Askbox

here's where a ton of asks go

This one's a template by stupied.

100 Questions for Artist

1.) Introduce yourself! What kind of art do you make?: Hi I'm Cobalt! Is it capitalized or not? I dunno! I'm doing everything all at once for games and larger stuff that really should have a team?????? Mostly sketches and illustrations though, since that's reasonable for one person.
2.) How long have you been making art?: On and off forever since forever. I guess I finally said screw it I will make a game uh 12-13 years ago? I've been drawing pretty much since then maybe.
3.) How many hours do you spend for each piece?: Less than 10 probably. I think it's one day (an hour or two) on sketch then another Full Work Day finishing it.
4.) Do you prefer taking your time or do you like to quickly move on to the next thing?: I have to finish it right now instantly.
5.) When do you decide a piece is finished?: Once I get to shading and start polishing little details I just figure it's time to stop.
6.) What part of the creation process do you enjoy the most?: Probably sketching, it all comes together and the parts that don't are easy to fix.
7.) What part of the creation process do you dislike the most?: Draw a line -> It doesn't connect -> ctrl+z -> Draw a line -> It doesn't connect -> ctrl+z -> Repeat forever
8.) Do you have a designated workstation or do you just work wherever?: I have a computer on my desk.
9.) Do you monetize your work or is it purely a hobby?: uhhhhhhhhhh someday?????????
10.) Where do you share your work? On social media or personal websites? Do you keep to yourself and close friends?: As far as I'm concerned all social media is myself and and handful of close friends. It's scattered and splintered all over, you know how it is.
11.) What's an aspect of your art you enjoy?: Backgrounds and mood maybe? I do ok with clothes sometimes but that might be just because it's fun rather than the result.
12.) What are things you would like to improve on?: all. helbp. I really want to get better at shapes I can just put down naturally without 999 construction you know?
13.) Are you self-taught or had formal education?: I took one elective in college once and then I look at thousands of youtube tutorials about how I do everything wrong.
14.) Do you research about old techniques or stick to newer ones?: I don't know what they are. I only know eat hot chip.
15.) What do you value more, experimentation or mastery?: Probably mastery, I always do the same stuff. In theory experimentation is better but I don't do it in meaningful ways.
16.) Do you practice drawing with your arm? What other art techniques to you practice?: I try to draw with my shoulder and elbow as much as I can. I don't know any other physical techniques or moves. I cannot perform Rohan Kishibe's inking limit break.
17.) How frequently do you do studies?: I've got so much homework to do and I get around to most of it. Once a week or so? Probably.
18.) Do you understand color theory? How'd you learn or do you want to?: I know complementary colors and contrasting colors and that's about it. I need to learn Value.
19.) Favorite color(s)?: I like the whole Cool side of the wheel basically.
20.) Are there colors you avoid? Do you think ugly colors exist?: Not really? You can make anything work. I try to not get too saturated and plasticy but that's all.
21.) Can you do perspective?: um.....................not well
22.) Do you like doing lineart? How do you go about it?: See Question 7.
23.) Do you have multiple unfinished projects? Will you ever get to finishing them?: smiling politely with a pained expression
24.) How do you start a new piece? Do you have a plan or just figure it along the way?: I need some idea and then I'll do a thumbnail. So I guess I need a plan.
25.) How do you handle art block?: get through it eventually. just have to wait.
26.) Do you listen to music or watch something while working?: Sometimes, but if I'm going for super extended periods of time I won't have headphones on or I'll get so many flavors of ear damage. My youtube recommendations are an infinite loop of the same handful of music until I search something else.
27.) When are you most motivated to create? In the morning or evening? Rainy or sunny?: I can definitely get demotivated in many weather conditions and usually want to make stuff right before bed. Usually though it's just whenever.
28.) Are your sketchbooks messy or aesthetically pleasing?: Kind of neither? I don't do a lot of physical sketches anymore but it's fairly structured to all have enough space.
29.) Do you like showing sketchbooks to others?: Sure. It doesn't turn up on camera but I pretty much put everything I draw out there.
30.) Do you have any art friends? IRL or online?: I think so? I'm never sure how much of my online relationships are friends or mutuals or what but most of them make stuff to some capacity.
31.) Do you collaborate frequently with your friends? Is there something you'd like to work on together?: I want to! Pretty much everything I want to do moving forward is going to require teams and I don't know how to do that. There's also groupdraws I'm always doing but those are more parallel than anything.
32.) Have you created art to gift to others? How do you feel about parting away from your work?: Like specifically sending something physical away? I haven't done that.
33.) Have you drawn for someone else? Like commissions or requests? Did you enjoy it?: I haven't done commissions or requests but I have drawn stuff for people before. It's fun.
34.) How's your posture?: Fine. I kinda lean in a bit since my eyes are bad so I have to keep remembering to move back.
35.) Have you ever been injured making art?: I took some nasty hits back in '24. The artfight had gone on for a while and the exhaustion finally wore away at me. I hadn't even recovered from previous years as much as I thought, so when the battle was over the accumulated damage just compounded. My arm was torn, or something like that, and I was in recovery for a long while. It took a lot of rest and stretches until it could finally heal, but even then, it never fully went back to normal. I can't draw as much as I could before, I need so many more breaks and regular stretches, changes to my setup too. Sometimes I don't know if it was worth it, but I have to hope it was.
36.) What's a medium of art you've wanted to try / currently attempting?: I keep meaning to do plush stuff. I've got most of the stuff for it.
37.) Do you prefer stylized or realistic art?: I need the style. Realism Graphics games have always been like, not repulsive but a thing I actively feel nothing about.
38.) Do you like hyper-realistic art?: Scroll back up! This is a hyper-realistic blood!!
39.) Do you like abstract art?: Sure. You get as much out of it as you put in and all that. It's fine. Looks nice sometimes.
40.) How do you feel about fine art?: I don't think I even know what fine art is. Paintings and stuff you might find in a museum are nice though, maybe I should know more about art history and that sort of thing.
41.) How do you feel about outsider art? Do you think you fall in that category?: It's so important for new stuff to enter the ecosystem. I think I'm that and then finish anything and it's the same and lacks that personality I'm like oh.
42.) Do you follow art trends?: If someone I know is doing some art meme then I guess I might hop on too. Otherwise what even are those?
43.) Do you think your art is influenced by what's currently popular?: I don't know who any of the gacha women are even if their boobs are huge. I'm playing super nintendo games.
44.) Do you compare yourself with others? Does it affect you negatively?: I do this always and it makes me fucked in the head. You should not do this thing.
45.) Your controversial art take?: Am I even in touch enough with art as a whole to have a take on any of it? Kinda wish people would cool it with the "if you like but don't repost you are literally stabbing me" thing but I do get that it's rough out there.
46.) Art related pet peeves?: Dunno if I really have any "bah why did you draw it like this" kinda stuff. Maybe something will come to mind in a month or two.
Edit: I figured one out it's when people do the animations of the ground breaking into cubes and the guy zigzags all over the place. Like ok we're all very impressed that you saw Fusion Reborn as a kid but can you make the choreography understandable too? I can't be mad since it *is* cool but that's how it is with a peeve.
47.) Who or what are your inspirations?: This is something I struggle with a little bit actually, I kind of pull inspirations from everywhere a little bit and forget about others after a while so I don't have a super clear list of art goals or anything. Kazuki Takahashi has been a fairly consistent one though. Sonic a little bit, if only on the atmosphere side of things.
48.) What's an art piece / artist you wished got more attention?: It would be nice if everyone I know could get slightly more spotlight but not so much that the evil begins to creep in. I don't know much else that's very underground unfortunately.
49.) Have you touched grass recently? Do you go out frequently or do you spend most of your time indoors?: I'll go for a walk once a day unless it sucks outside otherwise I pretty much just go out for food.
50.) Do you create art daily?: Usually? I don't think I finish anything daily but I'm always chipping away at something unless I'm super out of it.
51.) Do you take breaks from creating? How frequently?: There are times I'll take a week off if my hand is especially busted. Usually after a lot of typing.
52.) Do you set deadlines for your work?: Not really? I'm bad at rigid deadlines but I'll try to finish stuff within a certain timeframe.
53.) Do you archive your work? Do you keep old pieces?: I won't delete stuff the instant I post it, I guess. I try to store all my finished projects in one place as a backup but illustrations more or less just sit around.
54.) Are you embarrassed about your old work? Or are you indifferent about it?: It really depends. There's stuff I've made that sucks in a way that's like, ok whatever I was 16, and then there's stuff I poured so much time and effort into as a response to the most boneheaded online discourse that I would have been better off ignoring. Even recently it creeps in and I'm just like "why did I make this?". I dunno. The picture of Rio holding the ice cream is whatever I don't care about that.
55.) Do you seek out criticism? How do you handle feedback?: Occasionally when I'm really stumped on how to get better. Usually I'm fine with feedback even if I get a bit "sure fine i guess i can change it" about it.
56.) Are you harsh on your own work? Or do you love your work despite all its flaws?: I can see every flaw except the ones that are actually there and I can make up fake ones to make up for those.
57.) Do you get compliments frequently? How do you feel about them?: Kind of? Sort of? It's definitely a warm and fuzzy kind of awawa type of feeling every time but there's also a bit of, I wonder if you had to reach to come up with anything type of feeling sometimes. I do appreciate it though, it's the spark that lights my heart and soul back up for a minute.
58.) How do you feel about the rise of generative AI? Do you use it for getting ideas or references?: You do not, under any circumstances, "gotta hand it to them", *however*, I do feel a bit vindicated in not liking the super super airbrushed ultra rendered trending on artstation style now that people exclusively use this software to pump out one billion images per second of a lump of goo in the approximate shape of a 19th century cottage wife. Can't wait to find out if a machine can bore itself to death.
59.) How do you feel about tracing? What about tracing 3d models to streamline art process?: There are better ways to improve and learn but whatever, you can do that on your own time. Most complicated objects are traced in 3D I think. I did that for humans for a little but maybe don't do that.
60.) Drop your art resources!: uh i pretty much just use krita and aseprite and famitracker and renpy and rpg maker. for learning idk i just watch youtube tutorials on anatomy.
61.) Do you prefer making fanart or original content?: I draw my guys 99% of the time unless it's someone else's blorbos. Fanart really only happens if I'm out of groupdraw ideas.
62.) Do you think original content is more creative than fanart?: I guess you do literally have to invent the character and everything around them in original work but I'm not sure how you'd quantify
63.) Do you strive for originality?: I'd like to try, even if everything's already been done. I would at least like the things I do to feel like their own things and not fanfics with the serial numbers filed off, which is tough.
64.) Do you draw from imagination or heavily rely on references?: A bit of both really. I usually need to get a pose reference or character sheet for anything complex but there's basic stuff that I'll just do.
65.) Do you think using references is a crutch?: I'm still looking for it but there's an interview somewhere with ZUN, the creator of Touhou, where they ask him something like "do you think people can still be a fan of Touhou even if they don't play the games?" and he answers with something to the effect of "I can't believe you people are still asking me this question." Anyway.
66.) Do you like to make mood boards or scroll through Pinterest?: I did this once to try and figure out the aesthetic for Neon Diver Argent but man, I don't think it worked for me.
67.) Does your work have a story behind it or do you just make things that you think look neat?: Every single thing needs to blow up into an excessively ambitious story. It keeps happening.
68.) Do you think art should have a purpose?: I don't think art without a purpose even exists. Even if you're just screwing around to waste time, then that's the point.
69.) Favorite aesthetic?: Whatever The World Ends With You has going on. Pointy shapes and just random gothic background design elements, I know what era I'm from.
70.) Do you have a muse or a theme you fall back to?: You may have noticed I'm sad in an existential way. I will continue to make this obvious regardless of intent.
71.) If you could eat your art, what would it taste like?: Chalk.
72.) If your work suddenly became sentient, would it adore or hate you?: they are beating me up with hammers forever
73.) Based on previous question, can you win in a fist fight against it?: they are beating me up with hammers forever
74.) Is your art style consistent? Do you prefer making a wide variety of art?: It's fairly consistent, I don't even think it's changed or improved in most cases for years now. It's not very unique or intentional but it's my standard way of doing it, I guess.
75.) Do you revisit old concepts or sketches? Do you touch em up or leave them as is?: Sketches, not really. If I leave something unfinished it ceases to exist. Any project concept I've ever had stays in my brain forever and can come back at any moment and need to exist without any compromise. Some of the really impossible ones I'll try to strip for parts.
76.) Do you believe in talent or is it all skill?: People are absolutely shaped by their circumstances and early experiences and develop a natural proclivity to certain ways of thinking and a resistance to others so some stuff just comes easy to some people. Danganronpa isn't real though, so you do have to just put in the time and effort with whatever comes easiest to your own brain. Would it make you feel better if the world had a class of people innately superior in your chosen field so it would actually be useless to try? Give me a break.
77.) What's your favorite thing to draw / make? Do you prefer making living things or still life?: Probably backgrounds still? Like clouds and rain and cool lighting and stuff. Clothing folds are also pretty fun even though I'm not an expert. It's just really great to see something get a bit more texture. I guess I prefer living things though since I draw characters a lot more than either of those two things.
78.) Do you create your art with a specific audience in mind? Who?: I'm always thinking about an imaginary fandom that doesn't understand anything and twists things into oh so you hate waffles and I should not be doing that. These things are for the 7 or 8 mutuals who might actually play them.
79.) How do you feel about people taking inspiration from [your] work? Do you think art style theft is real?: I'm assuming this question had a "your" in it. It would be cool if that happened! The only thing fiction can accomplish in reality is giving a person inspiration in some form, so really that's the best thing I could hope for. I'm not online enough to know what art style theft is so I don't care.
80.) Do you participate in art conventions? Do you sell your work or support everyone else?: I straight up don't think art conventions even exist here. Maybe if I drove for 3 hours. I've been told I should start making art into a career somehow but I don't right now. I haven't got commissions from anyone in a while either so I'm not very supportive either oops.
81.) Are your art materials expensive? Do you hoard any tools?: I use the same tablet I bought for ?? bucks back in 2012 and I've never run out of pencil. I understand the draw of more stationery though, I might accidentally finish either of my sketchbooks in 2-3 years.
82.) Do you organize your supplies and tools systematically?: I have like two brushes I use. My tablet goes on the desk.
83.) Do you clean up after a project? Or do you just leave everything lying around till you need the space?: Sure? I've got an active projects folder I'll just move stuff from once it's done.
84.) Do you have a ritual before you start creating? Do you have a drink or some snacks?: Do you ever think about how cumbersome Ritual Summoning is for how ordinary its monsters are? Relinquished, sure, but why would I ever use Hungry Burger or Fortress Whale when I could just have a normal 6 star guy and not have a Ritual Spell clogging up my deck? Synchro Summoning really did just patch so many issues with these extra gimmicks, huh. Sorry what was the question? Pre-prep for drawing? I dunno I just drag myself to the computer when I've been goofing off for too long.
85.) How do feel about censorship in art? Where do you draw the line for inappropriate art?: Please just tag your fetish art correctly so it can be filtered appropriately. Just be honest about it, would you?
86.) Do you censor your own art? Do you feel like you leave out details for it be socially accepted?: Pumping the brakes or going less hard on certain things is different to outright censorship I think.
87.) Do you feel intimidated starting a new project?: I'm constantly stressed about surrendering another year and a half of my life to something that won't land again.
88.) Are you scared of your art regressing? Do you think it's even possible to get worse at art?: It's happened before and it'll happen again.
89.) Do you frequently make compromises for your work? Does your art come out the way you envision them?: I'm constantly making compromises to get anything out ever but it still isn't enough. It never turns out like the vision.
90.) How well do you manage your mistakes? Do you stress about them?: "You've got a typo or coloring error in your VN" -> Aaargh I do -> Fix it -> Aargh I missed a spot in an illustration too -> Well whatever it's already posted
91.) Do you make lists of things you'd like to make? Do you actually commit to them?: Yeah I have to plan out a lot of my work so I can fit it all in since I'm always juggling projects and illustrations and whatever other thing I want to do.
92.) What is your ultimate goal of your work? Like, is to tell a story, connect with others, or just to enjoy the process?: I have to get stories out there and if I could skip the process I would. But I want it to look and feel nice though is the thing.
93.) What's something you've recently worked on that you're really proud of?: That Touhou VN turned out pretty good in enough ways that I'm proud of it overall. Not as much as Drito Detective though, every part of that ruled.
94.) Do you have any dream projects? Have you started on them?: All my projects are dream projects. I've got so many Deltarunes stocked up in here. I've got so many scrapped chapter 1's and outlines and startup Bits, but at least Call of the Void is 1/3 out.
95.) Would you prefer unlimited money or unlimited time to make your projects?: With the money I can just pay a team a livable salary to get the thing out in a couple of years and move on to another project later with a team of stable and consistent employees. Now to take a big sip of water and look at what multi-million dollar game companies are up to.
96.) Why do you create art?: I have one thousand blorbos in my brain and nothing else going on.
97.) Are you happy with what you create?: kicking the ground and making a noise. i mean kinda. it's ok sometimes. i guess. some of it's cool.
98.) Do you think everyone should make art?: If you wanna. No need to force it if you don't care but if you want then just do it.
99.) What's advice you'd give to newer artists?: Find the thing you love doing and do that a lot. Compare your art with someone you admire to isolate ONE aspect to practice and study if you want to do that but ONLY use that as a direction to focus in and never make it a personal thing because it WILL poison you. That's Naoki Saito's big thing, have fun with it! Talk to other artists but try not to be too negative and hopeless about your current level because that's poison for everyone. Delete your youtube cookies when you starting that clickbait "you've been doing everything wrong forever" type of shit, it's already too late, the cookies are poisoned, you have to delete them. Have something else going on to get all the poison out.
100.) When did you finish this? How'd you feel?: It's bedtime. I can't believe I ate the whooooole thing.