Bad Art Is Better Than Boring Art

#arttalk #artvlog2022 #boringart #artcareer #canadianartist
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Common topics discussed on my channel:
- Managing the emotional ups and downs of being a professional artist
- Finding artistic style and finding ideal career path
- art vlogs with other known art youtubers
- personal struggles with being an artist
- artistic motivation
- social media advice for artists
- overcoming artistic procrastination
- unique professional artistic skills
- artistic skill development
- professional artistic training
- private art schools
- online art mentorships
- emotional advice for artists
- common art career mistakes
- finding artistic confidence
- maximizing artistic growth
just to name a few...
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Equipment used to produce this video:
Audio equipment:
- Art Talk mic: Shure SM7B
- Product & Book review mic: RODE NTG5
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- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Adobe Audition
- Adobe After Effects
- Screenrecording: Techsmith Snagit
Digital Painting Equipment & Software
- Adobe Photoshop
- Cintiq 27QHD
Logo Stings: Evanto Market
Unique Fonts: Creative Market
Transition & Effects: MotionVFX

[@5ive748]

For a period in my life, I was severely depressed. I was bored of life, bored of art, bored of what i produce. I keep having this urge to produce something, anything, but i still couldn't draw anything "good". Eventually I said fuck it and just drew whatever I wanted, whether it made sense or not, and made something different. Something that my art teacher would look at and say it's "ugly". But it majorly inspired me to start drawing again. It's pure raw emotions splattered on a canvas. Ugly or not, the pieces I made MADE ME feel something. It's precious to **me** and I think that's what art is. It's about expressing emotions visually. It's about telling a story.

[@Diego-Designs]

An art teacher that says an art piece is "ugly" shouldn't be teaching. You do you, if others can't understand your pieces than so be it. You do what speaks to you and what makes you happy.

[@crombajaa]

@@Diego-Designs Well, everyone should not and will not understand every art. Something that looks artistic to you might seem like trash to me. Something that I find artistic might seem like trash to you. Probably the word "ugly" should not have been used there. Art is meant to be art..to explore... But when learning "ugly art" may or may not be a fit word to use depending on the type and context of art. And that must not be taken into account and say anybody who says it's wrong is a bad teacher! A teacher's path is to guide through all this. If you take the "Everything I do is beautiful " way will only lead to.. let's say bad behavior and it will spill into all parts of life!

[@Diego-Designs]

@@crombajaa well you're right. Saying that everything is beautiful is kind of like getting a participation trophy. I remember when I presented my 1st portrait in high school, I was shredded to pieces by my classmates. At least that pushed me to become better.

[@ebebebeb7283]

@@Diego-Designs also constructive criticism is better than worthless insults

[@nightmare3711]

This is pretty much my exact story. I recently decided to just do art of whatever, wherever, whenever and I have been much happier with myself because of it. The stupid random drawings aren't anything I get overly attached to, but they make me laugh when I make something strange and unexpected.

[@Ceronia]

You can see this verywell in manga/ webcomics. A funny, unique story, even with child like drawing is still a better entertainment than a well drawn ones but with subpar mediocre story.

[@littleripper312]

I've been noticing that as well. There are comics on Webtoons or Tapas that are not from amateurs but from studios that are boring and then there are amateur comics that are poorly drawn but have a great story. The amateurs often have talent but just lack the skill which can come with time. These studios probably have a team of people working on them pumping out tons of comics that are more cookie cutter boring stuff. Story is the most important part and the art is just a nice extra for me.

[@snakeysstyle783]

As a comic creator I’ve definitely noticed this too

[@danielrko9895]

one punch man comes to mind

[@veggsbacon1891]

I'm gonna brutally honest and I don't care if I offend someone: I'm sick and tired of seeing an abundant amount of romance comics (webtoons, tapas, etc), specifically slice-of-life and BL stuff. It's mostly the same, even if they may have some differences. What's wrong with making stories that the characters HAPPENS to be gay BUT they're still *characters* going through things in a wacky story? It's like a bunch of furry comics mostly exist for soft-core pron (coughdeviantartspit). Like sheesh people, if y'all wanna draw pron, go do that!

[@Moo-uw4kx]

Also devianart is like half super good art and cool ocs and half pron from hell with the weirdest kinks ever (like the amount of vore and diapers on this website is beyond concerning) so idk if it’s a good reference 🥴

[@hades5436]

I listened to this whole video on the verge of crying, and that's your magic, Adam. Not because I was sad, but because I just uploaded some art that felt was amazing and spectacular etc... and I just saw it flop on social media. And listening to you was like you saying to me "dude, don't even worry about it. yeah, it is a rad lich with some cool effects, but the important thing is that you learned from it, enjoyed it and YOU like it."

[@SwitchbackCh]

You never know if ONE person looked at your work and loved it, and that person starts making art and grows up to be the next Miyazaki, all because they were inspired by an artwork of yours they saw as a young child. It's a ripple effect that no one can predict, so why worry about it at all, right?

[@solaris5757]

The problem with social media for artists is that social media follows the rules of society, not the rules of art. The don't see art, they see content. For art there is art

[@PixelatedFear]

I had a similar experience recently. I made some fanart for a game I like, spent a lot of time on it tweaking little things about it to make sure the details are how I want them, colored it, shaded it (first time shading btw). I worked really hard on it and I thought it looked really good. I really, really like what I made and felt it was the best piece I had made. I thought "The community will like this. I'll share it." I posted it to the game's subreddit and they all hated it. I'm not a good artist by any means, but for people to not just ignore but actively go out of their way to downvote my art I worked hard on hurt really bad. I felt like I wasted my time (I'm very slow at art and it takes me a month to finish anything), and I took a little break from art because I felt like there wasn't a point to making art anymore because everyone else can do what I'm trying to do but better. I'm over it now. I still like what I made a lot, and I've learned to accept that my opinion on my art is what matters most. Even if I'm a terrible artist, that means I can only really improve from where I am at the moment. Sure, it hurts knowing that people think I'm an artist on the same level as Chris Chan, but that also means they think I have the potential to become a lot better than I currently am.

[@paperpostcard4994]

I had always pondered about 'the highly advanced art' vs 'the memorable one'. I had two friends which I met when I go to art college. The first friend, A, had the most advanced technique in portrait painting and drawing and I as an amateur back then is always drawn to his art. My other friend, B, is also really good at doing portraits but his style is just, refreshing. The more I learnt art myself, the more I realize that I'm more attracted to B's art works. It just look so free, flexible, but also pleasing to the eye. Whereas the A art is too 'strict', confining only to precise linearts, precise brushstrokes. And when I heard you said something about being memorable, it just clicked on me. A's artwork, I just never really bothered with it. I easily forgot it. When someone asked about A's artstyle, my response is basically "yeah, it's cool". But for B, I could just say a lot about the work, the brush strokes are amazing, the color is creative, the poses, the mood it captures, the slight error which maybe intentional is also pleasing to the eye. I just love it.

[@SmorgasLord]

This is why the concept art( and in-game art) for From Software's games is so good. It feels really genuine and cool. It can be slightly crude but It has a lot of real world history and myth behind it and isn't informed by a corporation's greed, focus groups, or the major trends of the moment. The ideas are always more important than making a polished and perfect image.

[@lacroustillenecroustillepl2637]

starting doing "ugly" art truly changed everything in my artistic vision and even improved my art technically, also yes fromsoft games changed everything too great to know this is the good way, thank you so much for all your videos

[@Spamkromite]

I never liked to draw for the sake of it, but to tell stories, even since I grabbed a marker when I was 6 years old and started to draw stuff on the walls in sequencies of events. Barring the scolding, I knew plenty of years later that my calling was in visual story-telling, but I wasn't very good at drawing "good", until I started to make scientifical drawings, bordering the hyper-realism. People was amazed by it, but since they looked too macabre, I had very little audience. Then I retired from art to focus on my studies, and now that I try to come back to art, the creativity I had back in then seems to have died after 20 years of neglect. Everything I try to draw isn't good enough, perhaps because I want to draw as good as before while being creative but simply I can't keep up with other people drawing epic stuff in 2 hours and for me to finish an outline I take like 3 to 4 hours. When you have so little time to spare for drawing because of RL responsabilities you need to attend to and you see you can't finish a piece a day like back in those years, it really is depressing. My art is not boring because the concepts are good, but I can't finish them in a timely fashion and after a few days in the week, you lose traction of what you were drawing and end losing interest, leading to more depression and a folder full with unfinished pictures. Hmm... guess I'll need to get back to drafting and leave it like that until I can draft and outline faster and give up colouring for when I take less time drawing the piece, and embrace the black and white and the values. I'll forsake colour to save my sanity. To embrace monochrome!

[@Moo-uw4kx]

If it helps, I’ve been in the art community for roughly 6 years now and 3-4h is fairly average for line art! Some have a looser style and some straight up use their sketches, clean them and color (or mix sketch and painting ) which drastically lower the time it takes!! Also I’d definitely recommend you to get a sketchbook if you don’t already have one! It’s such a fun thing to have, the goal isn’t for it to be full of finished pieces so you can relax and draw whatever. A lot of us also use them as diaries, stick random stuff in it like movie tickets or candy wrappers whether it has meaning or not(also bunch of stickers!!) I and others also sometimes print our favorite digital pieces and stick them in there ! It’s a good medium for daily practice (not necessarily theory but just getting your hand moving) and as a fellow story oriented person, you can draw and write down as many concepts, storyboards and whatnot as you wish! I’d also recommend looking up sketchbook tours for inspo, sometimes for color you can use one or two pencil/marker and make it monochrome or only color in a few bits (I.e hair and eyes) it adds flair to the drawing without being a full render! Depending on the paper type you can also use other medium like gouache, acrylic or watercolors! Overall they are so very neat to just have fun again with your art, document your ideas and indulge! As someone who suffered from burnouts due to this need of being perfect, It was really helpful during recovery. Try to put on some music, get a good drink and a snack and put whatever you feel like down on paper. Drawing fan arts is a really fun way to indulge and get back in the groove as you’ll mostly focus on your love for the media! Maybe limiting your exposure to other artists for a while would be good too to limit comparison?? It worked for me at least! I wish you good luck in your recovery!! I’m sure you can make it!

[@Nobodyishere644]

I don't know why but I cry every time I listen to one of your art talks, or feel like crying. It's not even something sad but just the way you speak with such authenticity is so powerful. You've thought me so many things and you truly inspire me to be a better artist and a better person. I wish you the best you deserve everything good happening to you.

[@Simon-et4hu]

I feel the same too I think it’s because his talks touch me in a very special way and the contact just.. well I have no word but you know what it does :)

[@Nobodyishere644]

@@Simon-et4hu Ya I totally get it

[@Simon-et4hu]

@@Nobodyishere644 yeah I didn’t doubt it based on your comment :) I am glad that there are others like me who can’t help but assemble around lanterns of loving light like Adam. It makes home bigger for me if that makes sense. I wish you the best in your art as in your life :)

[@Nobodyishere644]

@@Simon-et4hu People like you and Adam are the reason I create art, to touch people and make them feel included like other artists have made me feel before. Thank you and I wish you the best in life too

[@Simon-et4hu]

@@Nobodyishere644 “Love and compassion are given not earned. We do not have to deserve it we simply have to need it. And boy do we need it!” -someone Thank you :)

[@jullcepts8780]

I guess that's why I loved the SCP universe. Some of the things those writers create make no sense, are ridiculous, they aren't the most amazing looking things out there. But SCP 963, 682, 173 and 096 are some of the creations and concepts that created neurons in my mind. And if you've seen them or read them you would also know what are those things I just mentioned. That is the power of art that may be bad, but by no means boring.

[@anduro7448]

Pretty sure there are more ridiculous/nonsensical SCPs than 173/096 , most of the J scps would fit this category better say SCP-049-J

[@lauravsthepage]

Ahhh this feels like an idea that has been bouncing around in my head recently. When I first started drawing I was mostly drawing traditionally “pretty” and “cool” things and I quickly ran into what people call “art block”. I thought it was an issue with my mental health but really I was just bored. Bored of everything I was drawing. Now I am just letting myself be weird in what I draw, be a bit silly. I think I was reluctant to go there originally because I was afraid of judgement from people in my life. Now I’m struggling to drag myself away from my current work in progress to go to my family’s Easter dinner 😂 I feel like I’m creatively on fire. (Oh and I hate EA too but It Takes Two was shockingly an amazing game)

[@Yohannai]

I feel you, I was kind of embarrassed to branch off and draw the things I liked because the stuff I found cool I also found kind of cringy to share so I just stopped showing my art to people for a while. It didn't bother me if people would see them or anything, but I stopped needing other people to see the stuff I made, I was the audience I was making it for. And that really helped me relax and get into the swing of enjoying art for art's sake. I'm also worldbuilding a world and writing stories set in those worlds, but I feel so free because I don't really feel the need to show them or publish them. I probably will one day, but there's no deadline. I think leaning into the stuff you love and letting go of judging yourself can do so much for our mental health. And it feeds creativity like nothing I've ever experienced before hahah

[@cory99998]

Yeah the judgement part sucks, especially when you have very critical people in your life. Or maybe that makes it easier since you can more easily dismiss them

[@kittensteaparty]

Just reading the tittle and will probably add more after watching the video but also worth adding that bad and boring art is also better than no art at all.

[@impish3333]

Such a relatable art talk, for a long time I was on a plateau art wise lost in the technical aspect of my art. I did not start truly creating my best art until I realized that instead of getting lost in the technicality and going around in circles, I had to rekindle my inner child. I ended up making a large switch from semi-realism to very cartoony art after I made this realization, and It is one of the best decisions I've ever made and is beyond rewarding. Every time I look at my art I see little fragments of things my inner child loved. Mostly a colorful and playful essence like that of Kirby games, Pokémon, and the early 2000s. I also have a strange love for cliché plots, like being a hero and having to save the damsel in distress. It may not be completely unique, but there is something so childishly nostalgic about it. - I just started beginning to learn blender and will eventually get into game design. I want to bring back nostalgia by creating art that makes people from my generation feel right at home. If anyone is reading this I want them to know that art is a beautiful journey, and to cherish every moment, even when you feel like your stuck, because I have found usually when your stuck it means your mind is ready to evolve, and you are moments away of having an artistic breakthrough.

[@idrawalot8000]

thank you for this truly the line "it took me years to draw like the best artist, but it took the rest of my life to draw like a child" really hit my soul it really is about the expression and the joy that comes with that expression

[@zzzzzzz1413]

I've been practicing art everyday but as time passed by, I kept getting more and more depressed because of how I saw that my art wasn't "good enough". It got to the point of not showing it to others because I felt ashamed of what I created. Your vid made me realize that I felt bad because I slowly forgot the authenticity of my art, of what my art meant to me. Thank you, and I wish you the best.

[@veggsbacon1891]

This is why I love and enjoy the Japanese' colorful games way more than western games' gray, brown, space marine, shooting triple A titles. Although I'm very tempted to play Ghost of Tsushima. I grew up with games like Kirby, Sonic, Animal Crossing, Zelda, etc. Cheers from this guy (me) in Sacramento (aka boring lands). 😅👍🏽

[@impish3333]

I grew up with those kinda games too, they just have a dreamlike charm to them that alot of generic shooter games just don't have.

[@coloraddiction]

Mass effect, for example, looks great, but the graphics I'm drawn to are things like Stardew Valley and Hollow Knight.

[@lucky-wf7th]

fr!!!! if they made a very colorful cute and fun shooter game id definitly enjoy it.. think splatoon

[@stainew2407]

Try ghost of tsushima, its visuals and art are just.... so indescribable. You could spend entire hours just walking around the world, looking at the scenery. And it certainly has vibrancy, its full of color in fact, apart from where the narrative demands it, and even then the setting is very fitting for the characters at that moment. And I havn't even gotten started on the gameplay itself Borderlands is also up there. Its more of a "mainstream" game, but its oozing with charm and personality, everything from character design to the way they render the graphics. The gameplay loop can get slightly repetitive in the last few areas, but then again, I basically tried to complete every side mission so I was already pretty burnt out by the end of the game.

[@BabzaiWWP]

I like some of the early 2000s brown and grey games due to how its hard to tell what anything is in the good way

[@badradish2116]

this makes me feel like my goals are within reach even without the skills to deliver realism

[@Aragon-es6uu]

As always, perfect timing. Time to get the chair, pipe and beer with some Adam wisdom.

[@ThePanguinator]

I often find myself euphoric when finishing a piece that speaks to me, just to face a profound sense of sadness when my creation generates virtually no response from others. It's been like that from the beginning of my art journey, and it's only recently that I've started to get over those feelings of disappointment and melancholy. I know little about the rule of cool, but from my personal intuition and experience, it seems to be highly subjective. To me, following such a "rule of cool" means sacrificing all needs and expectations of audience attention. It means getting a quarter of the views and an eighth of the likes that a formulaic art "product" could have generated. It means letting go of a target audience and embracing that the only person the piece of art is made for is me. I have no idea how feasible making a career from following the rule of cool is for me personally. Perhaps, I am unlucky for having an odd taste for "cool," an art style who only turns the head of one person in the world, but it is only since the day before writing this comment that I have come to place of acceptance.

[@muffin-YT]

awesome talk on "soul less" art ^^ ive been starting to love art some years ago i just enjoyed playing wiht colour. when i more and more saw thousand peaces of "skilled" art and i felt bad about me but those pictures had soul and gave me awesome feedback.. Your video made me realise why my newer better pictures dont get the feedback and attention i want xD This video kinda gave me the courage to paint "bad" again ! Thank You

[@fallandrix5232]

Reminds me the good o'l saying; "There's no such thing as bad art." Thanks Adam for this! love you man!

[@plugshirt1762]

I think the only game I’ve played that has managed to surpass all souls games in most categories was hollow knight. That game is truly a masterpiece especially in the art

[@bellat.1377]

I agree. I love seeing goofy and fun ideas made with sincerity

[@fowlerillus]

Especially awesome Adam. I really identified with sitting in those forgotten corners of a game world - watching birds fly or waves crash or just appreciating a texture. Saying a quiet thanks to the artists who made that moment for me. Thanks for the reminder to keep my 12 year old self at the steering wheel. You rock.

[@superflyingpenguin1601]

Perfect timing with this talk. I'm currently in a bit of a slump (well, more than just a bit) despite creating the "type of things I usually enjoy creating" at a "good enough standard," but being bored as hell. This has severely impacted my productivity and motivation, pushing me back towards video games... again. I tried the strategies mentioned in your talks on dealing with distractions, motivation, etc. I tried exercising more. I tried taking breaks for longer than I normally would. I tried engaging in healthy distractions. But to echo another commenter here, this talk made me realize that I'm just bored with not the process of creating per se, but that I'm bored with what I think I'm supposed to be producing - usually defined by things like my ego or social media. Although I tried to make myself feel in order to create, what I was creating was not making me feel anything in turn. Now I know what I must do. Time to create some "bad" art. Time to go be human again.

[@esmerjo8600]

Sometimes I find it amazing how every new video you put out always addresses what issues I'm having at that moment. Nevertheless, I really appreciate all your advice. It really means a lot with discovering more and more about myself and the direction I want to go for. Thank you so much, Adam! Hope you have a happy easter

[@overrev982]

I've only seen a couple of your videos, but from what I HAVE seen, they're very motivational and real and honestly beautiful. The message that you express and the stories you tell almost feel like they're coming from inside my very self, and it's very much appreciated, thank you for sharing your knowledge and your wisdom.

[@smallbeard]

As soon as I saw the title I knew exactly what this talk would be about. This is something I advocate for, and not pursue but embody through my work and try to bring others into as well in the pursuit of art (and game design; I'm an indie dev as well and I'm surrounded by a homely game dev community too) I care deeply for this subject, and it nerds me out, it's very comforting, to hear it being put to words by someone else as well. Thank you Adam.

[@jr-bh5rm]

hey, i just wanted to tell you that i love the effort you put into your logo animations.

[@deezname6417]

I have never played any of the soul games (except for one briefly), but have watched it and read about the lore extensively because of everything you talked about

[@Dugrath]

This was a really eye opening video. I so often get wrapped in trying to get better and not just express my art in some random free flowing state. Loved the piece you did btw. Really liked that quote you mentioned by picasso. Great stuff!

[@TheCaptainsAntics]

Gotta say, this video is one of my all time favourites already ❤

[@merp6767]

You come out with a video yet again at a time I needed it. Been jumping back into a project after vacation and was struggling to fight against the thoughts of "man, this is such ugly art!!!" Thanks as always!

[@littleravendesigns5587]

I am so glad I found you. I needed a real artist to give me that guy punch reality I needed. We are so used to hearing what we want to hear instead of what we need. I spent most of my life drawing what others want and expect from me which is nothing like me. I been taking this time to relearn the basics and retract myself what I want and who I truly am. You videos came at this point and I adore it! I love your unique style and hope to have my own one day and be able to give back as you do. Thank you.

[@reebot690]

Exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you!

[@littleripper312]

The best is when you get good art that is also exciting like Adams! It's when someone has both talent and skill.

[@CreativeGirlofColor]

This is so true😱so if you really think about it like some of our favorite things like SpongeBob if you break down what the art really looks like it’s basically a sponge and a weird crab an amoeba it’s weird but it’s so freaking hilarious and iconic! Hey so this just proves that you don’t have to have the most technically sound sterile work creativity overrides technical ability.

[@cory99998]

Can relate. As I increased my skill at designing games, I felt less pressure to make something unique and interesting and gravitated towards safety. Huge mistake. I now fear mediocrity more than anything else. Whatever you're working on, make it interesting. For this reason, I focus the vast majority of my design energy on 'conceptual design'. I spent plenty of years training my fundamentals, I could improve at them massively still but it pales in comparison to figuring out better big picture ideas. It's hard to use your brain in this way, but ultimately it makes your work far easier. Suddenly 'meeting spec' on a project takes 20% of the effort since the ideas are doing all of the heavy lifting. Crazy how relatable this is, especially your part at 15:30 about realizing that you have to abandon the need to conform to make work thats worth making. I've been going through the same thing over the last year or so and am continuously realizing how much cool stuff I can make with this new frame of mind.

[@jessicafawkes8495]

I needed this video so much, I have hit a wall lately with my creative process, and I have been struggling to find a direction. I feel like my art is currently lacking in the emotion and the intensity that inspired me to start doing digital art in the first place. So your video has really helped me re-center, and feel emboldened by my original artistic motivations. This was such an engaging video and a perfect reminder that good art is not about technical perfection but about how it makes you feel. The technical stuff is a great foundation to know, but damn does it limit your creative flow sometimes. Thank you for reminding me of this fact. Also I COMPLETELY agree with what you mean about how absolutely STUNNING Elden Ring is. I don't play video games but a large amount of my style inspiration comes from a few different games that I've watched people play (like Borderlands ...that shit is beautifully chaotic and I adore every bit of it). When i saw the art for Elden Ring for the first time it blew me away, it is gorgeous, I love melancholy styles, and it truly does hit that mark in such a breathtaking way.

[@a-garden-of-worlds]

You make me want to keep drawing. You make me want to go back to my art tablet and practice all the little things that I'm bad at and to keep on inching towards doing better as an artist and I appreciate that so much.

[@alfredmanzano680]

These messages about going back to what used to be cool to you as a kid have been hitting me hard. I’m doing it now haha

[@juliusge2063]

Thank you for this talk, it helped me better understand what kind of music I want to create.

[@suenitung2073]

I just wanted to say that i love your videos and they always get recommended to me at the right time. I've recently come across this problem when I lost an art competition with a work that i feel like i really poured my heart into and took months on and was really proud of because it was only my second oil painting. I don't want to come off as arrogant but when the results came out and I wasn't a finalist and I saw another painting that seemed rough and basic get to be a finalist I got, jealous. I started to think about what they had that I don't but I just couldn't see it, but my mom apparently did see something about it. I don't know why i couldn't see it was selected. But i knew by comparing my painting to all the finalist that it was definatly boring, so i started to think about what i wanted to do in my art to make it seem more like myself or try to express something. But when i came to trying to think of things i like or something i wanted to say, i came up with nothing. Not to say that i don't know what type of art I like, i just don't know what about it that I like. This also had me re-realised that i feel like i don't know myself and I come up with having no opinions and nothing to say. Which ties into the other finalist painting i mentioned earlier. Like, is it a problem with my perception? Am i not thinking about it enough? I know that it's important to know yourself, but how do you know yourself? How do you not make boring art? Sorry if i ended up rambling about my personal problems, but i constantly feel like I lose my sense of self espically when it comes to art and i just don't know what to do

[@THOWESankofa]

Wow! no words can explain what I'm feeling right now!!

[@pinkmoonrabbit2072]

the integrity of art is the spirit of the art, not the technicality... Thank you so so much.

[@ericmasker6330]

Glad I found your channel and this video! I too have binged on Metroid when I was a kid and growing up, and the new one is AMAZING. They reall did nail it in this new one. Can't wait for the next Prime version to come out!

[@ArtistSik]

Just found your channel through this video. It was a pleasure to listen to while working. Thank-you

[@wyntrheart]

A videogame series that I think acheives this sort of spirit, at least for me, is the Momodora games. They're very indie, and the first game in the series was the devs first complete game and an intentional homage/clone of Cave Story. But those games, and their evolution through the series, just have so much personality. It's hard to describe, but They'll always be special to me

[@At0micV01d]

i remember when i first started drawing. i loved it. it was my therapy when i was a child. what drove me in deeper was when i touched metroid prime. the details captured me. their art designs you can see in game if you unlock it got me to do better. i even drew my own suit design. i still have it! i drew art that i am glad i kept as trying to copy what they did as practice! having the art in front of me and mimicking the style! this was when the game first came out. i know the feel, never putting the game down and playing for hours. i never passed out though, but i came close a few times. i have such a story to tell, my own experience, where it all started, how it all began... i thought about having a channel started by just that, dedication to such things and doing like what you are doing, drawing as you talk! everyone has their own story, their own experience, their journey that brought them into whatever it is that intrigued them to start whatever it could be. my story is far too long to have in a comment so i will leave these last words where i am at now. i am struggling... struggling to keep my love of art, the passion alive. i have stopped due to depression, not feeling like i am getting any better and i want to move forward again yet i am struggling on doing so... i need help... i want to feel like my work is good enough. i don't need to get better to be noticed. i don't need to be professional to be seen! but i feel i have to...

[@Void_Astrea]

this is one of the reasons I love peter Mohrbacher's work. He's soooo good. but his work is so abstract, and the stories associated with his angels and watchers just brings them to life in his books.

[@jasminerose7867]

As someone who is trying to work their skills up from taking a long break due to falling out of love with art during my university experience. This meant a lot to me because I thought wow my work needs to be perfect this is what people need to see but more and more artists are saying polished pieces are one thing but it’s about what you’re conveying or the process it took to get to that point which is what’s important. I’m glad I’m consuming videos like this it makes me feel like this difficult journey isn’t as daunting

[@curioususer1554]

33:16 I’ll never ever going to forget these inspirational words you’ve managed to say. Absolutely amazing content.

[@ajregalia1334]

Can I just say I LOVED when you started talking about Elden Ring. Just the raw passion and adoration in your voice for how Miyazaki captured the vision and the soul (haha) of the series was so fun to listen to!

[@user-vp6pw6bu5e]

I am not gonna lie that and most of your video can be good background when I try to learn start thanks man for the story and the video

[@danielasaraf5695]

Definitely agree. I sometimes make my art look "bad" on purpose so it will be eye catching and interesting

[@WomboBraker]

amazing ideas communicated with such elegance! Keep it up man!

[@Pinefoxo]

I totally felt this. The last song I actually finished was in 2019. I barely had two years of musical experience, and I still didn't know how to mix, master, or even write chords. Although I've sharpened my skills since then, that song still stands out among anything I can create today. Sometimes I find myself listening to that song, fully immersed in the artistic image and headspace my past self wanted to touch. It just goes to show that even 'bad' art can be memorable and impactful. Someday I want to revisit that song - patch up the boring parts, improve the mix and mastering, and so on. However, doing so without damaging or altering the original artistic intent is going to be a very delicate process.

[@icemonster43]

Wow... This reminds me of why I became an artist in the first place.

[@ryanartward]

Bro, I really wish I could meet you at Lightbox or elsewhere to thank you for making this videos. They have helped me in my deepest times where i felt uncreative or unproductive.

[@queenofpents3442]

Beautiful talk. Art is all about expression not technicality. The most awe inspiring and gorgeous art I have seen have to do with the use of colors and just pure RAW expression not perfection. Great reminder Adam 😊

[@rolex-js9nk]

enjoyed this and happy to find you as a resource. also mickey flannegan is a UK stand up that I find funny.

[@mr.skeemz4530]

I love this!

[@Rebe8d89AH]

The first 5 minutes are pure gold. There was a period of time (years) where scrolling through Artstation would fill me with anxiety and dread. I was looking at the technical aspects of the images and there are truly masterful works put up all the time. However, now that much of that has been demystified through studying, I find myself feeling 'bored'? You notice trends and tropes, things that every concept artist has done, almost like a rite of passage like the blender doughnut but on a wide scale. Anyway realised I wasn't into that. That's okay, I'm allowed to have different interests. So now I have this massive backlog of ideas that I'll finally have the skills to illustrate. I will gently carve out my own niche. This is also why I'm spending a lot of time looking into composition. Often this is more important than the art quality imo.

[@maythemorais7020]

thank you adam

[@eduardosolorzano5020]

Sometimes i listen to your art talks as I'm drawing with vector graphics and I'm thinking "why do I even listen to him if I'm not technically painting?" But then you put that emotion, that feeling like you're that Dad who actually cares AND knows how to express himself and i think. "O yeah, That's it" Thank you so much man, really

[@ashisharky]

Nerding out over metroid is my favorite pass time thank you for dedicating part of your video to gushing over how good metroid on the switch is. I fucking LOVE metroid dread ❤❤❤❤🥺🥺🥺❤❤❤❤

[@ShadowTheParrot]

Thank you Adam once again for your wise words.

[@CyberneticPhoenix]

I really dont understand how you read my mind on topics im thinking about and reflecting on lol I have been thinking on doing my own thing. I think i have fell down the road of perfectionism yet again. Maybe its my adult self worried about possible profiting, instead of doin because of enjoyment, because of the hell of it, which i totally can do. Exactly how my music career started, just as a hobbie and then boom im a musician through and through. Great video Adam!

[@gabrielWachong]

I remember when I got StarCraft and the instructions manual had some pencil drawings by Metzen. Even then I could see there was some stuff that was technically not perfect in those sketches but man those drawings were so cool they basically defined my passion for art. The coolness factor is a real thing!

[@ShadowTheParrot]

That title hit me harder then I expected.

[@evaeskelinen2739]

Hey Adam, I just wanted to drop by and say, I would totally listen you do a three hour video just discussing the art of Elden Ring. Thank you for making these videos!

[@equinox-XVI]

Glad to see I'm not alone in thinking about this. I follow quite a lot of artist in my social media feeds and its very clear which ones are "drawing for the sake of drawing something" and which are "drawing for the sake of expressing something". I like to think of artpieces not too differently from an ocean. Yes, the ocean can look beatiful, but one drop of water isn't going to stand out from another. Memorable artpieces are like boats upon this metephorical ocean. Some of them may be elaborate catamarans fit for a royal family, and others, nothing more than a raft held together by sticks and leafs. Yet, every one of these boats stands out from the rest and you're able to remember them. That's how I feel about memorable artworks compared to technically accurate ones. Don't get me wrong, the accuracies help, but only if you're able to give them a direction, a _purpose_ to which they are able to hit their mark.

[@Gumpa2]

I can totally relate to what you're saying. One of the Reasons I rather browse technical "mediocre" art on DA than on Arstation is, that most often it has more honest and creative ideas, instead of just boring but well rendered stuff. I can also relate a lot to metroid. I played them all, also the Prime series, which will always be stuck in my mind simply because of the great athmosphere and sense of exploration. Also after seing the concept-art on Prime 3 I instantly fell in love with it an thought this may be something I wanna do. At the moment, I got to be honest, I got quite bored with my artworks, maybe I can bring some more new spirit into it.

[@JadeZivanovic]

Love Zero Punctuation as well. Legend. Great Aussie stand up comedian: Carl Barron :) Love your video, for me it's all about the story in the picture :)

[@loatheroach]

as soon as I saw the title i was like yup ! that is inspired by yahtzee ! great vid as always

[@photoman123456]

Yea, I also’ve been playing Metro for two days, ordering pizza and fell asleep with sunrise , until finished a game 😏 Lucky for me, kids was in the camp! 😂 It’s so calming to listen to your videos 🪴❤️

[@sans7591]

i agree, i used to doodle on the last pages of notebooks and they scare me to this day, but i like em

[@Punk-possum]

As a person that always drew whatever I felt like drawing, the amount of people that used to wanna draw things just for people to like is…weird. Live your best lives, y’all. If you wanna draw teeth, do that. If you wanna draw Goku in a sailor moon costume, go ahead

[@PixelVari]

These videos are always so uplifting to me. I'm chronically ill and in the last few years it has impacted my ability to consistently practice my art due to inflammation sometimes moving into my joitns and tendons. I felt like I had such a big lead on everyone when I was young due to just constantly (and I mean CONSTANTLY) drawing weird creatures and monsters whenever I got the chance. It got to the point that my school started specifically monitoring me cause I kept drawing instead of taking notes in class haha. Now I'm probably pretty average for what I wanted to do as a career, and big realistic illustrations aren't something I can work on all the time - so I've tried out many simpler styles that I switch to whenever I don't feel well. Maybe I can really eventually get into the industry with unique styles and designs rather than perfect execution. Cause long-term I wouldn't be able to keep up with a lot of the artists out there unless I want to be in constant pain.

[@DarkAlleyDolls]

I saw a meme once that said " An arrow can only be shot by pulling backward. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties it means that it's going to launch you into something great" I am chronically ill as well and often not able to create for months at a time. It's been almost 10 years and I am starting to accept my limitations. One thing I noticed is even though I don't practice a lot I still improve with every new piece I make. When I have to spend days in bed I look for inspiration online. I look at other artists' work, collect reference pictures watch tutorials. When I start feeling well enought to work again I have lots of ideas and new things I learned that I want to try. I guess what I am trying to say is practice is important but spending time looking at reference photos of the subject of your art and studying theory is more so, and if you can do that while sick you definitely progress and your art gets better. I wish you many many good days and very few of those bad days. Take care.xx

[@AdamDuffArt]

When I’m in pain - sometimes just a simple word of empathy alone has more healing power than anything else

[@RetroPlus]

It's the same for music, you can listen to the most perfectly mixed, mastered and arranged piece in the world but still absolutely enjoy something made by an indie artist or band. Art is about what the piece tells you, having the technical knowledge is for packaging that message into something more presentable. It's just fancy gift wrap (if this makes any sense at all) I actually had a similar "cool factor" moment when i saw a clip from ghost in the shell for the first time, the artistry, animation and style was unbelievably cool to me as a kid, still to this day one of the coolest things i've ever seen. There's definitely a neuron in my brain for that piece, it's influenced my art alot. Great art becomes a part of you, it's the best feeling in the world

[@ChowwuArt]

Many things on social media tell us to make cool concept art with lot of technical stuff as if this is the only way we can find a concept art job, but what I’ve learned from my career is just like Adam said, that there is no need to make everything looks badass. What things are most important is try to make things meaningful for the audience, and there are lot of methods can achieve that more than just make things cool or beautiful in graphics.

[@ChrisPerrault]

Fuck, this video might've just rewired my brain lol. I've been struggling a lot with my art over the past couple years, y'know stuff like motivation and chasing the dragon of 'progress', feeling like I constantly have to one-up myself technically... and it's just led to so much burnout. Think this mentality was ingrained during my time in art school, and now that it's over an done I feel like I've lost the plot, forgotten my reason for wanting to be an artist in the first place. I needed a nice little reminder like this, thanks.

[@di_amon]

Great video. Also man, your art is badass.

[@SleepyRulu]

Thank you so much I wonder why I don't like some artwork.

[@Elfyja]

I've been in this limbo past couple of years where I've been sensing something was missing, my drawings were stiff, but not only from a technical standpoint. I spent a lot of time on trying to perfect fundamentals, doing research on trends, being exhausted for just any recognition on social media. It was slow and stagnant growth. Though with some soul searching into the spiritual (If you believe in a bit more esoteric beliefs or not just still hang with me it apply's to identity to being an artist essentially as well). I kept seeing some amazing art-works that I couldnt put my finger on, or even like Adam says Art that is not necessarily great technically, but still gives you a feeling of it being ''alive'', or having ''soul''. I kept comparing my art likes to other less techinical drawings asking why do I get less likes? Or even greater Artists thinking oh I'll never become that good. It was crushing to compare my Art like that, because I love drawing and it felt like I shouldnt since others don't appreciate it. Apart from algoritms and all that, I believe the key ingredient missing has been was that ''magic''. That soul to the Illustration that really draws you in, that some Artist have gotten the hang off, and which I'm also starting to develop(I'm hesitant to say style since its a bit more than that). My favorite artist's are Artist's like WLOP, Zeronis, Ilya k. and Guweiz. I believe I found my own secret sauce in relation to them that I can apply. Today I let go of only doing highly processed fan-art made for quick likes. It's so much more fun to draw being fueled of personal passion. So far I'm getting small, but very genuine feedback from a small handful fans and friends I very much appriciate. I will start drawing for my own sake and not other's; Those who see the beauty do. Thank you whoever decided to read through my little Art dairy rant, I hope you have a great day ♥

[@artsyguy8057]

12:41 its the Jennifer Aniston neuron youre refering to! Ive just listened to that Huberman podcast a few days ago haha. Love your videos as always Adam

[@riamuart552]

Russell Howard is a really funny stand-up comedian, but his shows also cover world news and inspiring stories, he's one of my favourites

[@viethoang907]

You gotta check out Ymfah. He does challenge videos on Bethesda and Fromsoft games - catch is, he formats them as "how to" instead "can you" videos, which creates for an amazing dynamic. He has subtitles for the instructions, but he is able to deliver so much humor without saying a single word. Definitely worth checking out.

[@fuzzydragons]

one of my college lecturers was trying to get this through my head, forget almost everything you have been taught the last 30 years and start breaking the rules you have developed, go back to the joy you had as a kid creating something. you will find you create more relatable art, art that speaks to people more and art that people will remember even after your dead. still trying to just create to create and break those rules, but it is def hard to break 30+ years of habit. piacasso was full of great qoutes, “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” and "All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."

[@_valfreyja]

Great talk, absolutely loved it. I will watch the heck out of that Elden Ring video when you finish it (no matter how long it turns out - :D). Thanks.

[@kierwiny]

It's actually fun hearing you fanboy yourself to Elden Ring, god such an amazing game. I can talk about it for hours as well. This is gonna be my favourite video of you yet but not saying your other vids aren't good they're great as well but they spoke to me too deeply like I'm in a crappy situation myself well brought upon by myself so yeah. But this is just feel good and chill video. I once had that fire as a child .just drawing whatever came to mind not thinking if it's good or bad just do it. now I kinda lost it I'm trying to find it technicality I'm practicing but this "cool factor" or this "Oomph" I'm still looking for it, something that I lost a long time ago. I think this helped me a lot a step closer maybe. being self-taught is hard. but there are people like you that keeps my flame burning.

[@FS-bg1yb]

I struggled for a while with this, as I've gotten bored of art I thought was the most incredible stuff, realising that at least to me, it missed on that factor that made me want to make a world that I'd wanna experience as much as some artists inspire that towards their art. Now the hard part is figuring out how to do that i guess. Though if I ever feel like going back to thoughtless coolness I just dodge and burn my sorrows away lol.

[@FS-bg1yb]

also at the mention of pascal, anyone still crying over the "its always the same" series on his insta- cause I sure am

[@mangagnome9764]

I really needed this! 🔥🔥🔥 reminds me of one punch man. The original web comics. That inspires me to just draw my comics anyway.

[@leondreiling892]

favourite video on youtube

[@coffintears5821]

I think we have to allow ourselves to be bad at art in order to be good at it. Most times "bad" art is more creative than a thought out planned out art peice. I think more artists should just go into their sketchbook without a plan and just draw whatever that comes to mind. Let ourselves to make mistakes as many mistakes as we can. So we can learn from them. Often times I get sick of my own art but then look at back at some older peices I did and I'm like. Damn these had more creativity than I thought.

[@mlgproplayer2915]

Old mangas, webcomics and some indie games. In those examples, you can have a not so perfect drawing, but it can be just perfect for the situation and purpose it have. A good example, in my opinion, is the art of the game "100% Orange Juice", I love the art style and the game, but it's not the most beautiful of animes.

[@KennyGsca]

Growing up in the 90s I was in AWE of the Fleer Marvel Masterpieces, Boris Vallejo was a personal favourite...AND STILL IS. But looking at that art aspiring to be that good, I find so much of his work is exceptionally well executed....but the subjects are COMPLETELY without any expression. you have this incredibly rendered fight scene, and the Protagonists face looks like "Hmmm do I need to put a load of wash on? when Can I go home?" just expressionless and it seems like a HUGE missed opportunity to have this Art to be of the Caliber of Frazetta, who expressed through motion and visual storytelling and "Interesting shapes" as he put it. I hope to be able to create scenes of interesting stories like Vallejo...but have some "Facial Expression" to add to that conveyance of emotion along with the composition and "Interesting shapes". There IS SO MUCH well-rendered art out there....but the figures are just "Doing nothing" and it is boring. It's great Art and visually well done...but boring so I get it. Great Video as Always Adam....I say this and I'm only 10:04 in. hahahah! "But its so good already"

[@johnmichaelcarlos4122]

hi, a beginner here, and I just want to share a thought that is similar to the theme of this video and that is in my view. In art, it doesn't really matter whether or not your work is good or bad, a misconception I always had is that if it doesn't "look" good, then you have failed as an artist or just a person trying to imitate a very appealing art they just come across (it is all good as long as you don't proclaim it as yours), but the thing is, there is no such thing as a failure in the world of art. Assuming that you poured all your heart and soul in it, then there is no such thing as an idea of failure in the history of art. The idea of art itself is so ambiguous to the point that it has no definite form, it can be shaped and manipulated into so many different ways that as long as you know you worked hard with your piece, there will always be a group of people out their who will appreciate or even get inspired by your work, no matter how "garbage" it may seemingly be... Yet after all that I have said and shared about failure being non-existent in art as long as you put effort in it, there is one exception in this rule that ignores this concept. Personally, the only time YOU truly fail in art, is when... "you are not able to depict/express the imagery/feel that your are going for" and this is the only time in my humblest of opinions that you have failed in art. This goes back to the theme of the video, it's much better to have bad art, rather than having boring art which is mostly a byproduct of "pleasing others" or trying to be "someone else", rather than doing it for ones self enjoyment or interest. Remember that skill is something you get along the way as you grow, interest/passion is something you can only get from yourself. Interest/passion may be influenced by many factors but it is still in your initiative whether or not will you try it out or pursue it. That's why now a days, I don't really have to be that harsh with my own works whenever I go browse online knowing that it will be a million times better than mine. Don't get me wrong though, its ok to be harsh on oneself if you already formed standards from yourself due to years of practice, it is an important and helpful tool that all aspiring pursuing art people must develop (only when you consider your art as a whole good). That's all I want to say and goodluck with everyone with their art journey, and have fun to the people who just happen to swing by and try art itself. Peace out!

[@namba3886]

My first painting, i truly believe, is my best one, not because it‘s the best on a composition basis, but because it fully channeled the atmosphere, the mood i had in my mind. However i cant seem to get it anymore, hmmm how could i grasp this again.

[@pukey82]

Damn well said!

[@MovieTheaterKingBirdStorm8000]

I just got into art at 20. It may take me within a decade to just get it in. I want to create my own comics and graphic novels. I like how you draw monsters. You and several others. Ever heard of Carlos Huante?