Amazing Faces FanArt #1: Poppypraise

*Hello. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi! My name is Poppypraise, and I'm just a smalltime artist who enjoys drawing, especially fan art.


*Can you tell us how you feel when creating Fan Art and the meaning that has this type for you?

Whenever I create fan art I feel like in a way I'm somehow paying homage to the characters I'm drawing. When I see characters I like with a striking character design and personality, I sometimes get this sudden urge to draw them. I get this certain impression that only I can depict them in a way nobody else can; surely every artist must feel the same way. However, I usually don't react that way with OCs because I don't see them in action, as a result I can't really relate to them. I often have a hard time coming up with original character designs, that's why I mostly stick to fan art. However, I can create original poses and some compositions, which is all that a fan art needs. This is why I genuinely like fan art — it doesn't require for you to be completely original.


                                     

*What do you like most about the Fan Art gallery?
 
I like browsing through all the fan arts of my favorite fandoms to see how they've been drawn by other artists. Every single artist has their own unique style that's always portrayed through their drawings, so it's pretty fun and interesting to see their own take on all kinds of characters.

*I see you like to do anime/manga drawings and Fan Arts in this style. As an artist, what kind of challenges have you faced in creating these pieces?

The things that challenge me the most are trying out new things I haven't accomplished yet. For example, drawing group pieces, doing complicated backgrounds, drawing from different perspectives, etc. Each time I start a new drawing I try to tackle new concepts and elements so that I can get as much experience as I can. While I haven't achieved much of them yet I will continue to strive for consistency and my own style as I move on.


                              

*Creating a piece of art, whether it be Original Art or Fan Art in any medium, entails an amount of time and work. How long does it take you to complete a piece and what are the artistic tools that you use frequently?

Honestly, for me it depends on what I'm drawing and what I'm drawing with. When I'm doing a regular paper and pencil drawing I normally just take several hours to finish depending on the complexity. However, for digital pieces I use a Wacom Intuos tablet, and it usually takes me days upon weeks just to finish a single one, and that's only if I'm able to work on them straight. Of course, it mostly depends on the simplicity or the complexity of the drawing overall that determines how long it takes for me to complete them.

*Some people consider that Fan Art is not an original style because another person's intellectual property is used, you cannot get commercial benefit from these works (it's illegal) and supposedly it does not contribute to artistic growth. What is your opinion about it?

Honestly, I have to disagree with most of those things. Drawing fan art does not mean that you are not original and cannot become a better artist from it. I make fan art almost all the time and with every single drawing I create I've gradually grown better each and every time. It doesn't matter whether you draw fan art or something original, as long as you keep practicing you're bound to improve your abilities. As for the legality issues for making profit off of fan art, it is true that it is illegal and is copyright infringement, but you can still make occasional sales so long as it's ok with the owner of the original work. For example, in the artist alleys at conventions people seldom buy completely original content so oftentimes artists have to sell fan art-related merchandise in order to gain most of their revenue. However, making money is only allowed up to an extent. As long as you look into the copyright holders, abide by the copyright laws, and limit your sales you can avoid getting into trouble.


                          

*What advice would you give to newbie artists who want to do Fan Art or any kind of art?

I'm not exactly a professional myself, but to all the artists just starting out I'd say not to give up and just keep on doing what you want to do, no matter what happens to you along the way. Art is not something you can do easily. There will be times when you'll feel like quitting because others say you're not good enough, or you feel like you won't get anywhere at the rate you're going. However, those are all just obstacles that you need to overcome; if you work hard enough to persevere you will get through them. As long as you have a positive outlook and keep trying to make your dreams come true, as cheesy as that may sound, eventually you'll be rewarded for all of your hard work.

Hupeful Tutorials

How to: AnatomyHuman anatomy is, for sure, one of the hardest things to draw. But at the same time it's one of the most interesting things to draw, because... hey... we love making characters, and it's nice if they at least look a bit like a human being. I'm still far from perfect at drawing the human body, yet I've accumulated some very useful tips, tricks and websites.
Good exercises
Drawing from life

Drawing from life is awesome!
Look for life drawing classes in your environment, or if they're not available; ask your friends to pose for you. Go have a drink in the city when the weather is nice, and sketch people passing by. There's nowhere you learn more about human anatomy than by observing and sketching real people. There's only one downside to this; dynamic poses are tricky, as it's hard for any model to hold a difficult pose for a long time. 
And no... drawing (nearly) naked people in a drawing class isn't awkward. I Traditional to Digital: Lineart and ColorCommunity Week
Introduction
On DeviantArt it is possible to find countless pieces of art made through various artistic techniques, which fall into two main styles: Traditional Art (Collages, Sculpture, Street Art, Paintings, Drawings, Mixed Media, etc) and Digital Art ( 3-Dimensional Art, Text Art, Vector, typography, etc) plus Photography, Animations, Manga and Anime, Fan Art, among others. Today all styles are very popular on DeviantArt, especially the Traditional Art and Digital Art. All these pieces of art enjoy quality of all its elements were worked in an excellent way and that denote the great talent that has the artist who made the work.
Many other artists, some of them are starting in the world of art, admire the talent and they desire to perform such amazing pieces of art as the professional artists. This can be done but it takes time, practice and patience, but worth it . I know coloring traditionally and also how to make a digital drawing. With this tutor