about your 2nd rant..
well, it's true.
i see that too, unfortunately.
people with absolutely no talent at all take no effort to create anything that's genuinely their own... that sucks.. >.>

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FAQ #132: How do I increase my pageviews?
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Agreed. I found that when trying to do cartooning, it is way harder than realism. Realism is you draw what you see, and more careful you are, the better it is. That's all there is too it. People who can distort something and still make it look good are truly good.

Second point. Get used to it.

i hope you're not just bashing on artists whose skill is not yet at the same level as your own or higher...i say this because i think there are many artists out there who are just beginning and/or trying to slowly improve themselves.

while i won't defend anyone who blatantly copies another's style and claims it to be their own, i don't think it's right to be hard on someone who may not have had the opportunity to take an anatomy class or to study such things.

everyone has to start from somewhere. and whether other people decide to watch them or not, is really a matter of preference.

perhaps i'm totally missing your point, and am wondering just what exactly you meant by "absolutely and utterly suck in both concepts"

if you could clarify, that would be helpful.

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"It has been said that a dog will never refuse to eat because it's immoral. But I say, it's not that a dog has no morals, it's that we, as human beings, do not understand what those morals entail." ~ Me

Anatomy classes don't have much to do with it, you can learn without ripping off other artist's work. People don't even bother to look how the anatomy looks, they just want to copy their idol (and personally, I never thought stylizing a stylization helps you improve). You need to start off somewhere and the best way to do that is to take some photos and simplify them the way you want. That is, if you want more or less accurate anatomy. If you prefer a lot more cartoony stuff then it's good to look at real animals as a basis but otherwise you don't have to bother too much about it. On the other hand it's good to have a good knowledge of perspective and foreshortening in that case so that your character don't look flat.

I meant that said artist didn't bother to learn anything about real art but rather chose to spend his time copying other people's styles and pictures. As for concepts, wolves that sometimes float in the air, with thick lineart and highly emphasized fur are 's idea and yet a lot of people keep filling their galleries with it. Wolves with tomahawks are also highly unoriginal.

I was really annoyed after seeing a couple of artists who neither have any original ideas (you could see most of them were based of other people's art) and then seeing a few comments by really good artists encouraging them. One of those two even told me (after I said somewhere I didn't have to rip-off to learn): "I guess that's why your art looks the way it does.". What she meant is that my art isn't as good as hers because she does realism even though my skills far surpass hers in both anatomy, proportions and dare I say, originality because half the pictures in her gallery were just copies of other people's work done a little differently. But of course, if I don't just paint and do realism and duplicate photos then my art isn't worth anything.

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Open Heaven comic - coming soon. Maybe [link]

i know whatya mean. i was actually thinking about this yesterday.

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The Decieved: [link]

if you like wolf comics, that link's not gonna dissapoint you.

I have a couple friends that stop by the house, armed with drawing stuff, and watch the latest Heroes while working on furry arts (it is a fur house, after all) and everyone seems to say that "toony" is harder than "real" art. Caricature and distortion (and having it not look like total crap) is a lot harder (so I've been told) than real art, so I think you're on to something.

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And, isn't sanity really just a one-trick pony anyway? I mean all you get is one trick, rational thinking, but when you're good and crazy, oooh, oooh, oooh, the sky is the limit. - The Tick

I agree with Rant 1

I agree with Rant 2

I agree with Rant 3 (even though there isn't one, but still!)

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This quest, this need to solve life's mysteries—in the end, what does it matter when the human heart can only find meaning in the smallest of moments? They're here—among us. In the shadows, in the light, everywhere. Do they even know yet?

hm, well i think there's a fine line between "ripping off someone's work" and being inspired by it. there's nothing wrong with taking an idea and working it into your own personal style. ideas, just as poses, cannot be copyrighted. it also doesn't mean you're being unoriginal, necessarily, since you were inspired by something that already exists, whether it's a photo or a drawing or real life, etc.

as far as HOW you learn to draw...that is up to the individual and there's nothing wrong with learning from other great artists. in fact, many great artists out there learned from someone else's work. Miyazaki learned from, and was inspired by, Disney, after all.

as for style...that's even harder to pin down. think of "anime style"...it's everywhere and highly individualized. those who draw with anime style aren't necessarily "ripping off" anyone...they're conforming to a specific style that they like.

lastly, it seems to me that you have a very high opinion of your own skills as an artist and your ability to judge other people's work...please be careful with that. in an online community like DV, it's always very difficult to know exactly who did what first, who's copying who and where an original thought or idea came from to begin with. the vast majority of people here are here to share their work, but also to learn and grow as artists.

this isn't an elite club to show off how good you are or how much better your work is than someone else's. (and by "you" i mean everyone, not just you personally) if someone makes a snide comment to you about your artwork, don't get upset...just ignore that person, because their opinion is not worth your time.

i hope you won't take issue with me for saying these things. i think your art is wonderful, otherwise i wouldn't be watching you.

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"It has been said that a dog will never refuse to eat because it's immoral. But I say, it's not that a dog has no morals, it's that we, as human beings, do not understand what those morals entail." ~ Me

What's even worse is when those mediocre artists with plenty of watchers, won't watch someone who has a greater amount of skill.
But who knows.
Maybe I'm just really full of myself.

I saw several artists here who got almost same style. You know it's kinda gettting annoying.

Cartoon style is harder the "hyperrealism"? Am i missed something? 0_o