kind of reference we dont see on the video
Not on this one, nope! I do sometimes though. I like to make my own when I can by sculpting something.
I feel attacked. 🤣😅
For me personally thing that keeps me away from enjoying it is mediocrity of my work.
Whenever I try I post something people don't call bad or very great. Most of the time their reaction is oh Cool. I feel like I just can't draw anything appealing anything that will make people want to talk about it or attract people.and I keep trying to fill this hole by drawing more cylinder/square (trying to get good to technical stuff) because that far more simpler than keep making and getting those bored and super predictable reaction every time. Even I don't don't look at my own art that is done. I don't even like to.
I feel alot of demotivation when someone else's not so technically impressive doodle get far more reaction out than my work that took me 4 hourse
Someone else's simpler art getting more likes or whatever is just how social media works and not a measure of your art. I've seen so many incredible artists go unnoticed on twitter. As for improving art, I think one thing that's important is to have fun and not even try sometimes. Go through periods of study and really trying to make something good but also periods of "I'm just gonna scribble random creatures" or something. I've been keeping a sketchbook for less than a year and I'm on my 6th one just by deciding that non of it matters and just wanted to have a good time. Yesterday i still aggressively scribbled over a study i was doing that i absolutely hated, but many of my pages are just for fun, like making collages, dumb drawings of characters, pop up things, just fun things. When i look back at actual studies i've done I'm AMAZED at how much i've improved. Don't just focus on drawing good or amazing things. Also, getting good at technical stuff is very important, but it's easier to apply that to doing studies of objects. I wasn't good at thinking in 3d and now that I'm studying anatomy and really thinking about the shape of things it's become much easier. Also, youtube videos are great for learning if you find the right ones. I recommend Marco Bucci's videos for a lotta things!
It's good to work on thechnical skill, you have to do that, but always remember you don't have to be particularly good to make so that your drawings bring value to others. Even a doodle that you make yourself can have more engagement than a full illustration.
Also remember that getting followers takes time and luck too.
You see I always taught the internal monologue was me but I turns out it’s something else the borders that I defined as the self seem kinda vague now …. Am I what now?…..
how do you now where to put the fat?
I just imagine what the best looking fatty fat would be
Mister Steven? Is it possible I ask for a small request from you from drawing? Pretty please? I’ve been dying wanting to ask
thats what i feel like painting so i never paint lol