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Art and Time Management

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Art and Time Management 2013-04-18 03:28:30


Hi, I'm an aspiring cartoonist who wishes to develop his cartooning skills as well as his realistic drawing and observation skills. I've seen good cartoonists also draw surprisingly realistic renderings (I think to be a successful cartoonist it helps to have at least a basic understanding of realistic drawing techniques, but I'm not sure exactly why or to what extent it helps- does it help?). Most professionals probably have a good understanding of both art forms- cartooning and realistic drawing may seem like completely different art forms, but they may interconnect to eachother, especially when it comes to gesture drawing and anatomy. What I'm looking for are some tips to understand how to use my time efficiently and to make the most out of it to learn art techniques in both fields like the pros do.

I've heard that it takes about 15 years or more to become "fluent", if you will, in the language of art. There's only so many hours in a day, so I want to get the most out of the time that I have each day. What I'm doing now is practicing realism one day and cartooning the other. I'm not sure what route the professionals took, but it sure looks like they got the best out of the many years they spent drawing to get to where they are.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Response to Art and Time Management 2013-04-18 03:46:47


Hello, welcome to our humble Art Forum! Please do enjoy your stay. Now about the topic at hand, being able to have a sizable understanding about things like anatomy and shading have a beneficial role in the way to being a great cartoonist. Being a cartoonist is more than it appears to be at first glance as it has its own set of standards and rules.

When we hear the word "cartoons" we don't usually think of realistic portrayals of objects as most of the time these objects are exaggerated or distorted. In reality, cartoons also follow the rules present in realism. You need to be able to know the rules very well to be able to effectively bend and distort them. Careless distortion of these rules would lead to ineffective drawings that frankly look horrible. So you are quite correct in saying that cartoonists use techniques in realism.

You said that you practice each style on separate days. Although it is an understandable and quite a good regiment to train yourself, I think it would be better to practice both on the same days as if they compliment each other. Such a step would lead to better understanding how both styles work and function as you get to practice these styles side by side. The most important thing is not how much you devote yourself to training yourself, but rather the enjoyment you get while you do these activities. If you do not find enjoyment whilst engaging these activities, all that would be in vain since you won't be able to find the motivation and enthusiasm to push on. Just have fun.


Art Thread/NG Art - View it. /I love rainbows do you?/

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Response to Art and Time Management 2013-04-18 03:54:30


I've heard that it takes about 15 years or more to become "fluent", if you will, in the language of art.

Also I find this statement quite interesting. I do not know if it is true or false, but when you say "fluent" do you mean being able to understand all techniques? Well if you meant it by that, I think that it 15 years cannot be a correct time frame as there are several factors that each artist possesses. In short we have our own paces at art, so putting a cap on yourself is not really correct. Remember that we all grow at our own pace and even then we never run out of space to grow no matter how fluent you get.


Art Thread/NG Art - View it. /I love rainbows do you?/

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Response to Art and Time Management 2013-04-18 17:54:54


At 4/18/13 03:46 AM, Fifty-50 wrote:

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your advice. Will put it to good use!