5. Take some time to learn the fundamentals of art and design out of the way. But spend
more time exploring than studying. Figuring things out in your own is a tremendous art force.
The difference between art and design is something you figure out with mileage and a
positive mood about it. If you ask 10 people what is the difference between art and design,
you`ll get 10 different answers. It comes down about letting go of aiming to something
specific, and aiming to a holy void, a pure presence.
6. Use pinterest and tumblr for reference, but use your real life surroundings more, odds are,
that no one but you saw the reference next door, it`s not on the internet, but it`s as close to
you to a snap of your camera. Something original and never seen before online. But don`t overdo this, it`ll become a clutch easily.
7. Don`tt forget to do your warmups if you`re drawing, your first drawing of the day is likely to
be your worst.
8. Use your knowledge of whatever you think it may help you. For a long time I neglected
what I know of graphic design to do concept art, thinking it would not matter or was a waste
of time. The results were bad, but once I remembered why I started making things in the first
place and the kind of advice I used to get from my teachers and started applying it, everyone
would say. ^^Oh my, you`ve improved so much!^^ When in reality, I had that knowledge all
along, I was only rejecting it because of someone else`s poor standards.
9. Make a folder of works you like, then steal them, replicate them, modify them, draw over,
stretch pixels into distortion, do whatever you`re feeling, by this huge amount of squeaking,
you`ll find your voice. (Just don`t post it online and claim it as your own, unless it came out
absurdly different, assume what it is, it`s practice) I did this for some time just for kicks and in
all my career, I am sorry I did not spend more time doing it. It`s the fuel for your creative
gears, and no amount of practice can compete with your inner creativity and soul, and trust
me, souls are marketable in any industry.
10. The best artist is the one that does whatever the heck they want. As someone with
background in illustration, doing whatever I felt and was going on with me often gave the
best results and thus was effortless to make. Do not feel obligated to make sterile work just
because someone else`s standards or process is different and it worked for them. As
someone who got lost in the ocean of advice professional concept artists have to offer, I now
struggle to find why I started drawing in the first place. Sure there is a fine line between
design and art, but without emotion from art and your soul, your design will lack the
empathy from any recruiter.
Check out more of Miguel`s work on the next page!!