How to bring my creature art to the 'next level'?

DeltaHexagon

Hi all!
I absolutely love drawing and designing creatures but I feel like my art has gotten to everyone's favourite 'plateau' stage and I'm not sure how to proceed and how to push it more. Basically, my art looks like this at the moment:



But what I really want is to eventually be able to make stuff like this:





I see all this beautiful, amazing, inspiring creature art, and I feel like if I try I can get there too. I want to sculpt all these weird monsters too, I want to draw all their weird sinewy bits and interlocking plates and gross teeth and beautiful, bizarre anatomy.

I think I already made a good first step: reaching out to a community, both here and on Artstation, and pumping myself up with tonnes of inspiration because everyone here is freaking awesome, holy heck. I feel like a wee little bab seeing all the Cool Kids doing Cool Stuff and getting all excited!

Does anyone have any advice, critique, words of wisdom? How do I make the leap to the next level and bring my art closer to what I want?

carvuliero

So what are you struggling the most  -> generating idea/concept/variation or more technical side of rendering it realistically/believable ?

DeltaHexagon

@carvuliero The technical side most definitely. I have the ideas, I have the concepts in my head, but I want to be able to render them more realistically, make them more believable, you know? My apologies for not being more clear in my post!

carvuliero

In this case why don't you try some of Neville Page , Terryl Whitlatch or Nick Pugh tutorials

BoonS

There's a part in Shaddy Saffadi's GDC talk that specifically talks about how concept artists are taking advantage of digital processes outside of traditional painting techniques. If you want to call it as taking it to a 'next level', you're should look into fusing photo colors & textures, and even 3D software, into your work. Unless you're Wes Burt I guess.

lotet

There is no secret trick really, just practice rendering. BoonS has a point, but you wont be able to fully utilize those techniques unless you know the fundamentals behind them.

DeltaHexagon

@carvuliero Ah thank you! Those are some fantastic folks there, thank you so much for suggesting them.

@BoonS I'll definitely look into that, I never considered it before but I do recall watching someone use photography to aid their digital work.

@lotet Mm that's a good point, I've been trying to spent more time on my art and I have seen improvements, I guess I just need to spend even more time on it then, huh.

Some questions: how long should I be spending on my artwork? Are there any recommendations for programs to keep track of time spent? Is it worth it to buy tutorials? There's a few things on Cubebrush I've been eyeing but one of them is over $100 and I'm not sure if it's worth it or not.

Thank you for all your replies! I'll keep it all in mind and draw the best gosh dang monsters I possibly can.

lotet

Some questions: how long should I be spending on my artwork? Are there any recommendations for programs to keep track of time spent? Is it worth it to buy tutorials? There's a few things on Cubebrush I've been eyeing but one of them is over $100 and I'm not sure if it's worth it or not.

Thank you for all your replies! I'll keep it all in mind and draw the best gosh dang monsters I possibly can.

how long should I be spending on my artwork?
Dont think about time, youl get quicker as you get better, a master could probably make some of the images you posted in a 1-3 hours, but that should by no means be your benchmark. If you try to rush it your only making it harder by putting unnecessary restrictions on yourself.

Are there any recommendations for programs to keep track of time spent?
again, dont think about it, focus on making great art, only AFTER that you should think about making it quicker.

 Is it worth it to buy tutorials?
some, yes, but you could probably find everything you need for free as well, there are so many resources out there now days.


I've been trying to spent more time on my art and I have seen improvements, I guess I just need to spend even more time on it then.
Yes. unfortunately art just takes time, its worth looking into how to study though. Its very common people are studying/learning inefficiently without even knowing about it. 

bkost

DeltaHexagon said:

...but I want to be able to render them more realistically, make them more believable

Hey Delta, to do this you need to practice and more importantly, study! Yes follow creature artists that inspire you, but you really need to hone in the deconstruction of the creature your creating. Take reference from real life. Learn anatomy, muscle groups, and how insects are designed and why they took on those features from evolution.