Thecapturedspy (CJ)'s List of (Or Not So) Frequently Asked Questions

STILL TAKING QUESTIONS!
Because there really aren't that many on here. ;D

Much of the latter questions came from =yumix's FAQ.

Before asking me anything, please be sure to check here in case your question has already been answered before.

1) Why did you start drawing in the first place?
It wasn't until about 6th grade--Junior High school that I started brainstorming ideas for my own stories and coming up with characters along with my friends. Writing out ideas wasn't good enough, being a visual person I wanted some way for me to picture my characters, so I took up drawing as an actual hobby. Today the main reason I still draw is for me to get on paper how things look in my head. But I really enjoy making art for other people, too, so that's another reason why I draw.

2)What are your sources of inspiration?
Music plays a HUGE part in inspiring me, even though I am not and never have been a musician/played an instrument. I always listen to music while drawing.
Other artists that inspire me (here on DA) are =lone-momo (I love her uber-detailed pencil works), *NorthernBanshee (her style in general no matter what she does is just pure win), ^budgie (her style is very sohphisticated; simple and detailed at the same time, and gorgeous to look at), ~gorachi (I ADORE her painterly style and the way she uses colors), =syncaidia (her style is so fluid and very pretty and detailed) and ~peachysticks (I just love looking through her gallery and oogling at her realisms).

3)What tools do you use that aren't digital?
If I'm not using a tablet or Photoshop/GIMP, then I use regular white computer paper or sketch paper and colored pencils. I'm not picky on brand names for colored pencils, as long as it's not Rosart.
I love sketching mostly, and for that I use typical mechanical pencils (.5 or .7 mm lead).

4)What would you suggest for someone just starting out (drawing)?
I'm an art student so I am still learning, myself. But I can tell you the same things my art teachers have told me: draw from life. Practice every day, even just simple things like objects on your desk or fruit (fruit is fun). Gesture and thumbnail sketches are good too, for getting the feel and movement of a certain pose. Anatomy books help a lot.
DA also has a myriad of very helpful tutorials, I recommend checking those out!

5)Do you have any career goals?
Well, I'm currently attending the Art Institute of Phoenix, majoring in Media Arts & Animation. I'd really like to do something along the lines of concept art/character design.
I have a non-art related interest too: psychology. I've always been interested in the internal processes of the brain and how the mind works in different ways, how everyone's mind works in different ways...you know those personality quizzes? Well, those are right up my alley. x3

6) What tablet do you use to cg?
I use my (still unnamed) Wacom Graphire4 6x8.

7) How long does it take you to finish each picture?
It really depends on what media I'm using and the layout of the picture. I rarely have time to sit down and do a picture in one sitting; most pictures span over the course of a week to a month. Smaller ones take a few hours.

8)How long have you been cging?
Not that long, actually--since 2007. (I didn't learn very much about CGing until Summer 07, when my style changed a lot and I learned tons of new techniques).

9)What programs do you usually work with?
I use Photoshop 7 for my CG work. :3

10)Do you use any reference if you wanna draw this or that?
Yes, of course! I have such trouble transferring the ideas from my head onto paper, and sometimes I just need to see real life examples of what things look like. And honestly, if you're painting a sunset, for example, it's better to look up pics of actual sunsets so you're not just twiddling along and mixing colors randomly.

11)How old are you exactly?
I'm 18. (I feel embarrassed saying my age, there are so many uber-talented artists here who are a few years younger )

12)Have you studied art before?
Yeah, I've taken an art class every year of junior high and highschool plus I go to , but I only really learned anything useful in highschool classes. And my style now mostly comes from things I taught myself outside of school.

13)Can you request me ___?
No, I don't take requests anymore...Umm, I occasionally take art trades, but that's it.

14)What sort of things do you think about when coming up for a characters specific pose? (Do you think about what they are doing, or involved in, or does it just sort of come to you?)
I definitely consider what the character's personality is like before anything else. Then I try and think of what environment he or she is in at that moment, what the mood of the picture is (or what I want it to be) and the rest just kind of...comes from there. ;D