Original subtitles

In this lesson I'd like to just touch on a few points about maturity as an artist, that I hope will be

encouraging to you, and also just really help you on your journey of becoming a great character artist.

The first point is that, I want to encourage you to be very selfish about your art.

And when I say selfish, I don't mean not loving to others, what I mean is really do the work you want

to do, and focus on your own work- don't worry about other people's work.

Don't worry about comparing yourself to other people's art.

You could never be them, you could never do what they do, simply because you aren't them. Focuse on your

own work focus on your own style.

Focus on your own art goals.

That is very very important.

When you look at someone else's work, perhaps an artist you feel might be better than you, look at it

in an appreciative sense, and also see what you can learn.

But if there's something I want to caution you against, never ever ever ever compare yourself to another

artist. Once again:

You are not that person.

It is very likely that it is impossible for you to do work in the exact same way that they do it.

It's just not possible, you're not them, you are you.

So focus on your own work and your own self

in a sense, in terms of how you create art. Create art that you want to do and in doing so you're not

pandering to the art that you think people want to see or that might impress others.

Do art that impresses you.

I think that's primarily what I want you to get from when I say, "be very selfish with your artwork." Create

artwork that impresses you, and that meets the standards that you would want of yourself.

Next I'd like to talk about fear.

Now, I'm no stranger to fear in art although, I have to say these days I don't really worry about it that

much.

Of course we will all experience fear in art and in art making to some extent.

The first thing on to say is that, if you have the time, if you have the inclination, and if you have the

funds to do it, definitely buy a book called "Art and fear". It will be very very helpful to you and your

art journey and it's definitely an excellent read, and it covers many of the fears that artists typically

feel, right.

So, definitely consider buying "Art and Fear", it is a great resource, it is a very valuable resource for you.

The second thing is, you're going to have to learn as you're drawing and painting that failure isn't

something to be feared.

Right.

Failure is actually wonderful.

Think about a kid who burns himself on the stove for the first time, right. At that moment.

Sure, it does suck.

I mean he's burned himself and that's horrible.

But, he has learned something pretty valuable from that experience, and it's unlikely that he's going

to make that mistake again.

Right.

So what I want encourage you to do is, start becoming fearless.

Be courageous, be brave.

Don't stare at the blank page in trepidation.

Don't worry about drawing or put it off or procrastinate because you're worried it might not be good.

Who cares about good? What is good?

I mean, do we have various ideals and standards of what we feel good is may vary from person to person.

As long as you're learning the theory, you're practicing daily based on the theory, you will gain skill

in art.

So you don't need to worry about being good or that creating a good piece.

Just create the work you want to create, and over time, you will reach a place where you realize that

you've gotten to where you wanted to be in your art.

Ultimately that's what is going to come down to.

You're going to want to be somewhere, and you're going to have to take a journey to get there.

So let go of your fear.

Maybe it's too easy to say that to you, to let go of your fear, but I won't encourage you.

You need to be courageous.

You need to be brave.

And more importantly, you need to be willing to fail.

You need to be willing to fail a lot. If you're unwilling to fail and you don't like the taste of failure;

perhaps art isn't for you.

Lastly, I want to talk about the fear related to technical ability- that is your ability to draw good

lines, to understand forms, to implement the theory correctly.

Technical ability is very much a learned thing.

It is very much a learned thing. You learn the theory, You implement exercises, you grind it into your

brain, and eventually it becomes a part of you. When it becomes a part of you,

you start doing drawings,

People look at your work and they think it's magic coming out of that pencil, but really it's just repetition

of the theory, constantly hammering it into your brain, that you're able to eventually make it a part

of you.

So I want you to not be afraid of doing art because you're worried about your technical ability.

It really is a technical thing.

Once again remember: Art is a medium.

So when you're learning how to implement in this medium, it really is just a process of "well this

works, and this doesn't work'.

I also want to add, that you know, when you talk about character we're talking anything that's kind

of realist.

Right.

We're differentiating ourselves substantially from people who do abstract art and post modern art and

those other types of art forms.

We really are realists.

And the beauty about realism is, realism is rules.

You learn the rules, you implement the rules, you get better at art.

So really, don't fear drawing and creating art and perhaps even completing this course because you are

worried about your technical ability. You'll see after the course is complete, that you will have the tools you

need, the theoretical tools you need, to start practicing and refining your technical ability into

just a beautifully crafted, let's say "weapon of art" if you wish.

You'll find that the course will provide you with plenty of tools that you can use to really refine

your technical ability to something really beautiful and something that really works for you.