Cojovatron In reply to leevolt [2016-10-20 15:02:31 +0000 UTC]

Your welcome. I really like that you have a very painter like style. I assume you are painting. Way too many people using digital as a medium. I was even hesitating to label one of my galleries as digital.

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leevolt In reply to Cojovatron [2016-10-20 15:07:56 +0000 UTC]

Thank you, this is a huge compliment. For my bigger pieces, I use an unholy mix of acylic painting and watercolours, but for smaller and (relatively) quicker drawings I use digital too. I hope to be a digital-traditional blender in the future, because i really like both the versatility of digital painting and the good ol' feel of traditional media. That's it.

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Cojovatron In reply to leevolt [2016-10-20 15:26:57 +0000 UTC]

I'm not trying to start an artist war on here, LOL. I hope only you can see this post. Yeah, its sad that the industry is saturated with so much digital media. I mean, I use it too, but my staple is definitely in drawing and painting with traditional mediums. I remember going to art school back in 2000 and only a handful of people were there to actually make art. 90% of the student body were there for graphic design and digital art. I mean they could not draw or paint to save their life. Yet they are out here getting paid and in many cases finding someone else to draw for them. So, I struggled with this for a long time. Had to determine what exactly I wanted to do with my life and my art. I chose to keep my dignity. I mean, to each their own, but people like you really stand out to me. You are very developed in your approach. So are you currently a student? How long have you been painting?

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leevolt In reply to Cojovatron [2016-10-20 17:49:06 +0000 UTC]

Since I live in Italy there's still lots of respect for traditional art here (even too much sometimes... just between us, I've been visiting some Art Academies last year to decide where to go, but I always found the same stuff... study from living model, oil painting, "artsy" abstract things... nothing tooo interesting) but yeah, I understand. The last thing I'd like to bump into is an art war here on Deviantart, so much respect for digital art and for traditional too, peace and love, and farewell. But really, there are people who actually work in the graphic environment and still aren't able to draw properly? Wtf?

To answer your question, right now I'm a student/wannabe illustrator, so I'm in that phase when I have to decide what's better to use and to develop considering the time I spend, the cost of the material, etc etc... and it's not that easy to decide!
Anyway, illustration is the job I'd love to do the most, because I've been drawing since I was born, more or less. I think I had an anormous luck, because even when I was only able to doodle with markers just like every children is, my mother and father always encouraged me. I think it's everything I can say about my technique evolution XD
Later, I went on an "art" High School (depending on the country you live on, they have different names, but mine was "Liceo Artistico") which is a totally normal high school, but it has a few artistic sucjects, and I enjoyed it a lot. Then this summer I went to some summer illustration classes on my own, and here we are now.
About my current artworks, they're almost all about a "story" (I'd better say mess) I'm working on for a long time. I hope you'll like it.
Anyway, it's a pleasure to chat with you. What about you? Repeating your question, are you currently an art student?

Also, forgive me if I make any grammar mistakes. I'm still learning English, so please, if you see any error feel free to correct me. Or not.

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Cojovatron In reply to leevolt [2016-10-24 11:32:57 +0000 UTC]

Great reply. One sentence replies really annoy me. LOL. That's interesting that you are from the European mix of things. I am 37 years old and will always be a student of the arts. I grew up and still live on the East Coast of the U.S. My upbringing greatly lacked any Arts support. Art High Schools is something I always wanted to attend, but there are none close to me.  I have dabbled with many areas, nothing too professional. I have experience with lots of traditional mediums. Self taught mostly, since the age of 4 also. In high school, I took advantage of all the art and tech drawing classes that they had. Afterwards I discovered airbrushing, graphic design and screen printing. I Studied a couple years of Fine Art and Graphic Design in college, but soon after life caught up with me and was forced to seek "real jobs" hahaha. I studied tattooing for the last few years. I also have some "stories" that a lot of my work relates to. Don't give up these "stories". That's what will make your work more original and personal to you. Another critique that I have when looking at other peoples portfolios is that I see a lot of work that reflects "popular" culture. For example, you can tell the difference between artistic people who are simply mimicking from those who are creating. I don't enjoy looking at someone's interpretation of Spiderman or Wolverine. You know? I want to see original concepts. That's just my opinion. Oh, yes your grammar is pretty good.

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leevolt In reply to Cojovatron [2016-10-26 16:10:42 +0000 UTC]

Thank you. I think the same about original concepts... the problem is that sometimes, people just wants to feel comfortable with your works. There is the need to recognize a sort of style or meaning that can be understood by everyone. I wonder sometimes if my drawings can make people feel uneasy, they probably can! This can bother when you're talking about large groups of people following you, but hey! I'm still a little student! I don't need to make things EVERYONE knows and loves! And this comes even more true when you're more popular, I guess, when people will feel more confident about WHO exactly you are.
That's my thought. The good thing is that I can always make fanarts or interpretations of "pop" arguments if I want to. The important thing is not to let them be the totality of my artworks.

Another thing worth saying is this: to make original concepts you need to create original stories, or thoughts, or characters. Not everyone wants to spend their time thinking about their current mental world. We need to be a bit crazy
Anyway, the more I chat with people, the more I discover that LOTS of them have in their mind a story, a fictional world, or just a bunch of original and freshly fresh characters. A good thing about Deviantart is that I've never seen everyone badly judged for the choice of letting their stories grow.

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Cojovatron In reply to leevolt [2016-10-28 20:59:21 +0000 UTC]

Hello, hope you are doing well. I don't know where to start. Lets see. Well, I came back to DA, because I'm looking for a new sort of community. This is a place for artists by artists. DA does have its filtering censors and mature rating scales, which really lifts my spirits. I have become extremely bothered by Facebook. Most of the people are posting and reposting garbage all day long and only a hand full are able to enjoy good art. The only thing about DA is that I have noticed there are a lot of really young, under 18, people on here, so I don't want to do or say something that might other words destroy them. Not that I'm looking to disrespect anyone, but most people don't understand Critique. This can make or break even the best art students. I've seen it happen. I even battled through years of doubting myself and my skill, only to develop an extremely thickened skin. This website really does have a lot going on for artists. I'm still learning how to navigate. There are communities, critiques, etc. I guess I'm just touching on several topics. The part about being crazy. LOL. Hahaha. Well, its true, the real artists of the world are in fact partly crazy. That's just the way it is. Without artists, the world would have no vision. Everyone would see in black and white. I know that, for a very long time in my life, I was afraid to push the boundaries. Even now, I hesitate pushing boundaries, but deep inside I know this must be done. You do have to be careful, assess your life and current situations, because pushing certain boundaries can have very negative effects on you personally, as well as the people in your life. Nonetheless, your art will shine bright.

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leevolt In reply to Cojovatron [2016-10-29 17:50:00 +0000 UTC]

The strange thing is that i just joined facebook for the Character Design Challenge. Boh. I hope to find something good there, expecially since I'm not the best in socializing.
I feel a little uneasy there... it's cold.

About boundaries... I still have to figure out mine. I'm so confused!
Anyway, I really like to chat with you. It's always satisfying to read a deep answer to your comments.

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Cojovatron In reply to leevolt [2016-11-01 17:35:00 +0000 UTC]

Did you receive my last reply, in response to:

"The strange thing is that i just joined facebook for the Character Design Challenge. Boh. I hope to find something good there, expecially since I'm not the best in socializing.
I feel a little uneasy there... it's cold.

About boundaries... I still have to figure out mine. I'm so confused!
Anyway, I really like to chat with you. It's always satisfying to read a deep answer to your comments."

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leevolt In reply to Cojovatron [2016-11-01 20:41:17 +0000 UTC]

yes, I received it, dear. These days I've been very busy, forgive me :3

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Cojovatron In reply to leevolt [2016-10-30 13:10:07 +0000 UTC]

I appreciate it. I'm enjoying this chat very much also. I am also very socially awkward. I spent some years in my past as anti social and figuring myself out. Still, friends and family don't understand me. They say they do, but don't know how to have an intelligent conversation without becoming offended by me, yet I have to endure and swallow every time they choose to criticize me and judge. My brother for example. I currently live in my parents house for the 6th time since turning 18. I am now 37. So you can imagine. Weeks will go by before my father and I exchange a few words.

As far as FB. Well, that's just a whole other realm. It has really nice features. You can reconnect with people from the past, without being too invasive. Still, you might find out some people don't accept requests. So they never really liked you anyway. Some people accept or send requests, but never want to reply to your messages. So I don't know. Some people will un friend you, due to something you post. Just don't take it to heart. We are artists and FB has artist venues on many levels, but its still filled with pre-biased and very judge mental people.

So I started exploring other artists here on DA and I have indeed come across some comment forums on various profiles that clearly display other people expressing hatred and criticism. Of course, the artist themselves are producing some very high end pieces. Art that promotes religion, politics, society, cultures, etc. This is the stuff I love to see. As an artist, it fuels my drive to create more complex pieces. You are very skilled in your approach to your painting. Don't let go of the stories in you mind, but learn how to develop other stories. You can either combine your current painting style to express certain statements, but you can also develop a different painting style to express other statements. Maybe using a different medium for that new style as well. Black and white, monochromatic, graphite. You have a great eye for detail, so maybe using the camera as a medium. You can set up props, décor, models, social situations for example.

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leevolt In reply to Cojovatron [2016-11-01 21:10:28 +0000 UTC]

Oh, I'm sorry for you... it's a terrible thing to live among people who like judging others. I've been very lucky, because currently in my family there's no harsh criticism for anyone, and we're keeping distance from our judge mental relatives. It surely helps to be more positive! Still, talking is not easy, expecially with people who can't perfectly understand me. I mean, I there are people who think it's funny to criticize someone who's trying to get a "different" job. I'm constantly battling with relatives who say "Why don't you go to an University? You were the first of the class, don't you think you're throwing away your life?" Or even worse: "So, what are you doing? Uh? drawings? Niiiiiice" (You have to know that here in Italy the word "drawing", or "disegno" can be used as a synonim of "doodle" or "child's drawing". Very unpleasant)
People should really calm down and stop judging, because -personally- when I judge someone (and it happens more often than I think) I feel like shit, and probably the other person would feel like shit too if they could hear me.

And, of course, which place is better than facebook for judging and being judged?
...thanks god my personal profile is a joke. Having only my illustration page to manage makes facebook way more acceptable for me. I mean, it's fun browsing interesting or humour facebook pages for half an hour, but then I feel dead inside.

To try to reply to your last paragraph, heh... Me and my boyfriend (he studies phylosophy at University and it's very interesting to talk with him) often chat about the meaning of our works. Illustration and story-telling for me, studying phylosophy for him. Personally, the artworks and the books I love the most are those that don't express a moral of some sort. They can have it, but they're not "made of" the moral. I don't know if I'm understandable talking about this in English, but I'll try my best:
When you see some artworks (ther's plenty of them on Deviantart) which CLEARLY expresses a moral or a statement, it doesn't mean they're bad. It can be a good moral, and the symbols used to show it on the artwork may be masterfully used. Despite this, when the message of the artwork is splatted onto my face, I think it loses all its charm. You know the movie Babadook? I thought it was great. But the way in which, at the end, everything becomes so obviously symbolic makes me stop looking for a personal meaning on that story, because they've already given me the "true" meaning.
I think an artwork or a story is very good when you can interpretate it your way and noone can have a more reliable "key" to the meaning than others.
That said, I have "other" stories, but strangely all of them are linked to the main story I'm working on, and I still have to find a meaning for that, but I know there is one.

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Cojovatron In reply to leevolt [2016-11-06 12:23:40 +0000 UTC]

Hey. Well keep up the great work. I understand the notion of subtlety, but for some art work, you really do have to expose it for what it is. Mostly religious and political stuff. The stuff you are doing, you could really hide lots of subliminal messaging within. Therefore the viewer can read it like a book.

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Cojovatron In reply to BlackSpiralDancer1 [2016-10-10 13:25:11 +0000 UTC]

Likewise. Keep up the good work.

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BlackSpiralDancer1 In reply to Cojovatron [2016-10-10 14:51:10 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

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Cojovatron In reply to sdbillustrations [2016-10-07 15:01:07 +0000 UTC]

Thank you. You too. I don't know if my comment went through, my internet had a hiccup. I love your usage of foreground and background. I'm working on some pieces that focus on that in a similar fashion.

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sdbillustrations In reply to Cojovatron [2016-10-07 17:25:22 +0000 UTC]

Thank you really appreciate it, I look forward to see those pieces when you submit them

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