Why Art?

[MrBeast]

Hey daggers,
what are the reasons you started to learn art? And why are you doing it now? Is it the challenge? Or is it preparation for your eternal diviness? Or was it just practical? Art is far from easy or straightforward, so I guess most must have a good reason for it.
I will post my answer later, I don't want to push this discussion in any particular direction for now.

[atrenr]

It kind of happened by chance actually.
Since a young age I knew I wanted to make video games but wasn't sure in what way. I didn't want to be a 3D guy or programmer and thought they wouldn't hire someone to come up purely for the ideas(lolwat?) I sort of gave up on my dream for a few years and didn't know what to do, as my plan was always "make games." Sometime last year I stumbled in front of Sickbrush's stream by pure chance, I had nothing to do with art before that and I'm not sure how I got there. He was painting a swamp environment, not the most interesting thing to non-art people but I couldn't stop watching. I kept coming back to watch him and over the following month and grew to like art more and more. I learned of concept artists and Crimson Daggers, and just really wanted to start drawing. Around June I had enough of this art block business and forced myself to start drawing. I managed to do something for the first time that wasn't a scribble and since then I haven't stopped painting. My old dream of making games has come back and poured over into my already growing interest in art and well...here I am.
Through the pure luck of coming across it, Sickbrush's stream kind of gave me a direction in life, haha

[Robin]

I always was very visual as a kid, I always said that I wanted to make animations. I always loved drawing, was still drawing in high school even. But not really determined or serious, just stupid random stuff. I was always messing around in Photoshop when I was about 13-14, and I figured that I'd want to do something visual. I decided to study Multimedia Design and ended up specializing in animation. However this was mainly 3D animation, and since that time I've grown to love games. After hearing from teachers that I had huge potential as a 3D artist, I figured I'd try to make it to the games industry.

I did some research and thought (non visual) designing and programming might be fun, so I applied for another study in Game Design and Development. I didn't make the selection. All my classmates who applied did. Bummer. So I got a job at a small design studio, where I mostly modelled buildings and interiors. Not very exciting stuff, but at least the people were great. One year passes, and I still wanted to give that study a go. So I applied again, prepared well this time
and got selected.

And after half a year, we had to apply for a 2-week seminar, I did and vanished from the list of students. So I dropped in a random seminar that didn't start yet, and asked if I could do that one. It so happened to be a seminar in concept art. After 2 lessons, I was sold. I was so happy that I found my calling, that I decided to make the switch to game art. I messed around for about a year, then I found out that concept art was hard as fuck and needed a LOT of dedication. 2 years of working my ass off pass, trying to get on par with my classmates, and here I am.

Over the course of a few months, my motivation dropped, got a huge artblock and now I'm trying to fix that here.

[Tyrus]

"It's been something I've had to fight for, for the longest time" to put it simply.

[MrBeast]

I come from the other end of the spectrum, I do art because it is so hard.

See, as a kid logic was the simplest thing ever for me, where other students needed lots of explanation and practice to grasp a concept in math or other logic related classes, all it needed for me was reading the text-passage in the book once.
I completely lost interest in school and started to engage myself into computers and video games, at a age of 12 I started to modificate games and with that I started learning coding, first a C-like language used by a game, later in C++ itself, which at that age certainly was a challenge. For modding I also needed graphics so I teached myself some GIMP and Blender, but only from the technical side.

Years later, I learned pixel art, because of my ambitious (and foolish) dream of making a JRPG and the thought that it would be a useful skill for making games. That's where I came into contact with the art side of things, I started to pixel things without having a practical need for it. It fascinated me, because it wasn't as straightforward as anything else I had learned before.
It is a challenge, how fast could I learn this thing that people told me would take years of practice? Where are my boundaries in what I can learn? How far can I go in something that is so different?

If it wasn't for the learning experience I wouldn't do art. Programming is what I want to do, but Art is what I want to learn.

[I STRaY I]

Despite a slight degree of hypocrisy. Let me say that worrying about what others think and learning in comparison to others is a surefire way to fail. People learn to draw and paint all the time, some slower, some faster. And if you do begin to grasp it, you won't be the first or the last. If you want to see what it takes, Google Mindcandyman. And you'll see what learning "art" looks like. You'll also see what inspiration looks like. Inspiration is a main factor for anyone enjoying art. It inspires us when we see what it is we want to do, or what someone has accomplished through effort greater then ours. Or when something is truly just rad. Also, Art is so vast, you don't simply learn it. You live it. Some of us fail to do this more then anything. Learning to paint and draw just takes time and effort. But to live art, well it takes so much more. The "challenge of learning" won't sustain itself alone, neither will false confidence. Which I detect from you and your "logic" comments among other things. (& That's being kind, but an edit of my original post, which would have resulted in an argument I want no part of) Anyways, my 2 cents. Do what you will with it. Regardless, I wish you the best in your journey (or race?). Always continue to learn, never feel you've arrived. You'll be all the better for it.

[MrBeast]

Sorry if it sounded like bragging, I just wanted to illustrate how hard it is supposed to be and why I see it as challenge.
You sure know the idea (or maybe "myth") that there are two brain-half's, one for artistic stuff and one for logic stuff, some people are good with the one half and other peoples with the other.
What I meant is, I am quite good at logic, my whole view of the world depends on it, and due to that fact I had little trouble learning most things. Now there is art, which fascinates me because it is so different, I can't grasp it as easily as everything else I learned so far. It requires a bit more of me, it's not straightforward and there is always much room for improvement. I want to understand it, to know it, because it is so different.

[EduardoGaray]

Hey MrBeast i can see your point, but keep in mind that art (or playing an instrument or writing a book, etc) it isnt something that can be simply "understood" like Stray was saying.
My point is, technique is only the 50% what really matter matters is the spirit, the soul. (if that makes any sense haha)
Take as an example those crazy musicians from technical death metal bands who can play crazy fast without a single mistake. Sure they have an amazing technique, but i found their sound mostly boring. Why? because they just have technique, their sound is empty, they dont have spirit.

And the opposite is also true, people with crazy good ideas or sentiment, who dont have technique and fail to transmit that spirit.

My whole point is, you can learn to paint like Goya, but without something inside you, call it soul, call it spirit, it doesnt matter, you will never be a master, not even a good painter.

Cheers! :)

[Nexuun]

I used to have a lot of reasons for why I started and why I still do art. It's become a part of me now. It's changed me as a person, I believe. Putting images on paper, whether it be from memory, imagination, or life, is thrilling. It is a desire to communicate visually. I think that is what it might be. Nobody sees things quite the way you do. I have felt many times the desire to communicate an idea to others visually.

[dave]

I started because it was like writing. It's a way to keep tab of experiences, thoughts, and ideas. Now, it's a trade and it can be done with little tools as possible (for me).

[unlimitedbacon]

This is gonna sound a tad silly...but I was looking at some Concept Art one day and realized that a lot of it reminded me of some of the drawings of Leonardo Da Vinci. He was great at figure painting, but he also managed to create and design things that didn't exist, but could exist. That seemed really mindblowing to me at the time.

Which to me is the most awesome part of Concept Art and Design. Like a magician fooling his audience. It looks like it real, it seems like its real, but its not. To imagine worlds and places and things that could be. And maybe one day they might.

[SpiralHorn]

I suck at everything else.

[manlybrian]

As far back as I can remember, drawing was fun. I drew because I loved seeing my imagination appear on paper.

As I grew older, not much changed other than the addition of self improvement and trying to capture more realism in my art.

Then I decided it would be my career. I buckled down and started practicing the essentials, still-lifes, studies, etc.

After two years of learning I began to realize it wasn't what I wanted to do for a career. At least not right now. I took a hiatus and started dreaming of new job options.

After a few months, I remembered why I used to draw in the first place. It was just--fun! I have since returned to drawing simply for the joy of it. I still practice now and again, trying to improve--but mostly I just want my drawing to be fun.


(P.S. It's astounding how many things I learned in my two years of art study, that I can apply to countless other occupations. And not just occupations but all areas of life!)

[Kitsune]

As early as I remember I loved to draw. I picked up a pencil when I was a couple of years old and drew stick horses in a vain attempt to copy the horse logo on a pad of paper I found in my parents' living room.

In my culture being an artist, or aspiring to be one, is not seen as a mark of success, especially when your parents are doctors and you're expected to take the same road. It was very difficult, especially when you also love to learn and have a bunch of other passions you like to pursue. In the past, being a person of varied interests and talents was a strength, but I found it tended to distract me from a single focus. So I spent a while away from an art education after an initial foray into it discouraged me (my country does not have very good instruction and poor funding for its schools). I liked biology as a student and reading such things as nutrition as well as writing but in the end I realized I was happiest creating things. I feel my skills in art have yet to catch up with the rest of my life, but people live a long time. There is no reason on earth that you cannot pursue everything that you love (apart from disability), so long as you spend the time that you have wisely.

[Jeso]

Like many here, a very visual kid , drawing all the time in class, and stuff, now im art school, and with a bunch more skill than before, i get an addictive pleasure everytime im painting and the piece is looking good. Makes me come back for more, and find that feeling again, getting paid for it? well thats just bliss.

[Spellsword95]

I love art because of actual process of creating it. You bring your visions to life stroke by stroke, line by line. Creating your own world on a canvas or piece of paper or anywhere else. Nothing limits you.
For example, what started like a pencil scratch evolves into detailed character by adding little details here and there. You give him looks and personality, you made him from nothing and basically, you are the god - the ultimate maker who shapes reality on paper into your desired form.
Right now for me, above all is watching my progress and skills improvement. Every sketch I make is a bit better than previous one. Constantly I am pushing myself further and giving me more difficult challenges to overcome.

Bringing my visions into image is the most fascinating thing I ever encountered in my life.


Alternative explanation: According to scientist we are using two brain hemispheres, one for artistic and imaginative things, and other half for technical and logical thinking. Looks like I am missing one half completely because I am total dumbass and cannot solve simplest math equations. Therefore I am compensating it by other half...

[Burl]

No special reason. I just love drawing.

[Appeb]

I think for me it just comes down to the fact that I really like to design cool looking things.

When I was a kid i used to draw a lot of "spacemen" and whatnot. When I got older I remember seeing some Spawn comics over at a friend of my father's. My mind was blown! There was so much details to look at, ,the poses where cool and the characters looked awesome. My goal then was to be as good. I wanted to have the same level of detail in everything I did. Getting older I started to get inspired by other stuff.. eventually I found out about concept art for the entertainment industry.

I used to draw with pen on paper, but started to play around with digital stuff 5-6 years ago. I started gradually with scanning of sketches and line art, and coloring them in Photoshop. Eventually I did the whole process digitally from start to finish. What I love about working digitally is all the fun stuff you can do. Also, I tend to experiment a lot more now than before, because I can just store a backup and fuck around without being afraid of loosing hours of work.

And, probably like a lot of people here, I've been doing this pretty much my entire life, so.. Not sure what else I would be doing if not creative work.

[Madzia]

Digging out old threads. sorry!

You sure know the idea (or maybe "myth") that there are two brain-half's, one for artistic stuff and one for logic stuff, some people are good with the one half and other peoples with the other.

Yeah it's a bullshit, I hate when ppl use this argument as excuse for being lazy xD Math or Art you only need passion to learn it! I heard somewhere that you also need to be a little socially awkward to be an artist XD because you would more likely sit and draw instead going outside and play with friends. And that describe me pretty good.
As kid I didn't like art at all. I remember having thoughts in primary school that art class is pointless, just waste of paint and time :D But when I was 13 I witnessed my father almost died due to health problems and after that I cut myself off from outside world. I had imaginary friends and I was all days drawing comics of our adventures (I was psycho for sure xD)
Anyway my second love after art is science, physics, biology and cosmology and in my opinion there's nothing special in it, no division or limitation to logical or abstract brain :)

[OtherMuzz]

I just like making things haha.

I like to make things by programming, or playing instruments, or building actual things. But art is what i was best at so i made it my career.

I like to not overthink it.