Done lots of art, now what?

!slothsftws Jun 28, 2012

I am struggling with how exactly I should go about debuting my work, should I make my own website? Send it to websites or magazines? Or just keep going at it until it is a higher standard before I put it up online? How do I get my work out there and know if it is good enough to be out there yet?

I have spent the past 4 years of my life passionately doing graphic design and digital illustrations in my spare time and haven't shown them to that many people and really didn't want to put them online until I thought I had a good grasp on my styles. I don't like putting them online for people to see and getting no responses or feedback, my flickr has zero views lol, it just feels kind of pointless to leave them sitting there doing nothing.

I am finding that this medium is not very interactive. If you create a game or movie you get reviews and articles about your work and you can gain an insight on what people think of your work even if you don't want it. But in this medium you have to seek out and practically beg for a few comments on your piece. This realization has made me question what I am doing and led me to consider spending my spare time working in a medium that warrants more of a reaction. Ultimately I do make my illustrations and designs for me but I am getting to the point now where I feel the final product is just kind of lonely. What does it do now? It sits on my computer as a jpeg file or sits on flickr with zero views.

The emotion and confusion I am feeling about what's next after you have a good portfolio is hard to express, does anyone understand what I am trying to say and ask? lol

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Devious Comments

*AnemicAngel Jun 30, 2012 Professional General Artist

You have all the artwork done?
it's of high caliber?
you're into graphic design?
You probably know what branding is right?
Create an identity for yourself make connections with other artist. You're too focused on making a "huge" debut. it's a growing process and you will get there. You did half the hard part now it's time to finish the other half. it's all part of the hustle.

~WindHydra Jun 29, 2012 Hobbyist Digital Artist

I think you should just post your art online, maybe one will get luck and go viral XD
BTW I think games or movies are not easier, there are many videos on Youtube with low views.

!slothsftws Jun 29, 2012

But I never said they were easier.

A successful game and movie will get more of a response and interaction from people than a poster or advert for that game or movie. This is just a simple fact.

~RustledFeathers Jun 28, 2012

Stop worrying about things like comments and views, and just worry about making art. There's literally millions of artworks/images floating around the internet. Viewers will naturally be drawn by inspiring, unique, and well-made images that appeal to them. If you're worrying about how to make people see the image, rather then how to make the image, then you're doing something wrong. Just make art for the sake of making it first, then post it somewhere for people to see, like deviant art. If people like your art, they'll be naturally drawn to it when they see it.

That doesn't mean you can't get a toe in the door, though. Just as it's said that people will naturally be drawn to good images, likewise there are also good images that go completely unnoticed. Reaching out to viewers or people can go a good way to solving this issue. Posting them in groups and on the forum, and maybe even doing minor requests and art trades, can be important to building up a good "watcher" or "viewer" base. If you're even more daring, you can always try to bring in interest by recording the making of a piece of art and posting it on a youtube channel or livestreaming it. I also know a lot of artists who have sketch blogs separate from deviant art.

It may take a few months, but eventually it'll be worth it. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Like

said, flickr isn't as interactive a DA. Neither are photobucket, tinypic, or imageshack. They're image "hosting" sites. They don't foster a creative community like more art based sites do. They're a holding place for any image that can be uploaded to their servers so that people can link them onto sites that don't have the option to upload, though they like to pretend they're much more.

If you're really passionate about graphic design and digital illustration then please don't consider trading it around for something else simply because it does not get you enough “reactions”. If you feel your work is feeling “lonely” then instead of looking for people to view and comment on them, look for friends in the art community. It is, to my experience, funner to create something with someone else even if they are a lower/higher skill level then you. It can also bring in a fresh wind of inspiration if you have someone to bounce ideas off of, and also being the person that ideas are bounced off of.

!slothsftws Jun 28, 2012

"If you're worrying about how to make people see the image, rather then how to make the image, then you're doing something wrong."

I disagree, because once you have created something you want people to see you should worry about people seeing it and getting out there.

~RustledFeathers Jun 28, 2012

You missed the point of my comment.

The meaning was that if you focus too much on getting people to see it rather then making the actual image, then sometimes the quality and meaning behind the image/illustration slips, therefore having the reverse effect and making your image less appealing to viewers.

!slothsftws Jun 28, 2012

No I got that. It's just that doesn't apply to me. As stated I made the art for me and now I am wondering what to do with it. (note tite) The art is made.

~RustledFeathers Jun 28, 2012

Very well.

If you want to get your art really seen, then start making an effort to get your art out there. Sketchblogs, groups, forums (not just DA), do art locally(fairs, stuff for chairities, etc.), livestream, and just generally share your art. Build up interest. Maybe even an add in the newspaper offer graphic design/illustration services if you feel up to it. Getting yourself out there is a process.

I apologize for not being much help in this situation, but just share your art somewhere it can be seen. I would start out small, namely uploading stuff on deviant art and maybe asking if some of the more skilled artists on deviant art could just take a peak at your gallery and give you a few tips or to tell you what they think. Some will. Some won't. But you'll never know until you try. You could also upload some samples from your portfolio and ask some of the DA community directly for some feedback.

!slothsftws Jun 30, 2012

"Sketchblogs, groups, forums (not just DA), do art locally(fairs, stuff for chairities, etc.), livestream, and just generally share your art. Build up interest. Maybe even an add in the newspaper offer graphic design/illustration services if you feel up to it. Getting yourself out there is a process."

Art fairs locally? What are we on an episode of desperate housewives? I'm from the mother fucking hood. lol

I am aware of all those things but I think that way of going about it is a bit oversaturated.

I was personally thinking of contacting magazine and online journalists and bloggers with my work as well as making a website and putting my services up for hire. Perhaps even looking at illustration agents. Not many of the good professional working graphic designers (shepard fairey, gabz and olly moss) have a deviantart. This is like the ghetto of the art community with all the furry art and cheesy twilight mangu.

*weremole Jun 28, 2012 Professional

Not even games or movies get any attention if people doesn't know they exist. Basically what

said.

If you are worried that standalone images doesn't belong anywhere you can write picturebooks, comics, learn how to make games by yourself, bigtime movies and games also need a lot of artists working on them... You're being too hard on yourself and others.

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