Interactive #1: Both Sides of the EquationIntroductionHere we go. Welcome to a new idea of mine called an "interactive." Recently, I've been spending a lot of time learning about literature. I've learned a bunch of new things, but I found that I was learning the most when I had other people to talk with and exchange ideas. Now I already spend a lot of time talking with my lovely commenters, but my tutorials are focused on advice, what to do and what not to do. I wanted to know: How could I integrate discussion into a writing aid?As I stroked my magnificent, imaginary beard, an idea occurred to me. What if I w
Teaching yourself to draw [Part 1: Stylizing]Practice, they say. So you go and draw more, right? Sounds easy! A few months later, and look - you're better at drawing. Cats. Or dragons. Or whatever your poison of choice happens to be.But now you want to draw something else.So you start alllll over again. Great.The problem with all those guides floating around (you know the kind; the title is 'Magic tip to become an awesome artist," and there's a clickthrough, and it says something along the lines of 'draw more.') is that they're missing something very essential that people who got a great art education to start with never had a problem with. Most of the young/new artists out there who are having problems learning to draw (I'm still a new artist myself; but I think I've got the learning part down now - otherwise I wouldn't bother writing this...) are approaching things from a strange direction; they're learning from observing Manga or MLP or other people's art, but they want to draw other stuff too. Unfortunately, a lot of them
I'm My #1 Fan: Why Self-Adoration Is DangerousFirst of all, I freely admit that what I say isn't gospel. I am a total amateur at art and writing. I've learned everything that I know via the internet and a few books. It's just that I appreciate all of the tutorials here on dA that have helped me out, and I want to put a little bit of my own methods back in.This may be one of my more controversial tutorials as of yet.And yet, I'm not here to talk about a traditional writing topic. This is about attitude. Specifically, I want to talk about an author's attitude towards their stories and their talent in general.I read a lot of amateur stories on dA, and I do mean a LOT. But one thing
The Cracks Begin to Show: Making Flawed CharactersFirst of all, I freely admit that what I say isn't gospel. I am a total amateur at art and writing. I've learned everything that I know via the internet and a few books. It's just that I appreciate all of the tutorials here on dA that have helped me out, and I want to put a little bit of my own methods back in.I've run across an odd myth about fictional characters here on good ol' deviantART: If my character isn't a Mary Sue then I've definitely written a good character. Sadly, this is not so. A Mary Sue (see here for more) is just a specific kind of bad character. Not all bad characters are Mary Sues. It would be like saying that sinc
I'm Suing You: Why Do We Make Mary Sues?First of all, I freely admit that what I say isn't gospel. I am a total amateur at art and writing. I've learned everything that I know via the internet and a few drawing books. It's just that I appreciate all of the tutorials here on dA that have helped me out, and I want to put a little bit of my own methods back in.Let me get this out of the way: I only write tutorials if I feel that I have something to add to the topic or if I feel like it's one that few people touch on. So then why on Earth am I writing about Mary Sues? Everyone's written about them! And it's true; this topic has been well-explored in countless places that it seems
A Rose by Any Other Name: Naming Your CharactersFirst of all, I freely admit that what I say isn't gospel. I am a total amateur at art and writing. I've learned everything that I know via the internet and a few drawing books. It's just that I appreciate all of the tutorials here on dA that have helped me out, and I want to put a little bit of my own methods back in.First things first; I have a quick, but essential assignment for you. Read the following three sentences below, out loud:A weird name does not a unique character make.A weird name does not a memorable character make.A weird name does not a good character make.Say it. Say it twice. Say i
My Top Ten Tips for Starting a Webcomic(aka "I Wish Someone Had Told Me This")Are you thinking about starting a new creative endeavor that involves sequential art? Something you hope beyond family and friends will read? Have you thought about this project at all past the initial "can't wait to start working" phase?Stop. Listen to what I am about to say. Many webcomic writers/artists make the same mistakes (myself included) by jumping straight to the "let's start drawing now" phase, bypassing the planning stage. Here are the most important items to consider before you even ink out the first strip:Consider if there is a chance your comic will become printed. Not only do you need t
I Want To Be Unique: Developing Artistic Style First of all, I freely admit that what I say isn't gospel. I am a total amateur at art and writing. I've learned everything that I know via the internet and a few drawing books. It's just that I appreciate all of the tutorials here on dA that have helped me out, and I want to put a little bit of my own methods back in.In my experience, style will either be one of the easiest or one of the hardest things for you to develop as an artist. I've been there, there is no worse feeling than the crushing realization that your art looks an awful lot like everyone else's. The weirdest part is that it's really difficult to develop a style of your ow
Run the Gamut: A Way to Flesh Out Your Character First of all, I freely admit that what I say isn't gospel. I am a total amateur at art and writing. I've learned everything that I know via the internet and a few drawing books. It's just that I appreciate all of the tutorials here on dA that have helped me out, and I want to put a little bit of my own methods back in.Is your character feeling a little bit stilted? Do you want to find a way to flesh him out a bit so that he'll be more three-dimensional? Well, here's an activity to get you started on the right path.I call this activity Running the Gamut .Everyone feels the same feelings. Everyone feels happy, sad, angry, afraid, in
A Pupil's Plea: 5 Things That Ruin Good Tutorials First of all, I freely admit that what I say isn't gospel. I am a total amateur at art and writing. I've learned everything that I know via the internet and a few drawing books. It's just that I appreciate all of the tutorials here on dA that have helped me out, and I want to put a little bit of my own methods back in.Look, I've only written three tutorials so far. I don't know if they're any good or not and I'm not experienced enough to be an expert by any means. I am, however, an experienced audience member for tutorials. My god, have I read a LOT of tutorials. This list is as much for me as it
I Miss You: Should You Orphan Your Character? First of all, I freely admit that what I say isn't gospel. I am a total amateur at art and writing. I've learned everything that I know via the internet and a few drawing books. It's just that I appreciate all of the tutorials here on dA that have helped me out, and I want to put a little bit of my own methods back in.Be warned: this is a really sensitive issue. I really hope that this isn't something that is just taken lightly by an author. This discussion may also be a bit too gruesome for some, so viewer discretion is advised.Some of the best and worst characters ever put to paper have been orphans. But are you writing Batman or jus
Aim for Boring: My Approach to Character Design First of all, I freely admit that what I say isn't gospel. I am a total amatuer at art and writing. I've learned everything that I know via the internet and a few drawing books. It's just that I appreciate all of the tutorials here on dA that have helped me out, and I want to put a little bit of my own methods back in.If you were to look at my (currently small) gallery, you'd notice something: all of my character designs are done on a white or simple gradient background. Everyone is wearing a plain t-shirt and the same pants and shoes. Most don't even get the luxury of a full body shot. It can be pretty boring. Why Do That?Unlikely tho
Follow Up: 5 MORE Things That Ruin Good Tutorials First of all, I freely admit that what I say isn't gospel. I am a total amateur at art and writing. I've learned everything that I know via the internet and a few drawing books. It's just that I appreciate all of the tutorials here on dA that have helped me out, and I want to put a little bit of my own methods back in.All right, so I've been thinking about some great feedback I got from my last tutorial about tutorials (there's a link to it in the description). There are just a lot of things that a tutorial writer can get wrong when trying to educate an audience on a particular topic. As mainly a writing/art theorie
How2-Ask artists you admireHave you ever tried to talk to an artists you admire on DA and s/he ignores you? Well, there's a few tips on how to talk to them and get more comments back...I don't say this will always work, because some artists are just too busy, or too shy to talk back, but it will work better than if you just bluntly ask a question.There are nice artists who will answer your question, so make them feel a bit special for doing you a favor.Here's my tip on how to talk to some big name artists...===== MOST IMPORTANTLY!1. Research first, check their blogs for FAQ if you have a question such as...Ex: 1. what pen/paper/program/medium did you us
what to do- Art VS ParentsArt career VS Parents is actually a very very common issue in many different countries.First of all, you are not alone in this struggle, many many people are on the same boat sharing the same problem, including your parents.A lot of parents tend to think doing art makes you starve, and you will be poor all your life if you want to become an artist. They are dead set on "a certain career means more money therefore means more steady life"Truth is... whatever that popular career is... it may become less popular later because of so many people going into the field, thus lowering the demand. The supply and demand principle applies to all fie
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