How many hours should I put into my learning how to create professional art?

[LuminusTytus]

I'm going to self teach myself digital art (assuming I decide to make the decision to get into art. Not sure yet...)

I was wondering how many hours I should put into practice? I have nothing but time on my hands so I can probably put in loads of time, but does anyone have any comments or suggestions on this topic?

Also does anyone have any idea how long it might take to get good? I'm not asking this because I'm in a hurry or think I'm going to get good in just a couple of years. I'm just looking for more understanding. I need to know what I'm getting into, you know?

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

[LordLouis]

Over 9000! And much more.
If you haven't got any traditional background yet, start off with pencil and paper. Don't bother with a 21 HD cintiq when you can't draw.

First of all learn how to hold the pencil: http://chiseledrocks.com/main/musing...old_the_pencil
Get books for the fundamentals: http://alexhays.com/loomis/
It covers anatomy, form, perspective etc etc.

Draw from life, go outside and draw. Try out traditional mediums as well- I used to be all digital focused but I have now tried pastels, watercolours and acrylics, and it adds so much to my understanding of art that I have actually decided to concentrate more on traditional where I can (limited money and space).

What you are getting into? Well, without sounding too romantic or anything, but you're going to see the world differently the more you get into it, trying to make out shapes and form, and depth, seeing colours,.. paying more attention in general. And I am saying this being a beginner.
There is no set of hours that will ding you an artist. This is not World of Warcraft.
Have a look at the sketchbooks in this forum and you get an idea.

Good luck.

[JeffX99]

Were you looking for an exact number of hours or just ballpark?

[LuminusTytus]

Were you looking for an exact number of hours or just ballpark?

Just ball park. What I meant when I said hours was, how many hours per day should I work on practicing? Then after that I asked how many years does it usually take a self taught artist to actually get good (again not exact, just ball park) and professional?

[LuminusTytus]

Over 9000! And much more.
If you haven't got any traditional background yet, start off with pencil and paper. Don't bother with a 21 HD cintiq when you can't draw.

First of all learn how to hold the pencil: http://chiseledrocks.com/main/musing...old_the_pencil
Get books for the fundamentals: http://alexhays.com/loomis/
It covers anatomy, form, perspective etc etc.

Draw from life, go outside and draw. Try out traditional mediums as well- I used to be all digital focused but I have now tried pastels, watercolours and acrylics, and it adds so much to my understanding of art that I have actually decided to concentrate more on traditional where I can (limited money and space).

What you are getting into? Well, without sounding too romantic or anything, but you're going to see the world differently the more you get into it, trying to make out shapes and form, and depth, seeing colours,.. paying more attention in general. And I am saying this being a beginner.
There is no set of hours that will ding you an artist. This is not World of Warcraft.
Have a look at the sketchbooks in this forum and you get an idea.

Good luck.

No, I have absolutely no background in art, and I have no idea of my artistic abilities. Well I'm not sure it's entirely true that I have no background in art. I used to design maps for board games (unprofessionally) with adobe phtoshop. I wouldn't "draw" them, I used a lot of custom made textures, layers and such.

9000 hours and much more? lol okay, that's a little confusing ,: /

Well I'm not going to go buy a 1-2K tablet because I THINK I wanna get into art lol. I'd get a bamboo or a intuos 2 or maybe 3.

The problem with learning non digital art that I have is that it will be a continual cost to me, and I'm not making money at this time since I live with my parents in ECUADOR. No jobs out here. So as soon as I get a tablet I'll have all the tools I need since I have a decent computer and photoshop CS5.1 (latest version) and access to most books out there for free. So you can probably see why I'm more interested in going purely digital. Though I supposed getting a large sketch pad and some good pencils won't cost hardly anything, so I'll probably do that. Not sure about pastels and all that though.

Thanks for the links! I appreciate the help. Don't worry, I know it's not World of Warcraft lol

[Elwell]

Less planning, more doing.

[Elwell]

Just ball park. What I meant when I said hours was, how many hours per day should I work on practicing? Then after that I asked how many years does it usually take a self taught artist to actually get good (again not exact, just ball park) and professional?

10,000 hours. Break that down as you will.

[LuminusTytus]

10,000 hours. Break that down as you will.

Yeah I know I seem to be more of a planner then a doer from how much I seem to ask about getting into art. I just wanna know more about it before I make a decision you know. I don't wanna get into this and then a year or two down the road I decide I I'm not into it. I'm 23, but I aint getting any younger, so what I decide to do as a career I want to go for it without wasting time changing my decision.

[Velocity Kendall]

Youll be competing with people whove loved making art since they were kids, so get a move on, times a wasting.

re. maps for board games, heres one my mate steve made, we play it all the time its pretty good

http://landgrab.net/landgrab/Home?g=475547

[LuminusTytus]

Youll be competing with people whove loved making art since they were kids, so get a move on, times a wasting.

Clam down lol

[QueenGwenevere]

Well, if you were going to an actual art school, you'd be doing art 12 or more hours a day for four years just to get halfway good at it...

And you'd still need several years of steady practice after that to get really good...

But you won't get anywhere unless you really love doing it. So quit planning, start drawing, see if it's something you want to spend 110% of your time doing, and if it isn't, pick another career.

[JeffX99]

Just ball park. What I meant when I said hours was, how many hours per day should I work on practicing? Then after that I asked how many years does it usually take a self taught artist to actually get good (again not exact, just ball park) and professional?

I was kidding...tongue firmly in cheek. There is no answer to this beyond "as many as you need". That's like asking, "How many hours a day and how many years do I need to put in to become a professional guitar player?"

And Velocity is right...you'll be competing with people that burn with a passion to make it happen.

[Velocity Kendall]

Clam down lol

i am clam
dont say i didnt warn you though

[LuminusTytus]

i am clam
dont say i didnt warn you though

I know, I'm just messing with you man.

My maps were fantasy type maps, but they did have islands and lots of water. Mine were a different style though. I used a lot of browns and creams and made it look like old canvas, the kind you see in those pirate movies. I'd post them on here, but unfortunately I lost all that art when my computer got a monster virus. Doing guess what? Installing the latest version of a pirates photoshop lol. It's kind of ironic!!! Too bad I wasn't smart enough to back up my files back then!

Btw, it looks like a fun game!

[Velocity Kendall]

Its Risk, usual rules more or less. Hopefully Ill win that one. The real map is the connections between the territories, the look is just eye-candy.

Check out this brute.
im in some with 90 players, takes months for your go to come round.

http://landgrab.net/landgrab/Home?g=428481

[LuminusTytus]

Its Risk, usual rules more or less. Hopefully Ill win that one. The real map is the connections between the territories, the look is just eye-candy.

Check out this brute.
im in some with 90 players, takes months for your go to come round.

http://landgrab.net/landgrab/Home?g=428481

Yeah the look was just eye candy in my games too. This map looks like it's got crap loads going on lol.

[Immortal Cintiq]

I concur with 10,000 Hours. Its in Malcolm Gladwells book.

so 8hrs a day for 4 years will get you about 11,000 hours.

[Velocity Kendall]

but unless youre earning as a designer you have to have a job or school, commute to that job or school, sleep, see your friends and significant other, family, sports..
so really its more like 2 hours a day for 16 years. ie if you started when youre 8 youre getting good by 24.

[erinc]

I concur with 10,000 Hours. Its in Malcolm Gladwells book.

so 8hrs a day for 4 years will get you about 11,000 hours.

For a fun comparison, the US Foreign Service Institute suggests that it only takes 2200 hours for a native English speaker to become proficient in speaking and reading Japanese, Korean, or Arabic.

[JeffX99]

For a fun comparison, the US Foreign Service Institute suggests that it only takes 2200 hours for a native English speaker to become proficient in speaking and reading Japanese, Korean, or Arabic.

But how many hours to say something worth saying?

[Doug Hoppes]

I wouldn't worry about the hours. It takes as long as it takes. You'll either do it and you'll love it or you'll do it and you don't. If you love it, you don't care about the hours. If yo don't love it, you won't care about the hours.

[arenhaus]

Well I'm not going to go buy a 1-2K tablet because I THINK I wanna get into art lol. I'd get a bamboo or a intuos 2 or maybe 3.

Get some pencils and paper. Forget tablets and computers. It is ten times easier to begin studying with a pencil, than do it while fighting the tablet.

[Hitsu//San]

But how many hours to say something worth saying?

Here it is.


@Luminus: as i told you before seems to me that you're fallen in love with the idea of being a good artist instead of the will to really become one. I'm watching your topics all over CA for days and i'm willing to think that you're really searching for someone that tells you to "buy this stuff and do this and you'll become great in 2 months" or something... Well most people wont become good enough even in 10 years of practicing cause of brain maturity and time spent on it so keep asking those question without even trying to start yet it will definitively took 10 to 20 years for you to become nothing more than now. I'm sorry of being so harsh, i can understand your fears (yeah you do have fear about this, face it) but stop wasting time and start something.

It doesn't matter how much time you'll need to spend in order to achieve something you really love cause is always worth it.

[LuminusTytus]

Here it is.


@Luminus: as i told you before seems to me that you're fallen in love with the idea of being a good artist instead of the will to really become one. I'm watching your topics all over CA for days and i'm willing to think that you're really searching for someone that tells you to "buy this stuff and do this and you'll become great in 2 months" or something... Well most people wont become good enough even in 10 years of practicing cause of brain maturity and time spent on it so keep asking those question without even trying to start yet it will definitively took 10 to 20 years for you to become nothing more than now. I'm sorry of being so harsh, i can understand your fears (yeah you do have fear about this, face it) but stop wasting time and start something.

It doesn't matter how much time you'll need to spend in order to achieve something you really love cause is always worth it.

Nah, Hitsu, I think you're getting me wrong. I know I ask a lot of questions and I seem scared. Maybe I am a little, but it's not like I've been sitting around on forums for 6 months asking questions about getting into art, how long it takes, etc. I've been doing this for like 4 days now actually. Art hit me about a week or two ago and It's been on my mind since. I'm just trying to understand what it takes so that I can make a more informed decision. A lot of people go to college or decide to peruse a craft without really knowing what's involved, and then they decide to quite half way down the road. I don't wan't to do that. I also know that I need to actually start practicing art for a while before I can really make a real decision on whether or not it's something I love and enjoy, but first I'm gleaming answers from more experienced individuals. It's just how I am.

[Elwell]

I also know that I need to actually start practicing art for a while before I can really make a real decision on whether or not it's something I love and enjoy,

Again...
Paper
Pencils
Eyes (at least one)
Hands (at least one)
A brain

That's all. That's what you need to start, and to find your answer.

[Lyraina]

I'm just trying to understand what it takes so that I can make a more informed decision.

I don't think some numbers or any other things people can tell you will help you with this. You have to do it to be able to make the decision if it really is what you want to do.
Sure, you can calculate many things, make to do lists, do research - something I enjoy doing myself But in the end, it really comes down to you and your pencil - what does some specific knowledge about hours of whatever help you, if you didn't even try out just doing it first? Do you want to compare different career choices in regards of the effort it takes to get good?

[Slothboy3000]

Honestly, if you're questioning whether you'll enjoy drawing before even doing so I wouldn't bother.

[QueenGwenevere]

. Art hit me about a week or two ago and It's been on my mind since. I'm just trying to understand what it takes so that I can make a more informed decision.

Art hasn't "hit you" unless you've started drawing. Have you?

If not, then the only thing that's hit you is a vague idea that this art thing sounds kind of rad...

The only thing it takes to make an informed decision is a pencil, some paper, and a lot of drawing. If the "lot of drawing" is boring, then this art thing ain't for you.

In fact, if you have to hesitate before you even try drawing, this art thing ain't for you... Most people who really love it are going to draw no matter what, even when they're not supposed to be drawing.

[Elwell]

I agree with everything except for the "maybe" and "might."

[LuminusTytus]

Art hasn't "hit you" unless you've started drawing. Have you?

If not, then the only thing that's hit you is a vague idea that this art thing sounds kind of rad...

The only thing it takes to make an informed decision is a pencil, some paper, and a lot of drawing. If the "lot of drawing" is boring, then maybe this art thing ain't for you.

In fact, if you have to hesitate before you even try drawing, this art thing might not be for you... Most people who really love it are going to draw no matter what, even when they're not supposed to be drawing.

There's a lot of things I want to do. But what I really want is yo tell stories with a visual element. I've been practicing fiction writing all day 5 days a week for a while now and what scares me is that it's beginning to dawn on me that it's just some black text on a white page. That's not a bad thing, but it's imaginative and not visual. I'm a very imaginative person, but I'm also a very visual person.