Affected by Research

I've been working on a number of creatures over the past month, alongside learning how to create effective environments, figuring out how to manipulate and sculpt small models, and increasing my knowledge of composition. Separate updates will resume for each creature once a proper layout has been solidified.

However, this particular entry is to briefly remark upon how research into my own design process and work ethic aided me when I was beginning to flag and hitting something of an art block. I'd noted in essays how 'designing through play' was particularly useful, keeping sketches loose and interesting and free, but I had a day where my art began to slow, and neat lines suddenly seemed the only important thing. In the past, I would have stopped drawing until this freedom and enjoyment of art came back of its own accord, but because I recognised it as a failure to keep the idea of 'play', I took a break from my creature design and sketched freely on a new document, which greatly re-energised the creature design I returned to afterwards.

I need to retain freedom for initial sketches and only become neater for the following lineart once a design has been set, not restrict myself to neat lines from the start. Acknowledgement of this issue and providing a solution has, I feel, greatly enhanced my ability to create art.

Initial sketch for a phoenix. Very stilted and typical. Based on sketches but tried too hard to utilise all of them.

Free sketch. Consists of my and my friend's pets chasing a tennis ball, with movement and humour being the intent.

Current phoenix. Freer and looser than the last, with potential for refining.