Crackbook

[Vornag]

As always, fantastic stuff. Loving the vibrant colors in the third landscape, latest post.

[crackedskull]

Day 2- 3.5h done
Thank you Vornag
Heres the finished one

[VoodooMama]

heey!
Keep pushing! Colors and characters are definetly improving. It's noticeable on your pirate character.
The hands seem a bit large but other than that it has a nice flow.
The environment is looking quite nice as well, those digital studies are paying off!
Keep going!

[crackedskull]

Thanks for visiting and feedback man.


Failed last goal, onto a new one to put a stop to slacking off.
New goal starting tomorrow: Have 30-50 hours of art done by the 28th of august.
Rules
1. Do atleast 30 minutes of work after breakfast
2. No internet when working
3. Do atleast 3 hours of work every day


Heres the measly amount I did in the last 6 days.
Note on pirate: Due to not finding any fitting reference I stopped working on it, lighting looked wrong. I did try out all kinds of filters and stuff, was fun. Ended up creating a pixelart-like thing.










I hate myself sometimes. I remember really pushing myself 2 years ago when I started, I did get frustrated a lot more about the results of my art which made it even harder to work. I recall being way more dutiful and hardworking and how good it felt at the end of the day once I had done over 10 hours of work. I remember watching the old Dan Warren streams that mentioned how much you gotta practice to make it in the industry and seeing multiple forum posts geared towards hard-work mentality. The 2 times I consistently worked hard was the summer of 2013 and the first 2 months of school in 2013. Both ended in a burnout, but that was because I had'nt learned to not be frustrated with the resulting artwork.
And now? What of this summer? I did a mere fraction of the work I could have done, I barely broke a sweat which is even more puzzling since I dont get frustrated by bad results now. Perhaps me being frustrated caused me to push myself harder, or maybe its just that my discipline has regressed to nothingness. Maybe I subconsciously feel like my art has reached adequate quality for the time I put in and theres no need to rush, since theres plenty of time left once I go fulltime freelance. Consciously I think thats bullshit. Ive been contemplating moving to a better apartment, when I go to school again, which would force me to work more, since I would run out of money otherwise, but it seems too risky. I wish I had that initial drive and dutifulness back, in all the ways Ive improved over the past, this is the one way Ive regressed.

TL;TR: how do I get my initial sense of duty back?


Ps: Even after writing all that self depreciating stuff I dont feel bothered at all. I mean, I should be mad, or disheartened by it, but I dont feel that way. Is there such a thing as being too carefree about oneself?

[jsel]

I hate myself sometimes. I remember really pushing myself 2 years ago when I started, I did get frustrated a lot more about the results of my art which made it even harder to work. I recall being way more dutiful and hardworking and how good it felt at the end of the day once I had done over 10 hours of work. I remember watching the old Dan Warren streams that mentioned how much you gotta practice to make it in the industry and seeing multiple forum posts geared towards hard-work mentality. The 2 times I consistently worked hard was the summer of 2013 and the first 2 months of school in 2013. Both ended in a burnout, but that was because I had'nt learned to not be frustrated with the resulting artwork.
And now? What of this summer? I did a mere fraction of the work I could have done, I barely broke a sweat which is even more puzzling since I dont get frustrated by bad results now. Perhaps me being frustrated caused me to push myself harder, or maybe its just that my discipline has regressed to nothingness. Maybe I subconsciously feel like my art has reached adequate quality for the time I put in and theres no need to rush, since theres plenty of time left once I go fulltime freelance. Consciously I think thats bullshit. Ive been contemplating moving to a better apartment, when I go to school again, which would force me to work more, since I would run out of money otherwise, but it seems too risky. I wish I had that initial drive and dutifulness back, in all the ways Ive improved over the past, this is the one way Ive regressed.

TL;TR: how do I get my initial sense of duty back?


Ps: Even after writing all that self depreciating stuff I dont feel bothered at all. I mean, I should be mad, or disheartened by it, but I dont feel that way. Is there such a thing as being too carefree about oneself?

I'm feeling very similar man. I think the answer is to not get too attached to your results. If you are capable of seeing the mistakes you've made in a piece, take that lesson and only that - don't allow yourself to be emotionally perturbed by the mistakes, just fix them and move on.

If you're feeling adequate and carefree, but not where you want to be, then maybe you need to instill some anxiety into yourself. What if in 10 years you have this exact thought all over again? There's really not a lot of time in the human life span. It's just long enough to do some great things, and it's way too easy to wait until those things accidentally pass you by because you were feeling complacent. 

Conjure up some reasons to fight and focus on those as much as you can when your not doing or getting where you want. There's no time to be carefree.

Keep the fight up, and fight hard if this is really worth it to you. If you're not fighting hard, then it's not really worth it to you, is it?

Good Luck!

[Bookend]

I hate myself sometimes. I remember really pushing myself 2 years ago when I started, I did get frustrated a lot more about the results of my art which made it even harder to work. I recall being way more dutiful and hardworking and how good it felt at the end of the day once I had done over 10 hours of work. I remember watching the old Dan Warren streams that mentioned how much you gotta practice to make it in the industry and seeing multiple forum posts geared towards hard-work mentality. The 2 times I consistently worked hard was the summer of 2013 and the first 2 months of school in 2013. Both ended in a burnout, but that was because I had'nt learned to not be frustrated with the resulting artwork.
And now? What of this summer? I did a mere fraction of the work I could have done, I barely broke a sweat which is even more puzzling since I dont get frustrated by bad results now. Perhaps me being frustrated caused me to push myself harder, or maybe its just that my discipline has regressed to nothingness. Maybe I subconsciously feel like my art has reached adequate quality for the time I put in and theres no need to rush, since theres plenty of time left once I go fulltime freelance. Consciously I think thats bullshit. Ive been contemplating moving to a better apartment, when I go to school again, which would force me to work more, since I would run out of money otherwise, but it seems too risky. I wish I had that initial drive and dutifulness back, in all the ways Ive improved over the past, this is the one way Ive regressed.

TL;TR: how do I get my initial sense of duty back?


Ps: Even after writing all that self depreciating stuff I dont feel bothered at all. I mean, I should be mad, or disheartened by it, but I dont feel that way. Is there such a thing as being too carefree about oneself?

I think we've all been there, and/or have varying bouts of being there. 

I don't think there's an easy solution-- But, for me at least, I think a lot of it is ego. 

Sometimes I gotta force myself to swallow it and just keep working.  To focus on producing the best quality studies/work.  Not to think about rushing it, or producing quantity, but just focusing on the retaining of what I'm doing.  Not to let myself overthink, or even just think about it, really.  Because when I look at the results and let myself think about what's missing, I miss the fact that it's a process, and not a result.

The hardest hurdle for me to jump has been to draw what I'm studying, but without looking.  In theory, it seemed like a chore, but when I actually did it, even half-heartedly, I was surprised at how well I did...   Then I did it and just 'let go', and went wholly into it.

And then it was like when you're a kid and your parents are chasing you around trying to get you to take a bath.  When they finally get you in, you refuse to come out for hours, y'know?  haha.

But, it can still be a pain to get started.  To have the initiative to do what you need to do.  My best advice is to just start, even with the intention of doing it for just 5 minutes.  Then you'll find out if you're in the bath or not, haha. 

Good luck, though.  Your work is looking great, man.  You have improved, even if you don't see it at the moment.

[crackedskull]

Day 1 finished - 4 hours done

I tried to berate myself more when I wasnt working and It resulted in increasing my drive at some point. Im still far off from doing as much as I can, but I gotta try to gain momentum, so I could have a hope of fulfilling the whole day productively.
I also want to add another bonus goal: Do 8 hours of art in one day.
The bonus goals have no deadline, but I want to enjoy the results at the end of a higly productive day.


Got some promising characters outta sketches.



studies.





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Jsel - I am grateful for your feedback. I think Im good with not being attached to bad results, I take mental notes on what mistakes I did and try to avoid them in the future. However, I got to thinking, perhaps I am attached to good results. This has happened a few times, where I've done a piece thats better than my previous work and I feel proud of it. This has a bad side too, it causes me to ease up on myself, instead of pushing further. I will try to instill anxiety and FOCUS on reasons to do art.

Bookend - You bring about some great pointers and I am thankful for that. Thinking less can certainly benefit during breaks. Theres been multiple situations where I was doing good while working, but I had to take a break to rest eyes and I ended up procastinating, since I started thinking about distractions. I will try to just start, with the intention of 5 minutes from now on when I feel like procastinating.

[Bookend]

I'm glad that my ideas may help in some way-- It can be difficult to maximize efficiency in our work ethic. Honestly, it's kinda like playing the Sims.

If your Sim doesn't get everything they need, or if they have a really low amount of something, they refuse to do anything until they pee their pants.

Kinda an exaggeration, but it's also kinda true.

If we don't sleep well, don't eat well, don't get some relaxation, we suffer, our work suffers. Willpower isn't infinite, so it's important to allow yourself to recharge. I've heard that something like 90 minutes working and 30 minutes break is optimal, but I forget the exact number.

It doesn't really matter anyway, you don't need an exact number. Everyone's individual, and you'll feel when you need to get up, stretch, maybe get a cup of coffee, and come back to work.

It depends on the day, your mood, tons of variables. You don't always need to force it and go-go-go. In fact, you may not be making as much progress as you should that way. Just feel it, man.

Great painting-- Just looks like it needs some finishing touches/refining. Also looks like your figures are getting more in touch with perspective-- Very cool to see. Keep it up!

[crackedskull]

Day 2 finished - 3.5h done

Finished the captain study.







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Bookend: The Sim comparison rings true, usually when I get that feel I change the subject and start sketching what I like. As for overall workflow I have gotten to know the difference between being lazy and being tired. Thanks for dropping by again.

[CoreyH]

You're gittin gud man.
Also,
"I hate myself sometimes. I remember really pushing myself 2 years ago when I started, I did get frustrated a lot more about the results of my art which made it even harder to work. I recall being way more dutiful and hardworking and how good it felt at the end of the day once I had done over 10 hours of work. I remember watching the old Dan Warren streams that mentioned how much you gotta practice to make it in the industry and seeing multiple forum posts geared towards hard-work mentality. The 2 times I consistently worked hard was the summer of 2013 and the first 2 months of school in 2013. Both ended in a burnout, but that was because I had'nt learned to not be frustrated with the resulting artwork.
And now? What of this summer? I did a mere fraction of the work I could have done, I barely broke a sweat which is even more puzzling since I dont get frustrated by bad results now. Perhaps me being frustrated caused me to push myself harder, or maybe its just that my discipline has regressed to nothingness. Maybe I subconsciously feel like my art has reached adequate quality for the time I put in and theres no need to rush, since theres plenty of time left once I go fulltime freelance. Consciously I think thats bullshit. Ive been contemplating moving to a better apartment, when I go to school again, which would force me to work more, since I would run out of money otherwise, but it seems too risky. I wish I had that initial drive and dutifulness back, in all the ways Ive improved over the past, this is the one way Ive regressed."

A-a-are you my conscience? Exactly how I feel. Always embarrassing coming back to daggers after my long breaks and vows to keep up the hard work. But you've only lost when you don't come back and start again, I guess?

[missimoinsane]

Your art improvements are amazing since I was last here (took some time off due to medical and personal stuff) but wow.. so impressed. Keep it up <3 - Imogen xX

[AngeliquevdMee]

Hey man, i think we can all relate to your story :) My new year's resolution was to learn more fundamentals and get better and all that bullshit you do that day, and looking back at it i felt i was slacking most of the time, tired, burn out, lost motivation to do anything etc. Then I decided to take more days off, away from the computer and it sort of helped because it gave me a breather. Even though in the back of my head i felt super guilty that I wasnt drawing, when i got back to the computer I felt ready and pumped. Now I work a lot at a retirement home, and that drive has been multiplied even, because when you are away from your crafts you kind of build up your excitement and momentum until you can leave the job and go back to arts and crafts. Maybe you just need some more time away from it all? just a suggestion :) you know we can't be productive 24/7. I feel if you are giving it your best one year, the other year should have more laid back days. Maybe you are in that state now.

[Bookend]

Looks great, man! Keep at it!

[Vornag]

Perhaps just try letting go of the thought that art requires mastery of subjects just for a drawing/painting and simply focus on creating whatever you feel like at that moment. The studies can wait. I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say that everyone has those moments where they question their progress and effort. Really, there are three ways out of it. Outcome one is quitting, so really you're down to two choices. You either double your workload and risk stressing yourself out even more, or you take a break, which is personally what I decided on and it definitely returned my drive.

I find that the more deadlines and goals (which, let's face it, they're just self-imposed ultimatums) I place on myself, the less effective my workflow is and the the final product suffers, along with my motivation and will to continue with art in general. This is just personal preference. If you find that you work better under deadlines then by all means carry on.

Though whenever I'm in a situation like that there's one thing I try to do.

Chill.

Play some games, get in touch with some friends, do whatever hobby you may have, just take your mind off art for a moment and try to distance yourself. There's no point in suffering through this. It's clear that you're burnt out and need a break. Your passion will return in due time.

You have improved and will continue to do so, rest assured.

[crackedskull]

Day 3 finished - 5h done








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CoreyH - Ya got me, also yes you've lost once you never return. Thanks for the visit.
Imogen - Long time no see :D
Angel - It works differently for me. I cant imagine taking a year off. I already took a vacation + when I got back I did fulfilled my goal for one day, finished a piece I was proud of, and started slacking off, thus leading to me feeling guilty. I can understand overworking yourself and have done it in the past, but Ive learned from those, both from successes and mistakes I've gathered info about myself. This is why I'm not immediately jumping into 10h a day goals, instead I ease into it. I guess if I wanted to take a long break from technology, Id go vagabonding and bring my sketchbook. I got a taste of travelling on my vacation and it was quite inspiring and refreshing.
Bookend - I will :)
Vornag - My recent situation was kind of opposite, from what you described. I was too carefree so I actually needed more pressure to make myself work, instead of slacking off. I have burned out twice before and took breaks then, it worked. Also I burned out due to being overly frustrated by some results. However I dont get frustrated anymore(perhaps mildly annoyed, when I keep trying something and not getting the results I want). I'm already doing whatever I want to do most of the time. Theres a place for studies, but if it starts feeling like a drag, then I switch to sketching stuff.

[crackedskull]

Day 4 finished - 3h done

Mullins study+figurestudies




Imagination

[Bookend]

Awesome work, man. That skull painting is looking really amazing. Keep pushing it!

[VoodooMama]

hey!
Last one is pretty cool! Great use of color and nice sense of depth and scale showing up.
Maybe you can push it further into a final illustration?

[crackedskull]

Day 5 finished - 2h done







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Voodoo - Thanks, good to know. I tried applying some stuff I learned from Mullins study.
Bookend - Appreciate your feedback and activity man, cheers.

[crackedskull]

Day 6 finished - 3h done

Studies



Not studies