Of Monsters and little girls

[Skrog]

I really just don't know what to do to impress my dad. Anything I do is never good enough for him, and he lets me know it subtly. I worked very, very hard on this picture into the wee hours of the morning, presented it to him expecting at least to smile and nod if nothing else, and this is what he says.

"Very intricate, but it doesn't do it for me, kid."

Is there ANYTHING I can do to "Make this do it for him?"

[geronimo]

Art should not be about impressing other people or seeking the approval of others. It is supposed to be an inner reflection of yourself expressed on paper or whatever medium you choose. Who gives a shit if your dad isn't in to it. Not everyones taste in art is the same. Thank God for that! However, your art is yours, a mirror into yourself. Not everybody will like the reflection, what matters is that you do.

[gobbledygookie]

Is there ANYTHING I can do to "Make this do it for him?"

You should ask him that, maybe he likes cars? If you find out what he likes then you can draw something he likes... but then again, don't you prefer to draw what YOU like?

I think you're really talented, really got something there.

[BANNED_For_POOPY_PANTS]

Your dad has a point. Besides some nice shapes and lines, it's really hard to tell what's going on in the pic. What's that thing on her back? Where's the monster? What's the motivation behind this picture? That said, with some minor adjustments this piece could be really cool.

But Geronimo's also right. Your dad's "approval" shouldn't have anything to do with your confidence as an artist (unless your dad is a skilled artist himself), and shouldn't faze you in any way.

You've got potential, so don't let anyone -- family or friends -- take the fun out of the process..

[serhc]

Skroggleface, glad to see you posting here

Forget about what your dad wants to see, draw what you'd like to see. You've got bucketloads of talent, and you're going a long way. You're doing better stuff than what I see out of a good percentage of art school grads (ones I've met, anyway), so keep at it, and don't let your dad discourage you. Whatever he thinks, just keep pushing that pencil and paper. I can't wait to see the stuff you'll be making in a few years. :]

[JokingClown]

Your dad is proud of you, but he probably just wants to motivate you to never stop trying, and to always push harder, which is a great sentiment, but seems to be a little gruff to me in the way he goes about it, based on your comments. But still supportive.

Generally, art is about whatever YOU want it to be. NOT any body else. The exception is if you are trying to communicate something to another person to to multiple people. This is often the case with art.

Some art tries to communicate something humorous, like comic strips or funny looking aliens or whatever. In that type of art the piece needs to make to humor noticeable to the person viewing it. If you are drawing something humorous, its not just about what you feel like drawing, its also about will the intended viewer get the joke? Unless of course the only intended viewer you care about is you, then art goes back to being only what you want it to be.


Other times art tries to communicate a political message. Basically everything I said in the last paragraph applies, but instead of humor its the political message intended.

Art often tries to communicate an emotion like fear or love or hate, or the artist has tried to give the piece personality like ultra realism or gloominess, or an ambiance of some sort.

So for your piece, you have to figure out what exactly you are trying to communicate, if anything. If you are just drawing for fun, then ignore your father entirely. If you are drawing a dream from memory, then ignore your father, because you are just drawing what you saw.

But if you are trying to communicate something, then figure out what it is, and focus on it, or even write it here.

Is there a back story at all? Should the monsters be scarier looking? You have a lot going on in the picture. Maybe you want to focus on some of the things in the picture, and make them prominent, make them stand out. The picture already has a sense of depth to it, the girl looks quite surrounded.

Is there an emotion you want to convey? Fear? anger? hopelessness? Hope? If you know what it is, think about what can be done to make the picture communicate that better. Adding color, changing the position or shape or expressions of things in the picture, adding more to the background, or anything else to make what you and to communicate stand out loud and clear.

Hopefully that helps a little.

I don't know how old you are, but that is some very nice art work you have there, I think it would be a tragedy if you ever stopping drawing because someone, anyone, did not like your artwork how it was.

[Skrog]

alright guys, sorry I couldn't reply for a while.. you know how I was working on this into the "wee hours of the morning"? Well yeah, I got grounded for that, haha. I really appretiate all the feedback, and it truly has made me feel alot better.

Geronimo: Yeah, I try to tell myself that all the time, and it really is something I take into account when i'm feeling down about my dad's opinion. It's just a bit hard you know to like, get over the fact that he may not quite approve of my choice of what I want to do with my life.

gobbledygookie: Hm, a good idea, but what i'm after is him actually saying "Hey, that turned out pretty good" without having to drawing, naked chicks and pot leafs all over the picture, haha. I dunno though, maybe eventually he will say that, maybe i'm just not quite at that point yet.

JonathanS: Skilled artist? My dad's a retired park ranger with an appetite for pot, haha. taking into account that two people have said that things that need to stand out in the pic aren't, i'll probably take this back to openCanvas and tweak it.

Serhc: ohmaigawh, I think I see a serhc. THanks for the motivation, man. I'll keep what you said in mind. And there is no way I beat art grads. Absolutely not. >:c

JokingClown: Yeah, I guess it's possible he means to be supportive under everything he says. I'm basically just drawing for fun, but eventually i'd love to make a career out of it. I think what i'm trying to communicate with this is fear, maybe a little of something else I can't quite put my finger on. There's not really a back story, I was just doodling in sketcher and ended up drawing this, no idea how that happened haha. But i'll definitely be taking this piece to openCanvas and tweaking it, mostly the girl and the monsters and what she's strapped into need work, but I might also clean up the lines a bit. Dunno, i'll have to see how it goes. I definitely want to color this too, but i'm having trouble on what the color scheme should be. Blueish cool toned colors to communicate a kind of sadness, or reddish colors to communicate power or violence or something?
What you posted really did help a ton, and if you'd like to know i'm 15. I don't think I ever will stop drawing, because if I did I don't think i'd be able to function properly.

Thanks for all the feedback guys, i'll definitely take what everyone said into account when going back to this.

[junthi]

I like it! I would like it more if your lines were sharp. I wouldn't colour it, it's stylish the way it is now. Draw a lot and you'll develop a unique style. Try to create some more dynamic compositions. Combine big shapes with small ones, put most details into most important places etc. You should try felt tip pens with this kinda work. They look nice when you hit the lines at once as you've done on this one.

[kev ferrara]

Your dad may smoke pot, but this picture looks like its on 'shrooms!

You've done a very difficult-to-pull-off thing in the picture... that is... parts are realistic and part are purely decorative. That almost never works except for people who are highly trained (Like Alphonse Mucha or Gustav Klimt for instance,)

I'd stick to making drawings out of all real stuff for a while.

Maybe set up a mirror and do a very intense self portrait.

kev

[Skrog]

Your dad may smoke pot, but this picture looks like its on 'shrooms!

You've done a very difficult-to-pull-off thing in the picture... that is... parts are realistic and part are purely decorative. That almost never works except for people who are highly trained (Like Alphonse Mucha or Gustav Klimt for instance,)

I'd stick to making drawings out of all real stuff for a while.

Maybe set up a mirror and do a very intense self portrait.

kev

i've been doing that lately, and might be going to a figure drawing class tomorrow, so that'll be cool. I'll try doing more self portraits, i've got a huge mirror and a desk lamp for lighting, so I should be set. Thanks again for the crit, man.

[JokingClown]

Hm, a good idea, but what i'm after is him actually saying "Hey, that turned out pretty good" without having to drawing, naked chicks and pot leafs all over the picture, haha.

That sounds like his own shortcoming not yours. A person should be able to recognize talent even if it something they dont connect with (like pot or naked chicks for example).

The picture has some depth to it, but you could add to that. Make the girl look completely enclosed by everything around her. Maybe there could be light shining on her face to make that stand out (her expression and the emotion in it), but the rest of her enclosed in the darkness.

The lines between the branches in the tree seem out of place. I know this was a doodle, so I am guessing you were just doodling, and that came out. But if you are wanting to spend a lot more time on this, you might want to connect those lines to the rest of the picture.


All of the funky doodles on the outside of the picture are also cool. If you are going to colorize this and spend more time on this, think about altering those to reflect the mood you are aiming for. You said you were aiming for fear and something you couldn't place your finger on. What color scheme would represent that? Are the doodles plant life? It seems rather like it.


Currently the doodles seem unconnected to the monsters and the girl. Maybe they could play a more active role. Make them more dangerous looking, either by altering their shape and form (more pointy for example) or by your choice in color. Maybe they could be attacking the girl too. entangling her. it kinda looks like that now maybe you could accentuate it.

Or maybe you want the doodles to be happy looking and away from the girl on the outside, so it looks like she is entangled in darkness while the happiness is close but out of reach.

Or something different entirely. It depends one what you want to convey.