This is lovely, thanks D.J. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for my pal Tim up there pumpin' your tires! (his secrets are safe with me, ha!) I also hail from The Good Land. I started drawing the moment I could pick up a crayon and dubbed myself an artist from the word go, drawing characters from my parents' fave stuff like V: the miniseries, Star Trek, and Rocky Horror. Alas, tale as old as time: I think college art classes and having to grow up to make a living eventually snuffed out my illustration dreams. Today, however, I'm more grateful that my graphic design career has been relatively art-adjacent – not every artist has that privilege.
My biggest challenge is finding that wide-eyed, confident kid again. It's silly how I struggle to think of myself as an "artiste" as I've made a decent go at a side hustle with my husband (theflashnites.com): shooting abandoned spaces at night and lighting them up with color lights. But it was a project that originated with him, and I consider myself a co-pilot rather than the captain of that ship. In 2019, I finally broke out of my decade-long illustration drought with a project similar to your scribble challenge in resistancerebels.com (making creatures from abstract ink blobs), but when the pandemic hit, my soul went dark and I lost every drop of my mojo. Recently, thanks to your 3-Day Challenge, I rekindled my crush on drawing. I don't know a thing about comics, but I'm shushing my fears and taking it inch by inch to develop Bonesick, a story about a melancholy skeleton with a sad secret. I'm inspired by the other artists here who show up no matter what.
My one-charge magic wand wish? Anyone who witnessed something artistic that I produce would get instantly inspired to make their own thing without fear. Earthling Improvement: Unlocked.
4. I knew I loved art by like the second grade. I loved drawing dinosaurs. I decided I wanted to BECOME an artist when I fell in love with comics in middle school.
5. Like DJ, I have been inside comics smoke-filled rooms and while working in the business of the business was amazing (I still refer to it as the glory days) seeing how poorly talent can be treated was rough. Flash forward 15 years and I'm over 40 and have a "sucessful" career in marketing that I mostly resent. Thing is, I have no interest in drawing Spider-Man for minimum wage at this point either so I'm trying to, as I've called it, divorce art from capitolism and not look for happiness in my career but rather in my artwork. Just saying that makes people uncomfortable and I end having to further explain, "no, I don't hate my job but it doesn't bring me joy. That's not something I require of it though and why does it bother you that I'm not interested in finding happiness in my means of income?"
6. See above. Lol. Honesly, I'm just happy to know others feel this way. Funny enough I'm always telling other artists the same things that DJ is saying in this group I guess I just needed to hear it from someone other than my inner monolouge.
7. I wish I were better at liknesses. I can invent all the people you want but I've always struggled with tight likenesses.
I draw, paint, sculpt, bookbind and paper-engineer subjects on the spectrum of the silly to sublime in a toony, often sensual, style.
My work can be found on RxMOArt.com or on Instagram @rxmoart
I first discovered I was an artist when I drew to simulate the adventures that Nintendo would have done for me as a child of the 80s. Then adult illustration mags came into my awareness and I've been here since!
My greatest struggle as an artist is my confidence with what I want to say. I still have a challenging relationship with getting censored.
I'd say I want us to explore the topic of being steadfast with what we want to express as artists, and more importantly, seeking out the niches where we can individually thrive as creators.
If I could magically alter my artistic life, I'd want the power to pause the world around me while I work so it looks like I finished something monumental like 24 pages of comics or a mural in a second. Just to see the goofy looks on people's faces and then collecting that sweet commission payment then and there.
I am a graphic designer, i aspire to become a more traditional artist focusing on surrealism and realism
3. Social channels or portfolio link. (I encourage all DorD members to follow and support each other if you have the time!)\instagram @rusty_goding
4. What age did you realize you wanted to be an artist? early childhood. Do you remember your moment? not really my Pops was into comics and Conan was his favorite so i grew up with a lot of comic book art influence.
5. What is the biggest thing you struggle with or have struggled with as an artist? My Personal expectations. I feel like I am pretending to be an "artist." Its funny I get paid to design logos and graphics for companies there fleets everything from City Emergency Service Vehicles to oilfield vehicles and I still catch myself saying to my wife " I can't wait till i sell my first piece of art" although i have been getting paid to design for the last 20+ years... smdh
6. Are there any topics you’d like to dive deeper into together? Im not sure my biggest obstacle is me
7. If you had a magic wand that only worked on you and your art, that only had one charge left, how would you use it? What’s your big wish? to remove the blindfold of inspiration. I would like to be able to sit down and create without worrying about what or who might want it i want to be able to just do.
1: my name is Andres, and I’m down here in Miami, FL
2: My art is a mixed bag of subject matter ranging from 80’s culture, comic books, music, humor, portraiture, pop culture using various mediums like pen, pencil, ink, crayon, oil paint, watercolor, digital.
4: I’ve always liked drawing as a kid, and I have a memory of a Charlie Chaplin and Pink Panther I did at age five. My mom still swears to this day it was just like them, but I haven’t seen them since she gave them to her sister. No idea what happened to them since she moved to the States from Colombia. My ninth grade art class is where I really began to explore and experiment with art, so thank you Ms. Hughes wherever you are.
5: it’s frustrating trying to find an art related job here, I wonder if it’s the same in other cities. I tried getting an art teaching job, and I passed the tests to get a temporary certificate which would allow me to start. Public and private schools all turned me down due to lack of experience, even though I was gaining valuable classroom management/teaching as a substitute teacher. Can’t make omelettes without breaking eggs, right? I make some sales on my Ko-fi page but it’s not enough to make a living which is what I wanted to do since high school. None of the jobs I’ve had save for the subbing, and working part time at a friend’s comic shop had anything to do with art. Sometimes you feel like calling it quits and just take any old 9 to 5 so you don’t have to worry about the bills, and keeping a roof over your head.
6: Topics, maybe techniques, and tools. Tips and tricks for using different mediums. One week focus on inking, another on perspective (I still have headaches over this, lol)
7: magic wand, removing those minor imperfections, errors I see after finishing a piece. But then that’s what makes them unique I suppose. Hmmm. Can I use the wand on my pencil so it never runs out of lead lol
2) Pen & ink - I love colored pencil work, but it always comes out weird due to my colorblindness (at least that's what folks tell me). I always wanted to be a comic artist.
3) IG @stonedogg11 - there are a few older drawings there
4) I cannot remember a time that I was not drawing, until...
5) When my grandfather was dying of cancer, I had just finished a piece that I was proud of and wanted to show him (see the "Charge of the Very Light Brigade" image on IG). Unfortunately, I did not realize that he had gone blind shortly before. I was crushed and it killed my desire (except for a few exceptions). Now that I'm much older and caring for a wife with health issues, I WANT to draw again, but the feelings and anxieties are exactly the same. She loves my artwork, but I have a dread.
6) I really like your idea of meetups - I always tended to enjoy art around like-minded folks.
7) I wish I had a better ability to layout visual storytelling better. I have the ideas, moderate skill (I think - gotta do your challenge), but get SO discouraged looking at professional works out there.
I’m a tattoo artist for the last 25 years, and my art has revolved around that so much it’s difficult to separate art from work. When not working I play with watercolor, markers and digital.
I’m on instagram as @kenfisher13
For as long as I can remember I’ve been involved in creating things. Drawing, painting, building, making, but it wasn’t until I started tattooing that I found a place that fit.
I have a few struggles on a daily basis. The biggest one would be imposter syndrome, followed closely by not really having a defined style and lastly being viewed as an expensive photo copier.
I really enjoy the topics you’ve chosen to talk about so far. I’d enjoy anything to do with developing a style or finding an artistic voice as well as a back to fundamentals kind of topic.
I don’t know that I would change anything with a magic wand. I want to look back and be able to say ‘“I did that” and not “it was given to me”
This is lovely, thanks D.J. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for my pal Tim up there pumpin' your tires! (his secrets are safe with me, ha!) I also hail from The Good Land. I started drawing the moment I could pick up a crayon and dubbed myself an artist from the word go, drawing characters from my parents' fave stuff like V: the miniseries, Star Trek, and Rocky Horror. Alas, tale as old as time: I think college art classes and having to grow up to make a living eventually snuffed out my illustration dreams. Today, however, I'm more grateful that my graphic design career has been relatively art-adjacent – not every artist has that privilege.
My biggest challenge is finding that wide-eyed, confident kid again. It's silly how I struggle to think of myself as an "artiste" as I've made a decent go at a side hustle with my husband (theflashnites.com): shooting abandoned spaces at night and lighting them up with color lights. But it was a project that originated with him, and I consider myself a co-pilot rather than the captain of that ship. In 2019, I finally broke out of my decade-long illustration drought with a project similar to your scribble challenge in resistancerebels.com (making creatures from abstract ink blobs), but when the pandemic hit, my soul went dark and I lost every drop of my mojo. Recently, thanks to your 3-Day Challenge, I rekindled my crush on drawing. I don't know a thing about comics, but I'm shushing my fears and taking it inch by inch to develop Bonesick, a story about a melancholy skeleton with a sad secret. I'm inspired by the other artists here who show up no matter what.
My one-charge magic wand wish? Anyone who witnessed something artistic that I produce would get instantly inspired to make their own thing without fear. Earthling Improvement: Unlocked.
1. Tim Demeter - Milwaukee, WI.
2. Comics and illustration. Generally pen + marker and vector.
3. www.quixotronic.com
twitter and insta: @quixotim
tiktok: quixotim_draws
4. I knew I loved art by like the second grade. I loved drawing dinosaurs. I decided I wanted to BECOME an artist when I fell in love with comics in middle school.
5. Like DJ, I have been inside comics smoke-filled rooms and while working in the business of the business was amazing (I still refer to it as the glory days) seeing how poorly talent can be treated was rough. Flash forward 15 years and I'm over 40 and have a "sucessful" career in marketing that I mostly resent. Thing is, I have no interest in drawing Spider-Man for minimum wage at this point either so I'm trying to, as I've called it, divorce art from capitolism and not look for happiness in my career but rather in my artwork. Just saying that makes people uncomfortable and I end having to further explain, "no, I don't hate my job but it doesn't bring me joy. That's not something I require of it though and why does it bother you that I'm not interested in finding happiness in my means of income?"
6. See above. Lol. Honesly, I'm just happy to know others feel this way. Funny enough I'm always telling other artists the same things that DJ is saying in this group I guess I just needed to hear it from someone other than my inner monolouge.
7. I wish I were better at liknesses. I can invent all the people you want but I've always struggled with tight likenesses.
Heyya I'm Rex, writing from Houston, TX!
I draw, paint, sculpt, bookbind and paper-engineer subjects on the spectrum of the silly to sublime in a toony, often sensual, style.
My work can be found on RxMOArt.com or on Instagram @rxmoart
I first discovered I was an artist when I drew to simulate the adventures that Nintendo would have done for me as a child of the 80s. Then adult illustration mags came into my awareness and I've been here since!
My greatest struggle as an artist is my confidence with what I want to say. I still have a challenging relationship with getting censored.
I'd say I want us to explore the topic of being steadfast with what we want to express as artists, and more importantly, seeking out the niches where we can individually thrive as creators.
If I could magically alter my artistic life, I'd want the power to pause the world around me while I work so it looks like I finished something monumental like 24 pages of comics or a mural in a second. Just to see the goofy looks on people's faces and then collecting that sweet commission payment then and there.
1. Name and where in the world are you?
Rusty, I am in Corpus Christi, Texas
2. Type of art you do, or aspire to do?
I am a graphic designer, i aspire to become a more traditional artist focusing on surrealism and realism
3. Social channels or portfolio link. (I encourage all DorD members to follow and support each other if you have the time!)\instagram @rusty_goding
4. What age did you realize you wanted to be an artist? early childhood. Do you remember your moment? not really my Pops was into comics and Conan was his favorite so i grew up with a lot of comic book art influence.
5. What is the biggest thing you struggle with or have struggled with as an artist? My Personal expectations. I feel like I am pretending to be an "artist." Its funny I get paid to design logos and graphics for companies there fleets everything from City Emergency Service Vehicles to oilfield vehicles and I still catch myself saying to my wife " I can't wait till i sell my first piece of art" although i have been getting paid to design for the last 20+ years... smdh
6. Are there any topics you’d like to dive deeper into together? Im not sure my biggest obstacle is me
7. If you had a magic wand that only worked on you and your art, that only had one charge left, how would you use it? What’s your big wish? to remove the blindfold of inspiration. I would like to be able to sit down and create without worrying about what or who might want it i want to be able to just do.
I really enjoyed this..... Thanks
Thinking about that prompt…hmmm
1: my name is Andres, and I’m down here in Miami, FL
2: My art is a mixed bag of subject matter ranging from 80’s culture, comic books, music, humor, portraiture, pop culture using various mediums like pen, pencil, ink, crayon, oil paint, watercolor, digital.
3: I have a WordPress page: AndresMartinezArt.net, and a Ko-fi one: Ko-fi.com/NuWaver74. I’m also on Instagram and Twitter under: @nuwaver74
4: I’ve always liked drawing as a kid, and I have a memory of a Charlie Chaplin and Pink Panther I did at age five. My mom still swears to this day it was just like them, but I haven’t seen them since she gave them to her sister. No idea what happened to them since she moved to the States from Colombia. My ninth grade art class is where I really began to explore and experiment with art, so thank you Ms. Hughes wherever you are.
5: it’s frustrating trying to find an art related job here, I wonder if it’s the same in other cities. I tried getting an art teaching job, and I passed the tests to get a temporary certificate which would allow me to start. Public and private schools all turned me down due to lack of experience, even though I was gaining valuable classroom management/teaching as a substitute teacher. Can’t make omelettes without breaking eggs, right? I make some sales on my Ko-fi page but it’s not enough to make a living which is what I wanted to do since high school. None of the jobs I’ve had save for the subbing, and working part time at a friend’s comic shop had anything to do with art. Sometimes you feel like calling it quits and just take any old 9 to 5 so you don’t have to worry about the bills, and keeping a roof over your head.
6: Topics, maybe techniques, and tools. Tips and tricks for using different mediums. One week focus on inking, another on perspective (I still have headaches over this, lol)
7: magic wand, removing those minor imperfections, errors I see after finishing a piece. But then that’s what makes them unique I suppose. Hmmm. Can I use the wand on my pencil so it never runs out of lead lol
Hi, DJ! I'm just gonna jump in here...
1) Dave Verbanick, Pittsburgh
2) Pen & ink - I love colored pencil work, but it always comes out weird due to my colorblindness (at least that's what folks tell me). I always wanted to be a comic artist.
3) IG @stonedogg11 - there are a few older drawings there
4) I cannot remember a time that I was not drawing, until...
5) When my grandfather was dying of cancer, I had just finished a piece that I was proud of and wanted to show him (see the "Charge of the Very Light Brigade" image on IG). Unfortunately, I did not realize that he had gone blind shortly before. I was crushed and it killed my desire (except for a few exceptions). Now that I'm much older and caring for a wife with health issues, I WANT to draw again, but the feelings and anxieties are exactly the same. She loves my artwork, but I have a dread.
6) I really like your idea of meetups - I always tended to enjoy art around like-minded folks.
7) I wish I had a better ability to layout visual storytelling better. I have the ideas, moderate skill (I think - gotta do your challenge), but get SO discouraged looking at professional works out there.
This is the last thing I did - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPMESz9tn1I&t=2s
Hey Rex,
Thanks for for being awesome.
1.Frank in Ontario, Canada
2.Illustrator/ Animator
3.Insta @frankburelle
Tiktok @frankburellestudios
4. Started seriously drawing at 14 after I was denied entry to a comic drawing club and have been drawing ever since
5. My biggest struggle by far is project completion. Getting it from concept to finished product feels impossible.
6. Workflow, steps to managing a project
7. Magic wand? Did I mention I struggle with project completion? Yup, I'd use it to get my brain to see my projects to the end.
Hi, I’m Ken. I live Portland, Oregon.
I’m a tattoo artist for the last 25 years, and my art has revolved around that so much it’s difficult to separate art from work. When not working I play with watercolor, markers and digital.
I’m on instagram as @kenfisher13
For as long as I can remember I’ve been involved in creating things. Drawing, painting, building, making, but it wasn’t until I started tattooing that I found a place that fit.
I have a few struggles on a daily basis. The biggest one would be imposter syndrome, followed closely by not really having a defined style and lastly being viewed as an expensive photo copier.
I really enjoy the topics you’ve chosen to talk about so far. I’d enjoy anything to do with developing a style or finding an artistic voice as well as a back to fundamentals kind of topic.
I don’t know that I would change anything with a magic wand. I want to look back and be able to say ‘“I did that” and not “it was given to me”