09-11-2015, 08:54 AM
Didn't quite know how to word the title, but I just wondered, after watching this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMgLBa6ayRE if I should possibly reconsider my focus.
I started out writing - I've always wanted to write and illustrate children's picture books, but honestly, my strength in writing lies with fantasy, so I thought perhaps fantasy based graphic novels. (Writing kids books is actually incredibly difficult)
I'm very weak at drawing people, and perspective and environment, my strength and 'comfort zone' is animals. Should I maybe play to that strength and try to get into creature design type stuff, I don't even know if that is a thing that has an audience?
I'm clearly not going to stop studying all my weaknesses, I do want to become a well rounded illustrator, but I really love rendering animals, I'd happily spend 6 months doing an extremely detailed 6ft oils on canvas of a dragon, that would be good times for me.
I'm curious what other peoples thoughts on this are, I had a discussion with my author friend on how I'd love to paint the creatures he dreams up for gaming, and he asked why I didn't.. and my answer as always was "because I don't think I can do it well enough yet" but with animal anatomy study and photo refs, I dunno, maybe I could...
Is it better to work with your strengths, or try to be well rounded?
I started out writing - I've always wanted to write and illustrate children's picture books, but honestly, my strength in writing lies with fantasy, so I thought perhaps fantasy based graphic novels. (Writing kids books is actually incredibly difficult)
I'm very weak at drawing people, and perspective and environment, my strength and 'comfort zone' is animals. Should I maybe play to that strength and try to get into creature design type stuff, I don't even know if that is a thing that has an audience?
I'm clearly not going to stop studying all my weaknesses, I do want to become a well rounded illustrator, but I really love rendering animals, I'd happily spend 6 months doing an extremely detailed 6ft oils on canvas of a dragon, that would be good times for me.
I'm curious what other peoples thoughts on this are, I had a discussion with my author friend on how I'd love to paint the creatures he dreams up for gaming, and he asked why I didn't.. and my answer as always was "because I don't think I can do it well enough yet" but with animal anatomy study and photo refs, I dunno, maybe I could...
Is it better to work with your strengths, or try to be well rounded?