Hi!

Sorry i will mention art heaps but there is no art in this chapter :)

Here i present an Art Q&A courtesy of DragonWriter664 

On a scale of 1-10, how good do you think you are at art?
Considering I dabble in quite a few categories of art, they're all hard to gauge and are at differing levels. My hyper-realism/ surrealism/ semi-realism persay would be about a 7 or 8, but only those ones. Everything else is around 4-6.

Digital or Traditional?
I use both. I originally started off in traditional and then moved into digital about 6 years ago for a challenge (after my anti-digital phase that is).
I usually think up an art project then plan my best route according to my vision.
I draw cars for instance but only traditionally. My fanarts are usually entirely digital unless i make a small sketch somewhere. It really depends on how i want it to look. Both have their pro's and con's. Traditional has no Ctrl + Z   XD. I also need to have a device on if i want to view my digital works cause i can't afford to print all of them, hehe.

What's your drawing program?
My program is Photoshop (very rarely ClipStudio and Illustrator). It was hard at the start but now it's like an extension of my right hand, and yes, it isn't free but i haven't had any other programs that do as much as Photoshop just yet. I like how i have 100's and 100's of brush options. It couples nicely with my Wacom and it's quick and easy once you learn all the short cuts and tricks XD.
You can also customise pretty much everything including the background behind your canvas... I found this by mistake.

I have however tried Corel, Medibang, Sketchbook, Krita, Paint, Fresh paint, FireAlpaca, ArtRage and Sketchup (some came free with my Wacom Intuos Pen & Touch).

What's your preferred medium?
My preferred medium is graphite. I just enjoy working in grayscale. It can be quite dramatic sometimes. I will either use H or HB in pencil or a pacer. My pacer's let me go into smaller details (I usually spend more time sharpening my pencil to a nice point rather than shading) and with a 0.5 and 0.7, i've got some options. 
I also have a soft spot for watercolours but they've all died so i need to get more.

What's your best drawing so far, in your opinion?
Hhmmm.... good question (this answer generally changes quite regularly). I would have to say, just because of difficulty, my Tiger Lily piece.
It was my first A3 attempt in coloured pencil which is way out of my comfort zone, not to mention skin colour without using the skin coloured pencil. I also just really like how the flowers and tiger turned out. The piece as a whole just felt like a check on my art progress. 

What do you prefer to draw?
I prefer to draw portraits and cars :) 
Preferably male portraits and Fords, hahaha X'D.

Do you prefer drawing fanart or original art?
I find it harder to think of original art in this day in age of social media, so it's usually fanart just because i've already got references, and if they're from a tv show, i can usually incorporate visual elements/ imagery relating to the character. It's only for movies and tv shows though- i can't for the life of me conjure up imagery for book characters.

What do you do when you find another artist that's super good at art? Do you study their art so you can be as good as them someday? Or do you cry in a corner due to low self-esteem?
First thing i like to do is save a picture of my favourite artwork of theirs so i can admire it or at least not lose who they are. I then zoom in so i can see those smaller details whilst finding speedpaints and tutorials on Youtube if i'm lucky. If i'm inspired by them, i like to add little bits of their style to mine.
I do at times feel there is no way i'll ever get to their level but comparing is also bad for the soul hehe.

What mainly inspired your current art style?
The real world?? I'm not sure. I can't really tell what my art style is. Do i even have an art style?? I guess feminism shaped my need to draw original and fan art of women who could kick your ass- not be the princess of the tale. I've always loved skulls and anatomy so Da Vinci helped me with that one. It's all really experimentation and tiny little elements of everything i've learnt and what i've liked.

Basic thought process when making OC's?
I need a villain. I need a hero. I need a {insert occupation here}.
It usually starts like that, then a character's look pops into my head. I then create their personality and generally get a name last or only have a first name for ages. Sometimes reading inspires characters. I don't really make fan OC's for tv shows that often just cause i'll never see them in the show :(   and their timeline can never match neatly.

How much paper do you think you go through in a month?
When it comes to art, probably a maximum of 5 pages at the moment. Digital is just more convenient and quicker for me to get my idea across. Don't get me wrong, i used to sketch like no tomorrow.

Do you suffer from low self-esteem due to the fact you don't think you're good enough?
Not because i don't think i'm good enough. It's more the love/ hate relationship i have with art and people trying to turn my art into a job. I don't want to put a price on my talent.

Where do you mainly post your art?
I post on Wattpad and Instagram almost equally. Instagram has a few more personal pieces. I have a DA account but i am yet to post on it, hehe.
It used to be just wattpad but i needed instagram for inktober. 

If someone online comes up to you and starts being rude about your art, what would your response be?
I don't respond. Sure, it hurts like hell but there's no point giving them the light of day. I just fume in the real world XD.  Besides, in my experience, it's best not to say rude/ mean stuff about art if you can't actually draw. 

What's your best advice for beginner artists? (Other than "just keep practicing")
Don't compare yourself to others. Everyone's art journey can go as fast or slow as they so desire. If you want to draw 500 hands in a month- go for it. If you only want to draw that one portrait - that's okay too. Everyone has a different skillset, background and approach. I'm currently just making sure i make an artwork a month for my art summary -_-.
It will just make you miserable if you compare yourself to 'big name artists'. You can still however acknowledge what you think your level is realistically at and look at other artists of that level.
Also, references are a huge help- they're not cheating unless you're tracing them. You can study light and values easier using a reference. 

Bonus advice: When you think your artwork is done, sleep on it... not literally. Come back in the morning with fresh eyes so you can see anything you don't like or isn't right. Then once you do that, then you can post it or well, finish it. (This method also works for graphic art and writing)

That's all. (This is all just my opinions from experience).

Any other questions, just ask away :)

I tag:

R0YAL_QUEEN

and

__FireFox__

:)

Enjoy!!