I need some serious advice

[Anfani]

Aloha people!

I am not sure where to ask about this, so I will just try it here and hope for the best:
I need some serious advice in regards of my art and the exposure it gets. I dont really gain a lot of liking, usually when I post stuff on FA I get like... 3-5 Favourites and usually no comments. I also use Telegram and am featured in some marketplace groups where you can advertise your stuff and usually, people also dont react to those posts as well; even if the pricing is very low, like 5-10€.
Not that I want to brag about it too much... since you are supposed to just to what you like and not to be popular or something, but I just dont... get it.
I want to understand why that is, because if there is something majorly wrong with my art, I want to know what it is so I can improve. But I dont know if there is, people did not point out some major flaws yet, so I thought I might ask:
In case you are wondering, here is my FA gallery

I really hope someone is able to tell me what the problem is, yes I am using tags, yes I even try to interact with other people and yes I know I need to study the anatomy of real humans/animals and I will do that in the future, but is there anything else? Is my style maybe to bland or boring? Do I need to improve certain stuff like my expressions, my lineart, my colouring/shading?

Really, I dont get why people just dont see my art, I never thought of it as it being too bad or anything, but of course I still might be wrong /:
Thanks already in advance whoever read until here! <3 Have a nice day/night and thanks again ^^
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[Connor J. Coyote]

Hmm.... there was someone on here who recently had similar concerns, on a similar kind of thread such as yours - that you're posting about here.... (and, it was a similar kind of topic - about artwork, likes, exposure, and stuff), seen here: https://forums.furaffinity.net/threads/engagement-on-fa-main-site.1674023/

and so.... perhaps the postings on there may give you some insights with own situation? I dunno..... just throwing that out there for you. ☺ Because, when I saw your thread title - it was this other thread that I thought about.

But... here's my answer to that one.... (if helpful).

For me - I'd suggest just tagging your stuff right - in a manner that will attract the most audience; (if attention and more views is what you crave)..... and in that regard - (even though your postings aren't on the front page very long) - those interested in the subjects you present in your art will still find your creations (when they search for those particular keywords).

As a general rule, (based on my past experiences) I can tell you that visitors (to this website here, in particular) do scroll through - and view postings well beyond just the first 2 or 3 pages, (of recent submissions)..... and so, even though you may not be "front and center" up there for very long, many people will still see your stuff; and - it'll largely depend on whether there's interest in the subject matter that your presenting; and not so much on the quality of the artwork itself, (on whether you receive any engagement on it or not).

And so, if you find that your postings aren't getting many "bites" from the local viewers - then, it may be due to not having adequate tags on them, or it could be - (dare I say) - simply a lack of interest (on the part of the audience) in the subject matter that your presenting at that time, *perhaps*. (I'm just speculating there).

But, in any case - it's always *a good idea* also, to diversify where you post your stuff - (if you haven't already); (and you can do this by posting in many other artwork-focused websites and communities).... and that way there - it *might help* in giving you more exposure also.

 

[ConorHyena]

It helps if you cultivate a cult following - e.g. start investing in, like, an art community centered around yourself, with people who have bought from you in the past, etc. Just waiting for success on FA is not an ideal method.

 

[Anfani]

Hmm.... there was someone on here who recently had similar concerns, on a similar kind of thread such as yours - that you're posting about here.... (and, it was a similar kind of topic - about artwork, likes, exposure, and stuff), seen here: https://forums.furaffinity.net/threads/engagement-on-fa-main-site.1674023/

and so.... perhaps the postings on there may give you some insights with own situation? I dunno..... just throwing that out there for you. ☺ Because, when I saw your thread title - it was this other thread that I thought about.

But... here's my answer to that one.... (if helpful).

Yea I know that tags are very important, but even when I tag my stuff right (aka the species name, gender, if nsfw tagging some stuff in regards of that...) but maybe I am still just using the wrong stuff for it? I am not entirely sure

 

[Anfani]

It helps if you cultivate a cult following - e.g. start investing in, like, an art community centered around yourself, with people who have bought from you in the past, etc. Just waiting for success on FA is not an ideal method.

How do you think is this possible? I do have some people that come back from time to time to get stuff commissioned, but other than that, I dont really know how to build up a following /: if you have a more concrete advice to that, I'd love to hear that!

 

[BadRoy]

Hullo. Your artwork does show promise and you've clearly got some experience under your belt which is good.

What I notice first when I look at your artwork is a focus problem. IE: Much of the completed pieces are excessively detailed to the point that they are confusing to look at. This Amaterasu pic for example has way, way too much going on to the point where I almost couldn't tell who it was by the thumbnail. The lines aren't bad, but the highly contrasty shading, the flames, and the constellations make the whole thing oppressive. The contrasty shading seems to be the biggest recurring issue for you. That aside, as you said, anatomy study never hurts.

Most importantly: Don't worry about the numbers.
Unless you're living commission-to-commission, or you're only in this for the attention the online accolades should be the last thing on your mind. It's a distraction. Focus on making art that you want to see and making it as good as possible. When you reach a certain amount of skill people should eventually take notice. It doesn't always happen that way, and it might take a while, but again as long as you're making the art that you want to make, what's the problem?

All of that said it doesn't hurt to throw a risque fanart pic of the latest trendy character (Loona, Rivet, etc) out there once a month to help get eyes on you.

 

[ConorHyena]

How do you think is this possible? I do have some people that come back from time to time to get stuff commissioned, but other than that, I dont really know how to build up a following /: if you have a more concrete advice to that, I'd love to hear that!

It's essentially just community building. On a discord or something similar.

 

[Yudran]

I wish I knew, at least when it comes to SFW art. My plan is to make a living out of my art, but my numbers are way too low so I don't think I should open commissions. I have contacted a few other artists to ask for advice and trying a few things, but this will take time: I've never used social media before, just joined twitter, don't have a professional presence on facebook, so I'll have to work on that.
I am also rather clueless about why some paintings get traction and not others. I joined deviantart last month and the second picture I posted there (just an environmental landscape) got like 50+ favs in one day. I had no watchers, had just arrived: I have no idea how it got traction, and thought for a moment "oh, well, it will be easy to create an audience!".
Nope, for weeks I remained unnoticed. And same with furaffinity: something that might work in there will go unnoticed on DA and vice versa.
I believe environments work better on DA, while portraits and characters work better on FA, but I am still unsure. I haven't done fanart yet, though I should give it a try.
In the meantime, I'll just continue producing and posting: at least I'm practicing.

 

[LameFox]

I would say that with your art itself probably the weakest point is that the value grouping is pretty bad when you illustrate a full scene.

The colours also look a bit over literal in a 'grass green, sky blue, wood brown' kind of way, like you're picking ones you associate with the object you are painting that don't necessarily come together well into a coherent palette (starting with limited palettes to pick from might help get used to this).

Your shading in some cases is also very messy, like you didn't really know where to put the shadows and so they have soft edges and lots of brush strokes noodled in, and just kinda vaguely hang out below the form that cast them without really trying to represent it. e.g. I am looking at a scene with two characters in it illuminated by a candle and yet their shadows fall at their feet like there's a ceiling light, meanwhile the wall near the ceiling is dark even around the candle, and though they appear between the candle and the door they don't appear to be casting shadow on it (their shadow on the floor reaches the door but the door in that area is lit). The door itself has dark shadows in slightly inset areas that are still facing the light source, and a kind of vignette around its edge that does not appear to fit the characters or anything else that I can see. The painting on the wall also has a seemingly shadowed edge that, as far as I can tell, has a clear line of sight to the candle and is quite close to it. I don't think there's any real shortcut to this you just need to know the forms you're casting shadows from and be aware of where & why you place the shadows.

Can't really comment on the marketing side as I simply don't do it myself. You seem active enough though and the semi-lined style you use is pretty popular with furries so I think if you work on it a bit it'll probably go over fairly well.

 

[How2101]

Howdy!

This may be just a nitpick, but I checked your profile, and the link to your deviantart page doesn’t seem to work. Given that you say your other info is there, that link not working may be turning some people off.

It may help to list whether or not you’re open for commissions in your bio, as well as providing the best way to contact you and keeping links up to date.

Some other thoughts:

How often do you post/make new art? The art in your gallery seem like they’re a bit apart.

Art-wise, they really great! I think your canine muzzles may be a bit too long and skinny in general.
I hope this helps!

 

[How2101]

How do you think is this possible? I do have some people that come back from time to time to get stuff commissioned, but other than that, I dont really know how to build up a following /: if you have a more concrete advice to that, I'd love to hear that!

Just my thoughts, but There can be a few possible ways:

- develop a unique, positive style that helps your art stand out

- socialize! Develop good relationships with others and make friends. Network with other artists and help each other.

- build a story or world with lore that can draw people in. Creating a world, characters, or species that’s interesting and fun to interact with gives your art a ton more appeal than simply offering generic commissions.

I hope this can help you! Let me know if you have any questions ^^

 

[Yudran]

I'll add two other things to my previous post (because I realize I didn't really help out, other than rambling about myself: apologies)

Just one thought that occurred to me: I'm not sure to what extend it would be useful, that whole building a presence online/social media is not my thing. What if you asked your watchers what are their favorite pieces you have created (the number of favs/views could be a better indicator), why they started following you? Of those pieces they choose, then check which ones you really enjoyed creating the most, and reiterate the experience: create a similar one and see if it gets some traction. If it does, you could create a niche out of it.

As for your current skills, I am very bad at giving critiques, and your style is quite different from mine: I think everyone else already gave you good advises on what to work on. Something you could do is check the work of artists you admire and who have a similar style: if you want to reach their level, compare your work with theirs and see what you should practice. Don't set the bar to high, because it is easy to be underwhelmed: it can be hard to juggle between personal projects and drawing exercises to improve.
You can set for yourself a certain practice time per week, and certain goals per week: this week only work on hands, this week only on anatomy, this week only composition, etc. But always give yourself time to work on personal projects and have fun drawing as well.

 

[Connor J. Coyote]

Yea I know that tags are very important, but even when I tag my stuff right (aka the species name, gender, if nsfw tagging some stuff in regards of that...) but maybe I am still just using the wrong stuff for it? I am not entirely sure

Well.... honestly - if you don't know the right tags, then... none of us will really know either.

And so, perhaps - you can try to "look around" at other people's stuff, and then (based on that) gauge - whether or not the tags for *your stuff* that might be similar (content wise) - matches up right (or not) with their's..... and if not, then - some adjustments there could be done..... and this *might* be a way to get a good idea..... (I'm thinking)..... if tagging is the issue.

Tagging the right way may help.... but, then again - it doesn't necessarily mean that it'll get more likes, or whatever..... and so trying other methods as well as this - might be in the cards later... if this doesn't work.

 

[BadRoy]

Just my thoughts, but There can be a few possible ways:

- develop a unique, positive style that helps your art stand out

- socialize! Develop good relationships with others and make friends. Network with other artists and help each other.

- build a story or world with lore that can draw people in. Creating a world, characters, or species that’s interesting and fun to interact with gives your art a ton more appeal than simply offering generic commissions.

I hope this can help you! Let me know if you have any questions ^^

Can confirm socializing definitely helps. Try to ingratiate yourself with artists you like and who seem open to talking shop. You can work yourself into a kind of 'I promote you, you promote me' arrangement.

 

[Fallowfox]

Unless you are trying to support yourself economically with commissions, worrying about online popularity may be more trouble than it is worth, and it is important to remember that we don't need online strangers' validation to make producing art worthwhile.

 

[SLCMedia]

First things first is to really evaluate if your end goal actually involves getting popular. What I mean by that is that you may want to shift your focus from gaining exposure to something like networking and marketing if, for example, your actual end goal is to make more money off of your art.

But since we're talking about exposure, I think a good long-term play for that involves creating consistent stories, worlds, characters, etc. that you express through your art. Your art is pretty good, IMO, and no doubt your skills will improve with time, so one thing you can do is give people something else to latch onto besides just your artstyle and quality. That's where your character building, storytelling, and worldbuilding come in.

Also worth doing is going through your watchlist and asking yourself why you're watching the artists you're watching. No doubt there are at least a few artists you're watching that you could learn a thing or two from if you give that some thought.

 

[Judge Spear]

I wouldn't call you adept or masterful, but youre at a point where you can generally realize a concept and make a presentable, mostly legible composition.

Fanart.
Best thing in the world for a furry artist.