Personal projects (?)

How do you come up with personal project ideas? just curious, and anything is probably helpful. so far this forum is incredible!

Eric Castleman

I work on my weaknesses. Get away from the idea of impressing people with these projects, and start attacking the areas you know you have trouble with. The things I am posting I know isn't the best stuff Incan do, but if I keep doing those other things why am I here at all?
look at your current portfolio, and with the advice that SVS provides, figure out what you don't have in your portfolio. Maybe work on a project or story of some kind that has a lot of emphasis on the things you lack.
try different mediums.
consider writing your own book dummy.
take a classic story and put a new twist on it. Maybe it is just one image, or a full drawn out story with a new angle on a classic.
Pay attention to other artists, and become fans of new artists. You will find new projects to work on just by wanting to compete/mimic.

One of the things that will become evident over time as you observe the other artists here, and also keep up with Will, Lee and Jake, is that most of what they are up to are new challenges. I have only been here for 7-8 months, and in that short span of time, I have seen Will Terry explore a new art direction with his Littles project, which created his own book, as well as landed him a job illustrating a book in that style, as well as Lee White do his first kickstarter, which was successful, and in the process teach many of us the dynamics of it, and Jake Parker put out his first children's book as both the author and illustrator. You will start to pick up on the continual challenge they put on themselves, and if anything, that is the culture you should put yourself in as well.

Hope this helps.

Dulcie

Great post already from @Eric-Castleman. Not sure I can add much to that... but similarly, I also try to pick something I know I have trouble with/need to practise more for my personal projects. But to make it fun (because if it is also fun, you will enjoy it and make better work!) , I also allow myself to add things I like drawing in it too. For example, I love drawing animals but tend to avoid people...so I'm trying to think of images that have both people and animals in it.

And then also, like Eric says, looking at what's missing from my portfolio and trying to think of images to round it out better. For example, I need to do more vehicles...so I'll probably do something with a vehicle, a person and an animal soon

@Dulcie @Eric-Castleman Thanks for the reply's!!!