Drawing a little... again!

[dannyshenanigan]

This is my first painting I've ever done using oil paints. I'm not sure if I prefer it to acrylic paints. Probably not a very interesting subject matter to anyone here, it's a Christmas gift to my mom. I'm the little guy to the right of my brother. It's mostly based on a portrait photo taken many years ago, it was the only big photo I could find that would make a decent painting.

 

[Huayna Capac357]

Wow, that's very good! Are you a professional artist or is it just a hobby?

 

[Kyriakos]

Danny that is wonderfull. Obviously you are a very skilled painter already
If you want a comment apart from praise i could note that (but of course this was for your mother, so it would be needless to do so) you could insert some expressionism in your work, so as to give it character. Already, although a realistic depiction, it does have an element of expression. I would be really very interested in seing your other works as well

 

[Mirc]

Is that a real church? I can't find anything similar anywhere. Otherwise I agree with Mirc, it's almost too detailed. It looks a little bit like it's covered with blobs.

As Gelion already mentioned, it is definitely real - I am personally of the opinion that orthodox churches are absolutely awesome! And not just that one, there are tens of different styles of churches, most of the people in western Europe/USA/anywhere else have probably never even seen photos of one (except maybe for the St Basil in Moscow), and some of them are truly deserving of the title of "jewels"! In other words, "it's a whole world out there".

This style is typically Russian/east Slavic, but there is more than one "typically Russian" style. If you're curious I can dig up some pics for you.

 

[dannyshenanigan]

Wow, that's very good! Are you a professional artist or is it just a hobby?

I really would love to be a professional artist. Nobody hires fine artists so I have to work self-employed. I tried doing this full time and I failed pretty badly. It's really hard to be successful. I make a couple hundred bucks here and there, but I probably only make $500 a year doing it just a hobby.

Before I graduated high school I considered going to an art school, possibly the Art Institute of Chicago. I was strongly discouraged by my guidance counselor, and art teachers. It's just too hard to make any money; they don't call them starving artists for nothing. My mom supported me but didn't push me one way or the other. My grandfather was a professional artist who worked in advertizing and was payed little and treated like garbage by his firm. This all made me decide to go to college for something else. But I wonder how good I could have been with proper training.

I went through a period where I didn't paint or draw anything for 7 years. Three years ago I decided to start back up (I'm in my late 20's) and tried to do it as a living. I obsess over every single brushstroke no matter how small. It can be very frustrating working and pouring out my soul for 20+ hours into a painting, then when I finish I get very little money and very little recognition. Yet I still paint just for the sake of art.

Sorry if this rant seems kind of bitter, but I understand why artists of the past were usually pretty crazy and eccentric . Although I'm really not all that crazy, and I'm in no way comparing myself to a van Gogh or a Picasso on a creative level. Van Gogh ended up commiting suicide after selling only one painting his whole career believing he was a complete failure. Picasso got lucky and experienced great success during his actual life, but I read before he became famous he had to burn some of his own paintings to keep warm during a harsh Parisian winter. My whole point is that it is a blessing and a curse. I would probably be much better off if I didn't take it so seriously.

 

[Huayna Capac357]

Don't worry, you don't sound too bitter.

You definitely deserve to be professional! Your work is excellent. I'm awful at art.

 

[Kyriakos]

If i can give you some advice, as an artist, i had dissapointments as well. When i was 18 i was determined to have a book by the time i was 20. But in reality it took me another 7 years before i finally developed my own style and became able to produce writing without the hindrances of inadequate familiarisation with this art. From that painting i think i can see that you do have the ability to have your own unique style, which is very important in art. Beksinski could paint well, and had some interesting images to show as well, but i would not claim that if you looked at any two paintings of his, without knowing him, you would claim that they must be from the same painter; they appear to lack that element that makes one distinct and unmistakeble.

I would indeed like to see you paint something in the genre of horror. If you want to i can propose descriptions of scenes from my stories, which have the character of paintings. For example in one a person is standing next to an open window, observing a merry company of other students walking in a path. Suddently he turns from them, because he heard something, and immediately a large, grey wolf with yellow eyes jumps to the window, willing to pass through it. A painting could depict that, the moment when the main character pulls himself to the back, in shock, and the beast parades into the room, cold with the winter night's air

That is just a suggestion, im sure you can imagine your own themes though, and i repeat that i would like to see more of your work

 

[Thorvald of Lym]

You definitely deserve to be professional! Your work is excellent. I'm awful at art.

Heck, all I can do is cartoons.

 

[aelf]

There is no art and no artist. Only money and jobs.

 

[Kyriakos]

That is entirely false.. Not sure how much you meant it though.

 

[Gelion]

There is no art and no artist. Only money and jobs.

I came up with some additions!

There's no faith and no priest. Only money and jobs.
There's no duty and no patriot. Only money and jobs.
There's no honest work and worker. Only money and jobs.

 

[aelf]

Well, the better artist's works sell for more money. And since you have to pay the bills, you have to create art for money to be a professional artist. Better be at the top of the pile if you don't want to starve.

Doing something out of passion? That's usually for the time outside work. Society has no time for passionate wretches. It needs productive people who contribute to the money economy.

I came up with some additions!

There's no faith and no priest. Only money and jobs.
There's no duty and no patriot. Only money and jobs.
There's no honest work and worker. Only money and jobs.

I concede that those are almost clever.

 

[Kyriakos]

I reworked the centerpiece a bit, hopefully it looks more realistic now:

 

[Lillefix]

You lowered the middle spire? Definitely an improvement.

 

[Kyriakos]

Yes, i lowered it, i also added for it something to stand on beside the main part of the building, and erased four of the secondary domes.

 

[GenMarshall]

Geeze, there are times that I wished I was tallented in that, both on paper and digitally.

 

[Gelion]

I concede that those are almost clever.

Clever is what your said at first to make it seem real.

 

[aelf]

Clever is what your said at first to make it seem real.

I'm afraid the wisdom of your words is beyond me.

 

[Gelion]

I'm afraid the wisdom of your words is beyond me.

Well, then you can safely crawl back to your vault and we can all get back to discussing artworks of our fellow forumers.

 

[aelf]

Well, then you can safely crawl back to your vault and we can all get back to discussing artworks of our fellow forumers.

I love arty pretentiousness

When it's about art and passion, some of you guys can take any crap that is handed to you by society, can't you?