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Author: Michelle_Parker, Contributing Editor
| The single most common, and most difficult-to-answer, question that I am asked is, “How did you get started doing fantasy art?” Most of the time this is from people who want to do fantasy art themselves. I can only tell you what worked for me. Everyone is different, and my way of working and thinking may be nothing like your own. There’s no one way to go about it, but hopefully I can give a little guidance to the neophytes out there. |
| DO NOT DO THIS FOR THE MONEY
You will be disappointed. Fantasy art, as with any art, is a labor of love. Some artists are lucky enough to be able to make a living out of it. You’ve got to be Good. You’ve got to be Fast. You’ve got to be Reliable. And you’ve got to have a huge mattress full of money for when the companies you work for are none of the above in regards to paying you. And the art supplies you may need to buy, depending on the type of work you want to do, can be expensive. |
| ART IS A LOT OF WORK
In order to get better at it, you’re going to have to work at it. There are some people who are naturals, but they are probably not reading this article. Most people are going to have to have the dedication to work hard and constantly. You’re going to have to be able to push yourself through those frustrating times when nothing seems to turn out right and just keep working. This is the hardest part. |
| SHOWING YOUR WORK CAN FEEL LIKE PUTTING YOURSELF ON PUBLIC DISPLAY
Once you start producing a lot of work, you’re not going to want to keep them all to yourself. You’re going to want to share them with others. This is a great thing because constructive criticism can really help to push an artist past their problem areas. It allows them the chance to become a much better artist. However, constructive criticism isn’t the only kind of criticism out there, and it takes a strong heart to be able to learn to take even the valuable comments. If you start to do things like posting the art to the internet, display it at fantasy convention art shows, or decide to show your portfolio around in an attempt to get illustration work, you’re going to face some rejection. You need to be prepared for that. You should also be prepared to be able to decipher the difference between good criticism and bad. Consider if the point is valid or if it is trying to force your work into a pigeonhole that it does not fit into. The only way to learn the difference is to receive a lot of both kinds of criticism. |
| It's a lot of work, it can be humiliating, and it doesn’t really offer much in the way of pay. Now that you’re appropriately discouraged, let’s get down to the good stuff.
DRAW! If you want to draw fantasy art, then you first need to have some knowledge or experience with drawing. If you don't, you’re going to have to start learning the bare basics before you can do fantasy work. Since there are so many books and lessons that cover beginning drawing, I’m going to assume that you already have some drawing experience. Draw all the time. Be dedicated. You won’t be able to progress at your optimum pace if you only draw only once a week or a couple of times a month. You will need to be drawing constantly, especially in the beginning stages. They don’t have to be good drawings, or fantasy drawings, or even finished drawings, just so long as you learn from them. This will get your fingers and brain working more easily as a team. Then, you won’t spend time worrying about the way you make your marks on the paper, only what those marks mean to the finished piece. |  |
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