Forced Art

[Hiatus]

When you are required to make certain artwork--whether it be sprite, hand-drawn, graphic, or anything else that you could possibly think of--and don't have motivation or ideas, what are some things that you do to gain them? Does it always work? If they don't, what other methods do you usually try? When was the last time you were put into such a situation?

 

[Universe]

See, this right here is exactly why I cannot do commissions. I've tried in the past and every single time the stuff I made felt so forced and like I shouldn't have even bothered to begin with. Money was never motivation enough for me to continue on with what I was doing. Because I find art totally pointless if I'm not enjoying myself, even if it means forcing that art might keep me under this roof.

There is just no motivation for me if the inspiration doesn't just hit me. Everything I've ever made was created through inspiration given to me out of nowhere most times, and otherwise simply inspired by others. So sadly, I just don't have a method for gaining motivation in art. It has to just come to me or I will refuse to try.

My muse is my drive, my whole reason for drawing... and if it's not there, then what's the point?

I want to be able to escape into the world of art, not constantly think about what I'm going to do with said piece. It needs to just flow, you know?
As though the muse grabs my pen and starts going all on it's own, without a single thought put into it... that's the best feeling of all.

 

[Aquacorde]

I mean I got a shop so I take requests more than I do thing for myself most of the time esp when I'm super busy and don't have time for anything else. Most of the time it's not too bad at all because people are usually very good about giving me hq stocks and workable ideas but occassionally I'll just get stuck. Sometimes it's cause the stocks sucks butt and sometimes it's cause I have no clue how to fill the request properly with what I've been given. But most everything for me is solved by dicking around with the stock and vague, meandering ideas and eventually I hit on something I like or come up with a focused idea just by absentmindedly screwing with it. If it's really terrible I may just do something else and come back to it and then mess with it idk.

Motivation's pretty easy for me: get it done, someone's waiting for it. The bare minimum os getting it done to their specifications and sometimes that's all I can do. but thats rare lol only when everything sucks and i legit just can not do anything with it with the few skills i have. Mostly I happily get things done to my own standards and thats really what I aim for bc honestly that's pretty high. Like I can usually find some inspiration in the stock or one of my effects that everything just clicks from. I dont much go in with a goal other than create what suits the stock; the few times I've tried to base something around an effect I wanted to try have kind of sucked lol

sry rambling its legit 4am and im on my phobe in the car and cant actually see everything im typing at once

 

[Elaitenstile]

sry rambling its legit 4am and im on my phobe in the car and cant actually see everything im typing at once

4 am? In the car? And you typed all that? On a mobile? +respect

Hmm, this is a question I've been asking myself ever since I started out making Pokémon sprites. I compare forced art (or forced creativity in general) to forced labour, forced service or forced reactions. They may or may not be good, but they certainly required a lot of extra effort than if motivation lead the way. Even though I try to avoid it, I most frequently have these bubble motivations to do something big which immediately evaporate as soon as I get to it. My first step, in that way, is always cursed.

I have to say though, the best motivation for art often times is viewing/hearing/experiencing the works of others, preferably of someone well-experienced/professional. You have to, however, make sure that you get started on your motivation right on the spot, else it becomes forced art.

My conclusion is that, art is not something you can conjure up in a moment, but a spur that invokes your imagination and dedication for the work that you do.

 

[Poki]

I just can't draw for others. I've had my own signature shop, and I've had a plethora of art/graphic design requests, but I hardly enjoyed doing any of it. I have my own vision of things, and anything different from that will be nothing more than a forced piece of ♥♥♥♥. I feel that way, because all I'm doing is representing someone else's vision, not mine. There's no emotion, no passion to it. My imagination is limited to what I'm given to work with, which doesn't please me at all, when it comes to drawing.

I feel a little different about writing, but that's another story.

 

[pippitha]

If i'm doing something for someone else, it'll usually get done at the very last minute when they're on the way to pick it up. O.e I'm bad...

 

[derozio]

Forced art is just...awful. I don't like the feeling. At all. It feels like forcing down a really bitter vegetable, one that you utterly despise, your throat.

I'm not really feeling very inspired these days. I'm in a block, I guess. And that's the reason I haven't been doing all these requests that I have pending in my shop. I managed to finish all requests save one yesterday and I'll post them there. Then I'll do the last one and change my shop to a mere gallery. I can't force myself like this. The results aren't ever to my liking and it never feels like I managed to accomplish anything - which is the exact opposite of the feeling I get when I'm actually in the mood. I mean, when I'm feeling inspired and I work on a tag that ultimately ends up being crap after hours and hours of work I still feel a sense of happiness. But when I'm trying to force myself? Nope. :(

 

[Peter Quill]

I don't like to force myself into finishing my art work when I don't feel like doing it. My work really feels half-baked or something, and it doesn't feel as fulfilling when I force myself to finish my artwork.

I just take a breather and do something else when I don't feel like doing art. I could spend a lot of time on something though when I'm really inspired to do it.

As derozio said, it's like forcing down a really bitter vegetable, and who would want that?

There are times when I feel so much inspiration that I tend to do a lot of art, and some are just really dry times. I tend to be motivated to do more art when I'm mad/sad/or not feeling well in general, it relieves stress for me.

 

[Loki]

I just can't draw for others. I've had my own signature shop, and I've had a plethora of art/graphic design requests, but I hardly enjoyed doing any of it. I have my own vision of things, and anything different from that will be nothing more than a forced piece of ♥♥♥♥. I feel that way, because all I'm doing is representing someone else's vision, not mine. There's no emotion, no passion to it. My imagination is limited to what I'm given to work with, which doesn't please me at all, when it comes to drawing.

I feel a little different about writing, but that's another story.

Exactly my feelings about commissions on drawings and signature shops. It sounds like such a novel idea--

until people request stupid things from you and you're like really????

really????????

I do commissions, unlike Mario, but I jack up my prices to the point where if someone actually commissions me I'm actually rather impressed. I'll put my reservations for some peoples' bad taste aside if they're willing to pay me the right price, but I'm the type who will get it out of the way ASAP and usually end up rushing through it in one way or another.