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Ghirius
<3 I'm an artist who loves to draw different things and I'm always looking to learn and improve :D <3

Ghirius @Ghirius

Age 20, Male

Amateur artist

Joined on 11/1/22

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Public Suggestions

Posted by Ghirius - 2 days ago


Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, and good morning to everyone reading my humble post.

Something I'd really like to know from you, my small but dear and beloved audience, is: What would you like me to do artistically?

It's something I've been thinking about, so I thought, "Ghirius, why don't you ask who sees your art?" I replied, "Great idea! After all, the public is absolutely crucial when it comes to feedback on your art." I said, "Yes, yes, I already know that." But then he said, "Exactly. That way, they can suggest art they like, what you can improve, and other things—" Then I got tired of it and said, "For God's sake, I know that, man. If you know, I know it too. Stop being annoying."

Anyway, where was I— oh, yes, so I'd like all of you to comment, if you feel like it, on what you'd like me to improve and do with my art. There's no need to be ashamed to express what you think, feel as if you were at home, BUT, keep the respect! ... Please~.

Ps: If you want to talk about other points outside of art, like my profile, you can feel free too.


Tags:

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Comments

Let me address the elephant in the room: _To_me_ the way I read your post summarized as "I do good art but after years on NG I only have 5 followers. Why? And how do I fix this?"

I am so glad you mentioned your profile, and while I think it's not the most essential thing I could address, it's something that's easier for you to tackle... I'll reduce these to bullet points, because I'm running out of energy for today:
- 0 posts: You seemingly never interacted with your peers in the Art Form ( https://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/forum/14 ). They could help with your technical questions and there are multiple threads on 'self publishing'. Dig through the forums a little and you could find a lot of helpful information.
If you decide to post, read the rule first ( https://www.newgrounds.com/wiki/help-information/forums/forum-rules ).
- "Social" Media: You should look into sites for artists that let you present your work properly, rather than using "Internet Hate Machines" such as Twitter/"X" and BlueSky.
Tumblr and Cara.app are probably the best choices for you now. As I always say: _Never_ put all your eggs in one basket. NG is cool, but consider other sites as well. Check out where other artists who publish similar works upload their content. Then create accounts in those places as well. That way, even if some of the other places are not to your liking, you will still have alternatives.
- Country of Origin: You don't have to reveal where you're from or what kind of education you had. That part is fine - I'm just mentioning it so you don't feel pressured to "change everything".
- Avatar/profile pic: I'm going to say it: "You look like a ghost." Pencil lines to not show well on an image that has been through lossy WebP-conversion AND was shrunken down. Choose thicker lines or use a colorized image. More on that in a moment.
- Think about Playlists. Not everything needs to in one, but having one for your OCs and on for requests you drew would help users navigate these two relevant sections.
(In case you're struggling with the technical aspects, I recently wrote a 'Playlists Mini-Guide' here: https://mikoplushie.newgrounds.com/news/post/1542723 )

(I'm going to split this post here for easier navigation.)

Okay, so I'll go from topic to topic based on what I understand.
1 - Interact more with my fellow artists on Art Form, as it contains a lot of helpful information.
2 - I've read the rules for the forum section. Tomorrow, when I can, I'll read the rules for the other topics, like Art, Audio, Teams, Collaboration, and Programming. In order to understand all the site guidelines,
3- Okay, I'll remove the links to these other sites and replace them with Tumblr and Cara.app. On Tumblr, I need to become more active and adjust a lot of things there since it's not a platform I use much. I also need to find a way to change my name to something unique, but that's not my biggest concern right now (the name part). I'll create an account on Cara.app and interact a lot there too, just like I have to do here from now on. By the way, on these new sites, it's always good to post my best Eggs (drawings) or put them in the order I made them, even if the quality is a bit... different, if I can put it that way. Anyway, I'll decide to do that.
4- Okay, I'll remove this information about education and the country I live in.
5- Okay, I must say that I also don't know exactly how to make my Sona, like, I don't know how I should create it. For now, I'll leave another drawing I made of a character I like as my profile picture, but I'll fix this problem.
6- I really didn't know there was a playlist system on Newgrounds. I thought I could just post it and be done with it. I'll take the time to read it tomorrow when I can. Just like the other things I mentioned in topic 2, I'll start organizing my art posts better. I really appreciate your help. There's still more to read, but these tips will still be very helpful.

(I'll also split my answers to make things easier. Thanks again for the help you're giving me.)

Sooo... The art...
Don't get me wrong: You do pretty good work with shading. In fact, you are so good with pencils that other aspiring artists should look at your work as a reference in order to understand 'why' they are being asked to practice drawing with pencils.

But from my point of view, everything you submitted to NG are "sketches". While they are 'technically' finished works (because you stopped working on them), they would look "better" with color - ideally with backgrounds as well...
On top of that, they are all photographs. They are 'well done' photographs - you clearly know your stuff when it comes to documentation. But pencil drawings are not as appealing to the masses as colorized works are. They also stand out less in the 'endless wall of new art' users and visitors see when they want to look for new art. ( https://www.newgrounds.com/art/browse?interval=all&sort=date&genre=0&artist-type=all )

I do not do drawn art myself, but from my understanding there are broadly 2 approaches that seem the most economical in terms of time used:
- Either scan your works and "ink" as well as colorize them using professional software ( https://www.newgrounds.com/wiki/creator-resources/art-resources ).
- Or buy a drawing tablet (as well as a cheap spare stylus) and skip the physical media entirely.

- Alternatively, you could buy a 'light box' (or modern equivalent) and go full physical media, putting a sheet of paper over your pencil works and ink as well as colorize said sheet - without any erasing. And then scan the result.
In my personal opinion, physical media 'looks better', but every mistake you make will cost you dearly.

There is a lot you can do with either of those approaches that will your work more "appealing" to others.

But there is also something else, that many artists forego entirely: Storytelling. What I mean is easier shown than done, so please excuse all the links to different artists:
https://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/morthagg/night-colour
https://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/shenanigansen/artistic-burnout
https://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/dimlyjolly/slurp
https://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/reqqles/komi-s-birthday

Evoking emotion or telling a story in a single image is also possible, but it's pretty hard to do:
https://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/sprung/do-you-heart-me
https://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/galejro/vamptober-2021-day-12-blood-hunter
https://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/normchipmunkiii/1984-ai
https://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/razac/first-contact

You can polish "posing characters" to perfection, but what people really remember is the stories and "great moments" they see in art. Thanks to the internet, my generation looked at more naked people than all of their ancestors combined - be we barely remember any of them.

I don't want to throw shade at 'A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte' ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Sunday_Afternoon_on_the_Island_of_La_Grande_Jatte ), but the main reason anyone remembers that painting is "because it's famous" - not because it resonated with them so deeply.
'Saturn Devouring His Son' ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_Devouring_His_Son ) on the other hand? **** me! If 'that one' didn't leave a strong impression, I'd be surprised...
Likewise, both variations of 'The Nightmare' ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nightmare ) make the audience stop in their track and think about what they see.

Nobody expects of you that you become a "great artist" overnight, but you need a direction in which you're advancing artistically, or else you're going to draw sketches of "(mostly female) characters posing" for the rest of your life.

(Sorry that this is so long. I 'wish' I was smart enough to condense all that in 3 sufficiently illustrative sentences.)

1- Understood, regarding the art issue, I don't paint with colors because I have too much difficulty using them satisfactorily, since it's impossible to erase and I'm afraid of making a mistake that could ruin an entire beautiful drawing I've done. But I'm having small (almost never) practices with colored markers, which I intend to use in some larger drawings when I have more confidence and a sense of skill with them. They won't be in all the drawings since the markers are in some very basic colors and even lack some like purple, but for dark blue and other shades I use the same marker with different strengths and different spacing, giving different tones. As for the backgrounds, I'll start adding more content to the simpler ones, at least trying to breathe more life into the empty surroundings. Thanks for the constructive criticism.
2- Yes, I need to digitize my drawings. I don't plan on using them traditionally yet, but digital is the most popular (unfortunately). I've already done one, which, by the way, I did entirely based on the color palette of an artist's drawing. I'll let you know when I post it. I need to practice my skills with the graphics tablet and using Krita to make my drawings more beautiful.
3- Yes, I'll go through the light box. I make a lot of mistakes while preparing the final drawing, and my pockets aren't deep, haha.
4- I'd love to hear about each of these approaches.
5- Oh... about that, I've had several ideas for it, but I don't think they'd be cool or appealing because it deals with personal things and can be a bit... tedious for people, I guess. But I'll try to do it, and I won't hold back at all.
6- Uhm, I get it, creating good moments, creating something unique, something of my own, something that will be remembered, I think I can do it, I just don't know if it will be remembered, but that's it, you'll never know if you don't do it, by the way, I have some stories that I keep working on, but I personally prefer never to post them because I'm afraid they'll be stolen, so I keep them to myself for the day everything is ready, that would definitely be a bad choice to make, right?
7- Well, personally, I would love to evolve very quickly, even if no one expects it. What guidance would you give me to advance as an artist just so I don't get stuck in the habit of drawing beautiful women? Actually, I don't really know how to decide because I love learning everything I like. The list is huge, like, really huge, going beyond drawing.

(Okay, lol, by the way, how do I make something that catches the public's attention, generates interest, is unique, has a story, like, I know some of these things, but I want to hear from you to confirm or not, and go deeper. It's also how I should evolve artistically, what I should do, how to organize, and so on. Oh, and about other things, what profile picture should I use, what banner should I use, how do I make a good enough Sona? How should I talk about it here, because I feel like I'm too cheesy for everyone. That kind of thing. And sorry for all these excuses. Oh, and how do I quickly digitize my drawings and maintain the quality?)

Oh, three things I forgot earlier when talking about your profile:
- The background is fine that way. On my screen it would look better if she was shoved more to the right, but since you have much more real estate for the background (and because there's no lossy WebP-conversion), pencil drawings can shine up there.
- Adding to your profile that you're an adult helped me _enormously_ in figuring out how to address you and what you would and wouldn't likely understand if I talked about it. If possible, always include in a profile that you're not a minor. ;)
- Something NG-specific: Your 'Exp Points' told me that you're actually using the site, rather than just upload Art and dash. I dislike the phrase "vibe check", but that fact (combined with the quality of your work) motivated me to go a bit more detailed in what I had to say.
'Exp Points' are just "a metric" to me, and It did not contribute 'massively' - but that I was able to tell that you look at 'what other artists do' worked in your favor.

P.S.: Oh, and "also this":
Guides, Tutorials & Other Help
https://www.newgrounds.com/collection/330234/guides-tutorials-other-help

Forgive my delay, I was sorting out a few things. I'll read everything you told me.

@Ghirius (Good thing you are numbering these...)
2 - Don't bother with the rules for forums you're not going to use. Most of NG's rules can be summarized to "Don't be a dick. Don't promote yourself like you're some Ad-Bot."
3 - You can leave the links to the other sites on the sidebar. (Your Limit is 10.) I would just think about another order.
3a - Once you've come up with another pen name, you can become a supporter on NG for a month to enable a name-change. ( https://www.newgrounds.com/wiki/help-information/supporter-upgrade )
4 - (You didn't list them in the first place. Don't worry about this.)
6 - Strictly speaking, there is no "need" to use playlists. It just helps with organizing things and drawing attention to larger projects.
If you ever do commissions, being able to link to a single playlist that contains all of the work you've done for others will come in really handy.

Generally: Don't stress yourself too much over this. You don't have to do everything in a single day.

Okay

@Yatsufusa Sorry about the PIN, I had already replied to your last comment with a message so I'll have to send a separate one from that one, but here it is

Oh, I'm glad you liked the background. In the future, I'll change it to another one that's exactly how you suggested. I've already got it ready to post, but I still have a long way to go before my ultimate art, of course. Yes, and of course, for me, this is my best art; I'm comparing it to my own work.
Okay, I'll give my profile description a revamp. By the way, do you have any suggestions on what I should add? I'm always indecisive when it comes to creating them because I can't convey enough about myself.
Yeah, I always look at everything, at least the ones I follow. I intend to comment more on the ones I've reviewed, also describing in detail what I thought of these people's drawings and sometimes mentioning a little something here and there that could make it better. But let it be clear that I'm not a professional; I just want to do my best to help. I also vote on many so that people can reach the 5-vote metric to see how their drawing averaged according to the public. Another thing is that I save a lot of art to analyze detail by detail, piece by piece, down to the smallest possible level to understand the artist's style, understand how they do it, collect data about the art in question, trying to discover the stroke, color palette, replicating the style, and adapting more and more, evolving based on the ones I like most. It's no wonder my Sona is such a mess. I can't represent myself, define myself, know exactly what I want, since all the possibilities and variations are too good to stick to just one and leave the rest behind. So I learn by understanding and metamorphosing in each type of art. I've only focused on one artist, but later I'll start moving on to another one I love. I believe it's not wrong to study the art of other artists and use it as a basis for training.
By the way, I have some doubts about this: is it wrong to do observation training based on the art of other artists? Is it wrong to post these training sessions even if you give credit to the artist who created the art you're studying? In these practice drawings, I should mark them as drafts, correct? When giving due credit to the artist, I should say something like, "All references used for these practice drawings are by the artist (artist's name), everything done here was entirely based on him." What do you think? In the CC section, what should I mark on the practice drawings?

Oh, anyway, thanks for all that. I'll probably come back more often to ask more questions, haha. And I appreciate the link. I'll try to use it even though I'm not fluent in English. I'll read everything you sent me and improve even more, to be even better.
Edit: Another thing, I'm often unsure about when to rate something as T or M, because I always end up rounding it up to E or A. So I'm not sure how to rate it in the middle. It's another matter, if I draw a character from an A-rated work, but it doesn't have anything sensual or heavy, could it be a T or E, or because of the character's origin, could it get a higher rating, like A?
I was thinking about this because my drawings are always very extreme. I was thinking about this because my drawings are always very extreme, and I think I'm rating it wrong, lol.

@Ghirius
There's no good 'template' for a profile description. Your profile is an expression of who you are. I tend to hand out advice and links to others to get them information they need - so my profile mainly consists of a ton of links.
As long as you make no offensive jokes, you're good.

It's always a good step to look at more art and broaden your horizon, but I'm not sure how far "analyzing" art (or metrics) will get you. You can learn about technique through regular tutorials and guides written by other artists, though. 'Color theory' would probably a good next step for you.

I'm not sure what "observation training" is. (I don't draw, though. Your peers might know what you mean. Same goes for crediting.)

About the age rating: If you rate something "A", nobody without an Newgrounds account will be able to see that work. But is nipples or genitals are showing, you have to rate a piece as "A".
You can look up how to age rate properly here:
https://www.newgrounds.com/wiki/help-information/terms-of-use/art-guidelines

As for further advice: I pretty much told you all I know. You'd have to ask the Art forum about the rest.

1- Okay
2- This would basically be me analyzing other people's drawings to see how they create effects, such as happiness, impact, clothes, details, expressions, effects and much more, like a background with several well-structured details for me to understand how it is done or have an idea of its existence and research further.
3- Okay, I'll ask this on the art Forum to find out.
4- I will read it, thank you.

Well, thanks for all the help boss, this will help me a lot around here, the rest that you don't know how to answer I will ask in the art forums