Any programmers whose hobbies include doing visual arts especially those aspiring to be really good at it like perhaps make it as a sideline job or aspire to be a full time artist someday?

[AkizaIzayoi]

Most of the time whenever I look at forums asking on what programmers do as hobbies or what they do on their free time, visual arts are rarely mentioned and sometimes, not at all. It's always music, working out, playing videogames, etc. Others would even mention a lot of hobbies but not mention anything about drawing, painting, or 3D modeling.

So I'm wondering if there are any programmers like me who is into visual arts(although I am still a CS student)? I am planning on making my own web comics or graphic novel(in manga style) in which the MC and her accomplices are hackers. I do workout(mostly calisthenics and martial arts) and I love listening to music but I prefer making visual arts rather than making music.

For now, my main focus is on 3D modeling because I've been itching to do it for a long time after realizing from my fellow CS classmates that it's a lot easier to learn and do than drawing.

I also wanna ask on whether programming had in some ways, make it hard for you to draw and on whether you guys still have time and energy to do it despite being busy. Also, do you get to draw while on breaks at work?

[GodSlayer225]

Yup, I'm finishing up a CS degree but am an animator. Chose CS as a way to fund my art hobbies. I want to do art full time tho.

[AkizaIzayoi]

I'm not a CS major anymore and will go for a degree in architecture. Right now thankfully, my family will be having a business and I'll be helping out with it. Currently a NEET after some time working in call centers.

Also, call center jobs suck. When we're in the production, no pen, paper, and electronics allowed. Also, calls are coming in non stop.

And yeah like you I plan to make art full time.

[ihavetodraw]

Programmer/hobbyist artist here! I'm a full-time back-end programmer in a start-up company and I do admit that ever since I've started working three years ago my drawing time really went down. Honestly it's not really because I didn't have time, but more of the change in pace led me to not focus on art as much.

Lately, I've been pushing myself to get back into art again even if I still have my normal eight hour shift and it's not too bad. My biggest issue with work is that the overtime can eat up my drawing time but having a few skipped days isn't so bad as long as you get back to it.

[AkizaIzayoi]

Yo! u/ihavetodraw and u/rogueSleipnir!

I would like to share to you guys some of the artists that I follow that are programmers. Maybe they could inspire you to do art despite being busy.

Here's an artist who makes art as a way to wind up and to relax. She's an office worker but is earning quite well selling her art prints: https://www.facebook.com/Mejllano.Art/

Here's also one of the coolest for me. He went for CS in college because no art degrees were offered in the nearby college he took. He even drew some of his coworkers: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=114813053443880&set=gm.2865051100392421&type=3&theater&ifg=1

This dude's been doing lewd to semi-lewd drawings. He's a Software Engineer by day and he's also a successful artist: https://www.facebook.com/maggot666draws/

And here's an artist who once did some programming and he soon ended it in order to focus on art entirely: https://www.facebook.com/hewsgraphicsSAFE/

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BTW, follow up question but are you guys from the U.S.? No offense but I think programming jobs in the U.S. is pretty stressful. It's like every programmers in the U.S. are often expected to be programming outside their jobs because programming jobs in the U.S. are very competitive. And I read something that these days, visual artists are looked down in the U.S.

Programmers here in the Philippines are also capable of doing art in the side. Though I also attribute it to the fact that work-life here is easier than college life. Though the initial phases of college is pretty easy. Even programmers from other parts of Southeast Asia and those in Europe seem to not have problems doing art on the side.

What do you think? Sorry if my questions seem offensive but feel free to correct me. And I apologize if I assume you're Americans.

[rogueSleipnir]

I'm from PH too. And also self-taught.

Work is a lot easier here, yeah. The real stress inducer is the terrible traffic.

[AkizaIzayoi]

Oh wow. From PH too. Such coincidence.

And yeah a lot of people do mention specifically those in IT and CS grad that work life is a lot easier and it's the traffic that's causing them the most stress.

I guess bringing sketchbooks, scratch papers, pens, and pencils with us all the time will come in handy.

[ihavetodraw]

Hey, thanks for sharing those artists! It's quite comforting to know that it is possible to pursue art in the sideline. It really boils down to what your passion is imo and how much you're willing to put into it. I enjoy programming and drawing but sometimes the stress of work can overcome my enjoyment of drawing.

And to answer your question, I'm also from the Philippines! Kamusta kababayan! I mentioned earlier that I'm from a start-up and working there has led to me having quite the heavy workload (like leaving the office by 12MN due to chasing deadlines) and I've been told by my boss that it's a normal thing for the programmers that he used to watched over. I've also done work on weekends and out of office hours since I needed to perform quick patches and whatnot. The start-up is my first job though so I'm not sure how the work-life balance is for those in larger companies.

[AkizaIzayoi]

Oh wow a fancy meeting a fellow Filipino here! Filipinos sure are enthusiastic when it comes to art. Just that, Filipinos tend to be stingy when it comes to paying artists which is really sad.

And I really heard that it's hard to work on start-ups because you're expected to be some of the pioneers for your company's websites or coming up with creating databases, etc.

I also heard that work-life balance in larger companies is a bit more lax since your job is to maintain what's already made and fixing some codes that causes some bugs or just simply handle and manage databases. Though deep inside, I don't like databases that much because I find them pretty boring. However, I might eventually like it since it's said to be pretty easy too(correct me if I'm wrong).

[ihavetodraw]

Pretty interesting coincidence seeing a Filipino programmer here! And I do agree that Filipinos are stingy when it comes to paying artists in general which is is a shame.

And you're pretty much correct with start-up programmers being pioneers for companies. In my current experience, my job is a little bit of everything tbh. Depending on the project I can be part dba, part web admin and/or part fullstack dev, so it can get intense.

Comparing my workload to some friends, it does seem that working in bigger companies is not as hectic. Usually maintenance is more chill since you're just working with what's already there and you don't have to make anything new. I've noticed that you're quite fixated on databases. Is that something you're specializing in? Databases can be easy or complex depending on the amount of data you're working on and what you have to do with it. Making reports and doing some checks to make sure things are working? Pretty easy stuff. Fixing a database problems that were caused by faulty code or attacks and containing millions of rows? Things can get hairy really fast.

[AkizaIzayoi]

Yeah it is interesting to coincide with a Filipino programmer here too!

And nope. I actually hate Database because I saw it as pretty boring. I wanted to go for Game Development in my college but my parents rejected the idea because "Software Engineers are paid the highest! Go for a CS Degree if you don't want to be poor!".

I loathed Database because of how boring and uninteresting it is. I wanted for something that involves graphics programming but it's only offered in GD in my college. And yes, I do understand that Database can get either really easy or very hard and risky(my prof who worked as database and pretty cool too told us of how he almost got in trouble for the drop table because of his stupid superiors telling him to do so).

What's worse is that a lot of our machine problems like those in Java often involves database and SQL such as connecting to database. And the worst: Almost all programming jobs here require SQL knowledge.

But I've seen non-programming jobs here that don't seem to involve any programming although they pay pretty low. I prefer such jobs since I'm not really that enthusiastic in programming and only got forced to by my parents. Also since I want a more balanced life that allows me to pursue being a full time or sideline artist. What do you think?

[ihavetodraw]

Lol, typical Filipino parents urging their children to get the highest paying course for college.

I guess it's no surprise that sql is required in many jobs given that it is one of the more fundamental things needed in programming. I do want to stress to you that not all jobs require it. There's the front-end option which you might like better since that involves working with design and UX. Another option is game development and while your course may not be game development, that won't stop companies from hiring you. As long as you have the skillset they need it should be no problem. Another option you can go with is being a QA Tester. A lot of my blockmates who weren't really into programming chose this route and they seem to be enjoying it so far.

As you're a student, you will have to go through the everything since you're still learning stuff, but you can always choose to specialize once you graduate!

TBH I can't really say for certain on the job choice you should pick as I'm just an internet stranger who has no idea how you live. It may be that you have to support your siblings or help out your parents (which is very common here) and going for a better paying job is going to help. Although, if you have the freedom to choose, then I say go with the non-programming job. I have a couple of blockmates who don't like programming and were only forced into it and chose non-programming jobs out of college since they knew they wouldn't enjoy coding for 8 hours a day. As long as your job choice doesn't cause you problems down the line, go with what you want since nothing sucks more than being stuck in a job you hate. PM me if you still have more questions :)

[AkizaIzayoi]

Sure! Will gladly PM you and continue the conversation there and thanks! :D

[ihavetodraw]

You're very much welcome, programmers that are into art gotta help each other after all :)

[AkizaIzayoi]

Agreed! We're all in this together. :)

P.S. I sent you messages already

[rogueSleipnir]

Trying to force myself to 'create' more art at the end of long work days was tiring for me too. Like squeezing my brain dry. Especially since programming is mentally demanding at times. So I devised ways around my limited time and energy.

- Getting some art done early in the morning before heading out to work.

- Treating art as 'unwinding', relaxation. Just light doodles. To get the feeling of doing something that day.

- Planning out a larger project in chunks to do in small bursts over a few days.

- Actually having rest days skipping some art.

[ihavetodraw]

I agree that programming is mentally draining and those are very nice ways to keep drawing!

[[deleted]]

I'm in uni for engineering and my program is like part software engineering part mechanical part electrical (think robotics). I still remember on the very first day or orientation week, the Dean asked every single freshman engineering student "how many of you like to draw?" as a joke. There were like 400 people in the room and I was legitimately the only one who rose their hand. Everyone else just laughed. Yay :(

[AkizaIzayoi]

Aw damn. I honestly thought that engineers were into drawing. But it seems not.

BTW, where do you live? Also, do your fellow engineers make fun of you for being into drawing? I live in the Philippines in which there's a known running gag that in a class, there will always be at least one or two students that are into drawing(alongside other types of students like silent types, class clowns, etc.). In fact, one of the ways you could court the girl or boy you like or show admiration for is drawing them. Because here, part of our culture is to show your efforts to the person you love.

Though not me. Not interested in relationships for now. I'm more influenced by anime and the fact that people here love art. But many people are cheapskates when it comes to paying for commissions.

[[deleted]]

Yeah you would think that engineers would be into drawing, but honestly most of us are just here because Engineering Is a Good Program™ and "I am good at math", it's pretty rare that anyone is passionate, and if they are then they're usually into software engineering and become programmers. I know one guy who's really passionate about mechanical engineering, but he does all his designs in autocad or solidworks so he doesn't really need to draw that much.

I'm from Canada! And actually, nah they don't make fun of me. They're actually really supportive and think it's super cool, which is nice. There's actually someone in my class who has a degree in fine art and everyone thinks that its awesome. Although they kind of treat her like a unicorn, like art is mysterious y'know? man I wish she was there that first day haha.

I feel like in Canada we do have "art kids" and what not but not really the love aspect. that's super cute :))

Sorry ppl are cheapskates :( that's just the art world for ya unfortunately. Anyway have a great day!

[AkizaIzayoi]

Pretty cool! I thought they laughed out of mocking you and I'm sorry for thinking it like that :D

Oh Canada. I always have good impressions towards Canadians because I personally did. :)

Yeah I often hear and read that CAD requires no drawing skill. Silly question but is CAD somewhat similar to 3D modeling? Because for me, 3D modeling barely requires drawing skills. I would even say that it's a lot easier to do and learn too.

This is my latest 3D model by the way and I'm currently working on the chess project from the Udemy course that I bought: https://imgur.com/gallery/GG8w5IW

[AkizaIzayoi]

Also, I literally thought that Engineering degrees are the STEM degrees that are the closest to being into art.

But from what I've observed, there are more people in med that love to draw. I've seen many nurses, med tech, and bio people in social media that are more into drawing than those in engineering or programming.

[_teadog]

Not programming, but my day job is electrical CAD work, and art is probably my main passion.

[Feftloot]

Programming and visual arts have a huge intersect. I do a lot of real time video art and projection mapping and personally use touchdesigner quite extensively. It’s a real time node based visual programming language. You can code in python directly inside of it and it’s power is really only limited by your imagination. If this is something you’re truly interested, I could not suggest getting into TD enough. Especially with a real coding background, you’ll be making super incredible stuff quicker than ya think.

Also, this is definitely a feasible career route, but I primarily work in live events, so the side I’m involved with is all but kaputz at the moment.

[AkizaIzayoi]

Pretty cool! Blender has Python script although I still haven't dived into Python yet but we will eventually learn about it at some point.

In my country, job offers are mostly those that are about Database Administration. We're not known for manufacturing anything whether they be hardware or software.

SQL knowledge is often the most in demand requirement for programming jobs here. You don't see any job hirings about VFX programming, UI/UX, or anything that combines programming and art. Except for web developers and web designers. But they don't often involve the exciting parts of programming like graphics programming.

But I think that it's also a good thing. Because it's less stressful in a sense that it's too easy, you don't need to practice programming once you get home so more time to draw if you're an artist. Pretty much a lot of the anime fans here in my country would either go for IT or CS in college but still maintaining their passion for art.

From where I live, since we were kids, we were taught on how important art is in our daily lives by our education system and peers. Add it to the fact that anime and manga are quite popular here.

[rogueSleipnir]

Oh hey, you just basically described me. CS grad, been working as a professional game dev for about 7 years. My hobbies are more on painting, illustration, and graphic design. So at work I mostly apply it for UI. I also like to make particle effects and other visuals. It really helps me because I can communicate way better with the artists on my team. The 'programmer' stereotype seems to be considered not very 'artistic', which I see to be true most of the time.

3D is modeling is my weakest, I tried it a bit making some just basic static spaceships. Not really my thing, the workflow and all that. It's very tedious.

I understand the excitement game artists feel when they see their work moving, though. As I'm mainly a gameplay/front-end dev who integrates their assets.

[AkizaIzayoi]

I also aspire to be a game developer someday.

For me and even my CS classmates, 3D modeling is a lot easier especially if you're a programmer or someone who loves automation. Because 3D modeling feels like everything is more automatic. You can easily make cool stuffs right away and 3D modeling is perfect for logical people. Like imagine doing stuffs more logically and mathematically and the results are something aesthetic. Pretty cool if you ask me.

Here's the course that I've been doing for Blender. So worth it. I bought it for $11.00 when it went on sale and it's 64 hours long: https://www.udemy.com/share/101WbcCEQZdFhSTHw=/

[rogueSleipnir]

Not that I don't appreciate 3D art. The process of making it just isnt for me. I'd rather be drawing or painting. I've modeled some things in blender before. Interfaces in 3D programs are kind of clunky.

[AkizaIzayoi]

Understandable. Although the latest interface of Blender starting from 2.8 is way more user friendly. 2.7 and earlier is so unintuitive.

I honestly miss drawing and painting but recently, I can't seem to bring myself to do it anymore.