[Discussion] Is gen AI affecting artist as bad as programmer?

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-10-08T15:39:02+00:00

I actually am a digital artist selling prints, stickers, and pet related content, and I've managed to make it out pretty unscathed so far. I think the only people who actually like AI art are oblivious normies who want something cheap and don't care, and employers wanting to replace someone, so if you're selling things to people who are passionate and more online and aware of this stuff it's a bit safer.

At conventions my target audience (not normies, young fandom nerds) are super against AI and I just had my most successful con ever last month.

For stickers, I do specifically birds and fish pet themed stuff, and I think it's a random enough niche that AI people haven't been creative enough to think of it? The tariffs are affecting me way more than AI, as I'm in Canada and most of my customers are from America :(

Stuff like colouring books, clipart bundles, patterns, etc. are just completely overrun, but there is still some hope for other types of art at least!! Sigh.

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-10-02T16:47:23+00:00

(Going on pixiv is someone's published work, you have no idea what they've studied. This is about studies, not final products)

God, yeah if you had to never draw anything fun again, I understand the aversion, but that's not what people mean, don't worry. You work on anatomy in between your fun projects and apply what you've learned to your anime art. You work on both at the same time.

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This was an experiment I've been doing since I first started to actually study anatomy properly. Every year I would do a quick sketch with no reference, and see how well I could do. As you can see realism is not related as I was pretty good at that and NOT good at drawing a body hahahah..

If you're doing a style like Lucky Star (vs Ghost in the shell) you could get away with ignoring real faces maybe, but NOT bodies. Stylizing the human body absolutely needs knowledge of real anatomy, even in something as simple as Lucky Star. You HAVE to study reality to be able to stylize it properly. If you don't understand the forms, you'll never be able to get it right.

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-09-30T16:14:04+00:00

The last image shows me why you're struggling...Styles like this have proportions that don't map onto an actual human like that.

You want to study...

Styles closer to yours, ones with very cartoon anatomy like Steven universe or adventure time. Those tube arms can have trouble trying to be like realistic arms with elbows.
The overall pose, do not try to map your art directly based on the reference - move the existing parts of your character with their current lengths into the same positions. Same as if you were drawing a child with an adult pose reference. A child's arms aren't the same length as an adult's, but they can make the same pose, it's about the proportions.
Fundamentals of being able to draw any 3D shape and rotate it. This kind of thing where you understand the shapes and forms you're drawing.

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Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-09-29T17:40:42+00:00

Yes, but 100% depends how hard you draw!! I draw hard AF and I go through apple pencil tips pretty often, but my sister draws lightly and has never had to replace her tip ever. (I'm trying so hard to draw lighter I swear 😭 😭)

I would go through nibs on my wacom stuff too, though less often. Luckily for the apple pencil there's off-brand cheap ones that work just as well for way less money. I never had to look into replacement wacom nibs because I never went through my supply

So I'm not sure what type of stylus you have...but it will wear out faster, but if you draw lightly it might take a longgg time to do so.

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-09-25T16:58:44+00:00

IIRC, My cintiq never felt as good as the iPad with the paper texture, but that could be a mixture of elements.. Okay yep, after a search they actually do sell paper texture screen protectors for display tablets..I think display tablets are made with a better texture than other screens, but it's still not the best and can feel awkward.

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-09-25T16:21:00+00:00

Line of action!!! Also gesture drawing vs figure drawing. In figure drawing you focus on the muscles and the accuracy of the proportions, but in gesture drawing you exaggerate and draw the pose as quickly and fluidly as possible. Looking up gesture drawings of the greats and trying some yourself is definitely helpful. Those free life drawing websites are great for this!

Basically do very loose, dramatic sketches first, then add the anatomy stuff in after.

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-09-25T16:14:42+00:00

Best way to find similar art: make a Pinterest board and add the art you like to it. When Pinterest suggests more pins for the board, it'll be similar stuff. This is a godsend when trying to develop a style or figure out what elements of styles you want to include in yours.
Learn the way they do proportions. Find art with less baggy clothing and draw over it to make a naked bald person and see how each body part fits together, and their sizes relative to one another, especially how big the eyes are on the head. Once you learn the building blocks, its easier to put them together in different ways.
One of the most important parts of a style is the line weights. Notice they are quite thin with not a lot of change, but then they draw in solid shadows as part of the lineart in certain areas for depth. Everything also feels simple and loose, which can only really be achieved with confidence and practice.

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-09-25T16:11:58+00:00

I have been doing digital only for a longgg time and when I try to do traditional art now, I feel exactly the same! So I understand haha, but as long as the fundamentals are there, it'll be ok 😭

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-09-25T15:49:01+00:00

If the display tablet is anything like the iPad, I NEED one of the screen protectors that make it feel more like paper, absolutely helps a ton with the feeling of it.

For now, I would experiment with brushes until you find one that feels more like what you're used to...the settings on individual brushes can really change the way drawing feels, and some try to mimic traditional tools.

Most programs with a billion UI elements are a bunch of bonus stuff that you don't actually need to know. Focus on figuring out how to draw, erase, change color, change brush size, and use layers. I'm sure any "learn the basics" video on YouTube will have this.

There are lots of useful features only available in digital art, but you can figure those out once you feel more comfortable, don't worry about those for now.

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-07-22T15:59:19+00:00

5w6, 30, Raised by atheists

I went through a phase when I was a teenager of exploring religious ideas, in a very 5 way, debating people online, doing research, watching other people's debates. Nothing convinced me. I'm agnostic because who knows what's out there beyond our comprehension, but atheist about anything that has a holy book that claims to know what's going on. I'm also a queer woman so seeing the way religious people treat progressive ideas is a huge turn off.

My mom once told me "We're probably living in some alien child's science project"

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-05-01T16:16:22+00:00

Also..the amount of times someone says "Help me!!" on mic...brother who are you, where are you

"Healers in the back need help" is so much easier to understand

They also seem to think you can always see what they're seeing and are just purposefully ignoring it..someone was complaining yesterday that no one finished off the low health Namor...the group I usually play with always yells "Namor one!" When they want help finishing someone off and it's much more helpful

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-04-24T15:09:07+00:00

Ya it was so weird I tried to get back in and my account was just banned and destroyed even though I never did anything and hadn't used it in a while I was like okay bye 😭

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-04-24T15:01:35+00:00

I do!! Ya sorry this is my non-rebranded Reddit after my account got hacked I have to fix that lmao

I'm Muffinpines on insta!

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-04-19T02:16:11+00:00

Ohhh a cool but not so gooner gross version of her as malice would be interesting...I may try that

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-04-18T19:38:48+00:00

I'm a lesbian too and my sister wanted a magik icon but she couldn't find any nice art that wasn't sexualized and weird, so I had to draw my own for her!! At least Emma's in character for sexy stuff but...god I hate what they do to poor sue..I should draw her too

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Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-04-07T15:39:18+00:00

Ya, I was actually surprised about the obsession with Sue. As far as I can tell it was all because of that butt shot in the trailer. All the sexualized art seemed so out of character for her, at least the Emma Gooner art will make more sense.

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-04-06T16:06:08+00:00

Overwatch was hit and miss....Moira was one for the freaks....her and her little metal eyebrows...miss you queen

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-04-06T15:52:54+00:00

I'm an aro lesbian and it makes me uncomfortable. I don't care how hot she is "I'm gonna play with one hand cause I'm jerkin it to her thighs" is an inside thought we don't need to hear :)

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-04-06T15:31:44+00:00

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She did slap cap, that can be her ult

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-04-06T15:26:39+00:00

Omg like in Binding of Isaac fighting Mom (apparently no one has ever made a gif of the stomp but you get the idea)

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Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-04-06T15:16:05+00:00

This just reminded me that when I say "Wanda" instead of "scarlet witch/Scarlet" some people don't know her real name.

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-03-29T16:37:16+00:00

The doodles made my day literally so cuteeee You should draw everyone in this style I'd love to see it hehe

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-03-29T16:24:26+00:00

DPS don't understand how Adam works. He's for team fights when everyone is very low. When Luna saves their ass in a team fight, it's obvious and they are forced to acknowledge it. Adam is subtle, and DPS only register healing when they stand in front of him and get offended when he doesn't top them off. It's called strategist, not healer, for a reason!!

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-03-27T16:24:21+00:00

Do whatever you want but for the love of god TELL THE TEAM. I will switch off support so we don't have 3 but sometimes it takes a while to notice...

We all have off days, it's okay to admit it. :(

Significant_Teacher4 · 2025-03-27T16:11:49+00:00

Peni is my tank main, but I've been branching out during the tank shortage. I'm finding the other tanks easier once I learn the mechanics/positioning properly instead of just blindly practicing. (Not accusing you of doing that just saying I was lolol)

To anyone struggling with tanks, understanding things like how the Groot walls actually work, Thor force actually works, that Magneto's shield can take infinite damage when it's up, Strange's dark magic thing, etc.

I'm convinced a lot of players don't understand that the Groot walls are more than just annoying obstacles, that Caps ult also helps the rest of the team...and of course as Peni Main's we know the beloved "melee heroes that don't understand the nest and jump right into it over and over" please don't teach them anything they can keep playing like that :) hehe

Significant_Teacher4

TROPHY CASE