April Q&A - leave your questions here!
Added 2020-04-04 22:36:38 +0000 UTCHey!
Please leave your questions here for the April Q&A I'll be doing this month. I'm open to addressing any type of question you may have in regards to painting, design, freelance, studying, anything like that or even personal questions about how fat I've gotten recently.
Thanks!
Dave
Comments
Please, how do you texture on Photoshop? Thank you.
Anthony Azekwoh
2020-04-26 16:41:42 +0000 UTCSorry if this is too personal. How did the birthday video for Kim go?
Arcturus
2020-04-17 13:16:33 +0000 UTCHey Dave! My question is regarding taxes (VAT) when selling prints, books or originals to customers in Europe. Do you have any experience with this, and if so did you have to register for it in any European country? Thank you!
Tiago Costa
2020-04-17 06:57:19 +0000 UTCDo you have any tips on ergonomics when working with 2 monitors and a display tablet ?
Zuzanna Horaczuk
2020-04-16 17:05:07 +0000 UTCHey Dave! I'm looking to completely cut out Photoshop once my subscription is done, so I was wondering what your process would be if you were to only use Clip Studio. Do you pretty much just use photoshop for adjustment layers and painting in texture? And in your opinion, of the Photoshop features you use, how does Clip Studio's same features stack up against photoshop's? Also, I guess, what is it that Photoshop does that you like enough to switch over to it for parts of your work. Thanks man!
Morgan Adam Miller
2020-04-15 21:27:36 +0000 UTCHey Dave, you frequently talk about how much more focused you are now on your work than you used to be. Is there a shortlist of specific things that you feel like you focus on the most in your pieces, or is it more of just a general mindset of productivity so you know that you can get the job done and spend time with your family at the the end of the day?
Rauv_Art
2020-04-14 01:16:48 +0000 UTCNot sure if this has been asked, but I noticed in your videos when using Clip Studio you have a large canvas size but your brush size will only be lets say around 1 for lines and 15ish when painting larger spots. When I have a large canvas the brush is extremely small at that size and I have to use around 50+ just to get a small to medium sized brush, do you have any idea why there is such a discrepancy? Is there a brush setting that I'm missing that adjusts the numerical sizes to the canvas size? Thanks!
Cody Owens
2020-04-13 19:16:40 +0000 UTCHey Dave, I had a question about your old weekly schedules during the early years of your work. In particular, I remember always wanting to ask how you progressed to essentially spending 8+ hours towards your commissions/client work as well as studies, from such an early point in your career. Especially considering you were self-taught and motivated, I'm curious if this drive largely came from the get-go or if you had to build up habits bit by bit. I've never had issues doing this in bursts whether for a client or a personal project but the idea of achieving a similar daily output for months/a few years seems very daunting. This worries me because I feel like getting that mileage, as unhealthy as it is, will be the only way I'll be able to move from occasional work to an actually feasible career. So I guess my main question really is how did you get to the point where you felt you were putting in enough time to give yourself an honest chance.
david mull
2020-04-12 06:58:25 +0000 UTCDave, have you ever listened to Sean Price? He died a few years ago, but he was nuts. I'd recommend the J-Love mixtape.
Ian Marshall Pellerin
2020-04-11 00:43:51 +0000 UTCOh thank you!
Tobi
2020-04-10 20:04:35 +0000 UTCI actually posted up those brushes on here - https://www.patreon.com/posts/clip-studio-33719487 - feel free to download and check em out!
David Rapoza
2020-04-10 17:42:06 +0000 UTCWhere are these Japanese(?) brushes we are seeing in your videos from? lol
Tobi
2020-04-10 17:12:11 +0000 UTCI'm really sorry if this has been asked before. Is the ff6 painting going to be sold as a print or anything? Or is there anywhere you sell your work in general? I have the Steve lichman books from the Kickstarter (both of which were amazing and your team distributing them were absolutely amazing in helping me when they got sent to an old address due to my own mistake.) In short, is there somewhere I can buy some of your stuff as prints or anything and support you?
kingduck303
2020-04-10 07:27:53 +0000 UTCHere is a question, though it's not super related to art. You said you skateboarded ( I think that's not a word lol ) as a kid and probably did a bunch of other stuff, so my question is how did you know you wanted to do art instead of those other things you did as a kid for a career? Also second question now that you do art for a living do you ever wonder what you would do if you didn't do art and do you ever have urge to try and do something else professionally instead of this? It's something I'm wondering right now, I'm freelancing for around 5 years now and I don't enjoy drawing as much as I did before and I lost the motivation to improve so I'm curious on your thought on this.
Mush
2020-04-09 22:51:09 +0000 UTCMaster of Cream, at what point when starting out did you think to yourself that you´ve done enough studies to start client works? Thanks and take care!
Shozi
2020-04-09 19:49:13 +0000 UTCHi Dave! Just joined your patreon and I love it! Anyway my question: I am a full time grad student currently (not an art-related field at all). I've always loved drawing for fun and recently I have been trying to draw a lot more and I would really like to improve. However, I only have a limited amount of free time each day. Would you recommend I spend my time studying basic things such as anatomy? Or should I just keep making fan art and doing IG art challenges in the hopes that I will improve over time? I'm not sure what the best use of my time would be.
Maddie
2020-04-09 19:49:10 +0000 UTCHey Dave, thank you for all the great content you provide. Following your example, I study and try to get better at line drawing to become a better artist. Though, seeing how many people use 3D and photobashing as a stapple nowaday, I sometime fear than this kind of skillset might become more obsolete as times go. What are your thoughs on that? And do you think there is enough jobs for young illustrators, or is the industry getting saturated, as some people say? Thank you very much for all you do !
Bourgeon Milan
2020-04-09 13:17:24 +0000 UTCWhat is your best drum solo that you can play on your belly drum
Nigel Crudgington
2020-04-09 01:36:18 +0000 UTCHey Dave, this Patreon is so frekkin awesome I hope it nourishes that creative spirit we find so great about you. My question is; how many projects/jobs will you be working on in a given week including Patreon/Lichman shizz as well as paid stuff. Do clients expect you to be working on their comission everyday or can you intersperce it with other work? Cheers from Lundun to Dave n Kim x0x0
Stuart Batchelor
2020-04-08 20:46:40 +0000 UTCOh man, I hear you. Same story. I'm a 3D artist and every time I can, I draw at work. Be it in waiting times or when sometimes there's a few minutes where's nothing going on. All in all I have the same problem: I wanna draw so bad when I am at work but at home I'm tired from work and when I force myself everything that comes out is useless. I might start waking up earlier and doing my stuff at home before work.
Flo Tasser
2020-04-08 19:53:01 +0000 UTCQUESTION: You and Dan ever think about doing a mystery science theatre 3000 kinda thing? Without ridin that dick too hard, I really love when you and Dan give criticism and stylistic incite of the stuff that makes it into the mainstream. Scott Robertson has a youtube video where he basically says - you can learn how to draw on your own, but what going to a school really gives you is a "critical eye" through critic and people that know better. So thats really helpful and i appreciate when you guys do that, BUT ALSO its really funny when you guys break down the cringe.... This is like the one stop shop for cringe on many fronts, and its really cool how open you guys are. Alright ill get off that dick now thanks dog.
Nicholas Puente
2020-04-08 16:38:59 +0000 UTCHi Dave! My question is: was there ever a point where art kinda just "clicked" for you in the sense that your art fundamentals were developed enough to the point where they didn't get in the way of you creating what you wanted to create? And do you have any tips or recommendations for exercises to do to get better faster?
Louis Whitworth
2020-04-07 21:38:36 +0000 UTCHey Dave, My question is, I’m currently running into issues with doubting the lines that I put down because they don’t look like “x” or “y” which makes me erase and get into my head of the lack of confidence in drawing and understanding. I understand that the way I draw is the way I draw but I end up feeling like I’m doing something wrong because it looks “different”. How you experienced this or have any advice on the issue?
Eric Williams
2020-04-07 12:05:54 +0000 UTCHey beautiful artman. First of all, thanks for setting the Patreon, and congrats for it being so successful in such a short period :) I have a question. I'm currently working in a game studio, that pays relatively well, but that does art that doesn't really interest me. I'm looking into changing studios, maybe going freelance at some point... But I feel my creativity and energy is wasted 8 hours a day in this dayjob. When it's time to sit down and do studies or find projects to improve my portfolio... I just don't feel it. I can force it indeed, but all that comes out is utter shit. Have you ever had this problem? How did you overcome it? Maybe tape myself to the chair until the tears dry up? :) Thanks for taking the time, keep rocking.
JBZ
2020-04-07 10:18:49 +0000 UTCHey Dave, I have a pretty specific question about drawing skills acquisition (by drawing , I mean the underlying structure of a painting, not necessarily making drawings). I already work as a concept artist but I recently started doing keyframes after doing only environments for years. I want to optimize my learning of dynamic poses and drawing the human form in general. Do you have specific exercises as well as mindsets to adopt going about studying this stuff in more depth? Thanks in advance!
Alex O'Dowd
2020-04-07 02:29:47 +0000 UTCHey Dave, just wondering how you’re doing and if you have any tips on finding a style of art. Thanks!
Braulio Perez
2020-04-07 00:53:45 +0000 UTCWhat are your best tips for working as fast and efficiently as possible.
Fidel Murillo
2020-04-06 21:10:27 +0000 UTCHey Dave, big fan of your work. I'm ripping through Steve Lichman right now and its killing me its so funny! I have been drawing and painting for years but I have always stuck to traditional media. Now I am attempting to transition to digital but I am having a really hard time producing anything of quality. How did you make the leap from traditional to digital? Did it take long to get your bearings? Do you have any advice on how to make this transition smoother? I am using an intuous connected to a desktop but do you think tablets like cintiq, surface or ipad make a big difference?
Ian Storey
2020-04-06 20:17:45 +0000 UTCHey Dave, I recently watched your podcast on Art Cafe with Maciej Kuciara and in it you stated that you ping pong between PS and CSP in your work process. In the future, is there anyway that we can get short tutorial w/commentary video of this workflow and the techniques you use? Similar to the short TL:DW video you created with the 8 hr tutorial. I am really interested in how you paint in CSP.
Will
2020-04-06 19:16:49 +0000 UTCHey Dave (and Kim if you are with us again), when launching an online comic, what would you recommend would be a good starting page count? One issue worth? Few scenes? More? Thanks!
Bora_M
2020-04-06 10:47:11 +0000 UTCAnother question: finding that zen place you mentioned in the FFVI shadow painting you recently put out, did you take deliberate steps to find that space? If so, what were some things that helped you get there? (been struggling with always needing distractions while I draw/paint)
KNG TDE
2020-04-06 02:36:31 +0000 UTCAlso do you think that terada and kim jung gi skills with the marker is attainable?
Ahmed Alqirsh
2020-04-06 01:53:02 +0000 UTCHello Dave I have 2 questions i wanted to ask and if there are examples please provide them question being that is it ever too late to be an artist i decided i want to be an artist like you im in my mid 20's i spend about 12 hours everyday drawing i even skip hours of sleep to put in practice also another question of mine is that i want to really get good at anatomy and figure drawing because im aiming for manga crossover realism, what are some good exercises and what did you practice to get good at anatomy?
Ahmed Alqirsh
2020-04-06 01:38:29 +0000 UTCMy question relates to color saturation as objects go into light or shadow. I'm trying to understand how light works and if colors should become more or less saturated as they are hit with other light sources. My understanding is very limited but if a local color is hit by a complementary color light source does the color desaturate? example peach skin color hit by a blue light source usually seems to be a very desaturated blue. If the color of the light is similar to the local color is it just a slight hue change? I hope my question makes sense and looking forward to future updates! Thanks
Jeremiah Jensen
2020-04-06 00:17:25 +0000 UTCLove your Final Fantasy 6 artwork. I’m curious to know why Kefka was not incorporated into the piece. Was this just to focus on the heroes of the game? Will there be any incorporating of villains/bosses in the finished product?
Corbin
2020-04-06 00:15:08 +0000 UTCHey! Mr Delicious ;) yep that's right i remember Ruby Robert well :D Those were some good streams! Thanks for the response hearing you say my name just made the cream flow and for that I thank you not once but twice :D But in all seriousness thanks! How are you finding Denver in comparision to Boston and would you ever consider relocating in the future. Hope you're all doing well surving the madness we are living in <3
John Crossland
2020-04-05 23:48:36 +0000 UTCIs there a certain piece or point in time in your career you associate with where things finally "clicked" in terms of getting to a professional level? (Work flow, jobs, clients seeking you out got consistent?)
mrjake786
2020-04-05 23:05:40 +0000 UTCany plans for star veil?
Euan Friel
2020-04-05 22:32:01 +0000 UTCHi Dave, this patreon is awesome, learning a lot:) My question is about freelancing and pricing. If you were contacted to illustrate a comic, how would you go about pricing your page rate? I ask because I know comics in general don't usually pay very much per page, so if I priced my hourly rate I feel like it would be too high. The reason for this is because I have a hard time keeping pace with the usual "page a day" comic rate. My pace is usually pencils and inks in 3 days, which if I priced hourly would get expensive for the client. Do you have any suggestions on how to approach this, also on how to increase my speed as an artist? How are you such an efficient artist but maintain so much detail in your work? Thank you Dave!
Jeremy de la Garza
2020-04-05 21:31:37 +0000 UTCMouse trap episode?
grundalug
2020-04-05 20:06:44 +0000 UTCHi Dave, when you are working on your project what kind of computer do you use? do you use a Desktop or a Laptop? Do you experience lags working with large files with crazy dpi's? I was wondering how much is the cost of the computer that you own? I am working with a $500 laptop that i bought ... sometimes when I work in clipstudio with 300res 11x14in it lags when I use a big brush.
Senna Prahara
2020-04-05 19:56:22 +0000 UTCHow much do you charge for your Marvel comic cover jobs?
KNG TDE
2020-04-05 18:35:07 +0000 UTCIf you were cosmically forbidden from any kind of freelance or for-hire work, how would you use your current skillset to thrive? What sort of business models or projects would you pursue to moisten your audience and bank accounts?
Taylor Payton
2020-04-05 14:16:45 +0000 UTCWho/what are the top 5 influences in your aesthetic taste in visual art?
Figmenter
2020-04-05 14:04:30 +0000 UTCHow do you go about testing new digital brushes and finding ones that work the best for you? I feel like I've amassed such a big collection of them and it becomes hard to figure out how to utilize them, when to utilize them, or whether or not a brush is even a good fit for me. Any input on ways to test them out or make decisions regarding them would be appreciated.
Spollywood
2020-04-05 03:05:43 +0000 UTCAny ideas still for the Black Witch project, I wish I could at least get some print out of those incredible pieces
Colorblindraws
2020-04-05 02:37:33 +0000 UTCDave have u ever drawn/painted ur family?
Colorblindraws
2020-04-05 02:35:47 +0000 UTCHey Dave, Following your advice and Dan's on moving out of my parents house, at what point do I start stealing? I'm joking...I already steal shit. Anyways Do you have any advice on this new chapter of my life? Feels scary to live out of art. I don't much just my laptop, iPad and al this damn cream cheese. Thank you in advance. Félix <3
Félix Hinojosa
2020-04-05 01:42:23 +0000 UTCAgree with Abe, would love to see your critique and take on some submitted work. Do you have any recommended reading or exercises that helped you with turning form?
David Tenorio
2020-04-05 00:41:28 +0000 UTCI would be interested in Abe Dristig’s question also. Any plans to start another art group like Crimson Daggers?
Zack Thornhill
2020-04-05 00:34:15 +0000 UTCWhat you do is really helpful and I'm happy to be a supporter, Dave! Would you consider trying a segment where we patrons send you a piece we've made and then you either bash it to pieces or give tips on where to improve?
Abe Dristig
2020-04-04 23:22:51 +0000 UTCIt appears you made it into Magic's ranks. And you weren't fresh out of college, you clearly had the talent. What was the step, or how did you get there? What was the thing that made the difference?
Mike Linnemann
2020-04-04 22:47:52 +0000 UTCHow fat we talkin
Sven Holgersson
2020-04-04 22:43:17 +0000 UTCCan you go over your underpainting process in detail for your current FF6 piece? You mentioned in your MGS piece using photoshop and Clip. Can you explain which software you're using for each each phase in the painting process?
Jorge
2020-04-04 22:39:47 +0000 UTCIs there a recent art tool that you really like? Any recommendations?
Quazu
2020-04-04 22:38:54 +0000 UTC
