Hindrance of popularity

[Kite]

(Lack of a better name)

I don't know about you guys, but popularity of other artists seems to be a real killer for me and my commissions (or lack thereof).

I try my hardest to become a better artist, always working to improve with each new piece I make, just so my art can be appreciated by someone. But, it's not. At least, that's not how it feels. Purely by reputation, and not skill, others have somehow managed to acquire however many commissions. And it sucks for artists like me, because personally it feels like I just don't exist. It feels like my talent is going to waste. And it's more painful when I see shoddy work being higher priced AND getting the credit! I recently seen an image from an established artist where the linework was appauling and they'd even gone over the lines, not even ATTEMPTING to erase their mistakes. So why are people still paying them? I'll admit, I've made mistakes in my own works before, but when it's the basic stuff that people get wrong.... GAH!

I don't know what other commissioners do their commissions for, more than likely for the money. Mine, I do them for a sense of achievement. A sense of acknowledgement, something I've lacked of my entire life. I do it becaue I feel like I'm actually worth something, feel like I'm actually connecting with people. And the fact I can't get myself noticed or get myself seen because no one is willing to pry themselves from the top artists... It makes me, someone who relies on art as the only thing that I can do right, feel like my time, effort and my livelihood is going to waste.

C'mon guys. Give other artists a chance, will you? Actually take a look around you and see what there is, don't go for that guy because everyone else does. For crying out loud, get out there and find someone that could use the commissions! Someone that could use that feeling of "wow, I'm actually achieving something!"

[WingedZephyr]

'Tis the bane of many artists' careers. It still frustrates me all the time.

You just have to keep drawing. It could take years, but it's likely someone will notice sooner or later. Advertising also does help a lot.

[Vine Tabris]

Art is 20% skill, 90% connections.
Plain and simple.
Ever heard of an artist named Basquiat back in the day?
No skill (don't believe me, google his name and look at the images), yet he was very popular. The reason why he was very popular was because he was good friends with Andy Warhol and rode his coattails. The only reason Andy Warhol was popular was because he did art that centered around popular brands and celebrities which appealed to the mass public. The more people you appeal to the more supporters and connections you got.
That's how art works, it's more about the people you know than the skill you have.
Of course if you have immense skill it's easier to appeal to the masses, and therefore easier to get connections, but it's still about the connections.
If you want more people to give you attention then you need to take a kneel and draw what the mass public wants to see. You can have no skill whatsoever but if you draw a Naruto yaoi image and put it on Deviantart you're sure to get favs.
Anyway, as my art teacher once told me, "The best art career and financial advice I can give you is to not get an art career." Basically what he was saying is that if you want to make money, you're going to have a hard time doing it through art. The term "starving artist" didn't come out of nowhere, you know.
But yeah, like I was saying, appeal to a mass crowd, there's a reason most of the popular artists on Deviantart do nothing but fanart.
And again, the better your skill the easier it is to appeal to a mass crowd, so never stop improving.
But don't let it get you down, a lot of people have a hard time getting commissions at first. Just keep at it, market yourself well, and hope the the best.

[maggintons]

i support you and many others


i know there is other people out there


its like when the makers of the movie TRON got daft punk to do all the music
I mean come on there are way more techno artists than just them 


but kite you do have skill and i do accept there are better people out there.....
but your style has little details that i can make out and tell its you and believe me i would be able to make out a fake from miles away


ill try to be less obsessed i don't wanna go brand mad

[x]

I feel invisible all the time and I've never got a commission aside from requests. But it's mostly my fault because I don't update all the time.

If I had the time and money, it would be beneficial to get advertising and put out so much work that people notice me, but otherwise I have to take it a bit at a time.

[Dirtcopter77]

Even worse is when people just do solid fill colours and call it "mystery of infinity" or just "deep blue" or whatever. And people like it.

[Kite]

This is probably what frustrates me the most really

[x]

That kind of crap drives me nuts too. A blank canvas, one paint splatter, one fill color? Really? That's supposed to impress me?

[maggintons]

This is probably what frustrates me the most really

wanna see worse art? (this got the award for worst art contest Honestly)

[✡]

Were I you I would feel that sense of accomplishment for just being able to do art. Some of us have no talent whatsoever *points at himself*

[Khei]

No matter how good you get there's always others who make your art look like crap. I cannot count how many times I've seen stuff on DA or FA that makes me wanna just give it up but I'm too stubborn and like drawing too much to quit.

I get the occasional commission here or there but most often my art just isn't of the quality to warrant getting paid for it sadly.

The even worse thing, in furry art at least, is that you get A LOT more commission work if you are willing to draw porn. It's sad but true.

Hell. I can't even get art trades very often because I'm simply not good enough yet.. and I'm friggin 31.. >.<

But yeah. Just gotta keep plugging away and improving.

[Kite]

No matter how good you get there's always others who make your art look like crap. I cannot count how many times I've seen stuff on DA or FA that makes me wanna just give it up but I'm too stubborn and like drawing too much to quit.

I get the occasional commission here or there but most often my art just isn't of the quality to warrant getting paid for it sadly.

The even worse thing, in furry art at least, is that you get A LOT more commission work if you are willing to draw porn. It's sad but true.

Hell. I can't even get art trades very often because I'm simply not good enough yet.. and I'm friggin 31.. >.<

But yeah. Just gotta keep plugging away and improving.

Well, it's not so much I'm thinking about the artists that are better really, they're the ones that deserve the commissions more. It's the ones that just suck on so many levels and yet practically an entire forum is solely dependant on them or something. Personally, it seems that people are too... narrowed. Unwilling to broaden their horizons and seek out other artists that can deliver far better quality (most of the time, ironically, for cheaper prices as I've found glancing over others).

Looking at your FA, your art's quite good and if I had the money I would commission. You do excellent on your linework and your colouring is pretty good too. If I must be honest, the only slight let down is the shadow on the floor (constructive criticism, I'm not trying to demoralise or anything ).

[Khei]

Thnx. Yeah the two things I need/want to improve on the most atm in my line art and the shadows. Still figuring out the best way to pull off the floor shadows.

[✡]

nobody likes you if you don't draw smutty stuff i find that to be a scary thing

[Kite]

Agreed It's annoying and frustrating that I may have to be pushed to 'that' because no one gives a toss otherwise.