🐮 Lolcow Jack David Sickenberger / The Cunning Condor - Prudish, Nosy, and Pretentious Cartoonist who Hates WHORES and makes REAL ART

[The Cunning Condor]

You aren't realistic in how good you think your Art is or how talented you are. Please understand.

I do not see you as much of a Lolcow, I think maybe this thread would be very quiet and fade away if you did not arrive.
However I do see you suffer the delusion many do when they are at the level which is above the terrible and the rank beginner, but who still has very far to travel in techniques and true skill.

You may wish to try Concept Art forums for the 'rude awakening', which is not really rude, I find that English term a bit funny, but just honest.

May I make a couple suggestions?

This clay idea of building the Unterbau(...under model/foundation?) is good for the cartoony styles of pulling and squash/stretch, and you do these well which gives a lively look to things you draw. This is very nice, but you are very flat and do not draw in deep space.
Now you still need to learn the way shapes and the Body shapes overlap to help make a more 3-d person, even if you want to be very simple in your cartoon person's appearence.
Start to Think of a globe or sphere not a circle, and cube not square. This is how you make the look of space, not just flat. Twitsing their views in space is how to learn before combining them. In the alltogether form the globe can be made of your squishy clay and can move like that but you still want to learn shapes in deep space.

Work on the lighting and the Shade, try to shade and light with tones of colour, not blacks and whites. Going back to Shapes and shading Shapes in all different lightings and views helps you shade the whole.

So I hope you might take some advice. Right now you have some more ego than maybe is deserved for your drawings, but you seem to be a good person over all, so I hope you don't trip over your mind with this. Taste is a factor in liking or not liking art, but does negate proficiency and skill.
Right now you need to build skill.

I'm fully aware of the traditional drawing methods, but they never appealed to me, nor did they cooperate with my particular art style. So I went with what was compatible. Also, I (as an individual) am not trying to make my art look realistic or 3D. I want it to look like a drawing. I know HOW to make a character look 3Dish but I choose not to. It's just my preference. Plus, art is more than making a pretty picture.

While I do try to find alternate shading methods, I prefer to focus more on the basic structure of what I'm making rather than focus on making the character look "real". When I do shade, I do use different color tones. I just don't shade heavily is all.

Also, I do everything I can to be self aware. It's not really an ego I have as much as optimism and self-confidence. I'm building skill with nearly every upload (several people have also told me this, so yey) so I'm only gonna get better in terms of skill. Plus I'm still learning the way of digital art so that'll get better as I practice more.

Would you personally draw pornography as a comission? What is the avatar you are using?

Also, do you respect wolves and skeletons? Or skeleton wolves? Cuz they're sick, ok.

If someone paid me to do a drawing, I would most ikely do the drawing but decline the money. Call me insane, but I'm personally uncomfortable with having money involved with my art. Just a quirk of mine.

As for porn, no. It's not that I'm incapable of doing it or that I'm shy. It's just that, well, I don't enjoy making it. Plus even if I DID make it, given the... reputation I;ve built up, it would cause a lot of douchebags to be all up on me about it. So, yeah, don't expect any porn from me. Nudity from time to time, perhaps. But never porn.

A skeleton wolf sounds like a cool boss battle.

My avatar is a bit of a puzzle I made. : ) I will go ahead and say it's not what it appears to be at first glance. I have a bit of a habit of making puzzles in my art or hiding codes. It's another lovely quirk of mine. :b

I know.
@The Cunning Condor we currently have a guy who believes he's the reincarnation of Einstein and Jesus handing out angry judgments, a guy with incomprehensible grammar who believes he's a genius making a 200+ page thread asking the thread about him be removed, an apathetic '2edgyngrimdark4u' wanna be writer with a crotch fungus and a sexual fixation on Molly Ringwald, and @Holden, a man who believes that women deserve to be raped.
You're actually pretty chill. I might not like your art, but you seem like a decent guy.

That's cool.
Yeah, I'm not a wacknut who thinks people who draw porn are "demons" or that prostitutes deserve to be burned alive. I just see them as very stupid people.
What bothers me most is when someone decides that because they don't like my art, that means that they're obligated to hate me as well.

Also part of the reason I'm reclusive is because I want people to focus more on the art rather than the artist.

 

[TM Ambrose]

First off, let's try to remain polite and civil here. I'm simply here to put any rumors to rest.

Son do you know where you are?

 

[Marionette]

I'm fully aware of the traditional drawing methods, but they never appealed to me, nor did they cooperate with my particular art style. So I went with what was compatible. Also, I (as an individual) am not trying to make my art look realistic or 3D. I want it to look like a drawing. I know HOW to make a character look 3Dish but I choose not to. It's just my preference. Plus, art is more than making a pretty picture.

While I do try to find alternate shading methods, I prefer to focus more on the basic structure of what I'm making rather than focus on making the character look "real". When I do shade, I do use different color tones. I just don't shade heavily is all.

Also, I do everything I can to be self aware. It's not really an ego I have as much as optimism and self-confidence. I'm building skill with nearly every upload (several people have also told me this, so yey) so I'm only gonna get better in terms of skill. Plus I'm still learning the way of digital art so that'll get better as I practice more.

The only way you can improve is to accept criticism. It doesn't matter what field you go in with art, even if you do cartoons you must understand and master the basics which means drawing from real life, understanding contrast, levels of shading, anatomy, depth, perspective, the works. You have no idea how many people I've seen start with only an anime or cartoon style try to jump head first into this line of work and get slapped back down to earth because they don't understand the masters. If you're going to write you need to read the classics, if you're going to draw you have to study the famous artists of old. They're recognized for a reason. Being ignorant of this is your biggest flaw.

Just because it isn't your "style" doesn't mean it's not important.

 

[The Cunning Condor]

"Your mileage may vary" is not the same thing as "My art is good."

Well most evidence would indicate that my art is far from mediocre. Not to brag but I was considered for a few "bigger jobs" but turned them down due to their religious involvements. Didn't wanna stir up any controversy.

Son do you know where you are?

No, but I'd like to keep this as... earthly as possible.

 

[Meowthkip]

If someone paid me to do a drawing, I would most ikely do the drawing but decline the money. Call me insane, but I'm personally uncomfortable with having money involved with my art. Just a quirk of mine.

I used to have that view. Trust me, if you plan on working in the industry, ditch it. Your skills are worth all the time it took you to get as good as you are.

You are not Crass, and you're not Radiohead. Artists deserve to be paid for their labor.

 

[The Cunning Condor]

The only way you can improve is to accept criticism. It doesn't matter what field you go in with art, even if you do cartoons you must understand and master the basics which means drawing from real life, understanding contrast, levels of shading, anatomy, depth, perspective, the works. You have no idea how many people I've seen start with only an anime or cartoon style try to jump head first into this line of work and get slapped back down to earth because they don't understand the masters. If you're going to write you need to read the classics, if you're going to draw you have to study the famous artists of old. They're recognized for a reason. Being ignorant of this is your biggest flaw.

Just because it isn't your "style" doesn't mean it's not important.

I've accepted criticism. It's just that most "criticism" I've gotten was rather just brainless bashing from porn enthusiasts and whatnot. I know I'm not very well rounded with digital art but just gimmie some time.

I do understand the basics of art, such as value, shading, anatomy, etc. I just choose to go about my art differently. That's just me.
I understand the importance of these concepts, but I prefer to stick to uploading the stuff I feel is from me, and not the stuff that looks like any other portrait you'd find. (there are many sketches and whatnot that I have not uploaded because of this)

I used to have that view. Trust me, if you plan on working in the industry, ditch it. Your skills are worth all the time it took you to get as good as you are.

You are not Crass, and you're not Radiohead. Artists deserve to be paid for their labor.

I never cared much for Radiohead.

I agree that people deserve reward for good work. I'm fine with good artist's getting paid. I just don't feel that they should be obligated to be rewarded. Like for example, I'm happy to do requests, but I usually turn down money for them. Sometimes I feel the work i did is the reward itself, y'know?

 

[Segue]

Condor, up until I made this thread I was passively observing you quite a while. And from what I've seen it seems like you use your art to vent your frustration at other artists getting more attention than you. Is this true or is there a different explanation?

 

[The Cunning Condor]

Condor, up until I made this thread I was passively observing you quite a while. And from what I've seen it seems like you use your art to vent your frustration at other artists getting more attention than you. Is this true or is there a different explanation?

The first few Naked People comics followed the same flow structure mainly because I wanted to get those small ideas out of the way. Those however, are meant to be universal rather than personal. However, it's true that a small amount of my art has been used to channel anger artistically as opposed to physically, but it was mainly off the anger from knowing they simply make their stuff. Not the attention amount. I don't care about attention (whether you want to believe that or not).

If I wanted attention, I'd be drawin' booty left n right.

 

[TM Ambrose]

No, but I'd like to keep this as... earthly as possible.

Aww, why's that boo?

 

[Meowthkip]

I never cared much for Radiohead.

I agree that people deserve reward for good work. I'm fine with good artist's getting paid. I just don't feel that they should be obligated to be rewarded. Like for example, I'm happy to do requests, but I usually turn down money for them. Sometimes I feel the work i did is the reward itself, y'know?

You can't eat the satisfaction of a job well done, dude. Art is a skilled labor, and laborers deserve to be paid for their craft. Beginning artists can draw for the sake of drawing, but you hit a certain level of skill, and you can justify getting paid.

If you're just a hobbyist though, then I guess you don't have to worry about that.

 

[Locksnap]

I think theres a difference between feeling that you're happy to make art for free yourself, and having scorn for those who want to be paid. As @Meowthkip said, drawing requires skill built up over years, and as a regular commissioner I would want nothing less than the artists I work with to be well-compensated for their time and effort.

 

[The Cunning Condor]

You can't eat the satisfaction of a job well done, dude. Art is a skilled labor, and laborers deserve to be paid for their craft. Beginning artists can draw for the sake of drawing, but you hit a certain level of skill, and you can justify getting paid.

If you're just a hobbyist though, then I guess you don't have to worry about that.

I can. :/

(some) artist's DO deserve reward, but again, they needn't feel it be a necessity. I doubt I'll be able to avoid having money involved in my art forever, but I'd like to avoid it when I can. Why? Cuz I'm a friggen weirdo (:

Aww, why's that boo?

As to avoid an unnecessary shitstorm in which everyone winds up being the bad guy.

I think theres a difference between feeling that you're happy to make art for free yourself, and having scorn for those who want to be paid. As @Meowthkip said, drawing requires skill built up over years, and as a regular commissioner I would want nothing less than the artists I work with to be well-compensated for their time and effort.

True, but to me, art is more than about labor, or paying bills. I like to get down to the very "soul" of it all and avoid the materialism of society and everythin'. If I make something for someone and they give me something in return, I'll gladly take it, but I'm not gonna EXPECT them to reward me. It's just a nice gesture to me.

 

[Meowthkip]

I can. :/

(some) artist's DO deserve reward, but again, they needn't feel it be a necessity. I doubt I'll be able to avoid having money involved in my art forever, but I'd like to avoid it when I can. Why? Cuz I'm a friggen weirdo (:

Aren't you an art student? Am I to take it that you don't plan on getting a job in your field?

And what separates an artist who deserves a "reward" for their time and labor, and one that doesn't?

 

[The Cunning Condor]

Aren't you an art student? Am I to take it that you don't plan on getting a job in your field?

And what separates an artist who deserves a "reward" for their time and labor, and one that doesn't?

That depends what you mean by "art student". I don't think there's a single art job that I can take where I WON'T get paid, so yeah, it's to be expected. But it's not a requirement for me at the moment.

What separates an artist who deserves acclaim and one that doesn't is the art they make. Someone like Tracy J. Butler? Absolutely.
A guy who draws giant boobs on a daily basis, the only difference being the angle they're at? Nah.

I feel creativity is what deserves acclaim. Not the ability to make an image on a canvas.

I'm starting to wonder when and if this big ol' interview will come to a close...

 

[Locksnap]

That depends what you mean by "art student". I don't think there's a single art job that I can take where I WON'T get paid, so yeah, it's to be expected. But it's not a requirement for me at the moment.

What separates an artist who deserves acclaim and one that doesn't is the art they make. Someone like Tracy J. Butler? Absolutely.
A guy who draws giant boobs on a daily basis, the only difference being the angle they're at? Nah.

I feel creativity is what deserves acclaim. Not the ability to make an image on a canvas.

I'm not really sure about what you're saying here. Are you seriously suggesting technical skill isn't important for an artist?

 

[The Cunning Condor]

I'm not really sure about what you're saying here. Are you seriously suggesting technical skill isn't important for an artist?

It is. But it isn't as required as most may think. Hell, look at Don Hertzfeldt. He's a heavily acclaimed animator and filmmaker (a very deserving one, at that), and he does stick figures.

I'm not encouraging avoidance of skill. Just not to stress over it as much as the art world likes to tell us to. You should make art because you enjoy it, not because it's what pays your rent. (but be good at what you do, and don't make lackluster blech)

I should point out that I'm explaining MY point of view and I do not speak for every artist the world over.

 

[Randall Fragg]

I'm starting to wonder when and if this big ol' interview will come to a close...

Hey, feel free to leave any time.

 

[Marionette]

I've accepted criticism. It's just that most "criticism" I've gotten was rather just brainless bashing from porn enthusiasts and whatnot. I know I'm not very well rounded with digital art but just gimmie some time.

I do understand the basics of art, such as value, shading, anatomy, etc. I just choose to go about my art differently. That's just me.
I understand the importance of these concepts, but I prefer to stick to uploading the stuff I feel is from me, and not the stuff that looks like any other portrait you'd find. (there are many sketches and whatnot that I have not uploaded because of this).

You obviously don't because you don't put them into practice. I'm going to take a look at your Genesis picture:

Firstly, the anatomy on the human is incorrect. Badly. Especially on the arm and fingers. You change the perspective at random. The angle we view under the chin, on the collar bone, under the nose and under the arm are all different from each other. You do not have a single perspective point. The layering of the hair does not make any sense. No effort was put in making the apple look even remotely round. And for the love of god don't get me started on that tree. It's as though you've never drawn one. You think you know what it looks like but you don't seem to have actually studied it. Lastly, the shading. There's no clear direction to tell where the light is coming from. And with the tools at your disposal I can make a bold statement that you've never handled charcoal before or even the basics of graphite.

Forget understanding digital media. You need to understand basics. You need to know them like the back of your hand. I don't care if you've been offered jobs, TJ Church has supposedly been published though he has never proved this. I understand if you're doing this simply as a hobby and if you're self taught I understand even more but you need to improve much more than you think you do. You are letting your pride get ahead of your art. Writing all of this off just because you don't want to do it is just avoidance of a material you don't want to do.

I'm an animation major. I know what I'm talking about. Even if you want to remain humble and do this for fun or to spread a message you are still going to be judged by your skill and believe me, if you presented your work in a portfolio to any major art college, you'd be laughed out.

What separates an artist who deserves acclaim and one that doesn't is the art they make. Someone like Tracy J. Butler? Absolutely.
A guy who draws giant boobs on a daily basis, the only difference being the angle they're at? Nah.

Does this not fall back on what you just said? That it is simply "not your cup of tea"?

 

[TM Ambrose]

As to avoid an unnecessary shitstorm in which everyone winds up being the bad guy.

Dude, you're not acting like a total fucking sperg so we're cool

 

[Meowthkip]

That depends what you mean by "art student". I don't think there's a single art job that I can take where I WON'T get paid, so yeah, it's to be expected. But it's not a requirement for me at the moment.

What separates an artist who deserves acclaim and one that doesn't is the art they make. Someone like Tracy J. Butler? Absolutely.
A guy who draws giant boobs on a daily basis, the only difference being the angle they're at? Nah.

I feel creativity is what deserves acclaim. Not the ability to make an image on a canvas.

Why do you have such a focused resentment towards porn artists? You are aware that there are female porn artists as well, who do a lot more than just draw boobs at different angles.

Keep in mind, I went to art school. I got my AA in animation. I've peddled my artwork at cons and I got paid big time for writing a comic. I don't have much experience in the industry, sadly, but I probably have more than you.

Also, this is relevant:

I don't take a piss without getting paid. People expect everything for nothing. But is Warner Brothers out there with an eye patch and a tin can on the street? They expect the writer to work for nothing and the problem [is] there are so many goddamn writers who have no idea they're supposed to get paid every time they do something. They do it for nothing. Are they any less a media whore than I? I think not. But it's just that no one has offered to buy their soul.