Artfight's almost coming to an end!!
A couple of goals I set for this year's art fight was to draw more than I had last year, and (if I was feeling ambitious) have background/scenes for all of my attacks.
I wasn't really able to do backgrounds for all my attacks I did for a few of them!!
aand I've done 7 attacks so far!! It's not a lot, especially compared to some artists who are able to draw like 20 attacks a week (which like kudos dudes that so incredible the talent is amazing), but for me it's a lot! My first artfight I was only able to do one attack before getting burnt out, and then last year I did 5. So 7's been a big step up for me!
I'm also pretty happy with how much my art/my process has improved. I still take a bit longer than I'd like, but I've been getting better at "trusting the process" which I think was a big part of why I'd been getting burnt out so fast in the past.
I've still got a few more attacks that are WIPs that I'm hoping to finish before the end of the month, but we'll see, I might just upload the sketches/WIPs on the last day, so they don't stay on my ipad forever but idk.
So, I've been trying to learn the basics of animation for a bit, like the 12 principles and just really get the hang of it yknow? Really hammer in how animation works in my brain so I can start trying more complex animation.
But I also don't really have the time to draw on my iPad, and idk how blender works yet, so something I've started doing (mostly out of boredom) is using the corners of my notebooks or just any stack of paper to practice the basics. Like just lil bouncy ball, or a Stickfigure doing a lil twirl, etc.
It's far from new or inventive but I found it to be a pretty fun way to practice, and since it's a corner of a page and you have to draw small you really have to simplify things and just focus on the movement instead of the details. Idk I think drawing on paper also makes me less likely to undo stuff, which was an issue with digital.
Currently rewatching Kiki's Delivery Service and watching it now as an adult feels so different, it's so much more relatable. Kiki's leaving home, to find her place in the world as a witch; and for a witch she doesn't really have a "talent" outside of flying. She's hyped to see the world and make her mark and basically start living her life right.
And something I've always loved about the movie is how they portray magic, a lot of shows tie magic to feelings, like love or rage or sadness, and that's still really cool, will always love that. But the way its portrayed in the show as a metaphor for motivation/art block is just so idk cool? Maybe part of it is because it's relatable what with being an artist and getting struck with the good ol' artblock.
Bad artblock, like the kind that lasts months where you can't pick up a pen, or look at a doc. The baaad kind of artblock makes you kind of feel like you lost touch with yourself. Like a part of yourself just up and vanished.
Throughout the movie Kiki is known as "the witch" or "Ms. Witch", and yeah for the most part she's really proud of that. But when she loses her magic, she also loses herself. Afterall what is she without her magic?
I would love to see a psychological horror movie or show that's based on that type of feeling y'know? Like I think that'd be sick.
I'm being a lil' dramatic, but to me it reminds me a lot of that tumblr post explaining ants and eldritch madness (I know it's not the exact same please bear with me for a sec.) You are able to create fun pictures, stories, or music, parts of your soul in physical form and then all of a sudden you just can't.
It doesn't look right, or it's not matching whatevers in your head, whatever it might be. It feels like you can't do the creative thing anymore; and for Kiki, she's lost her magic, she's lost her ability to fly and through that she can no longer do her delivery work. To me that reminds me a lot of artblock and how that might affect an artist who relies on their art for work yknow? Not only have you lost this thing you like doing(or at least id hope you enjoy art?) but you're also losing work yknow? And that's so well represented through Kiki and her magic and broo it's such a good movie.
Idk I really love the characterization of Kiki's magic in the movie its so unique and well thought out and well done, I wanted to share some of my thoughts. Beautiful movie, thanks if you read my silly little rambles lol.
Epic is such a beautifully, masterfully written piece of art and the skills of all the voice actors are incredible.
Anyway here begins my little ramble thoughts about it: Theres something so beautifully inspirational and like idk if empowering is the right word but yea. I remember seeing the tiktoks where it was just Jorge Rivera Herrans, and listening to the musical now with a whole cast of musicians, and animatics, an official concept album and its like, the musical is beautiful of course, but the passion and the hours and sweat and tears that went into creating the musical. Its something that I've always really loved about Indie animations, worlds built and dependent on the passion and love of its creators and fanbase.
Its something that gives me a little hope, with all the nervousness and anxiety that comes with AI art/AI voice actors, there are still beautiful pieces of art like this being made.
I think the final ochestral part of "would you fall in love with me again" is a good way to describe my feelings/thoughts. (probably cause I'm listening to that right now) I can't put it into words but listening to that final ochestration and thinking back to how it started, and throughout the musical where Odysseus slowly loses hope and changes into a monster, despite it all Penelope still loves him, and him her.
Its so like hopeful almost yknow? Anyway, back to the part about art and passion, art is great right love art, but with all the stuff happening it can also be a little scary too yknow? It can be emotionally draining work sometimes. But seeing stuff like Epic the Musical, or Flow win an oscar?? like its inspirational? Uplifting? Idk. Its something I've been trying not to forget yknow?
There are some incrediblely talented artistic people out there, despite it all artists are still artists yknow? No one can take that away the time you spent working on your craft. Or the care you feel for your OCs and their silly little shenanigans in your head. Even if you're not posting them on social media. You know they exist and sometimes thats enough too (Theres a really great video essay on youtube about "Art meant for noone" by Jacob Geller that I highly recommend).
A fandom of 1, youre their #1 fan yknow? And if you do form a fanbase of more than one then thats also so sick. Like you like these silly little guys, and then some other people also went "omg look at that silly little guy" and youre both appreciating this silly little guy. Its beautiful and idk? It's something I really love about indie animation. Like omg look at that! That silly little guy won over so many hearts that now that silly little is on my screen! moving around getting up to silly little shenanigans! Look at that! look at them go! I could go on an on but yea AI can't replicate that.
AI cant replicate passion.
tldr: art is sick as hell and super cool, AI isnt.
Idk if "Art Stamina" or like "Creative Stamina" I guess is better. Idk I like thinking of drawing/writing as kind of like running.
You run and like you're vibing you're in the zone hell yeah the art is arting. But then at a certain point your legs get sore or your lungs begin to wear and your breathing gets funny cause you can't focus as good so your running gets worse up until you can't run anymore.
Then for the next few days you can't really run cause you're sore so you lay in bed for like months or something wondering "why tf did I ever try exercising again".
Does that make sense? Idk Its something I've noticed with myself, and I think its a good tip for anyone else who might experience something similar. Remember to pace yourself and just enjoy the moment.
Its not really a "new" or super fantastic tip or anything but I think it's good to remember.
You can't start sprinting at 100% at the start of the race, you have to pace yourself so then at the end you're still running.
Art is like training a brain muscle. Kinda.
Is this just burnout. It might be lowkey.
Sorta Related Sidenote: I've been really wanting to get into making lil comics, animations, or writing for a long time now but always end up burning myself out and landing myself in art/creative block jail. These are just a couple thoughts I've had while trying to figure out what I want to draw while keeping myself from burning out :P