February 2024 Submissions - How To Fix Your Art

[Sirma K.]

Hi. It is my first submission here and I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to get some feedback.

[JoshSchouwstra]

The cover of a short comic I'm working on

[Laurie Sawyer]

[Enni Heikura]

I really loved this prompt! I took a little bit different approach to this, because I wanted to create an image about the feeling of being trapped. Like feeling there is no way forward or back or anywhere else.

[Jeremy Ross]

I just read “Picture This” by Molly Idle based on a recommendation by fellow SVS Rabbit, and the final pages of the book provide some exercises requiring use of cut paper.

Here’s a second submission based on what I learned in the book.

[Joshua Chennault]

Been a long time since I've posted anything to SVS, and this is the first time to post for a HTFYA. This prompt was fun, and I hope to dive into the back catalog of other prompts that I didn't have the time for, since they have rather inspired me.

[Jeremy Ross]

Welcome back @Joshua-Chennault ! Looks great! Love the concept!

[Fey Realme]

Thanks @Jeremy-Ross, I remember reading that post back when you made it, and your work definitely improved from following the checklist and critiquing yourself! I wanted to make this suggestion because even with such a great tool critiquing your own work is hard, especially when you are new, and especially if your heroes stink (something that happens a lot with students, as the guys have brought up several times in the podcast).

Now that the tool is done and the guys are running monthly prompts again, I think the natural evolution of the live stream would be this sort of gentle 'Taste Training'. If the svs students were able to see a collection of artwork (the submissions) praised every month for specific strengths (if a given piece had only one strong element, or if it has most of the checklist under its belt) they would each have a stronger compass to follow because they would have an idea of what good and great look like and what resonates with them (not only a description of how 'good' works)

HTFYA is such a powerful idea, and such a powerful tool (well made, timely, etc) but I think it would be a missed opportunity if the live streams didn't evolve into something that recognized the progress of the participants to critique their own work, and thereby encourage more people to buy the course and use the tool to wrestle with their own self analysis/crit.

To think of it in that metaphor "give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life" idea--If you have a fishing lesson and three fish (crits) that you give away to the lucky participants, then people will keep coming hoping to get a fish. If you have a lot of minnows to give away as well as the three fish, and everyone who participates gets a minnow and sees the fishing lesson, then the people come for the minnows because they make good bait and they can then catch their own fish. They can now look beyond hoping for the lucky fish because they have something concrete and personal to start with and build on--a reason to wrestle with the fish of their own.

do you think that fish wrestling metaphor works in your experience of wrestling with your own critique? I know your pieces have been critiqued on htfya livestream a few times, but you also work to critique yourself as you shared in that post.

[Larue]

Tracy La Rue Hohn
Hi everyone, finished my entry with time to do my second idea as well -

[Larue]

Tracy La Rue Hohn- my second idea

[kh]

Hi everyone, hope I'm not too late...
I'm brand new to SVS and trying to build up my illustration skills after taking some years off to be a stay-at-home-mom.
Here's my entry:
Would love any feedback. TY

[Larue]

@rebeccamarie
Love it!

[Jessica Jolicoeur]

I'm hoping I can still submit mine. It's almost done. Does anyone know if there is submission deadline?

[Reb Erlik]

This is a digital study to plan a future gouache painting.

If this piece is selected for critique, I would most appreciate feedback on improving composition, lighting or especially color. Thanks!

Style inspiration is "Short story #2" by Chiara Bautista:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=733357601479235&set=a.733357588145903

[Jessica Jolicoeur]

[skeletortoise]

@AustinShurtliff

[Larue]

@Enni-Heikura
I think this would work well as an editorial piece!

[Larue]

@skeletortoise
I like you’re color palette, there is no question as to who main character is, good story building.

[Larue]

@Joshua-Chennault
I really like your color palette, character design and graphic style!

[Larue]

@Laurie-Sawyer
Cute story telling. I can hear her laughing.