Lady Gaga, Reduced to Ashes, A Phoenix to Arise

Mon May 6, 2013, 2:41 PM

Today, Lady Gaga’s throne as a reigning pop diva is a 24 carat gold wheelchair, emergency hip surgery forcing the cancellation of her latest tour – a betrayal more devastating for her than for the typical performer, given her relationship with her fans. Her body has finally broken in sacrifice to the needs of her monsters for constant contact and reassurance. The question now is whether this brutal brush with her own mortality will result in the pop goddess pulling back from the edge – or only drive her to new heights of spectacle and influence?

tumult and tragedy, it does us well to consider that it is also a time of wondrous change for the better, a time when prejudices and nonsensical prohibitions burdening humankind for more than a millennium are withering away and being thrown off with astonishing speed. The election of a black president in the United States, the upheaval in Arab countries and the global normalization and shift from mere tolerance to full acceptance of LGBT citizens are all examples of beautiful promise.

why now? Has the average person’s ability to analyze the results of scientific inquiry and the elevation of the democratic model of debate and governance finally reached a tipping point in driving back the forces of backwardness and darkness? Might be. But not likely.

It’s the Internet. Not in the obvious sense of Wikileaks and 24 hour news cycles that incorporate Tweets and Instagrams directly from the core of the action; but because the Internet doesn’t forget anything and continues as a force of memory, inspiration and, more importantly aspiration. The vast storehouse of the Web puts people in constant touch with the iconic pop idols and imagery of their pre-cynical selves so it remains fresh in front of mind. They are not permitted to forget what they learned from rock and roll and what they learned from pop art.

Lady GaGaby *emizael

Lady Gagaby ~FranciscoReis

Lady Gagaby ~Rajacenna

The real agents of change today may be the pop culture people fell in love with early on influencing their lifestyles, along with attitudes and thought processes for decades later. The iconic images and music of John Lennon or Jimi Hendrix for one generation held forever in the their hearts and minds may have more to do with how they vote (or take to the streets) than the actual arguments of any political parties or charismatic agitators. Amazing to think that John Lennon wrote a song called "Imagine" with lyrics that are considered as dangerous today as the day it was first released. Those early cultural influences that come off as anti-social are preserved and shot back through the Internet re-igniting the taste for making it real.

Perhaps this is why so much energy is expended by the establishment in mocking and dismissing pop heroes intellectually even as they rake in the profits they make from those stars. They want kids and punks to buy the product – but to forget the message of peace and love (or anarchy and death) being indelibly tattooed in the corners of their consciousness.

The new permanence of what was considered fluff and stuff gives new relevance and immediacy to the current trendsetters and voices of this generation. It may seem to go by fast but in fact it stays around a lot longer. If you don’t delete your deviation on deviantART, it will be there, in practical terms, always.

Painting Lady GaGaby *chipwhitehouse

Over the past five years Lady Gaga’s core message radiating out across the universe and energizing her devotees is a radical redefinition of beauty, self-esteem, and aesthetic artistry delivered in a truly unique environment that she masterfully constructs and controls. This unique-in-our times environment can only be described as a full acceptance without comparison to an “other.” A social construct of true equivalency, no one better, no one less, than the next in line. "So the last will be first and the first shall be last." In times of stupendously mind-numbing waves of predictability washing over all of us from within every pop medium imaginable and with the public at large being drowned in self-esteem killing marketing pitches, that can only be described as predatory at best, Lady Gaga has built a safe place to be precisely, exactly, who you are.

There is a real distinction in her humanity, in her tribalism with no messaging; an essential calibration of a sweeping inclusionary message of love with daring invitations to dream big in her lyrics. The first half of her equation we have all heard before. You can be anything you want to be. The Gaga twist is that Lady Gaga is asking you to believe that this statement is absolutely true despite the particular cards you were dealt from the great, unforgiving, deck in the sky – all without the self-beautification tools the system demands you purchase. This is no mere minor modification.

Art communicates through emotion, not through rational understanding. This is where art gets its power to reach the whole world. We are all connected through emotion.

=ApokryphiaArt

Lady Gaga coverby ~bullsik

Make no mistake, no matter how much money, power, adulation or success Lady Gaga has amassed over the last few years, she still must endure the war on women that her fans endure along with all of the disdain reserved for an artistic outlier. Her weight, her looks, her sexuality and her skills in self-promotion have all been twisted into weapons used against her – to mock her influence and try to put her “in her place” and out of the “serious” pop narrative.

Rico and Gagaby ~Zarnala

My Religion Is You.

Lady Gaga

But The Lady Gaga experience goes beyond her recordings, her videos, her performances and outrageous personal appearances. She makes a genuine effort to practically apply the message of unity in the monster community she promotes in her art. She provides counselors and self-esteem building experts at her shows for her fans free of charge. If you were down, feeling depressed, being bullied, or just needed a question answered about life there is an opportunity for comfort offered for everyone that comes to her show, anonymously.

Born This Wayby ~TheBoyofCheese

When Lady Gaga came to London last year I cried as she sang Bad Kids. She told how when she wrote Born This Way her producers told her she was marketing to a niche audience and how it might not be wise to do so. Then she spread her arms and said: "This stadium seems like a pretty big fucking niche!", and that's how it felt.
To be aware that thousands of people around you felt every bit the outcast you did, made you feel normal again. Made you feel empowered and creative instead of like you were missing something that made you average.
It made you feel special, and as an artist - it feels pretty good to feel special instead of lacking.

`KathrynODriscoll

Born This Wayby *AlinaJames

In the last couple years I have fallen out of interest with her work since it lost a lot of its bubblepop charm and turned more to shock value for relevance.

I learned from Gaga to stay true to your artistic vision and what makes you unique and appeal to your fans. Changing constantly is a gamble, and trying to become someone you aren't to become relevant to a new audience is sure to make you look like a tool.

I also learned the very transient nature of fame, and the importance of protecting your work from theft. I was very excited when she retweeted my fanart, but then it was stolen and reprinted many times, even tattooed on multiple people without my permission. This is an issue that affects a lot of people on deviantART.

`Yamino

The Born This Way Foundation that she built with her mom as a co-founder is powered by a phenomenal mission statement and unmistakable passion for moving humans from fear to bravery, from self doubt to self worth. This work goes on whether or not there is a tour happening or new songs are being released. Instead of just simply joining some fancy-flashy people in St. Barth's on vacation until the next marketing push rolls around; the promise of real help and real answers continues long after the show is over through this foundation and it's outreach activities.

Born This Wayby ~Keifus

Born This Wayby ~paramhwi

Born This Way Cosplayby *Amaranthine-Moon

There are very distinct connections between being a Monster and a deviant. A direct connection is that deviants "deviate from the norm", which equally (but partially) defines what Lady Gaga and her fan base represents. DeviantART is also the home to many fans of Lady Gaga, one of the many things that keeps us here is the continuous production of Lady Gaga inspired artworks. These inspired artworks allow the fans to view their idol in endless ways.

^ladygagz

Buried Treasureby *chipwhitehouse

Lady Gagaby ~ShouriMajo

Born this Wayby ~lisamelinte

The title to her next collection of songs and media that is to be released sometime in 2013 will be

Anticipation
electrified.

LADY GAGAby ~alexracu

Lady Gaga will continue to manipulate the psychic vanguard of pop art, willing it to fit the needs of her music and her philosophy of a new sensibility amongst the masses. She covers her tour bus and green rooms with fan art. Her entire presentation leans on visual references drawn from rich resources of collaboration with true artists at all tiers. Lady Gaga’s vision would redefine beauty in all of it’s forms and contexts and as it’s defined by community for a new age. Her inclusiveness emulates the process we see everyday on deviantART where artists of every medium and stage collaborate and support each other openly and graciously.

Can Lady Gaga stage this at a new level uniting the world’s artists into a new power of influence? Lady Gaga has become a warrior for the replacement of the mathematical algorithms deciding “beauty” with, instead, the sincerity of intent between humans yearning to love free. Sincerity of intent is what her relationship with her “monsters” is all about. Lady Gaga can tap a new sincerity for beauty.

VANITY FAIR 2012by *cezuh0425

Lady Gaga 4by *DiamonikaDunsonArt

The Gaga Difference: The militancy of her demand for self-identification and self-expression. We live in a time when the masses, particularly those who are still young, are demanding the reality of democracy, equality and personhood in nation after nation. No more promises, no more rain-checks. In Christ-like fashion (employing much Italian Catholic faux-operatic and religious iconography) Lady Gaga has sacrificed herself as the model upon which her church has been built – a safe environment for all her “monsters” to gather and celebrate their otherness and oneness.

Gagaby *The-Hand

Lady Gaga is not just the context or agent for change. She and her monsters and all of their art may come to represent the change itself.

Ladyby *Ladowska

LADY GAGA 3by *AngelaHillPortraits

Lady Gagaby `BenHeine

Lady Gaga Vanity Fair Outtakeby ~AdamAlexisRyan

:GaGa:by ~AkiMao

All this points to a real evolution in the relationship of entertainers, artists, writers and fandom. Gaga is NOT just the next exaggeration of pop excess and canned rebellion. The Beats, the Hippies, the civil rights workers, the early feminists and other social revolutionaries of the 1960’s and 1970’s in politics, culture, art and music left much behind and they are reminded of this all the more by the echoes from the vast storehouse of the Internet. As much as they lay claim to in terms of influence, many social taboos remained going forward including our modern struggle for LGBT rights and the increasing unfair separation of the “haves” and the “have nots.”

GAGAby ~alexaaaaa

Lady Gaga posted a video on YouTube calling her state Representative to show her support for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Soon after, Little Monsters began posting videos of themselves calling their Representatives. The law was repealed. Lady Gaga and her fans are a tremendous force together.

~DarthPoe

lady gagaby ~carlos0003

Under everything, Is Just Another Human Being.

“Just breathe” - Eddie Vedder

Once there was a mutant named Jean Grey. She died in defending a fellow mutant, only to be resurrected by the Phoenix Force – the ultimate power for good in the Universe.

From a very young age, she was recruited into a team to help defend mutant-kind against those who would do away with those who were considered strange and different. As she grew, so did her powers, and so did the threats against her. Jean was soon recognized as one of the most powerful and important mutants in the world, and many attempts were made to harness both her powers and her genetic material. Mr Sinister, a brilliant, twisted scientist and a mutant in his own right, was determined to use Jean to create the future of mutant kind.

Gaga Phoenixby *ARTofANT

Jean had incredible powers, but she was only human. Like so many other mutants, she lost her life in defense of mutant rights and, ultimately, the greater good of the world. Family, friends and teammates mourned her loss, but death was not the final chapter for Jean Grey.

She had been chosen by an ancient force, the Phoenix Force, to rise again and serve as a protector of not just mutant kind, but all intelligent life in the cosmos.

The seeds of sincerity, non-cynicism and self-sacrifice that Gaga is sowing in youthful hearts may one day bloom in a love and respectful revolution with great impact. She is our Phoenix Force.

“ARTPOP” may be her “Sgt Pepper’s” and deviantART will cheer her rise from the ashes with a further avalanche of fan art and fan fiction exploding her message into the history of the Internet. As far as the distinction between messengers and messages are concerned, we are all flawed, all of us hopefully living our lives in a way that benefits humanity while still serving the selfish mission of making this journey on the EarthSphere as bearable as possible. I like people who endeavor to rise above their flaws for as long as they can each day. It’s not easy to be here.

In no way is this a May Crowning for Lady Gaga. We are not holding the pop culture achievement ceremonies or the sentimental artist awards here on deviantART. We are showcasing an incredible gallery of fanart and acknowledging Lady Gaga in the construction of a fellow community in a convergence of art, beauty, and aesthetic redefinition of a generation's self-esteem-battered constituents.

GAGAby *OmriKoresh

LADY GAGAby ~mFynn

Lady Gaga Judasby ~akshay-nair

Lady Gaga sculpture dollby ~spectrestudios

Gaga in Russiaby ~AnnikeOlolo

Lady gaga prison for bitchesby ~carlos0003

Lady Gagaby *PriscillaW

Lady Gagaby ~BabyDollB

THE GAGA - Klimt Iconby ~MikaMaus

Lady GaGa Liveby ~DendaReloaded

LADY GAGA 13by *AngelaHillPortraits

ART FOR MICHELANGELO by ~arietes

Let's play a LoveGameby ~phoebe-johnson

1

Is Lady Gaga in the pantheon of pop stars whose message is greater than the effervescence of pop?

2

Do you think the “establishment” consciously tries to degrade and devalue the significance of artists, i.e. attempting to portray them as eccentric, non-serious, possibly put-ons and phoneys?

3

If you are an artist, have you experienced attempts to paint you as a “non-serious” person – and certainly not one whose ideas on politics, economics, etc., could possibly be taken seriously?

4

Do you think you are the person you are today partially because of the singers and songs and artists and comics you love?

5

Do you think the Internet, twitter, etc., revolution is accelerating change around the globe as much because of the dissemination of the arts as the dissemination of political information? Are they equally necessary calls to human freedom?

2,885 Comments

Artists on Writers - No. 1

Fri Apr 26, 2013, 6:35 PM

About Artists on Writers

Writers will always find inspiration in the visions of artists, always feeling compelled to tell the stories behind the moments captured in artists’ unforgettable images,

Just as,

Artists will always find inspiration in the words of writers, always feeling compelled to lend visual reality and habitat to the characters described in the scribe’s haunting words.

•••

I was inspired to create this series by =naikki while looking through her gallery of diverse artwork and reading through her journals which are focused on her favorite inspiring writers and thinkers. I felt certain there must be beautiful artwork in the form of portraits and tributes to these writers and their stories. I found most of =naikki's choices of quotes to be inclusionary, redeeming and welcoming to any artist on their own path. Instead of just crediting =naikki with the inspiration for this new series on #depthRADIUS, I also invited her to provide a quote about Herman Hesse of her own to kick off this series.

“

Contemplations of the sharp-eyed mystic: when words become the palette to paint the journey to self realization.”

=naikki

A Quote By Hermann Hesse

Life is a process of becoming...

“There is no escape. You can't be a vagabond and an artist and still be a solid citizen, a wholesome, upstanding man. You want to get drunk, so you have to accept the hangover. You say yes to the sunlight and pure fantasies, so you have to say yes to the filth and the nausea. Everything is within you, gold and mud, happiness and pain, the laughter of childhood and the apprehension of death. Say yes to everything, shirk nothing. You are not harmonious, or the master of yourself. You are a bird in the storm. Let it storm! Let it drive you!”

– Hermann Hesse

Hermann Hesse Inspired Artwork

Hermann Hesse
by ~Khainesmal

Hermann Hesse
by ~licrydis

I sped through heaven and saw God at work. I suffered holy pains. I dropped all my defences and was afraid of nothing in the world. I accepted all things and to all things I gave up my heart.

•••

Herman Hesse, Steppenwolf

misty dawn - lonely tree
by ~0Emptiness0

HERMANN HESSE
by ~MOONDOGPROD1

...To Be Born...
by *Hrefngast

demian syndrom 4
by ~red-eyedfairytale

Not working clock
by ~arobeddy

Even a clock that does not work is right twice a day.

•••

Herman Hesse

SteppenWolf
by ~implosion3

Egg Shell
by ~Bonku

The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world.

•••

Herman Hesse, Demian

Magister Ludi
by ~erizo-noble

The Rivers Song

The River's Song (Non-Variant)

My body lies at rest,
on the banks of the Zir'tul River.

Out on the water my mind float,
following the slothful course.

Two fish,
one stark white,
one deep black,
swim languidly around my consciousness.

Can they see me?

Or perhaps feel me?

I reach my thoughts out,
but the fishes flit away,
preparing for the rapids.

The waters roll me,
throw me,
cast me about on rock and root.

The black fish is near me,
and I steady myself through it.

Then I follow the white fish,
which leaps about happily in the rushes.

The rapids passed,
I thank my new friends for sharing their time,
and my body breathes

The Rivers Song
by ~zodiacwizard

Hermann hesse
by ~Nasuisaidel

Going Alone
by =Silverpaw79

In The Fog
It's strange to wander in the fog!
A lonely bush, a lonely stone,
No tree can see the other one,
And one is all alone.

The world was full of friends back then,
As life was light to me;
But now the fog has come,
And no one can I see.

Truly, no one is wise,
Who does not know the dark
Which inevitably and silently
Does from others him part.

It's strange to wander in the fog!
Life is loneliness
No Man knows the other one,
And one is all alone.

•••

Herman Hesse, Demian

Mythological Elements in HesseThe Importance of Mythological Elements in the Works of Hermann Hesse

Beginning with his first published novel and continuing with several subsequent works of prose and poetry, Hermann Hesse incorporates the elements of mythology with competence and sensitivity to meaning. Myths, the stories and patterns recorded throughout history and often recalled in literature, dominate human experience and make the otherwise inexplicable essence of existence clear.1 Hesse evokes images of creation, death, rebirth, and awakening from Classical, Hebrew, and Eastern mythology, and in doing so, he imparts the romanticism and realism of myth into his writin

Mythological Elements in Hesse
by ~cathamaria

Boccadoro
by ~LetiziaMoran

.abraxas.
by ~khaos--theory

The Temptation Siddhartha
by ~ryoades

Freedom(Open-mindedness is not a power.)

Hold up your hand.
Straighten it and make a fist. That arm is a solid structure, a column of cells, a staff.
It's simply a cylinder, and that is all.

(Open mindedness is not a force.)

Go up to a trashcan, place your hands on its side, and shove as hard as you can.
Watch the trashcan fly, its lid clanging open and its guts spilling over the pavement.
You did that. Do you feel at peace?

(Open-mindedness is not a form of knowledge.)

These I know to be true: the sky is blue, blood is red, and the Earth is round.
"Do you deny sunsets, then? Do you expect only oxygen, and disregard calculus?"

......Pleas

Freedom
by ~AMWeitz

Goldmundo
by ~junglejulia314

A Dimension Too Many
by =Cold-Mountains

Demian - Completed
by ~ayhantomak

SteppenWolf
by ~implosion3

292 Comments

100 points giveaway!The winner:

Mon Apr 29, 2013, 5:37 AM

Hello, sweeties (:

I hope you're having a wonderful week

I decided to make one of you smile again by giving one lucky deviant 100 points

All you have to do to participate is:

favorite this journal
and
that's all

_

You don't have to visit my gallery nor watch me, but if you do, thank you!

_

+ Have a random question?
You can ask me anything here :
[link]
_
Have fun and good luck

(I will pick the winner with a little help of random.org generator)
_

The winner is:

Congrats (:

293 Comments

May's Giveaway [closed]

by *PoultryChamp, May 1, 2013, 3:07:26 PM
Journals / Culture / Contests

It's the beginning of the month, which means a new giveaway! This is one of my biggest yet so you don't want to miss it. All you need to do to enter is add this journal to your favourites!

Prizes:
1st - One Year Premium Membership
2nd - Three Months Premium Membership
3rd - Three Months Premium Membership

If you are watching me, you are entered into a separate drawing for 1000 points!

Today's quick-draw prize is 100 points to the first 5 comments, and 20 points to the next 10 comments after that.

How to Enter:

Add this Journal to your Favourites!

More Ways to Win:

Watch Me!
Leave a Comment!

The giveaway ends May 16th 2013

-------------------------

Thank you and remember to

for more giveaways!

754 Comments

Mood: Content
Listening to: Ott - One Day I Wish To Have This Kind of Time
Drinking: Water

Cosplay Tutorials Collection

Wed May 15, 2013, 11:59 PM

Cosplay tutorials are among the most fascinating I've found in DA, full of inspiration and secrets that make you want to try them, even if you've never cosplayed before. I took a good look around and tried to put together the best collection that I could, so please feel free to browse all of these and try them! Let these artist know how awesome and generous they are for their hard work

This article was written for #ArtHistoryProject, please don't forget to visit the project and also join the nail art contest we put together.

Outfits

Props

Shoes

Wigs

Make up

Assorted techniques

There's still a lot more to see!

find more here.

41 Comments

The Make Ugly Contest

Mon May 13, 2013, 12:57 PM

+1

How To Enter
Submit Entry
Rules
View Entries
13+ US Only

Make Ugly. Get recognition.

What's the ugliest truth about Big Tobacco? truth® wants to find out and you can help. DeviantART is calling for submissions of your ugliest monster, giant, mutant or undead art. Download the facts for inspiration and get in on the ugly action. Winners get cash prizes and will be included as a part of the truth® Artist Collective.

The Facts

Monster

To draw public attention from the dangers of secondhand smoke in 1987, Big Tobacco thought they might try to "create a bigger monster (AIDs)."

Undead

1 in 3 teens who begin smoking eventually die from tobacco-related disease. Not undead. Dead dead.

Giant

A Big Tobacco document shows they worried that publishing that radioactive Polonium-210 is in cigarette smoke would be like "waking a sleeping giant."

Mutant

One tobacco company biologically engineered tobacco plants to have twice the normal level of nicotine. Talk about a mutation.

Step 1

Download the fact pack to get inspired by some ugly truths.

Download the Fact Pack

Step 2

Create your darkest, weirdest, ugliest monster, giant, mutant or undead. No need to include the actual fact, just let it inspire your art.

Step 3

Submit entry as JPG or PNG at least 2,000 pixels in shortest length.

Submit Entry

Be sure to read the Official Rules.

Read Official Rules

1st Place

$4,000 USD
Apple iPad Mini (16GB WiFi)
8,000 deviantART Points
1-Year Premium Membership

2nd Place

$2,000 USD
Apple iPad Mini (16GB WiFi)
4,000 deviantART Points
6-Month Premium Membership

3rd Place

$2,000 USD
Apple iPad Mini (16GB WiFi)
3,000 deviantART Points
6-Month Premium Membership

4th Place

$2,000 USD
Apple iPad Mini (16GB WiFi)
1,000 deviantART Points
6-Month Premium Membership

36 Semi-Finalists

3-Month Premium Membership & 1,000 deviantART Points

Rules

Entry must be received by 11:59:59 PM (PT - Los Angeles CA, USA) on June 23, 2013 and must be submitted to the Contest gallery.

The completed entry ("Work") may originate in any visual medium but must be submitted at the Contest Site as a single JPG or PNG file, at least 2,000 pixels in the shortest length.

The Work must be completely original, but may be based on any of the entrant's prior work. No stock.

Entries may be used by truth® in connection with anti-tobacco education.

Membership to www.deviantart.com (the "Contest Site") is required to enter the contest. Membership to www.deviantart.com is free.

Entrant must be at least 13 years old as of May 13, 2013 to be eligible to enter the Contest and must be a resident of the United States.

Additional terms and conditions apply. Read the official rules.

Read Official Rules carefully.

Judging

40 Semi-Finalists will be selected by full-time deviantART Staff. From the Semi-Finalists, the final four Winners will be selected by Vitaly Alexius.

All entries will be judged on the following criteria:

the fearsome ugliness of the monster, giant, mutant, or undead depicted in the Work
overall impact of the Work in communicating an aspect of the Fact Pack
technical and artistic skill

Submit Entry View Entries

Get more ugly at thetruth.com

Limited Edition truth® Artist Collective Deviant Badge

Join the truth® Artist Collective, a group of artists bringing the ugly truth about the tobacco industry to life. Click below and your avatar will appear to show everyone you’re part of the truth® Artist Collective. As a thank you, a limited edition badge will appear on your profile.

Join the truth® Artist Collective

There are currently no guestbook entries.

1,868 Comments

Joe Madueira-Do you really want to be an artist?

by *WilsonWJr, May 2, 2013, 11:30:06 AM
Journals / Art News / Resources

OnceUponASketch is a Children’s Market Blog.

Norman Grock and Wilson Williams, Jr
have come together to give insight, education and news about the many
facets of the Children’s Illustration Market. From Children’s Books to
Character Design, Storyboarding, Toys and Lic. Products. Find articles,
interviews and resources to help fuel your education and growth. Jump on
to learn more about the varied industries and what it takes to become
successful and make it in them.

Joe Madueira is a prominent comic artist, character designer and video game developer. Joe rose to prominence drawing the X-Men for Marvel comics and launching his creator owned title Battle Chasers. Joe then left comics to work in video game development and since then has ventured back into comics from time to time and will be penciling upcoming issues of Wolverine for Marvel comics.

Joe recently made a post on his Facebook fan page addressing the myriad of questions he receives from "aspiring artists" about how to make it or be great. Here he delivers his advice and wisdom to those who strive to be professional artists. This advice is well met for an artist seeking to become a professional in any field of illustration. Learn from his experiences and apply them to your own in the way that makes the most sense.

Be forewarned Joe is speaking frankly and is using more frank and "adult" language in his post.

Do you really want to be an artist? Or a successful working professional?

Believe it or not there is a difference. I’m not usually a soapbox type guy, I don’t like instructing people, and I think I’m a terrible teacher. But hey, it’s Friday and I’m in a strange mood. So here goes:

I’ve noticed that a good number of my fans happen to be aspiring artists themselves. This is for all you guys. I get asked constantly: “Where should I go to school?” “What classes should I take?” “What should I study for anatomy?” “What pencils and paper do you use?” “Should I be working digitally now instead of traditionally?” “How do I fix my poses? Learn composition? Perspective?” “When am I going to develop my own style?” “Who were your influences?” “Teach me how to draw hands!” The list goes on…

Here’s the deal. All of that stuff *is* important, and it may nudge you in the right direction. A lot of it you will discover for yourself. What works best for one person doesn’t work for another. That’s the beauty of art. It’s personal. It’s discovery. DON’T WORRY ABOUT ALL THAT CRAP!

Instead I’m going to answer the questions that you *SHOULD* be asking, but aren’t. These are things that have only recently occurred to me, after doing this for 20+ years. These things seem so obvious, but apparently they elude a lot of people, because I am surprised at how many ridiculously talented artists are ‘failing’ professionally. Or just unhappy. The beauty of what I’m about to tell you is that it doesn’t matter what field you’re in or what your art style is.

In no particular order:
1) Do what you love. If you are passionate about what you’re doing, it shows. If you’re having fun, it shows. If you’re bored, IT SHOWS. Some guys are able to work on stuff they have zero interest in, and still pull off great work, but I find that when I do this my motivation takes a huge hit. And Motivation is key. Money is not a great motivator. It’s temporary like everything else. And honestly, I’ve gotten paid the most money for some of the shittiest work I have ever done. That may sound awesome, but it’s not. And here’s why…

2) You MUST stay Excited and Motivated. Have you noticed that there are days you can’t draw a god damned thing? And some days you feel like you can draw anything? It’s 4am but you don’t notice because you are in the ZONE. Your hand is racing ahead of your mind and you can do no wrong?! Maybe it’s some new paper you got. Or a new program you’ve been wanting to try out. Or you just found some amazing shit on DeviantArt, or watched some movie that just makes you want to run straight to your board. This relates to the above because while it is possible to involve yourself in projects you aren’t excited about—maybe you need the cash, or think it will look good on your resume, whatever it is—it’s not going to last. You need to stay fresh. Expose yourself to new things. New techniques. You should be getting tired of your own shit on a fairly regular basis. Otherwise other people will.

3) Check your Ego. If you think you’re the shit, you’re already doomed. You may be really, really good at what you do, but there’s someone better. Sorry. There’s always plenty to learn, even for us old dogs. So when I meet young upstarts who have this sense of entitlement, or a know-it-all attitude, I just have to laugh. Some of the biggest egos I’ve ever witnessed were from people who have accomplished the least. Meanwhile, most guys who are supremely talented AND successful, and have EARNED the RIGHT to have an ego and throw their weight around, don’t. Why is that? It’s because…

4) Relationships are important. This may be one of the biggest lessons I’ve had to learn. Early on, I didn’t value my relationships with people. Creatively or otherwise. I felt like I didn’t need anyone’s help and I could figure everything out on my own. Let’s face it, many of us become artists because we are reclusive, social misfits. We’d rather stay inside and draw shit than go outside and play. We like to live inside our own minds. Why not?! It’s awesome in there! And sometimes we don’t want to let other people in. But like I said—you can’t do it alone. I can honestly say that as much as I try to stay current, as much as I try to push my work and draw kick ass shit that will excite people, I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for all the other people I’ve met and learned from along the way. Guys who pulled strings for me. Took risks on me. Believed I was the right guy for the job. You need to manage your relationships. You need to network, and meet people. Drawing comics is still a pretty good place for reclusive types—but if you want to work in big studios—Making games, Films, animation, basically any other type of job on the planet, you’d better start making some connections. Be likeable. Be professional. That doesn’t mean be an opportunistic ladder climber. Fake people lose in the end. Be yourself, but be professional. It’s no secret that when people are hiring, our first instinct is to bring in people we know. It’s human nature. I don’t like unknowns, even if their portfolio is awesome. If we have a mutual connection, if they have great things to say about you, you’re in. If you have AMAZING artwork to show, and I call your last employer and they tell me what a pain in the ass you are to work with, you’re done. Talent and skill only get you so far. I am literally amazed at how often I meet guys that are total assholes and think they are going to get anywhere.

5) Here’s the BIG ONE. The greatest obstacle you will ever have to overcome IS YOURSELF. And the Fear that you are creating in your own head. Stay positive. Stop defeating yourself. There are artists I know that are so damn good they make me pee my pants. I look up to these mofos. I study their shit and I want to draw like them. And they are almost NEVER working on their DREAM project. And—big surprise, they aren’t happy in their job. “Why NOT?! WTF is WRONG WITH YOU?!” is usually my reaction. And the answer is almost always “The market isn’t great right now” “Other stories/games/comics like mine don’t do very well” “The shit that’s hot right now is nothing like mine, It’s just going to fail.” “I’m not sure I’m good enough.” “I need the money.” “Too Risky.” “I tried it before and failed. ” It doesn’t matter what words they use, they are afraid for one reason or another. I know. I’ve been there.

But here’s the deal. YOU NEED TO TAKE RISKS. Guess what? YOU ARE MOST LIKELY GOING TO FAIL. If you want it—REALLY want it, that won’t stop you. You will learn A LOT. My good friend Tim constantly jokes about how I jump out of planes without a parachute and worry about the landing on the way down. You may think that I’m lucky, that it’s easy for me to say because I’m already successful, that I’m in a different situation than you all are. But it’s not true. Risk is risk, no matter what level you’re at. If you’re already successful, you just take even bigger risks. But they never go away. Everything in life is Risk vs. Reward. Not just in your career. LIFE. You’d better get used to it.

I didn’t know what the hell I was doing when I got into comics. I left the #1 selling book at the time ( Uncanny X-men ) to work on Battle Chasers during a time when ‘Conan’ was about the only fantasy comic people knew. And no one was buying it. I wanted to work in games, so I started a game company. I had NO IDEA WTF I was doing. I just wanted it, really bad. We tanked. It failed. No big surprise. But the people I worked with got hired elsewhere and rehired me. I started ANOTHER game Company. We had 4 people and a dream, and some publishers wouldn’t even meet with us, because their ‘next gen console’ teams had 90+ people on them. I literally got hung up on. “Stick to handheld games, it’s smaller, maybe you can handle that…” one MAJOR publisher told us. I don’t blame them. But we didn’t let it stop us. Thank god we didn’t listen to them. Vigil was born. Darksiders happened, AND we got to make a sequel. It stands shoulder to shoulder with the best games in the industry, and the most elite and experienced game dev studios in the world. How is that possible?!!! Hardly any of us had even worked on a console game before. I’ll be honest, I was thinking we would fail the whole time. I just didn’t care. If I had to play the odds on this one, I’d bet against us.

Why am I telling you all this shit? This is not me patting myself on the back. It’s just stuff that has somehow only dawned on me recently when it’s been staring me in the face for so long. I feel like I need to wake you guys up!!! I’ve been limiting myself. I’ve gotten afraid. I’ve taken less risks. I saw my career going places I didn’t want to go. I wasn’t happy and I wasn’t excited. And I’ve realized, that all that stuff I just talked about is the reason I am where I am today. Not because I have a manga style, or I draw cool hands, or there’s energy in my drawings, or all the other things people rattle off to me. There are other guys that do all that same shit, and do it better. And amazingly, those same guys constantly tell me “Man, I wish I could do what you are doing.” “SO DO IT!!!!!” PLEASE listen to me—because I want you guys to make it. I want to look to one of you people for inspiration some day when it’s 2am and I need to keep drawing. Stop worrying about all the other stuff—the pencils, the paper, the anatomy, all that shit. It will only get you so far. You’ve already got most of what you need. I hope this helps some people. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all the support over the years. You are all one of the greatest motivating forces in my life and my career. Sappy but true. Ok, let’s go draw some shit!!!

67 Comments

PE: Decorating Your Profile

Fri Apr 26, 2013, 3:21 PM

Community Week

Your profile page is the first thing people will see when they click on your name, so it's very important to leave a good impression! This article will provide some useful tips and tricks for both premium and non-premium members who want to convert their profile into their own, unique page. First off, some Do's and Don'ts of profile decoration:

Do:

Use dA's profile widgets-- there are lots of great options to chose from
Show off some art (that's what people are here for!)
Express your personality through colors, stamps, gifs, etc.

Don't:

Add so many images that your profile takes forever to load
Use garish or headache-inducing colors
Make text difficult to read with dark backgrounds

Master Profile Decorators

Here are some very epic deviants I've come across with mad profile decorating skills. Check out their profiles for some inspiration:

Non-Premium Widgets

While many widgets are restricted or locked for non-premium members, there are still a variety of great widgets that you can add to your profile, even without a membership.

Gallery: Featured Deviation*, Newest Deviations*
Faves: Favorites*
Prints: Wishlist*, Prints*, Featured Print*, I Just Sold...
Misc: deviantID*, Critiques*, Donate Points*, Watchers, Friends, Journal, Journal History, Webcam, Groups, Commissions

The widgets marked with a * have a text box that can be customized with thumbs, images, gifs, stamps, plz accounts, and more (all are covered later on in the journal). If you click the pencil in the right hand corner of these widgets, there will be a text box that you can fill up with all sorts of awesome decorations, even if you are a not a premium member!

Premium Widgets

(Premium Membership Required)
Along with all of the widgets mentioned above, premium members can also use the following widgets to decorate their pages. Once again, widgets marked with a * have a textbox that can be used for adding decorations.

Gallery: Gallery Folder*
Faves: Collection*
Misc: Custom*, Delicious Bookmarks*, Polls, Visitors, Twitter, Shoutbox, Forum

Please note that backgrounds cannot be added to these widgets the same way they are for the Custom widget.

Custom Box Backgrounds

(Premium Membership Required)

One of the great features that comes with a premium membership is the ability to add backgrounds to your custom boxes. Click the little pencil button to edit your custom box, and copy the following into the text area:

<div class="popup2-moremenu"><div class="floaty-boat"><br><img src="IMAGE URL HERE"/></div></div><div class="gr-box gr-genericbox"><br>TEXT HERE</div>

Background from [link] by =Gasara

Links to get started:

Custom Box Resources

(Premium Membership Required)

Now that we have our backgrounds, the next place we should visit is `CypherVisor's gallery of Custom Box Resources. Here you can get all sorts of neat resources such as content holder boxes and customizable buttons. All you have to do is copy and paste the codes into your custom box.

Fonts

Remember that you don't have to stick with the default fonts for your profile. Make your profile more interesting by using different fonts!

To change the size: <font size="#">Text</font>
To change the font: <font face="FONT">Text</font>

You can also use <h1>, <h2>, <h3>, etc. to make different headings.

More detailed guide to fonts here:

dA Font Formatting Guide by =LabLayers

Images and GIFs

To add images to your profile/journals use the following code: <img src="IMAGE URL HERE"/>

Image (not clickable):

vs. thumb (clickable):

by ~miemie-chan3

You can also link images so that they act like buttons. For example, if you want to link an image like the one above to a different page (such as your commission journal), copy and paste the following:

<a href="NEW PAGE URL"><img src="IMAGE URL HERE"/></a>

Serves as a button to go to #projecteducate

To change the size of your image size: <img src="IMAGE URL HERE" width="#" height="#">
You can change either width or height, or both:

Set only width to 200 pixels: <img src="IMAGE URL HERE" width="200">

Set both width and height to 200 pixels: <img src="IMAGE URL HERE" width="200" height="200">

Stamps

Let people know what kind of person you are by adding some stamps to your page! Just copy the thumb codes (:thumb000000000:) onto your profile/journal.

Links to get started:

Plz Decorations

There are tons of plz accounts for decorating out there, such as those that make borders like these:

These can be used on profiles, journals, and artwork descriptions by both premium and non-premium members. To use these, copy: :iconUSERNAME:

For example, the first divider can be added by typing: :iconbummy1::iconbummy2::iconbummy3:

Links to get started:

Dividers

Just copy the thumb codes (:thumb000000000:) onto your profile/journal.

Links to get started:

Groups

Looking for more resources? Check out the galleries of these two groups which focus on collecting decorations for your page!

Now go and make your profile pages shine!

Good luck, and I'd love to see how you guys decorate your pages!

134 Comments

3000 Point Giveaway

by ~Maiskittlez, 1 week, 4 days ago
Journals / Personal

If you'd like 3000 points for free, then view this journal ! uwu

So yet again, I have sooo many points, nd I can't find a way to spend them (because no one's opened for commissions), Im gonna give them away so if you'd like these 3000 points then do the following c:

1) Favorite this journal so I can enter your name in

2) Make a journal about this (linking to this journal)

3) Post a comment linking me to the journal you wrote

4) Watch me

There's no deadline set in stone yet so idk but I'll be using Random.org (this is where favring the journal comes into play) so ye c:

Good luck ;u;

1,047 Comments

Mood: Llama
Listening to: Monsters - Matchbook Romance

Ten Tips for Nature Photographers

Sat May 18, 2013, 8:00 AM

This article came about after a deviant specifically requested that we write ten clear, simple tips for Photographing Nature. Troubleshooting articles and information can be very useful, but sometimes breaking it down into manageable memorable chunks is so much easier. So without further ado please enjoy our Ten Tips for Nature Photographers!

1) Get into your environment

_{Yes, it's rhubarb. To be a true photographer, you must be at one with rhubarb.}

When we talk about photographing Nature, we don't necessarily mean wide expansive rolling landscapes. Whilst they contain any number of elements that are nature focused and made up from natural resources - Nature Photography is about getting into your environment and getting up close and personal with these elements. So think of it like you are Photographing the components that make up that beautiful landscape, or the inhabitants of those rolling hills. With this thought in mind, you need to jump into the environment you're photographing. Whether that means wading into a lake, climbing a tree (carefully!) or crouching down in the forest floor.

2) Plan your Kit

This includes clothing! If you're venturing out with the intention of photographing animals then do wear something neutral. I once had a Kingfisher land right in front of me whilst I was out with the camera. I straightened up slightly for a better angle and my bright blue top instantly gave a warning. The moment was lost! Try and pick something that will blend in nicely with the environment that you're working in. Also carefully consider your Photography kit. A Monopod is less intrusive than a tripod and takes less time to set up, position and use. So if you're able to get crisp shots with one, then take it instead of a cumbersome tripod. Also charge your batteries >< (For those sharper eyed amongst you, you'll see in the shot below, I don't take my own advice

)

3) Tilt and Swivel!

I find that my latest D-SLR is fantastic for capturing low-angle shots purely because it has that ingenious feature of a tilting and swivelling LCD. Coupled with live view and you're in tilt and swivel heaven! It's something to consider if you're looking at getting a new camera and you're seriously into nature photography.

4) Experiment with Depth of Field

A shallow depth of field is often great for focusing on something large in an expansive environment. But if you're wanting to capture tall plants in a wider, longer field then consider using a deeper depth. This is perfect for singly out a few poppies in a long stretch of bobbing flowers.

5) Check your Lens

Macro lens's can be fantastic for shooting up close with various nature beings, but also consider using it for those wider shots too. A wide-angle lens is great for capturing expanse, but a macro lens (especially the one I have which doubles up as a fantastic portrait lens) is very useful as well. Just be sure to check your auto-focal points within the camera so that you're not inadvertently capturing a blur.

6) Check your weather!

I mention this in almost every Photography article that I write, but in most D-SLR cameras you can set your white balance now to fit in well with the conditions. Do this! If you've got a dreary day you can set it to make the most of the conditions, if you've got an overly bright day you can ensure it doesn't give you too much over-exposure. Working with white balance will save your images, working against it...well. Let's not go there!

7) Post-Process...just a little

Editing your Photos isn't bad, it isn't something you should hide under your bed, or something you don't want your parents to catch you doing or even something you should do in the middle of the night because nobody will see you....Yes, you know what I'm talking about! Post-Production! Giving your shots a little boost afterwards can save them, honestly it can. In the image above, I used photoshop to enhance the greens so that they contrasted better with the blue. That's all I did, just a few minor tweaks here and there and you'll be fine!

8) Ignore Time!

Being patient, especially when waiting to capture that million pound shot of a wild animal that nobody has seen for a trillion years, is difficult. I know. I've been there. (Still waiting for the shot!!) But you need to have patience, and you need to not have one eye on the clock. Enjoy your surroundings and take some random shots here and there, you might be surprised when you get back and have a closer look.

9) Hood your lens!

Lens hoods are simple, cheap, effective things that will save your life. Probably not in an apocalypse. But more in times when you're beating yourself up because you didn't have a lens hood on. Honestly, they really are fantastic, they cut out a lot of sun glare and flare and when you're bored waiting for that awesome shot, you can have competitions to see who can roll theirs the furthest!

10) Don't be afraid...

There are things out there that scare us, that we don't want to get up close to, and that we'd rather just walk in the opposite direction of. Spiders, bugs, wasps, bees, ants...the list for many, can be endless. But if you've got the right lens, the patience and a bit of time then you can capture most things without having to get too close and risk your life...

62 Comments

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