The "stop doing fanart" is one I've heard from many professionals and it does have an amount of wisdom but you have to understand how to apply it. There is a difference between studying someone's technique and style and just drawing someone's characters over and over again. You need to have the maturity to know whether it applies to you or not, because there are artists who are genuinely hindered by just drawing someone else's work non-stop and can never really understand it because they haven't developed the fundamentals to draw what they want to draw. I personally think it is good advice if you understand how to use it.
@@ChaosRayZero the issue comes from the skills required to learn someone else's style. It is feasible to be able to copy and mimic someone's style simply by drawing their work non-stop, but a good number of artists who only draw off of one person's style can lack the core fundamentals to be able to draw other things or draw outside of the bubble of that one person's style. If that's all an artist wants to do that's fine, but animation, storyboarding, visual development, and character design jobs all require you to be flexible in your approach. With only a rigid understanding of art through the lens of mimicking someone else's work, it is much harder to be able to create things outside of that style. The vast majority of Disney artists were also great painters, designers, comic artists, or had other assortments of skills that they could apply to the movies they worked on. Bill Peet, for example, was a famous Disney Storyartist who drew very simple and cartoony drawings, but he was also a VERY good oil painter and was a realist. Richard Williams, one of the greatest animators, was a fantastic draftsman and designer who spent a lot of time studying motion, human anatomy, and fine art as well. This is a pretty common "issue" ive heard from recruiters that ive talked to where there are artists who cannot draw anything outside of a typical Disney character, Butch Hartman style, or whatever iconic style it is. If you dont have an individual voice in your work it is harder to convince a studio that you can bring something new to the development process that they dont already know how to do. Again, if you are a freelance artist or you dont want to work in a studio than feel free to draw whatever you want. There are artists out there who are successful who very clearly only draw in "90s Disney" style and draw artwork for books and what not, but for production in studios people like to see that you are an individual... To a certain degree (but that's another conversation). In short (sort of), there's nothing wrong with studying someone's style and analyzing it and using it as reference, but if you are only using one source of reference for your entire career then it will severely limit the scope of work you can do and can make you less hireable.
@@bloopboop9320 " If that's all an artist wants to do that's fine, but animation, storyboarding, visual development, and character design jobs all require you to be flexible in your approach." _Well duh,_ =^p but *I never once said I wanted to do this professionally.* I stumble across videos like the above on occasion looking for more tips and techniques, but I have _never_ been inclined to "get serious" about art. If it _really is "fine,"_ then why the heck can't a hobbyist like me try to get any better and improve my skills without everyone and their brother pressuring me to "learn to be more professional"? I've had _complete strangers_ get a glimpse of my sketchbook in public and try to encourage me to "draw your own characters so you can get a job in art." >_> I also never said I only drew characters from a single person/company, either. I have lots of different influences- it's just that most of them happen to be character designers for various video games.
@@ChaosRayZero I'm pretty sure op talked about people who want to get serious and want to work with art as a carrier. If you just do it as a hobby and aren't in a rush to get better this doesn't apply to you so you can just take it in your own pace.
@@ChaosRayZero Then draw fan art...but dont expect to be a working professional. I think its implied that to become employable, you need to go beyond that and thats what most are talking about. We are not talking about hobbyists. WE are addressing the people who want to get into the industry. If the fanart is just for you and you love making it and dont care about working in the business...then grab them crayons and have at it.
RJ Palmer did a ton of fanart of Pokemon with a realistic style and interesting biological interpretations. Tyson Heese do a ton of Sonic fan comics to build his brand. Look at where that got them: *_Art Directors on the Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog movies_* Also "only practice the rules that 'work'" MAN my entire process of learning and growing in animation has been figuring out how to break rules to do things faster / more efficient. They're more like guidelines.
My illustration professor was absolutely flabbergasted when I told her that I touch up my traditional drawing in photoshop cause it's just easier and faster than working out the values traditionally only. "Oh , you can't do that! that's not the proper way!" Mind you, she only had no idea that you can draw on an iPad until last year
You missed the point. I can guarantee you that those guys also were able to draw well outside the fanart. They didnt only di fanart....thats just what got them noticed or what you see. You dont see all their other stuff that ISNT fan art. That is nothing like what is being said here. This is why teachers get frustrated at this kind of idiotic defense of fanart. You get to caught up in just the "fanart" ASPECT and dont see the real point which is "EXPAND YOUR SKILLS BEYOND 1 STYLE".
@@avidadolares I think you missed the point, actually. The "don't draw fanart" mentality usually comes from people who are uncompromising with it. No duh there's more to it and being adaptable / flexible is what's important, but I've seen a lot of people in the industry who hate anime not for any practical reason other than the fact that their teachers told them to hate anime. And as a result a lot of people have taken it to mean "don't *ever* draw any fanart," because it's viewed as a crutch or that it's going to hurt their chances in the industry. That only happens if you only draw fanart. Which isn't what's being said here, that was you projecting. This misconception is that fanart is a liability. Being adaptable with your art is something that should go without saying, as is your portfolio shouldn't be a monolithic spread of exclusively fanart, I don't think most people are disillusioned about that.
I dont think you understand a thing about those painters (hint: not fanart..not even close) or what they are saying about fanart. You are clueless on this clearly. Its laughable actually.
Drawing fanart is really good for practice or for fun, but I would recommend to any beginners to avoiding putting any fan art in portfolios or selling fan art. While some companies will let it slide if you post fan art online, some companies might get annoyed if someone is selling fan art because it makes people less inclined to buy official merch (since fan art is usually cheaper). This is kinda general rule with copyright in general though. Other than that, DRAW AWAY :D!! Fanart is super good for gaining some practice while still incorporating something you enjoy into it.
I've met a lot of young people who use fan art as portfolio pieces, it's a very bad look because it shows that you don't spend time exercising your creativity. A lot of places I've been to consider it to being equivalent to plagerism.
@@luck0717 This is true. This has actually worked for people applying to Blizzard as well, however I don't usually consider it a very good argument because that is generally the exception, not the norm.
@@SleepyMatt-zzz probs still good to point out. I mean, in that case, I’d assume it’d actually help your chances cuz it shows the studios not just your general style bu5 applied to their characters and characters you might be asked to draw and might show a general understanding of the or just show you’re passionate which is a pretty good sign of a dedicated worker. They already do this on their own unwinding time so they’re probs gonna go the extra mile cuz they just enjoy it.
Thing about professionals is that they forget when they were like when they were rookies. They forget what actually matters in learning. The best people to get advice from is ones who turned pro not too long ago.
Not true at all! The old boys have a lot to teach....but they arent as patient because they know very quickly who is listening and who isnt. The new guys will give you more chances...but guess what..they wont be new forever and they will be the same as the older guys. The pros dont forget about being new...but they know how to help those that are ready to be helped and thats where they focus on...not the clowns who arent making an effort.
Some big animation companies are unionized. Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network for example. But not all of them, unfortunately. I think Netflix isn't unionized, but I heard news a few years ago saying they tried to push for it to become unionized under the Animation Guild
the whole Christian Art movement in the classical era are technically just bible fanart movement. Heck most of the classical arts even back in the greek era are just fanarts of the famous poems or just fanarts of famous kings and warriors So whats the problem with doing fanarts even lol. Humans have been doing fanarts for centuries
Any "advice" that limits one's study or workfield feels more like someone indirectly saying "I can't do that, so shouldn't you, otherwise I'll look bad if you manage to do it good"
I follow a person on twitter that was doing fan art for a while. He then revealed that he was asked to work on comic book covers for what he was a fan of.
on the topic of music, it's funny that apparently, people think everybody shouldn't have outside stimulation because I have quite a difficult time drawing or creating while I'm not listening to music or podcast or youtube video or something
I’ve tried both, but what I’ve noticed is if I’m NOT listening to music or a podcast, I start automatically singing! It’s kind of a stimming thing, but I think that singing while working used to be really normal. It gets annoying for others, though 😂 They find it is in their interest to let me listen to music after all 😆
I agree. My art professors insisted that music is distracting and we should have total silence, total dedication, total concentration when working but I just can't do that. It makes me feel miserable and I can't focus for more than a few minutes. I like to have music playing in the background; it makes me excited when it is pumped-up music, etc! It can really help my vibe, and make the work more enjoyable
I've noticed that when it's music it often helps me, but when it's a podcast or a TV show then it might actually hurt me since I often switch my attention to what's going on in there, instead of working, resulting in me working much slower.
@@DarthBiomech Oh definitely! I can't watch anything while I'm working-- not even music videos. I'll get sucked in and start watching more than I'm working :'D I have to keep the music playing in a tab I can't see unless I'm actively switching songs
It’s because it’s a proven fact that the brain has a harder time dividing up which senses to attribute to which task and at which time. There have been more studies on this issue than there are fine art paintings in a single museum. Why do you think teachers get mad when you talk during a lecture? Because you’re not focusing and your lack of focus is also attributing to the lack of focus of others. Go to a movie - when there’s no plague lol - and talk with friends or on your phone or obnoxiously chew your popcorn. See how many people give you evil looks, complain to you or to the staff to have you kicked out. It’s the same thing. Lol if you’re an adult, try to watch a movie while having sex. You’ll get pissed because you’re missing the good part of the movie and you’re partner will get pissed because you’re ignoring them/not focusing on them. Same thing. Art, be it fine or digital, music or sculpture, is about creating life. Making something that NO ONE has ever seen before. Why wouldn’t you want to devote ALL of your senses and attention to that?
I can agree with you on the art thing one girl did fan art of Phineas and Ferb as teen and she showed it the the creators they loved so much they hired to work with them to make the seires finally using her fan art as the character designs they said it was one of the best episodes they ever did and it was thanks to her art
I’m reading the animator’s survival kit now and I just read that portion about “no music” the other day, seems funny cause most artists I talk to can’t imagine working without music 👀
The 'anime isnt art/animation' argument has been around for a while. I really hate it, its always felt sort of racist/snobbish to me. Just love and take inspiration from everywhere! I appreciate you talking about overworking also XD I may suffer a little from this myself, due to not wanting to 'fall behind' my peers or the urge to 'catch up' to peers.
People telling you to work for no pay and sacrificing free time for work are just trying to turn you into a corporate cog that does nothing but live for the company.
I Love doing fanart and it's such a relief to hear you say "By all means don't stop". I was worried I wasn't being original enough and that it was going to get me nowhere in my art career. Fanart helped me practice poses, anatomy, made my digital art look fantastic, and actually makes me excited about drawing. Of course, I'll never use the characters for profit but instead, I'll use the skills I've learned to create my own original pieces and characters. I want to show others my fanart but I'm a bit embarrassed by it and hopefully one day I have the courage to show somebody.
Same here, I'm still a complete begginer at poses though And hey, don't worry, there's sites like devian art where you can post your artwork,, there's people who are gonna appreciate it aaand you can get some tips or inspiration for other artists too
I really appreciate this video. As a 3D animation student about to enter the working world, I've always been terrified cause I felt like I'm behind my classmates since I don't constantly animate in my freetime, or seek after networking opportunities. Showing off fanart pieces I've made have always made me feel so guilty, like I'm not actually perfecting my craft. But hearing this advice has brought me more hope that I'll do just fine in the career. Especially hearing advice like this and praises from John Paul-Rhinemiller. Thank you!
I have a degree in animation. I don't work in the field. Never have. Its not because I didn't want to just other issues in my life caused/helped this to happen. Don't let people tell you that you can't because you don't go about doing everything the same way everyone else does.
5:43 "personally i do crunch myself, but i do not enforce it to other" i think thats the problem. People give advice to not to crunch but they themself did it. And we know sometimes theres no other way.
unfortunately when some people are willing to do this and others aren't companies learn who to hire so that they can abuse and who not to hire because they expect to actually get paid for their work.
Oh my god the thing you said about networking is so true. When I first started going to animation mixers, I got snubbed so much because I was freelancing and working at a restaurant at the time. Once I said I was a freelance artist, some people could not hide how much they wanted to exit the conversation. Initially, I was crushed but this told me a lot about the other person's character. It had little to do with me and more to do with their personal agenda. When I go into those networking events, I always picture everyone as a future co-worker and I am getting to know them. For the people that I actually became friends with from those networking events, I've seen them grow from balancing part time jobs/freelance work to eventually finding work at animation studios. I even met my best friend there! You truly never know where people end up so don't burn bridges before you know what they're worth down the road.
I think in some cases listening to something while you work can enhance it. Like listening to horror stories while you’re drawing something scary, or upbeat music while you’re drawing something happy would get you in the mood for drawing it.
I cannot draw if I don't have any noise from a human being being emitted in the background, so I keep relistening to podcasts a lot. Think I got that for literally drawing ten years at school during classes.
Excellent advice (or is it counter-advice?) on all of these points! For every one of these rigid "rules" that were imparted (usually by teachers) there are many artists out there who have proven them wrong. Godzilla artist Matt Frank was discovered through his fan art on DeviantArt and has made an entire career out of becoming an artist on official Godzilla merchandise and comic series (as well as Gamera, Ultraman, etc); I've heard the same thing about certain concept artists on the Detective Pikachu movie who started off with fan art done simply for fun. The 'silence is golden' thing in the Richard Williams' book always seemed a tad odd to me, but like you said it's different for everyone. When I do a rough pass on a storyboard I usually have veeery calm/quiet music playing so I can think out the scene and plan what's happening, but will crank something louder (or put on MST3K) when I have to do the clean pass. Everyone has their own unique methods, which are always fun to share!
The part about burnout was very relatable. It's comforting to know others go through it, and not just me in the way described, with how they may rationalize a break.
I stepped away from this video for a minute and when I came back I forgot this video is about BAD advice so when I came back “Keep drawing even in your free time, all work no play” I thought “that’s dumb advice” before remembering the video title 😂
I never understood the "no fanart" thing. i mean, to a certain degree (unless you're the one who comes up with the characters in the very beginning of production), then all we basically do is make fanart of the characters of the movie we're working on?
Thanks man. Personally for me as I finally begin work on my demo reel and start looking for animation opportunities and showing what I can do, these are something's that come to mind. Life is all about balance, and imo with what you said with regard to working overtime with no pay and not having time for a relationship or family is very concerning. Not disagreeing with what you said, but would like to say that I think there is totally room for animators and artists to have a career in this industry, while still living their lives and having a relationship and family. I think that kinda balance is going to be very important as we head into the 2020s. Is balance and making sure everyone is valued and validated.
A artist better than me said never ever use references. It actually kinda effected me more than I thought. I disregard it now but videos like this really helped me shrug off the bad advice even now .
I love this video. I needed something like this for a while as I worry about straying outside of these animation "norms" and speaking out against them (or at least going my own way despite them. Crunch time always worried me because I don't work well with pressure, and it intimidates me from trying to push a little harder into the industry. I want to improve at my own pace and create the products in the quality they deserve. I'm easily burned out and it shows when I'm working too hard. Karoshi is another thing that is probably one of the several reasons I think the industry should relax with the crunch time. Unfortunately it's a business, so unless they're losing money somehow or being called out on a mass scale, some studios/companies won't bother. The distractions and fan art bit, too. I have adhd, so it's hard for me to get into the groove without some music to immerse me. I'm also very sensitive to outside stimulants. I think a lot of what Mr. Williams had to say in the Survival Kit is useful, but that part is impossible for me 😅 And I love fan art! Your points about fan art is what I've been trying to say for a while but WAY more eloquently lol Also, 7:57 reminds me, in the words of Hideki Kamiya, "You gotta be you. Only one in the world." Anyhoo, thanks for the vid as always! Your advice is insightful and very human ✌🏾❤
Yeah, the music ones really just depends on what it is I'm working on. Boarding, rough animation, revisions, I need complete silence. Clean up, and color, I'll lose my mind without it.
Yeah I remember when I was in school, one of my peer shame us for doing fan-art by saying that its "waste of time " you should focus on craftmanship skill blah blah, and the same guy desperately draw fan art as a commission a year later cos he reputation is so bad, nobody want to work with him :/ He got a job now tho, but its still funny for me to think about it.
I usually don't like the whole "learn it so you can break the rules" argument because most people I've met that say that are usually not very good artists to begin with. If you are learning fundamentals just so that you can "break rules" than you're kind of doing your time and education a disservice. I usually interpret all artistic mediums as a means of abstracting how we interpret our experiences with the world. Cartoons and animation are a good example of this, nothing in most cartoons actually looks like anything in real life, but we are able to interpret images because of our association with them in real life. This is why learning fundamentals are good to learn, because it provides you with a set of tools to further abstract the world in different ways. The fundamentals shouldn't be seen as strict rulesets, they're guides.
11:00 I feel called out. I was gonna watch a movie today but I was working on this comic...I have been putting off playing games or watching a movie for a month now...(started at 9 am now its 10 pm...and I was supposed to stop at 6 pm...) okiedoke...I'll play games next weekend...
Making fanart of characters from Wings of Fire and Warriors got me where I am today(my pfp can be used as a reference as to where I am now) so yeah. Fanart it’s sick.
Honestly, I’ve asked one of my art professors why he/she made heavy statements against anime art. After getting their clear answer I spent the rest of 2 years taking mental notes. I found that my art professors explanation and reasoning were understandable but ! it’s between 2 ideas. Student A i met in one of my beginner classes but they never progressed. I found that over the two tears I saw them around campus student A would trace copy and steal art made from some anime one way or another line for line. Then would attempt to shooow off this work to unsuspecting teachers and other students. Student B would study draw from professionals who wrote about thier process making thier anime art or what have you “animation or manga” … student b is now in university and student a deleted her social media accounts. This is just my take on what I saw between a lot of fellow class mates and 2 of them happened to make me fully unders why my professor didn’t want that. they also said someone tried to copy naruto and change the hair to claim it was thier original work lol. 😂 My professors are amazing artists and have hilarious experiences 😆
Just to add. My art professors over the years just want their students to work on their own ideas. challenge their self to create their own concepts, and some students just hug into someone else’s work.
I find it really interesting that you say your problem if that you spend too much time on your personal projects, because my problem is the reverse. I don't spend enough time on my personal projects when I want to. But, I definitely agree with you; it's all about finding that happy medium.
-"don't do Fanart" I mean you draw whatever you want to, BUT if you're going to be dedicated to fanart then try to learn the Why & How that style is the way it is, & yeah there's also the Copyright thing, but in general is too impossible to enforce & most Copyright strikes end up being very pathetic people abusing the automated system -"work on Zero distraction environments" maybe in Early Animation days because cities were far quieter Music & white noise was distracting, but nowadays total silence IS the biggest distraction, so yeah too much of a case by case basis to even be advice -"you should Crunch & ask for less money!" ...what are you, Stupid? accepting Crunch only makes the workplace worse for everyone & yourself, say NO to Crunch Culture "only study well-known/successful sources" ... so Fanart then, that's basically what fanart Is
"don't have FREE time always work hard" ...& then get so burned out you won't be able to work on the actual project because you didn't take care of your Health boh physical & mental. again, Crunch is a failure of management, not a success of the employee
3:50 i have to listen to something or do 2 tasks at the same time otherwise i will share brain processing power for one particular thing i did 15 years ago that i deeply regret doing
"Adapt a "pro" style!" says the art teacher who had to get a job in teaching because her "professional" art style isn't making money on it's own. It's not my fault people want to pay for their OC's in an anime art style. Or in my case, Fakemon. There are a lot of people who wants to make their own Pokemon-like game but who don't have the skills to make their own monsters and that's where I make a profit. Also I work best when I'm listening to people talk. Which is why I'm listening to this video right now! Edit: I just realized that this is probably most advice for animators. My comment still stands because I'm not wrong.
I had a richard williams fanboy try and tell me that drawing anime is bad because ugly how to draw manga books exist. like wtf? it's always "Nine Old Men" This and Richard Williams That and we never hear a peep about Japanese women animators like Reiko Okuyama or Kazuko Nakamura? Or big names in Sakuga in general?
Its nice to hear your point of view. Regarding the "you cant have freetime" argument, I feel like it comes more down to mindset. Of course no one needs to be working their ass off 24/7 but I think what really helps is trying to stay in an artists mindset, even your currently not drawing. Observation is almost as critical as your raw skill level and when I watch animation I often imagine what the storyboards mightve looked like or what goes into shot composition. Or if I just look out the window on a train ride and imagine how I would draw the landscape even tho I dont have a pencil or tablet with me - I dont do this all the time but as often as I can motivate myself to because it keeps awareness high and youre creativity is stimulated as well.
"Don't have free time" is a bad tip. However, you can make free time productive while still doing it for fun. For example, I've been playing Mega Man Legends for the first time recently. It's a bit clunky, but after you get used to it, it's really fun! I'm learning a fair few things about it, and about some of the works it inspired. The things I learn can then be applied to my own works, tying my fun into work. Basically, if your free time can teach you things, it'll help your work.
The one about not listening to music while animating is def something I can’t follow. Because I have interns chaotic noise in my head that’s gonna distract me or make me spiral into a rut, so I need something to block out the chaotic noise and music honestly helps with that.
I work with a movie on or a show on.. When I have to really focus and fight with an animation sequence, or drawing some fine details, well then i'll pause it.. but yea I agree with you.. good list
idk.... all i can create is fan content. everything i draw + animate is based on existing properties, or real people (i.e., bands like Megadeth). it's like i can't create anything of my own, from the ground up, and that all i can do is use already existing franchises as tools to express myself...
The "Adapt a Pro style" advise is what I was advised from the Illustration course coordinator in uni when I was trying to switch courses literally a month after all courses started and I was still rejected even with my "pro" style only because one drawing in my portfolio had semi-anime styled eyes
I always thought the no listen to music was a joke not a bit of real advice, because Richard Williams says "I'm not smart enough to think of more than one thing at a time!" so that's makes clear that others do but is not for him
I think when you're not drawing or practicing you should treat the stuff you like to do with some level of analyzing. Like if you're making a comic, read a good comic or manga and note how the story flows in your head. Like "I saw how you did that" sorta stuff. But do things you enjoy doing if you know what those are. Inspiration comes from love. You gotta live your life to love what you do.
I'm a high school art teacher, and I have my students do a fan art project every year.... because I want my students to LOVE drawing, not feel like another "academic"... as my students advance, however, I do teach them more advanced, realistic concepts and have them begin to adopt a style. Students will discover their style by practicing a variety of styles.
I think people should do fanart if it inspires them to paint and draw more. Putting fanart in a professional portfolio however, is a bit of a 'wild card' since the company/school that you are applying to may or may not respond kindly. The word on the rumour mill is that Riot Games tends to be ok with artists including LoL or Valorant fanart in their portfolios. Apparently they want artists that know their style and can integrate quickly into their workflow
I went to CTN once with a 2D animation reel and I signed up for reel crits. The guy who critiqued my reel was an industry veteran, and his favorite piece from my reel was actually my Supernatural fan animation, haha! I think it was because he could tell I was very into that piece and had a lot of fun with it. Anyways, just an example of how it's not really a bad thing to do fan art or fan animation and have it in your professional reel. It MIGHT help to take live action inspiration and turn it into your own cartoon version? But again, not a hard and fast rule.
i dont do fan art to practice my creativity and create character on my own i dont dislike fan art lots of ppl likes fan art bcoz thats makes them happy and gain followers and fame :D
I haven't read Richard Williams' book but that is pretty funny. In Drawn to Life, the other Disney animation book, Stanchfield EXPLICITLY states in one of his handouts that "none of us want to do what Milt [Kahl] did, he already did it". Milt was a master because he was good at what he did, not because he did what was good. Any external observer who is clueless as to art creation will confuse effect for cause, and give you their dumb sidelines commentary disguised as "advice" to gain authority on you. Hence "study this guy's output" rather than "study this guy's input" (i.e. the fundamentals). Saying that, however, isn't novel and won't have the appearance of a magical shortcut to sucker in those insecure enough to listen. A lot of "professional advice" in general, I've found, is pure venom because it is given out by snakes looking to con you or somehow convert you to a money-making machine for them. Cult shit, like another commenter said. Only works because so many young artists are very self-conceited and insecure at the same time. There is genuinely good education out there, but you gotta have a good head on your shoulders to filter out the chaff.
9:55 there's a good chance that alot of the weird/outdated views on life in media are because of this... Also, I fear no man but that...thing...growth...it scares me.
I mean it makes sense because these teachers are seeing their students be inspired from a style that wasn’t used in western media. Not to mention that western animation(Disney) was the biggest influence for anime/manga in its early stages.
Developing a "style" isn't something that you borrow, it's something you come to through expirence, work, and time. A style should never be seen as a means to an end, but something that represents the accommodation of your experience as an artist at that given time. Such as in life, a "style" should not be something that holds you back as an artist, because trends involving aesthetics can change very quickly. It's fine and all if you enjoy doing fan art, but it's not going to help you get very far if you want to be serious in having an art career, because you are using second hand techniques that are designed to cut corners in the industry (especially most anime). Read a lot of literature by artists, allow yourself to be influenced by artists from all walks of life, and most importantly observe real life.
Makes glad my teachers were bit smarter. BUT, they did say no Anime, but that was cause it was highly stylized. They wanted everyone focus on realism first then develop your own style. According to them, most companies don't want you to mimic them so they can teach you properly their styles. Disney in particular won't accept if you try to mimic their style.
Ahh milt kahl... I do enjoy listening to music if I’m drawing or painting in general. For animating though...figuring out frames, inbetweens, etc. I don’t think I can listen to anything. Maybe once I figure out those things I can turn on the music.
I think it should be explained more about the 'no free time' advice. If you are a student, or just graduated and still learning, it should be applied for at least a year. You can't expect to improve and get a good level with a normal schedule of 8 hours a day. Most beginners should do more than 8 hours, especially if they are going to have to work later. You will not have time to improve when you are in a job. And if you take habit of refusing to work/study on your 'free time'. Resuming to a normal 'happy' life, where you can enjoy fully your free time should be done after few years of experience.
If animation is not necesarily concentration then I shouldn't bother when trying to animate an acting while someone is laughing hard on his desk? and smirking, and laughing suspiciously, and chatting with others in the same attitude. Can you concentrate with that? when apparently something is being chatted suspiciously? Is it normal to abstract from others in that situation?
My question is that Which one is getting banned fan art or AI art? I am asking this because I do not know but I still would like answer that is factual and constructive
I really don't understand why people think anime is for hobbyists or amateurs, it's frankly insulting to eastern artists. Do these people just never look at pro work that comes out of places like Japan, Korea, or China? It's not easy to draw in an anime art style that actually looks good either. Do these people really think someone like Yusuke Murata draws at a hobbyist level? Gimme a break dude. It's a huge turn off when people start trying to force you to be like them or else you're a failure, or you're wrong, never succeed, etc. I've seen some "pro" artists even say that if you draw fanart you're not even an artist to them. You're just a wanker or a hobbyist who has no ideas. "Real" artists only draw their own content, never anything else.
Adapt pro style - just a true, fancy style not enough to pass Not doing fan-art - its just nothing if its just an anime girl with two light ponts, and effects zero distrations - is true thing. work overtime - true thing. Study successful - true thing. Rules - is rules, its about why you become a pro. Working hard - really, isnt it a true??? Its how you going to be more than just Networking is good thing. Some people just useless, they cry all the time, then not even tryinh more than a few times All in your hands, stop crying, and work. Being professional is about giving all of you to your job. If you are not - in the end of life, youre just nothing, just a small part that did technical task
Adapt the professional artstyle, cuz anime is noobish. Im sorry but "pro" western artstyle these days is pretty easy to do and have flaws like characters face looking the same. I don't hate the calarts style but calart is even easier to draw than anime and I dunno I just like anime artstyle so why can't I do that. (Sorry if calart not a pro artstyle to some peoples but many animation show use it from what I see or maybe I still see old stuff, Im pretty much a casual about it)
Hey Toniko! I recently purchased your animation course and am enjoying it a great deal, but after extended periods of drawing and animating my wrist is killing me, is there any advice to minimize that damage and make things easier on my wrist? Thanks!
Hey there! I would suggest drawing more with your arm and elbow rather than your wrist. Also, wrist/arm stretches. I would encourage looking at the book Draw Stronger - Self care for cartoonists & visual artists by Kriota Willberg.
...in my Art School we practiced drawing with your arm instead of your wrist because of that. You can probably find ressources for that online, but I think basically it's about drawing quite big...
@@TonikoPantoja Thanks for the response Toniko! Just bought the book! I'm also looking into purchasing a standing desk as a work station due to the nature of my work and sitting forces so many bad habits on me, do you know of any animators or have any opinions on standing work stations while animating? Cheers!
I've been told time and time again that you shouldn't listen to music while drawing because it can be distracting but honestly? I don't give a damn. If I take a moment to pause and sing along or tap my foot then who gives a crap? Who is this affecting? Smh just leave people alone.
The whole "don't do fanart" argument can be offset by a simple phrase said by the late drummer Freddie Gruber, which is: "How can you tell the difference when you don't know the difference?" How are you gonna find your own voice as an artist when you don't even know where you want to go? Picasso spent more than 20 years learning the art styles of other artists before he developed his own. Does that mean he shouldn't be considered an example because he spent a good portion of his career as an artist essentially doing fanart?
The "stop doing fanart" is one I've heard from many professionals and it does have an amount of wisdom but you have to understand how to apply it. There is a difference between studying someone's technique and style and just drawing someone's characters over and over again.
You need to have the maturity to know whether it applies to you or not, because there are artists who are genuinely hindered by just drawing someone else's work non-stop and can never really understand it because they haven't developed the fundamentals to draw what they want to draw.
I personally think it is good advice if you understand how to use it.
"they haven't developed the fundamentals to draw what they want to draw."
_What if what I wanna draw is fanart?_
@@ChaosRayZero the issue comes from the skills required to learn someone else's style. It is feasible to be able to copy and mimic someone's style simply by drawing their work non-stop, but a good number of artists who only draw off of one person's style can lack the core fundamentals to be able to draw other things or draw outside of the bubble of that one person's style. If that's all an artist wants to do that's fine, but animation, storyboarding, visual development, and character design jobs all require you to be flexible in your approach. With only a rigid understanding of art through the lens of mimicking someone else's work, it is much harder to be able to create things outside of that style. The vast majority of Disney artists were also great painters, designers, comic artists, or had other assortments of skills that they could apply to the movies they worked on. Bill Peet, for example, was a famous Disney Storyartist who drew very simple and cartoony drawings, but he was also a VERY good oil painter and was a realist. Richard Williams, one of the greatest animators, was a fantastic draftsman and designer who spent a lot of time studying motion, human anatomy, and fine art as well.
This is a pretty common "issue" ive heard from recruiters that ive talked to where there are artists who cannot draw anything outside of a typical Disney character, Butch Hartman style, or whatever iconic style it is. If you dont have an individual voice in your work it is harder to convince a studio that you can bring something new to the development process that they dont already know how to do.
Again, if you are a freelance artist or you dont want to work in a studio than feel free to draw whatever you want. There are artists out there who are successful who very clearly only draw in "90s Disney" style and draw artwork for books and what not, but for production in studios people like to see that you are an individual... To a certain degree (but that's another conversation).
In short (sort of), there's nothing wrong with studying someone's style and analyzing it and using it as reference, but if you are only using one source of reference for your entire career then it will severely limit the scope of work you can do and can make you less hireable.
@@bloopboop9320 " If that's all an artist wants to do that's fine, but animation, storyboarding, visual development, and character design jobs all require you to be flexible in your approach."
_Well duh,_ =^p but *I never once said I wanted to do this professionally.* I stumble across videos like the above on occasion looking for more tips and techniques, but I have _never_ been inclined to "get serious" about art.
If it _really is "fine,"_ then why the heck can't a hobbyist like me try to get any better and improve my skills without everyone and their brother pressuring me to "learn to be more professional"?
I've had _complete strangers_ get a glimpse of my sketchbook in public and try to encourage me to "draw your own characters so you can get a job in art." >_>
I also never said I only drew characters from a single person/company, either. I have lots of different influences- it's just that most of them happen to be character designers for various video games.
@@ChaosRayZero I'm pretty sure op talked about people who want to get serious and want to work with art as a carrier. If you just do it as a hobby and aren't in a rush to get better this doesn't apply to you so you can just take it in your own pace.
@@ChaosRayZero Then draw fan art...but dont expect to be a working professional. I think its implied that to become employable, you need to go beyond that and thats what most are talking about. We are not talking about hobbyists. WE are addressing the people who want to get into the industry. If the fanart is just for you and you love making it and dont care about working in the business...then grab them crayons and have at it.
RJ Palmer did a ton of fanart of Pokemon with a realistic style and interesting biological interpretations. Tyson Heese do a ton of Sonic fan comics to build his brand. Look at where that got them:
*_Art Directors on the Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog movies_*
Also "only practice the rules that 'work'" MAN my entire process of learning and growing in animation has been figuring out how to break rules to do things faster / more efficient. They're more like guidelines.
My illustration professor was absolutely flabbergasted when I told her that I touch up my traditional drawing in photoshop cause it's just easier and faster than working out the values traditionally only. "Oh , you can't do that! that's not the proper way!" Mind you, she only had no idea that you can draw on an iPad until last year
@@artmadebyRed ok, that's hillarious.
Exactly! They're your fundamentals you fall back on, to do more advanced stuff.
You missed the point. I can guarantee you that those guys also were able to draw well outside the fanart. They didnt only di fanart....thats just what got them noticed or what you see. You dont see all their other stuff that ISNT fan art. That is nothing like what is being said here. This is why teachers get frustrated at this kind of idiotic defense of fanart. You get to caught up in just the "fanart" ASPECT and dont see the real point which is "EXPAND YOUR SKILLS BEYOND 1 STYLE".
@@avidadolares I think you missed the point, actually. The "don't draw fanart" mentality usually comes from people who are uncompromising with it.
No duh there's more to it and being adaptable / flexible is what's important, but I've seen a lot of people in the industry who hate anime not for any practical reason other than the fact that their teachers told them to hate anime.
And as a result a lot of people have taken it to mean "don't *ever* draw any fanart," because it's viewed as a crutch or that it's going to hurt their chances in the industry. That only happens if you only draw fanart.
Which isn't what's being said here, that was you projecting.
This misconception is that fanart is a liability. Being adaptable with your art is something that should go without saying, as is your portfolio shouldn't be a monolithic spread of exclusively fanart, I don't think most people are disillusioned about that.
"Don't do fanart!" (Looks at all those classical painters who depicted scenes from classical greek literature). Yeah, no fanart. Ever.
I dont think you understand a thing about those painters (hint: not fanart..not even close) or what they are saying about fanart. You are clueless on this clearly. Its laughable actually.
@@avidadolares maybe care to educate us plebians, if you're so enlightened, instead of mocking? Hmm?
Drawing fanart is really good for practice or for fun, but I would recommend to any beginners to avoiding putting any fan art in portfolios or selling fan art. While some companies will let it slide if you post fan art online, some companies might get annoyed if someone is selling fan art because it makes people less inclined to buy official merch (since fan art is usually cheaper). This is kinda general rule with copyright in general though. Other than that, DRAW AWAY :D!! Fanart is super good for gaining some practice while still incorporating something you enjoy into it.
I've met a lot of young people who use fan art as portfolio pieces, it's a very bad look because it shows that you don't spend time exercising your creativity. A lot of places I've been to consider it to being equivalent to plagerism.
The only exception is drawing fanart of characters from the studio you're applying for. E.G. voltron and avatar characters/style when applying for Mir
@@luck0717 This is true. This has actually worked for people applying to Blizzard as well, however I don't usually consider it a very good argument because that is generally the exception, not the norm.
@@SleepyMatt-zzz probs still good to point out. I mean, in that case, I’d assume it’d actually help your chances cuz it shows the studios not just your general style bu5 applied to their characters and characters you might be asked to draw and might show a general understanding of the or just show you’re passionate which is a pretty good sign of a dedicated worker. They already do this on their own unwinding time so they’re probs gonna go the extra mile cuz they just enjoy it.
@@Chan-qk9eh basically it confirms you can work in their constrictions.
Thing about professionals is that they forget when they were like when they were rookies. They forget what actually matters in learning. The best people to get advice from is ones who turned pro not too long ago.
Not true at all! The old boys have a lot to teach....but they arent as patient because they know very quickly who is listening and who isnt. The new guys will give you more chances...but guess what..they wont be new forever and they will be the same as the older guys. The pros dont forget about being new...but they know how to help those that are ready to be helped and thats where they focus on...not the clowns who arent making an effort.
PROBLEM: Unpaid overtime / too much crunch times
SOLUTION: Unionize. (If actors can unionize, anyone can.)
Some big animation companies are unionized. Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network for example. But not all of them, unfortunately. I think Netflix isn't unionized, but I heard news a few years ago saying they tried to push for it to become unionized under the Animation Guild
the whole Christian Art movement in the classical era are technically just bible fanart movement. Heck most of the classical arts even back in the greek era are just fanarts of the famous poems or just fanarts of famous kings and warriors
So whats the problem with doing fanarts even lol. Humans have been doing fanarts for centuries
Any "advice" that limits one's study or workfield feels more like someone indirectly saying "I can't do that, so shouldn't you, otherwise I'll look bad if you manage to do it good"
I follow a person on twitter that was doing fan art for a while. He then revealed that he was asked to work on comic book covers for what he was a fan of.
I cannot animate without listening to music. Music actually helps me focus much more than working in silence.
on the topic of music, it's funny that apparently, people think everybody shouldn't have outside stimulation because I have quite a difficult time drawing or creating while I'm not listening to music or podcast or youtube video or something
I’ve tried both, but what I’ve noticed is if I’m NOT listening to music or a podcast, I start automatically singing! It’s kind of a stimming thing, but I think that singing while working used to be really normal. It gets annoying for others, though 😂 They find it is in their interest to let me listen to music after all 😆
I agree. My art professors insisted that music is distracting and we should have total silence, total dedication, total concentration when working but I just can't do that. It makes me feel miserable and I can't focus for more than a few minutes. I like to have music playing in the background; it makes me excited when it is pumped-up music, etc! It can really help my vibe, and make the work more enjoyable
I've noticed that when it's music it often helps me, but when it's a podcast or a TV show then it might actually hurt me since I often switch my attention to what's going on in there, instead of working, resulting in me working much slower.
@@DarthBiomech Oh definitely! I can't watch anything while I'm working-- not even music videos. I'll get sucked in and start watching more than I'm working :'D
I have to keep the music playing in a tab I can't see unless I'm actively switching songs
It’s because it’s a proven fact that the brain has a harder time dividing up which senses to attribute to which task and at which time. There have been more studies on this issue than there are fine art paintings in a single museum. Why do you think teachers get mad when you talk during a lecture? Because you’re not focusing and your lack of focus is also attributing to the lack of focus of others. Go to a movie - when there’s no plague lol - and talk with friends or on your phone or obnoxiously chew your popcorn. See how many people give you evil looks, complain to you or to the staff to have you kicked out. It’s the same thing. Lol if you’re an adult, try to watch a movie while having sex. You’ll get pissed because you’re missing the good part of the movie and you’re partner will get pissed because you’re ignoring them/not focusing on them. Same thing. Art, be it fine or digital, music or sculpture, is about creating life. Making something that NO ONE has ever seen before. Why wouldn’t you want to devote ALL of your senses and attention to that?
I can agree with you on the art thing one girl did fan art of Phineas and Ferb as teen and she showed it the the creators they loved so much they hired to work with them to make the seires finally using her fan art as the character designs they said it was one of the best episodes they ever did and it was thanks to her art
A lot of Steven Universe crew was found that way too!
I’m reading the animator’s survival kit now and I just read that portion about “no music” the other day, seems funny cause most artists I talk to can’t imagine working without music 👀
No music unless you're animating to music.
@@rockon8174 To be fair, some people, like Milt Kahl, cannot multi-task well.
The 'anime isnt art/animation' argument has been around for a while. I really hate it, its always felt sort of racist/snobbish to me. Just love and take inspiration from everywhere!
I appreciate you talking about overworking also XD I may suffer a little from this myself, due to not wanting to 'fall behind' my peers or the urge to 'catch up' to peers.
People telling you to work for no pay and sacrificing free time for work are just trying to turn you into a corporate cog that does nothing but live for the company.
I Love doing fanart and it's such a relief to hear you say "By all means don't stop". I was worried I wasn't being original enough and that it was going to get me nowhere in my art career. Fanart helped me practice poses, anatomy, made my digital art look fantastic, and actually makes me excited about drawing. Of course, I'll never use the characters for profit but instead, I'll use the skills I've learned to create my own original pieces and characters. I want to show others my fanart but I'm a bit embarrassed by it and hopefully one day I have the courage to show somebody.
Same here, I'm still a complete begginer at poses though
And hey, don't worry, there's sites like devian art where you can post your artwork,, there's people who are gonna appreciate it aaand you can get some tips or inspiration for other artists too
I really appreciate this video. As a 3D animation student about to enter the working world, I've always been terrified cause I felt like I'm behind my classmates since I don't constantly animate in my freetime, or seek after networking opportunities. Showing off fanart pieces I've made have always made me feel so guilty, like I'm not actually perfecting my craft. But hearing this advice has brought me more hope that I'll do just fine in the career. Especially hearing advice like this and praises from John Paul-Rhinemiller. Thank you!
I have a degree in animation. I don't work in the field. Never have. Its not because I didn't want to just other issues in my life caused/helped this to happen. Don't let people tell you that you can't because you don't go about doing everything the same way everyone else does.
5:43 "personally i do crunch myself, but i do not enforce it to other"
i think thats the problem. People give advice to not to crunch but they themself did it.
And we know sometimes theres no other way.
unfortunately when some people are willing to do this and others aren't companies learn who to hire so that they can abuse and who not to hire because they expect to actually get paid for their work.
Oh my god the thing you said about networking is so true. When I first started going to animation mixers, I got snubbed so much because I was freelancing and working at a restaurant at the time. Once I said I was a freelance artist, some people could not hide how much they wanted to exit the conversation. Initially, I was crushed but this told me a lot about the other person's character. It had little to do with me and more to do with their personal agenda.
When I go into those networking events, I always picture everyone as a future co-worker and I am getting to know them. For the people that I actually became friends with from those networking events, I've seen them grow from balancing part time jobs/freelance work to eventually finding work at animation studios. I even met my best friend there! You truly never know where people end up so don't burn bridges before you know what they're worth down the road.
I think in some cases listening to something while you work can enhance it. Like listening to horror stories while you’re drawing something scary, or upbeat music while you’re drawing something happy would get you in the mood for drawing it.
Zero distraction and tons of coffee for animatic and key poses, music to numb the pain for everything else lol.
I cannot draw if I don't have any noise from a human being being emitted in the background, so I keep relistening to podcasts a lot. Think I got that for literally drawing ten years at school during classes.
As a concept artist it’s nice to know that the other art mediums are just as workaholic as we are
your comment around the 6:40 min time line is very insightful, something that a lot of people tend to ignore or forget.
When your starting out it's hard to negotiate higher pay
That makes sense. You have to prove to you're worth it to your employer
Excellent advice (or is it counter-advice?) on all of these points! For every one of these rigid "rules" that were imparted (usually by teachers) there are many artists out there who have proven them wrong.
Godzilla artist Matt Frank was discovered through his fan art on DeviantArt and has made an entire career out of becoming an artist on official Godzilla merchandise and comic series (as well as Gamera, Ultraman, etc); I've heard the same thing about certain concept artists on the Detective Pikachu movie who started off with fan art done simply for fun.
The 'silence is golden' thing in the Richard Williams' book always seemed a tad odd to me, but like you said it's different for everyone. When I do a rough pass on a storyboard I usually have veeery calm/quiet music playing so I can think out the scene and plan what's happening, but will crank something louder (or put on MST3K) when I have to do the clean pass. Everyone has their own unique methods, which are always fun to share!
if you are going to pitch a show always get an easy to animate style and characters so it will be easier to get picked up
The part about burnout was very relatable. It's comforting to know others go through it, and not just me in the way described, with how they may rationalize a break.
I stepped away from this video for a minute and when I came back I forgot this video is about BAD advice so when I came back “Keep drawing even in your free time, all work no play” I thought “that’s dumb advice” before remembering the video title 😂
I never understood the "no fanart" thing. i mean, to a certain degree (unless you're the one who comes up with the characters in the very beginning of production), then all we basically do is make fanart of the characters of the movie we're working on?
Haha good point!
yeah. the only time when fanart is bad is when fanarts are the only things you can show in your portfolio.
Thanks man. Personally for me as I finally begin work on my demo reel and start looking for animation opportunities and showing what I can do, these are something's that come to mind. Life is all about balance, and imo with what you said with regard to working overtime with no pay and not having time for a relationship or family is very concerning. Not disagreeing with what you said, but would like to say that I think there is totally room for animators and artists to have a career in this industry, while still living their lives and having a relationship and family. I think that kinda balance is going to be very important as we head into the 2020s. Is balance and making sure everyone is valued and validated.
A artist better than me said never ever use references. It actually kinda effected me more than I thought.
I disregard it now but videos like this really helped me shrug off the bad advice even now .
I love this video. I needed something like this for a while as I worry about straying outside of these animation "norms" and speaking out against them (or at least going my own way despite them.
Crunch time always worried me because I don't work well with pressure, and it intimidates me from trying to push a little harder into the industry. I want to improve at my own pace and create the products in the quality they deserve. I'm easily burned out and it shows when I'm working too hard.
Karoshi is another thing that is probably one of the several reasons I think the industry should relax with the crunch time. Unfortunately it's a business, so unless they're losing money somehow or being called out on a mass scale, some studios/companies won't bother.
The distractions and fan art bit, too. I have adhd, so it's hard for me to get into the groove without some music to immerse me. I'm also very sensitive to outside stimulants. I think a lot of what Mr. Williams had to say in the Survival Kit is useful, but that part is impossible for me 😅 And I love fan art! Your points about fan art is what I've been trying to say for a while but WAY more eloquently lol
Also, 7:57 reminds me, in the words of Hideki Kamiya, "You gotta be you. Only one in the world."
Anyhoo, thanks for the vid as always! Your advice is insightful and very human ✌🏾❤
Yeah, the music ones really just depends on what it is I'm working on. Boarding, rough animation, revisions, I need complete silence. Clean up, and color, I'll lose my mind without it.
2:24 AAAH (I love MegaMan Legends)
Yeah I remember when I was in school, one of my peer shame us for doing fan-art by saying that its "waste of time " you should focus on craftmanship skill blah blah,
and the same guy desperately draw fan art as a commission a year later cos he reputation is so bad, nobody want to work with him :/ He got a job now tho, but its still funny for me to think about it.
I can't imagine the struggle of the guy who Broke up due to crunch
Both on him and on her
I think it’s still important to study the rules and understand them, but do it so you know exactly how to break them!
I usually don't like the whole "learn it so you can break the rules" argument because most people I've met that say that are usually not very good artists to begin with. If you are learning fundamentals just so that you can "break rules" than you're kind of doing your time and education a disservice.
I usually interpret all artistic mediums as a means of abstracting how we interpret our experiences with the world. Cartoons and animation are a good example of this, nothing in most cartoons actually looks like anything in real life, but we are able to interpret images because of our association with them in real life. This is why learning fundamentals are good to learn, because it provides you with a set of tools to further abstract the world in different ways.
The fundamentals shouldn't be seen as strict rulesets, they're guides.
11:00 I feel called out. I was gonna watch a movie today but I was working on this comic...I have been putting off playing games or watching a movie for a month now...(started at 9 am now its 10 pm...and I was supposed to stop at 6 pm...)
okiedoke...I'll play games next weekend...
Making fanart of characters from Wings of Fire and Warriors got me where I am today(my pfp can be used as a reference as to where I am now) so yeah. Fanart it’s sick.
Honestly, I’ve asked one of my art professors why he/she made heavy statements against anime art. After getting their clear answer I spent the rest of 2 years taking mental notes. I found that my art professors explanation and reasoning were understandable but ! it’s between 2 ideas. Student A i met in one of my beginner classes but they never progressed. I found that over the two tears I saw them around campus student A would trace copy and steal art made from some anime one way or another line for line. Then would attempt to shooow off this work to unsuspecting teachers and other students. Student B would study draw from professionals who wrote about thier process making thier anime art or what have you “animation or manga” … student b is now in university and student a deleted her social media accounts. This is just my take on what I saw between a lot of fellow class mates and 2 of them happened to make me fully unders why my professor didn’t want that. they also said someone tried to copy naruto and change the hair to claim it was thier original work lol. 😂 My professors are amazing artists and have hilarious experiences 😆
Just to add. My art professors over the years just want their students to work on their own ideas. challenge their self to create their own concepts, and some students just hug into someone else’s work.
I find it really interesting that you say your problem if that you spend too much time on your personal projects, because my problem is the reverse. I don't spend enough time on my personal projects when I want to. But, I definitely agree with you; it's all about finding that happy medium.
-"don't do Fanart" I mean you draw whatever you want to, BUT if you're going to be dedicated to fanart then try to learn the Why & How that style is the way it is, & yeah there's also the Copyright thing, but in general is too impossible to enforce & most Copyright strikes end up being very pathetic people abusing the automated system
-"work on Zero distraction environments" maybe in Early Animation days because cities were far quieter Music & white noise was distracting, but nowadays total silence IS the biggest distraction, so yeah too much of a case by case basis to even be advice
-"you should Crunch & ask for less money!" ...what are you, Stupid? accepting Crunch only makes the workplace worse for everyone & yourself, say NO to Crunch Culture
"only study well-known/successful sources" ... so Fanart then, that's basically what fanart Is
"don't have FREE time always work hard" ...& then get so burned out you won't be able to work on the actual project because you didn't take care of your Health boh physical & mental. again, Crunch is a failure of management, not a success of the employee
I don’t watch your videos a lot, but I feel so bad for the pup on the thumbnails. 😭😭😭
3:50
i have to listen to something or do 2 tasks at the same time otherwise i will share brain processing power for one particular thing i did 15 years ago that i deeply regret doing
"Adapt a "pro" style!" says the art teacher who had to get a job in teaching because her "professional" art style isn't making money on it's own. It's not my fault people want to pay for their OC's in an anime art style. Or in my case, Fakemon. There are a lot of people who wants to make their own Pokemon-like game but who don't have the skills to make their own monsters and that's where I make a profit.
Also I work best when I'm listening to people talk. Which is why I'm listening to this video right now!
Edit: I just realized that this is probably most advice for animators. My comment still stands because I'm not wrong.
I had a richard williams fanboy try and tell me that drawing anime is bad because ugly how to draw manga books exist. like wtf? it's always "Nine Old Men" This and Richard Williams That and we never hear a peep about Japanese women animators like Reiko Okuyama or Kazuko Nakamura? Or big names in Sakuga in general?
@Lori P Well, we hear a lot about Miyazaki, of course, maybe Kon and Otomo, but mostly directors.
Its nice to hear your point of view. Regarding the "you cant have freetime" argument, I feel like it comes more down to mindset. Of course no one needs to be working their ass off 24/7 but I think what really helps is trying to stay in an artists mindset, even your currently not drawing. Observation is almost as critical as your raw skill level and when I watch animation I often imagine what the storyboards mightve looked like or what goes into shot composition. Or if I just look out the window on a train ride and imagine how I would draw the landscape even tho I dont have a pencil or tablet with me - I dont do this all the time but as often as I can motivate myself to because it keeps awareness high and youre creativity is stimulated as well.
"Don't have free time" is a bad tip.
However, you can make free time productive while still doing it for fun.
For example, I've been playing Mega Man Legends for the first time recently. It's a bit clunky, but after you get used to it, it's really fun! I'm learning a fair few things about it, and about some of the works it inspired. The things I learn can then be applied to my own works, tying my fun into work.
Basically, if your free time can teach you things, it'll help your work.
"DON'T DO ANIME BRUH" never thought that *that* would come out of Toniko Pantoja's mouth.
The one about not listening to music while animating is def something I can’t follow. Because I have interns chaotic noise in my head that’s gonna distract me or make me spiral into a rut, so I need something to block out the chaotic noise and music honestly helps with that.
I work with a movie on or a show on.. When I have to really focus and fight with an animation sequence, or drawing some fine details, well then i'll pause it.. but yea I agree with you.. good list
idk.... all i can create is fan content. everything i draw + animate is based on existing properties, or real people (i.e., bands like Megadeth). it's like i can't create anything of my own, from the ground up, and that all i can do is use already existing franchises as tools to express myself...
The "Adapt a Pro style" advise is what I was advised from the Illustration course coordinator in uni when I was trying to switch courses literally a month after all courses started and I was still rejected even with my "pro" style only because one drawing in my portfolio had semi-anime styled eyes
NOT EVEN A "BYE" THIS TIME
I always thought the no listen to music was a joke not a bit of real advice, because Richard Williams says "I'm not smart enough to think of more than one thing at a time!" so that's makes clear that others do but is not for him
I think when you're not drawing or practicing you should treat the stuff you like to do with some level of analyzing. Like if you're making a comic, read a good comic or manga and note how the story flows in your head. Like "I saw how you did that" sorta stuff. But do things you enjoy doing if you know what those are. Inspiration comes from love. You gotta live your life to love what you do.
I'm a high school art teacher, and I have my students do a fan art project every year.... because I want my students to LOVE drawing, not feel like another "academic"... as my students advance, however, I do teach them more advanced, realistic concepts and have them begin to adopt a style. Students will discover their style by practicing a variety of styles.
funny how that i have this book and i also find very dumb of "you need concetration" most of my pmvs i am working and listening my songs while
Music fuels me up when I do art.
I think people should do fanart if it inspires them to paint and draw more.
Putting fanart in a professional portfolio however, is a bit of a 'wild card' since the company/school that you are applying to may or may not respond kindly. The word on the rumour mill is that Riot Games tends to be ok with artists including LoL or Valorant fanart in their portfolios. Apparently they want artists that know their style and can integrate quickly into their workflow
Thanks for this. I think that life is a balancing act. If there would be anyway to use these suggestions, it would be with moderation in mind.
I went to CTN once with a 2D animation reel and I signed up for reel crits. The guy who critiqued my reel was an industry veteran, and his favorite piece from my reel was actually my Supernatural fan animation, haha! I think it was because he could tell I was very into that piece and had a lot of fun with it. Anyways, just an example of how it's not really a bad thing to do fan art or fan animation and have it in your professional reel. It MIGHT help to take live action inspiration and turn it into your own cartoon version? But again, not a hard and fast rule.
I get good advice from you bro learnin some good stuff from you coz here in SA no good schools for animation I love your work bro
Is...is that a spacejam cap!?
Make Space Empty Again
I personally like working in quiet, dark place
i dont do fan art to practice my creativity and create character on my own i dont dislike fan art lots of ppl likes fan art bcoz thats makes them happy and gain followers and fame :D
GabAge material, Gabage. I totally agree with you, but man that sounded so funny
I haven't read Richard Williams' book but that is pretty funny. In Drawn to Life, the other Disney animation book, Stanchfield EXPLICITLY states in one of his handouts that "none of us want to do what Milt [Kahl] did, he already did it". Milt was a master because he was good at what he did, not because he did what was good. Any external observer who is clueless as to art creation will confuse effect for cause, and give you their dumb sidelines commentary disguised as "advice" to gain authority on you. Hence "study this guy's output" rather than "study this guy's input" (i.e. the fundamentals). Saying that, however, isn't novel and won't have the appearance of a magical shortcut to sucker in those insecure enough to listen. A lot of "professional advice" in general, I've found, is pure venom because it is given out by snakes looking to con you or somehow convert you to a money-making machine for them. Cult shit, like another commenter said. Only works because so many young artists are very self-conceited and insecure at the same time. There is genuinely good education out there, but you gotta have a good head on your shoulders to filter out the chaff.
9:55 there's a good chance that alot of the weird/outdated views on life in media are because of this...
Also, I fear no man but that...thing...growth...it scares me.
I mean it makes sense because these teachers are seeing their students be inspired from a style that wasn’t used in western media. Not to mention that western animation(Disney) was the biggest influence for anime/manga in its early stages.
Music sometimes actually helps me, it gives me ideas on what I could draw, somehow. idk about y’all.
Developing a "style" isn't something that you borrow, it's something you come to through expirence, work, and time. A style should never be seen as a means to an end, but something that represents the accommodation of your experience as an artist at that given time. Such as in life, a "style" should not be something that holds you back as an artist, because trends involving aesthetics can change very quickly.
It's fine and all if you enjoy doing fan art, but it's not going to help you get very far if you want to be serious in having an art career, because you are using second hand techniques that are designed to cut corners in the industry (especially most anime).
Read a lot of literature by artists, allow yourself to be influenced by artists from all walks of life, and most importantly observe real life.
Absoluetly valuable piece of advice, bro
Makes glad my teachers were bit smarter. BUT, they did say no Anime, but that was cause it was highly stylized. They wanted everyone focus on realism first then develop your own style. According to them, most companies don't want you to mimic them so they can teach you properly their styles. Disney in particular won't accept if you try to mimic their style.
Ahh milt kahl... I do enjoy listening to music if I’m drawing or painting in general. For animating though...figuring out frames, inbetweens, etc. I don’t think I can listen to anything. Maybe once I figure out those things I can turn on the music.
I think it should be explained more about the 'no free time' advice. If you are a student, or just graduated and still learning, it should be applied for at least a year. You can't expect to improve and get a good level with a normal schedule of 8 hours a day. Most beginners should do more than 8 hours, especially if they are going to have to work later. You will not have time to improve when you are in a job. And if you take habit of refusing to work/study on your 'free time'. Resuming to a normal 'happy' life, where you can enjoy fully your free time should be done after few years of experience.
That's a great discussion that should be explored.
Thanks for all the advices
Thanks alot ❤❤❤
شكرا على كل النصائح
شكرا كثيرا ❤❤❤
9:54 I relate to this one so much
Working overtime for no pay is the kind unethical mantra that an employer would exploit for cheap labor
Im here just to know who attacked poor shiba on the preview
The video behind is good too
If animation is not necesarily concentration then I shouldn't bother when trying to animate an acting while someone is laughing hard on his desk? and smirking, and laughing suspiciously, and chatting with others in the same attitude. Can you concentrate with that? when apparently something is being chatted suspiciously? Is it normal to abstract from others in that situation?
My question is that
Which one is getting banned fan art or AI art?
I am asking this because I do not know but I still would like answer that is factual and constructive
You should make an animation course
thank you for this, really
I dont get overtime, and certainly not underpaid or even unpaid. I'm an employee, not a charity organisation? this is NOT normal.
I really don't understand why people think anime is for hobbyists or amateurs, it's frankly insulting to eastern artists. Do these people just never look at pro work that comes out of places like Japan, Korea, or China? It's not easy to draw in an anime art style that actually looks good either. Do these people really think someone like Yusuke Murata draws at a hobbyist level? Gimme a break dude.
It's a huge turn off when people start trying to force you to be like them or else you're a failure, or you're wrong, never succeed, etc.
I've seen some "pro" artists even say that if you draw fanart you're not even an artist to them. You're just a wanker or a hobbyist who has no ideas. "Real" artists only draw their own content, never anything else.
If you think Yusuke Murata is a good draftsman than you need better standards my dude! 😂😂😂
Adapt pro style - just a true, fancy style not enough to pass
Not doing fan-art - its just nothing if its just an anime girl with two light ponts, and effects
zero distrations - is true thing.
work overtime - true thing.
Study successful - true thing.
Rules - is rules, its about why you become a pro.
Working hard - really, isnt it a true??? Its how you going to be more than just
Networking is good thing. Some people just useless, they cry all the time, then not even tryinh more than a few times
All in your hands, stop crying, and work. Being professional is about giving all of you to your job. If you are not - in the end of life, youre just nothing, just a small part that did technical task
And that's why I don't take advise from anyone wearing a space jam hat.
I haven't yet seen the video but I bet it is a masterpiece
(as always)
That thumbnail looking familiar now 👀
Thanks a lot for this!
can i just ask up you going to explain special effects like dust explosions fire magic element benders that will be nice
Adapt the professional artstyle, cuz anime is noobish. Im sorry but "pro" western artstyle these days is pretty easy to do and have flaws like characters face looking the same. I don't hate the calarts style but calart is even easier to draw than anime and I dunno I just like anime artstyle so why can't I do that.
(Sorry if calart not a pro artstyle to some peoples but many animation show use it from what I see or maybe I still see old stuff, Im pretty much a casual about it)
Hey Toniko! I recently purchased your animation course and am enjoying it a great deal, but after extended periods of drawing and animating my wrist is killing me, is there any advice to minimize that damage and make things easier on my wrist? Thanks!
Hey there! I would suggest drawing more with your arm and elbow rather than your wrist. Also, wrist/arm stretches. I would encourage looking at the book Draw Stronger - Self care for cartoonists & visual artists by Kriota Willberg.
...in my Art School we practiced drawing with your arm instead of your wrist because of that. You can probably find ressources for that online, but I think basically it's about drawing quite big...
@@TonikoPantoja Thanks for the response Toniko! Just bought the book! I'm also looking into purchasing a standing desk as a work station due to the nature of my work and sitting forces so many bad habits on me, do you know of any animators or have any opinions on standing work stations while animating? Cheers!
@@pyxelpub8251 Yeah I love standing desks, gets your whole body moving
thank you dad
I've been told time and time again that you shouldn't listen to music while drawing because it can be distracting but honestly? I don't give a damn. If I take a moment to pause and sing along or tap my foot then who gives a crap? Who is this affecting? Smh just leave people alone.
Tomoko what you discuss about visa for Animation in Zoom live. I missed it can you make a video for that ? !
"Stop drawing fan-art" But who will draw Sonic kissing their OC fanart on DeviantArt for the 1 millionth time
The whole "don't do fanart" argument can be offset by a simple phrase said by the late drummer Freddie Gruber, which is: "How can you tell the difference when you don't know the difference?" How are you gonna find your own voice as an artist when you don't even know where you want to go? Picasso spent more than 20 years learning the art styles of other artists before he developed his own. Does that mean he shouldn't be considered an example because he spent a good portion of his career as an artist essentially doing fanart?