# So many ideas, so little possibilities...



## MultiDaxio (Jul 19, 2015)

Hello, fellow artists.
I made an account on this forum for two reasons.
First one being the fact that I love looking at other people works and projects, regarding different categories of art.
Second one being, that I have a little problem.
Now, I don't want to cry about myself and my personal issues, I need tips.
Whenever I see someones animation, art, drawing, painting etc. I have a HUUUGE urge to pick up my drawing set and do something myself. The problem is that, whether it's Photoshop, raw sketches or even sculpting, the results are, well... different from what I was expecting. I know it sounds not important, but I want to be an artist. So I dedicate most of my time towards Photoshopping or drawing. But it'll be, like, 3 years, or so, since i had this problem. In my imagination, i picture myself, for example, a tree. And when I want to sketch it, outcome is terrible. Any piece of art, which I begin making, lands either in trashcan or gets deleted. I want to create art. I REALLY want. But I can't.
So I made this post to ask anyone of you, fellow artists, can you help me?
It sounds really puny and timewasting when I think about it, but I really need someone who can tell me, where my mistakes and errors are lying. Am I using wrong tools? Or is it just the lack of possibilities and talent? I am really ashamed of myself to say something like this on a public post, but I thought that if I write this to people who are really good at things at which I want to become better, I'll get a reply... I shouldn't have been so down on myself, but you're my only hope. Help me become one of you...
Thanks...


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## TerryCurley (Jan 4, 2015)

First Welcome to the forum and I sincerely hope we can help here. 

I'll give you my advice but keep in mind this is what works for me and it may not work for you.

I find that I often can not see where the flaws are in my picture all I can see is that it just doesn't look right. That's the way the mind sometimes works, like proof reading your own text it is hard to notice your own errors -- it's the way the brain works. The solution for me has been to post my work in a "Work In Progress" thread here on the forum. The very talented artists here will spot the problems in my work quickly and give suggestions to fix it. That fix will become cemented in my brain for the next picture I do and my work has been improving very quickly this way.


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## MultiDaxio (Jul 19, 2015)

TerryCurley said:


> First Welcome to the forum and I sincerely hope we can help here.
> 
> I'll give you my advice but keep in mind this is what works for me and it may not work for you.
> 
> I find that I often can not see where the flaws are in my picture all I can see is that it just doesn't look right. That's the way the mind sometimes works, like proof reading your own text it is hard to notice your own errors -- it's the way the brain works. The solution for me has been to post my work in a "Work In Progress" thread here on the forum. The very talented artists here will spot the problems in my work quickly and give suggestions to fix it. That fix will become cemented in my brain for the next picture I do and my work has been improving very quickly this way.


Thanks for the reply. I'll make sure to try the 'Work in progress' tab, once I have the opportunity. Your feedback was highly appreciated


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## Sorin (Jun 15, 2015)

I think your prob is best labeled "unrealistic expectations", son. Happens a lot. Example: Folks ages ago would watch Bob Ross paint his happy trees. It looked so easy! So they'd buy the stuff, sit down & try it. Guess what? Looked like #?!+. They'd get frustrated. You see, its not easy. If it were everybody would be a Rembrandt. I've been at it over 50 years & I screw up once in awhile. You see, it all comes down to analysis, learning from doing - not watching, reanalyzing the bads & improving. That means you have to stay with it, make mistakes, which are your best buddies, and improve over time. Not bounce all over, never learning any one means of producing something you're happy with.


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## MultiDaxio (Jul 19, 2015)

Sorin said:


> I think your prob is best labeled "unrealistic expectations", son. Happens a lot. Example: Folks ages ago would watch Bob Ross paint his happy trees. It looked so easy! So they'd buy the stuff, sit down & try it. Guess what? Looked like #?!+. They'd get frustrated. You see, its not easy. If it were everybody would be a Rembrandt. I've been at it over 50 years & I screw up once in awhile. You see, it all comes down to analysis, learning from doing - not watching, reanalyzing the bads & improving. That means you have to stay with it, make mistakes, which are your best buddies, and improve over time. Not bounce all over, never learning any one means of producing something you're happy with.


Wow. That was very... inspirational. Thank you  The community here is so nice  That's the one of few places on the internet left like this  I'll try to carry on from now on and learn from my mistakes.


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## leighann (May 10, 2015)

I am a novice myself, and have learned so much in just a couple of months, it's mind blowing. Sorin, Chandra, David, and others are pros at this stuff and can help you along in your process. 

Good luck, and welcome to a wonderful, friendly community.


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## Susan Mulno (Apr 13, 2015)

Welcome MultiDaxio!
I am rediscovering art after a 30 year hiatus and I feel your pain! I have many times (more than I will admit here) been through the frustration of seeing perfection in my mind's eye and disaster on the paper! I have learned as is suggested above, that it comes down to practice, practice, practice! Draw from photos, other drawings and everything around you, keep doing it and your brain will retain what it has learned and then you can envision things to draw, but your brain needs to learn how to draw it before it can remember to draw it.

Hope I am making sense here? 

Most of all, have fun with art! If it isn't fun, you aren't doing it right.


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## Bushcraftonfire (Apr 22, 2015)

Welcome Daxio..

I will echo what the other said but want to expand a bit.. 

I have been drawing for about 4 years or so now.. painting for a little over a year.. and contrary to what they will all tell you, I don't think I'm very good at all. I see so many flaws.. so many thing I struggle with just to get it looking like it does.. and so then it looks overworked sometimes (especially in watercolor). But there are a few notes on this.

#1 - I can definitely see where I have improved! This is encouraging.

#2 - I keep at it.. and things get easier.. It's like anything.. you need to do it. I had a Karate instructor that I asked how long I had to practice this "simple" Front Punch. He told me that when I had done it *10,000 times *I would then own it as a knowledge base skill. You wouldn't believe how may little tiny trees I have painted.. LOL! But I don't think I'm at 10,000 yet (although I must be getting close.. most look pretty good now)

#3 - Who cares what it looks like? Art is about expression.. NOT about perfection! I am a perfectionist.. and this was the hardest thing for me to learn. But I have noticed that paintings that are more simple.. and have less detail look WAY Better!) SO I am trying to gear my work in that direction now. The old adage "Less is More" often is true in art. Don't worry about what anyone else (or you for that fact) think it looks like. Just enjoy what you are doing! Some of the best selling artwork today is abstract.. and looks like someone's dog walked on the canvas! LOL!

Hope that Helps

D


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## Susan Mulno (Apr 13, 2015)

Art is personal.
Give me the name of one artist who is known the world over that did photographic work. The true greats of our history had style not intricate accuracy.
Doing realistic drawing has its value for teaching us to "see" with our brain instead of our eyes but it should not be our only goal.
Just my opinion.


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## Eddieblz (Jun 15, 2013)

*And the your problem is?* I think you just voiced the problem every artist has had since the beginning of time. This problem has plagued even the great masters. Vincent Van Gogh cut his ear off because of this very problem. He couldn't see that he was creating a whole new art movement that is still going to this very day, it's called the Modern art movement and encompass every style of art since it started. 
90% of Leonardo Da Vinnci's work sit unfinished because he couldn't stand to look at them any more because they weren't coming out like he wanted them to. It drove his customers nut's because he wouldn't finish the work they commissioned him to do. You see his customers couldn't see what the problem was, the art looked absolutely great to them. 
Albrecht Durer born in 1471 is the father of modern graphic art, created a wood carving called the praying hands. This piece has become one of the top 3 most famous religious symbols in history. You see versions of it on bumper stickers, posters, prints it's everywhere. You see he was under a deadline so he was forced, as he put it, to give the piece to the customer as is. You see if you look at the picture the one pinky finger is bent a little. This one (as he called it) mistake drove him nuts because the print was everywhere staring him in the face, yet it was this one little part of that piece that made it so unique and so desirable making the piece the thing of legends. 
Think on this for a moment. The creation of divine perfection is what drives all artists to create art. Not finding it is what makes it art. 
Now I noticed you haven't posted any of your artwork yet, and because I love looking at art also, because it encourages me to draw also. Lets see what you got.


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## TerryCurley (Jan 4, 2015)

Eddie I found your statement so inspirational. I'm going to copy it and print it out and put it on my tack board near my easel.


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## Eddieblz (Jun 15, 2013)

LOL, I don't think I can take total credit for that one because all of the great masters have been alluding to the same thought for centuries. Me I'm just humble by their talents and the talents of others.


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## MagicM (Jul 26, 2015)

*New here too! It's encouraging to see people take up art*

I got back into creativity by accidentally spilling bleach onto a dark sweatshirt and about a month later I was working with paints and bleach, masking tape, stencils and whatever I could find that would make an image. All the shirts i made were dark, so it was kind of cool to work with a material that you have to remove dye from. 


After that summer of making art on shirts I now work with whatever I find. Even when I'm at work I "art" up the place whenever I can. 


But I cannot draw or paint. If I were to start now I'd probably get frustrated at some point and go back to conceptual are. Right now I'm working on a mural, using only oversize stickers, prints, transparencies, and rainbow LED lights. For the opening there will be music composed specifically for the event. The whole thing is fun and I really wouldn't be able to say if it is "art".


Pop art probably


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## TerryCurley (Jan 4, 2015)

It does sound like a lot of fun. You are very creative.


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## cjm1972 (Mar 5, 2015)

Hey MultiDaxio, a little late to the party, but just wanted to add my services, if needed. Ditto what everyone else said, and double ditto what Eddieblz said.
I only do drawings in pencil, but will answer any questions you have.


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## Sorin (Jun 15, 2015)

Magic, I ustoo take bibb coveralls & pour bleach down them, letting the blue denim fade out it patters. Then wash out the bleach so it would not eat the fabric. Then I'd paint fish & stuff into the resulting patterns.


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