I think the easiest thing to kill your passion is to chase the algorithm. Reducing the value of your work to numbers, comments, likes, views, and engagement will drive anyone insane. Post what you enjoy and let the algorithm find you.
@@isabellebernard5292 obviously money’s important but losing your passion for creating is BRUTAL. You can still build a community, but it should be for a passion that you love, not one that would preform good with current trends. It takes a lot longer, but the payoff is huge if it works.
@@Quinold I understand where you're coming from, but financial insecurity is brutal as well in a very real and tangible way. That's why the diagram is so important. You need a balance if you want to survive, literally
@@isabellebernard5292 That's why most of us have to work day jobs and create in our free time; so two jobs. If you're in SUCH DIRE financial circumstances, maybe reevaluate your definition of a professional artist and see that there are many ways to live comfortably as an artist. I tried going the first route (just art) and am much happier now after leaning into an unrelated career; being able to afford nice supplies, live comfortably, have good health, and make extra money from my art in my spare time. Edit: I saw in another comment that you're an animator as your day job already?? You already have stability in your life, your side hustle isn't life or death
The reflections on those front windows are amazing. Re: Patreon, one thing I've noticed is that a lot of TH-cam artists neglect the lowest tier. If you're making content and posting it online where anyone can wander off the internet and see it, whether on TH-cam or elsewhere, you should have a $1/month Patreon tier. This is for people who like what you're already doing and want to toss you a buck a month in appreciation. You don't have to give them anything but the sincere thanks of the creator; they're essentially paying you for what you already do. I find it boggling how many TH-cam artists leave this money on the table. Web comic artists have this tier sewn up; I've hardly ever run into a web comic artist who had a Patreon who didn't have a $1 tier. It's not much per person, especially after Patreon takes its cut, but there are a *lot* more people who can afford to toss you a buck a month than there are people who can afford to give you five or ten or twenty a month. And any time someone's willing to hand me money without requiring I do any extra work, I always say "Thank you" and take it. [wry smile]
I'm currently working through Color and Light and Imaginative Realism together and they're proving invaluable resources. I often think that I need to find high energy, dynamic subjects in order to bring life to my work, but then I see Mr Gurney painting an old vehicle or a pile of wood with a vibrancy I can only dream of and it reminds me of the beauty and drama that lies within the mundane, so long as you pay attention.
I had no idea you made Dinotopia! They are some of the only books I kept from childhood and continue to revisit. I found your channel organically when I started getting into painting ❤️
In the best of ways you remind me of Mr. Rogers. The way you are handling this topic about the internet to me, sounds like how he would have began to approach the subject to speak to us about it, if he were still alive today. I love Box/Delivery trucks and photographing them, hoping to paint. So, I love that you are drawing/painting this old Delivery Truck.
I just love the TH-cam content. I could watch and listen to the long vids all the time, but I don't expect these to be cranked out. I'll watch, like & comment (and am already subscribed) any time they show up. I also read the Substack, but not as regularly as I wish I could make myself in a perfect world. I tend to log in & catch up rather than read as they come out. And I have money ready to purchase the book on drawing that's a collaboration with Thomas Kincaid. I wonder what the time-line is on that one. I'd love to know the release date.
Wow! This is nicely deep content. I haven't seen a lot of artists go to this depth. I appreciate the depth of experience with the various platforms! And of course, the truck painting is beautiful as well.
Oh my goodness, you turned down working at Disney!! 😮 Thanks so much for sharing your time with this painting & for all the great wisdom & tips for getting started with getting & growing one’s art business, following, & art journey on social media. This is a huge help & inspiration for me personally! 🥰
Excellent video, and thank you for answering everyone's questions in chat. The bit on ikigai really stuck out to me; I've worked professionally for a decade (salaried, not self-directed or freelance), which paid the bills and taught me a lot... but didn't quite fulfill me in the way that doing art on my own did in the past. When other people own your artwork and you can't post for months or years afterwards (or sometimes never!), it's easy to avoid maintaining an online presence and keep blindingly moving forward without thinking about what you truly want to be painting. I really admire that you and Jeanette have figured out a healthy balance of work, fulfillment, and being great educators.Thank you!
I could never have imagined when I got Dinotopia as a gift back in 1994 that I'd be watching hours and hours of your instruction online like this - can't thank you enough for starting this channel!
😍thank you for sharing the entire painting process! I started watching your TH-cam since 2021 and used gouache since, now it’s my favorite media ❤ I notice that you actually paint slowly, that’s good to know that it’s no need to be rush! 😌
Thank you for sharing this James. So wise and insightful... Since I was a child I liked to sew. I was very good at it. My hobby organically morphed into a medium size commercial business with many employees. The stress completely destroyed any pleasure and joy I got from sewing. I was designing for the market, not me. I eventually sold my business to a competitor and I never touched a sewing machine again until recently. A gap of 24 years! Mentally, I just couldn't face it.
pls paint and upload as much as you can. also along the way talk about your process as you always do, its invaluable lesson. we don't know how many years of steady hands you have got but please keep posting, there is nothing on the youtube like you. You inspire me !
This is one of the most insightful, informative, and practical art videos I have watched in a very long time. James you are so grounded. Thanks so much.
Thank you James for sharing so much of your knowledge for artists: I notice a little change in your voice and hope you are well. Ilook forward to seeing more u tube videos; I esp love the ones on farms and with animals.Brilliant as usual!
this video is so valuable! The part about being flexible and being aware enough to keep adjusting. Its inspiring to hear about artists who have been self employed for a long time, I've only been doing art full time for a few years and fear for the future but try not to get stuck in my ways, thanks James!
Your videos are always so interesting to watch and extremely helpful for beginner artists like me! Been watching you for a few years now, and I am so extremely grateful to have such a skilled artist share their content, tips, tricks, and process ❤️
As a 33 yr old finally pursuing an art career in concept art, I really appreciate your practical advice. It’s so useful. I don’t know if you’ve already discussed this in another video, if so, let me know which one to watch, I’ll view it. Can you discuss the pros and cons of working for a studio, and why you personally decided to freelance instead?
Haven't discussed, but great topic. I may not be the best person to talk about it since I onlly worked on one movie at one studio: Fire and Ice / Ralph Bakshi Studios, which was a bit unusual and anarchic by all accounts. But there was definitely the spirit of camaraderie and shared mission, which is the main upside.
This video is wonderful. Been pondering about my life and career lately and this video just answered all of my questions. Thank you very much for sharing your wisdom. I will always keep your words in mind. Love the cool painting, too.
Another incredible video that gives so much hope to artists following that small burn and deep relationships approach! Plus that painting is truly amazing. I really admire all of your approaches and how much you share so generously James!
Thank you for sharing on this topic James. Things have changed so rapidly and I have been resistant to the superficial bent of social media. I just want to paint more and help others but we must eat too. I always enjoy your transparent humility and generosity of knowledge. You rekindled my interest in gouache and love of casein a little while back too. They travel with me on plein air trips 😊
Kind of shocked by how on point this vid is. I'm used to older industry artists being completely out of touch with how things work now, but a lot of the stuff here is a good explanation of avenues of pursuit for art. The graph at 26:18 is prob one of the visuals for how to figure out what you should be making that I've seen. My main problem as an artist right now is I feel like its impossible to learn and progress as an artist while also making content for clients and pleasing an audience. Its gotten really overwhelming. I know I have a lot to learn but I don't feel like I have time to learn it. People seem really fickle and will stop supporting you very quickly if your content slows down, and very few people are interested in the 'behind the scenes' stuff it feels. I'm not really sure what to do since I just feel like I need more time but already spend all day drawing usually.
dam this video is challenging to watch because i am trying to learn your art skills and learn about bussiness at the same time xD. Nice video anyway thx
Would love to hear you talk about the dark side of art on social media these days.. ai. It's good to spread awareness to protect artists as well as the everyday person, since there are lots of scams going around and not everything you see is done by a real person any more.
I just love what you said in this video. As a Graffiti Artist I have to do commissioned works too, but always tried to sneak in some fresh letters from time to time to keep the love for painting alive... And yes, for a long time it was only 10% of the time, while still giving 100% on all commissions, doesn`t matter what it was - electricity boxes, kids rooms, fassades, everything. But i kept increasing the amount of the worl that i love to around 70% nowadays... took me 22 years, but like i love to say to my friends and followers: The worst thing for an artist to happen, is to be done one day. I want to paint my whole life. so i am happy with 90% fun work and 10% commissions one day... haha...
Se me hace casi imposible explicar bien lo mucho que significa poder ver al maestro Gurney pintando y comentando aspectos tan importantes sobre la vida y el arte.
I’m not surprised you turned down Disney. They were churning out like a machine, plus I can’t imagine JG drawing the little mermaid…. That princess stuff is way less believable than Dinotopia!
i got "premium" youtube to see how much better it is without ads. It's fine for listening to music but the videos I want to watch like this one just freeze and buffer. Watching a video on a different browser without the premium account and the stream plays fine. Same device, same network. I think the platform just can't deal without running ads.
Hey James just finished watching this on my TV and found it to be most excellent. It gave me idea's of how to put more effort and energy to other social media aspects of my own art career. The other option to Artists is also using NFT's and selling their artwork for cryptocurrency. I've been doing it since 2021 and have had medium successes in it. It's like any market though it fluctuates and a lot of people associate it to scams but there are artists like myself who use it for the good. Been a fan of your work for about 3 years now ever since I got into painting. Always enjoy your content. Happy Painting!
Very nice and informative video, and great honesty. A question that has been plaguing me for a while is how you avoid becoming jaded as a person who enjoys some stability and would like a life outside work in the art industry? I have been a professional animator with a side interest in fine art for several years, but find it increasing difficult to stay opitimistic about the prospects, especially in regards to living at least somewhat comfortably without burning out as well
I think the easiest thing to kill your passion is to chase the algorithm. Reducing the value of your work to numbers, comments, likes, views, and engagement will drive anyone insane. Post what you enjoy and let the algorithm find you.
That's easy to say when you don't have to pay rent and put food on your table
@@isabellebernard5292 obviously money’s important but losing your passion for creating is BRUTAL. You can still build a community, but it should be for a passion that you love, not one that would preform good with current trends. It takes a lot longer, but the payoff is huge if it works.
@@Quinold I understand where you're coming from, but financial insecurity is brutal as well in a very real and tangible way. That's why the diagram is so important. You need a balance if you want to survive, literally
@@isabellebernard5292 You expect that art should be able to generate reliable and consistent income for survival?
@@isabellebernard5292 That's why most of us have to work day jobs and create in our free time; so two jobs. If you're in SUCH DIRE financial circumstances, maybe reevaluate your definition of a professional artist and see that there are many ways to live comfortably as an artist. I tried going the first route (just art) and am much happier now after leaning into an unrelated career; being able to afford nice supplies, live comfortably, have good health, and make extra money from my art in my spare time.
Edit: I saw in another comment that you're an animator as your day job already?? You already have stability in your life, your side hustle isn't life or death
Dinotopia was one of my few bright lights in a very dark childhood.thank you so much for making these videos.
Every gurney upload is a straight up gift 🎨
The reflections on those front windows are amazing.
Re: Patreon, one thing I've noticed is that a lot of TH-cam artists neglect the lowest tier. If you're making content and posting it online where anyone can wander off the internet and see it, whether on TH-cam or elsewhere, you should have a $1/month Patreon tier. This is for people who like what you're already doing and want to toss you a buck a month in appreciation. You don't have to give them anything but the sincere thanks of the creator; they're essentially paying you for what you already do. I find it boggling how many TH-cam artists leave this money on the table. Web comic artists have this tier sewn up; I've hardly ever run into a web comic artist who had a Patreon who didn't have a $1 tier. It's not much per person, especially after Patreon takes its cut, but there are a *lot* more people who can afford to toss you a buck a month than there are people who can afford to give you five or ten or twenty a month. And any time someone's willing to hand me money without requiring I do any extra work, I always say "Thank you" and take it. [wry smile]
I'm currently working through Color and Light and Imaginative Realism together and they're proving invaluable resources. I often think that I need to find high energy, dynamic subjects in order to bring life to my work, but then I see Mr Gurney painting an old vehicle or a pile of wood with a vibrancy I can only dream of and it reminds me of the beauty and drama that lies within the mundane, so long as you pay attention.
Thanks for providing great content!
Wow, thanks, Mary. That's so generous.
I had no idea you made Dinotopia! They are some of the only books I kept from childhood and continue to revisit. I found your channel organically when I started getting into painting ❤️
Check out this Dinotopia vid: th-cam.com/video/MrZ9GA-hiPI/w-d-xo.html
In the best of ways you remind me of Mr. Rogers. The way you are handling this topic about the internet to me, sounds like how he would have began to approach the subject to speak to us about it, if he were still alive today. I love Box/Delivery trucks and photographing them, hoping to paint. So, I love that you are drawing/painting this old Delivery Truck.
Living Legend!! Color and light, imaginative realism books were a game changer for me. Hope you write a book on art business some day.
I just love the TH-cam content. I could watch and listen to the long vids all the time, but I don't expect these to be cranked out. I'll watch, like & comment (and am already subscribed) any time they show up. I also read the Substack, but not as regularly as I wish I could make myself in a perfect world. I tend to log in & catch up rather than read as they come out.
And I have money ready to purchase the book on drawing that's a collaboration with Thomas Kincaid. I wonder what the time-line is on that one. I'd love to know the release date.
Thanks! The release date for the new edition of "The Artist's Guide to Sketching" should be January 2025.
Wow! This is nicely deep content. I haven't seen a lot of artists go to this depth. I appreciate the depth of experience with the various platforms! And of course, the truck painting is beautiful as well.
So much wisdom in this James. Thank you for sharing it with us. You’ll never know the impact you have on so many of us! Thank you
Oh my goodness, you turned down working at Disney!! 😮 Thanks so much for sharing your time with this painting & for all the great wisdom & tips for getting started with getting & growing one’s art business, following, & art journey on social media. This is a huge help & inspiration for me personally! 🥰
This video was GOLD! Thanks for the great tips!
Excellent video, and thank you for answering everyone's questions in chat.
The bit on ikigai really stuck out to me; I've worked professionally for a decade (salaried, not self-directed or freelance), which paid the bills and taught me a lot... but didn't quite fulfill me in the way that doing art on my own did in the past. When other people own your artwork and you can't post for months or years afterwards (or sometimes never!), it's easy to avoid maintaining an online presence and keep blindingly moving forward without thinking about what you truly want to be painting.
I really admire that you and Jeanette have figured out a healthy balance of work, fulfillment, and being great educators.Thank you!
I could never have imagined when I got Dinotopia as a gift back in 1994 that I'd be watching hours and hours of your instruction online like this - can't thank you enough for starting this channel!
😍thank you for sharing the entire painting process! I started watching your TH-cam since 2021 and used gouache since, now it’s my favorite media ❤
I notice that you actually paint slowly, that’s good to know that it’s no need to be rush! 😌
your channel is a blessing thanks for uploading
“…so it’ll stay put” lol😂
Thank you for sharing this James. So wise and insightful... Since I was a child I liked to sew. I was very good at it. My hobby organically morphed into a medium size commercial business with many employees. The stress completely destroyed any pleasure and joy I got from sewing. I was designing for the market, not me. I eventually sold my business to a competitor and I never touched a sewing machine again until recently. A gap of 24 years! Mentally, I just couldn't face it.
Wow, thanks for that story. I see how that can happen.
Very cool, here's my cartoon of mine, lol, it runs and moves ....once in a while!
pls paint and upload as much as you can. also along the way talk about your process as you always do, its invaluable lesson. we don't know how many years of steady hands you have got but please keep posting, there is nothing on the youtube like you. You inspire me !
Thanks, I'll try. I've got plenty of stuff shot and in the pipeline, but am busy writing books at the moment, so can't upload as often.
Great content. Thank you for sharing your story and your wisdom.
Another excellent but of work thankyou James, I just sold a painting here in New Zealand to a guy with your surname
This is a wealth of knowledge. Thank you, Mr Gurney.
Maybe if you had the time maybe you should write your story as an artist.
I’m 55. I’m trying to learn all this and this one video did its job. 😊
Thank you for the information. I love seeing your set up.
MEWE is EXCELLENT too. Like Facebook used to be.Thnx for thorough advice & information. Gail 🇺🇸❤🏴
this was fabulous!! thank you so much, James and Jeanette !! Greenport is certainly a feast for an artists' eyes!! I love it out there 💜💜
This is one of the most insightful, informative, and practical art videos I have watched in a very long time. James you are so grounded. Thanks so much.
Thank you James for sharing so much of your knowledge for artists: I notice a little change in your voice and hope you are well. Ilook forward to seeing more u tube videos; I esp love the ones on farms and with animals.Brilliant as usual!
this video is so valuable! The part about being flexible and being aware enough to keep adjusting. Its inspiring to hear about artists who have been self employed for a long time, I've only been doing art full time for a few years and fear for the future but try not to get stuck in my ways, thanks James!
J'aime beaucoup vos peintures!
J'avais des amis à Long Island à Northport.Je connais donc ce magnifique endroit.
Bonne journée.
30:07 I would definitely be interested in learning more about video making - that piece is intimidating to me!
Please upload regular videos we all love your work (demo, tips, trick & tutorials).
Your videos are always so interesting to watch and extremely helpful for beginner artists like me! Been watching you for a few years now, and I am so extremely grateful to have such a skilled artist share their content, tips, tricks, and process ❤️
Awesome! Thank you!
Your videos always make me smile and I learn a lot. Thank you for sharing.
I just learned that this is the guy who illustrated the Dinotopia books. I enjoyed those when younger. My mind is slightly blown.
Hi James. I first learned about you from the book you published. Its quite complex yet informative the information you share.
Thank you for this. ❤
So much general wisdom! Thanks James
As a 33 yr old finally pursuing an art career in concept art, I really appreciate your practical advice. It’s so useful. I don’t know if you’ve already discussed this in another video, if so, let me know which one to watch, I’ll view it. Can you discuss the pros and cons of working for a studio, and why you personally decided to freelance instead?
Haven't discussed, but great topic. I may not be the best person to talk about it since I onlly worked on one movie at one studio: Fire and Ice / Ralph Bakshi Studios, which was a bit unusual and anarchic by all accounts. But there was definitely the spirit of camaraderie and shared mission, which is the main upside.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!
I love when you're show us your technique. Magic.
A worthy video to listen a few times, really good info, James, thanks for share your thoughts!
This video is wonderful. Been pondering about my life and career lately and this video just answered all of my questions. Thank you very much for sharing your wisdom. I will always keep your words in mind. Love the cool painting, too.
James, will you do sketchbook flip throughs any time soon, on youtube? 🎨
There was an app that Mr Gurney made, that had flip thrus… check in the past blog posts from the 20teens.
informative and calming vid! thank you
Inspirational ♥️♥️
Another incredible video that gives so much hope to artists following that small burn and deep relationships approach! Plus that painting is truly amazing. I really admire all of your approaches and how much you share so generously James!
Excellent advice. Grateful for your time and knowledge,expertise and shared wisdom
Great life lessons for all, not just artists! Thank you Sir!
great advice and a great painting
Thank you for sharing on this topic James. Things have changed so rapidly and I have been resistant to the superficial bent of social media. I just want to paint more and help others but we must eat too. I always enjoy your transparent humility and generosity of knowledge. You rekindled my interest in gouache and love of casein a little while back too. They travel with me on plein air trips 😊
Kind of shocked by how on point this vid is. I'm used to older industry artists being completely out of touch with how things work now, but a lot of the stuff here is a good explanation of avenues of pursuit for art. The graph at 26:18 is prob one of the visuals for how to figure out what you should be making that I've seen.
My main problem as an artist right now is I feel like its impossible to learn and progress as an artist while also making content for clients and pleasing an audience. Its gotten really overwhelming. I know I have a lot to learn but I don't feel like I have time to learn it. People seem really fickle and will stop supporting you very quickly if your content slows down, and very few people are interested in the 'behind the scenes' stuff it feels. I'm not really sure what to do since I just feel like I need more time but already spend all day drawing usually.
Thank you for the insight and suggestions!
You’re fabulous
dam this video is challenging to watch because i am trying to learn your art skills and learn about bussiness at the same time xD. Nice video anyway thx
Thank you sooo much. Helpful. And encouraging ❤
LOVE this format!
Great video James! I Really enjoyed it. Definitely interested in the video information idea too. Thanks
Thanks for this in depth insight. And a wonderful painting demo in addition.
Glad to see another upload of JG❤
Excellent video. Thank you for the information, James.!
Great video!
Outstanding video!
Would love to hear you talk about the dark side of art on social media these days.. ai. It's good to spread awareness to protect artists as well as the everyday person, since there are lots of scams going around and not everything you see is done by a real person any more.
Sooooo excited about this video, thank u sooo much James 🫶
Lovely 😍
Great video James. Thank you.
Thank you James 👏
I just love what you said in this video. As a Graffiti Artist I have to do commissioned works too, but always tried to sneak in some fresh letters from time to time to keep the love for painting alive... And yes, for a long time it was only 10% of the time, while still giving 100% on all commissions, doesn`t matter what it was - electricity boxes, kids rooms, fassades, everything. But i kept increasing the amount of the worl that i love to around 70% nowadays... took me 22 years, but like i love to say to my friends and followers: The worst thing for an artist to happen, is to be done one day. I want to paint my whole life. so i am happy with 90% fun work and 10% commissions one day... haha...
Hi, yes please share a video on how you like to shoot, upload videos. thank you
Se me hace casi imposible explicar bien lo mucho que significa poder ver al maestro Gurney pintando y comentando aspectos tan importantes sobre la vida y el arte.
I’m not surprised you turned down Disney. They were churning out like a machine, plus I can’t imagine JG drawing the little mermaid…. That princess stuff is way less believable than Dinotopia!
That's amazing 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Do you have any tips for filming doing your art with limited space & lower cost?
i got "premium" youtube to see how much better it is without ads. It's fine for listening to music but the videos I want to watch like this one just freeze and buffer. Watching a video on a different browser without the premium account and the stream plays fine. Same device, same network. I think the platform just can't deal without running ads.
It's bound to have fuel system problems but the brake lines and tires are where the dangers truly lie.
Have you tried Nicker Poster Color ? It’s super good with really cheap price i think . Can you review them ?
Haven’t tried them-Ghibli BGs, ❤ right?
@@JamesGurney yes it is
Absolute inspiration, thank you Mr Gurney. All your Gumroad videos are a treasure, anyone serious about learning from James should check them out.
Hey James just finished watching this on my TV and found it to be most excellent. It gave me idea's of how to put more effort and energy to other social media aspects of my own art career. The other option to Artists is also using NFT's and selling their artwork for cryptocurrency. I've been doing it since 2021 and have had medium successes in it. It's like any market though it fluctuates and a lot of people associate it to scams but there are artists like myself who use it for the good.
Been a fan of your work for about 3 years now ever since I got into painting. Always enjoy your content. Happy Painting!
Thanx!
11:08 a car from the cars movie
❤
When do we get a Mrs. Gurney episode?
By popular demand: th-cam.com/video/Lc6EIUe-B8I/w-d-xo.html ❤
Very nice and informative video, and great honesty. A question that has been plaguing me for a while is how you avoid becoming jaded as a person who enjoys some stability and would like a life outside work in the art industry? I have been a professional animator with a side interest in fine art for several years, but find it increasing difficult to stay opitimistic about the prospects, especially in regards to living at least somewhat comfortably without burning out as well
I'm in the yellow section at this point of time.
I sadly got banned from X, Tumblr, and lately from DeviantArt for my content. What can I do now?
What content specifically?
@@IWantThatKey animals, cartoons, characters, and sexy girls. Probably the sex part got me banned.
19:30 What about only f? :P
Jeanette running interference once again! Speaking of “gatekeepers”!
🤍🤍🤍
Disney…you TURNED DOWN DISNEY!!!!???