Introduction#
I've been calling the name CG Art Lab for so long, yet rarely discussed my creative experiences and insights in CG art. I decided to start a series of articles, not focusing too much on specific operational techniques—there's plenty of that online—but mainly to share my experiences and understanding of this art form.
This series is aimed at novice friends who are interested in digital art creation but don't know where to start; experts can skip it, as it would essentially be redundant for them.
The content I write must convey well-founded conclusions.
I am a novice in writing, and the content I produce is also aimed at amateur newcomers to digital art creation. Therefore, it is necessary for me to say some "well-known nonsense." I cannot gauge the information volume and knowledge reserves of every reader, nor their emotional control and independent thinking abilities. I think this is also why professional writers often explain the same issue from several angles and why they always provide multiple examples to support their viewpoints.
The Power of Points, Lines, and Planes#
I have been exploring digital art creation for nearly ten years, without gaining any noteworthy fame or money from it, driven solely by interest and passion, gaining more nourishment for my main job. Because of my main job, my creative output can be described as ridiculously low; I've produced about 30 works in ten years. But despite this low output, and despite not having any so-called hits (which I am rather grateful for), many interesting things have happened during this time.
Because of these works, I attracted clients with similar aesthetics, which led to other business deals, and this remains true to this day;
Because of these works, I was able to study abroad and, as the first Chinese person (as my mentor said), won the Best Art Research Award in Thailand;
Even during my thesis writing, a foreigner bought one of my pieces. It can be said to be the most unexpected income in my life so far.
I never intended to make money from these paintings; they belong to my art, and once created, they can be viewed for free. I just wanted to leave something behind, to feel that I hadn't wasted this opportunity to live, to give myself an explanation.
In the process of learning and creating these seemingly nonsensical, useless works, I gradually discovered their significant impact on my work and life.
As Steve Jobs said in his 2005 speech:
Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
Let me translate that:
Again, no one can predict the future; the cause and effect between events often only become apparent in hindsight. You have to believe that cause and effect will connect in your future life. People need to have some faith, whether it's intuition, destiny, karma, or whatever; believing in the connection between cause and effect will give you the confidence to follow your own will, even if it means going against the grain, and never stopping. Only in this way can you achieve something.
Yes, only when you look back at the past can you discover these seemingly useless actions slowly forming miraculous connections and the power that arises from linking these actions together.
An interesting thing happened: I discovered that a designer I greatly respect, Matthew Encina, also summarized the same principle; he even created a handwritten poster. In today's chaotic online world, finding like-minded individuals is truly gratifying.
What is Digital Art#
Before starting, it's necessary for novices to understand what digital art is. Instead of searching for answers on Baidu, I'll share my own understanding.
Initially, I thought that a painting done with a drawing tablet, an image rendered with 3DMax, or a 3D animation was called digital art; that's what I learned in school.
After entering the workforce and encountering television, VR films, trendy toys, music festivals, virtual idols, graphic advertising, fashion design, jewelry design, app development, and various other fields, I realized these are also digital art.
Now, I believe even posting on social media is digital art.
Any creation using digital technology to express one's thoughts counts as digital art.
With the rapid development of technology, the threshold for interested outsiders will only get lower; I think for veterans, the threshold is constantly rising.
Starting anything is difficult; how do you begin?
Start directly before you're fully prepared.
It's Actually as Simple as Posting on Social Media#
Creation, objectively, is not difficult; it's the subconscious that perceives it as hard.
Everyone has two levels of consciousness: the surface subjective consciousness and the subconscious.
If you find something very simple, your subconscious will also find it simple; then the power of the subconscious moves forward, and the subjective consciousness moves forward too. The combined force is naturally very strong, so when learning and doing things, it genuinely feels simple, and you might even think you didn't put in much effort, attributing it more to luck.
If you find something very difficult (not out of fear of trouble; trouble corresponds to complexity, and complexity does not equal difficulty), although your subjective consciousness is moving forward, your subconscious has accepted the notion that it's very hard. Once the power of the subconscious surpasses that of the subjective consciousness, it will avoid pain, and the combined force will naturally move backward. This can also explain any decision you've made in life.
Think back to your experience learning any skill. Ideally, it should be a skill you are genuinely interested in, whether it's the mundane aspects of life after work or something as simple as learning how to spin a pen from a classmate in school. Reflect on how you went from starting to learning, and then to mastering them. The source of confidence lies in these various experiences. Now, if we talk about a job you're currently doing that earns you money, most people will first believe they have the ability to do it well.
In painting, the basic unit is the stroke; each successful stroke is a small success in a phase, but the first stroke is 99% likely to be unsuccessful.
Confidence is built on these small successes in each phase.
But why do doubts still arise when facing a new field again?
The answer is simple: 1. No goal; 2. No accurate goal.
If it's choosing an offer, starting a company, managing a team, or completing a large commercial project, the goals are set by others, clear and executable. However, artistic creation initially faces a blank canvas or an empty 3D window.
I have encountered two situations.
The first is complete confusion. Am I drawing a person? A monster? A landscape? A building? Absolutely no idea.
Now, if I encounter this situation, I would randomly choose a color and draw a shape. Then I would see what that shape resembles and continue from there. This is a method I invented for myself, which I will discuss further in the second article, "Shapes and Silhouettes."
The second situation is that I might already have an image in my mind, but past experiences tell me it's too difficult, and I definitely can't achieve it at my level. This is a lack of a clear goal, which is also why the first step in learning to draw is copying. You might say life drawing? In my view, life drawing during the apprentice stage is also copying. The goal of copying is precise; how do we quantify the goals of creation?
At this point, we can take a step back and look from a distance; today's digital art is no longer limited to drawing with a tablet. Broadly speaking, even posting on social media or writing a Weibo post counts as digital art creation. As long as a person is expressing their thoughts, it belongs to art, regardless of the medium of communication. From taking photos and editing them to typing and publishing, who doubts their copywriting and selfies? (Of course, this doesn't exclude those who rely entirely on this for confidence; that's off-topic and won't be discussed.) When you post on social media, you might even feel a mysterious confidence; artistic creation in its initial stages requires a bit of this mysterious confidence.
Note that this mysterious confidence is not the same as believing you will receive likes and positive feedback. That comes from the outside and will soon be forgotten; it's unreliable. You truly believe you can do it without needing any support from the outside.
What is an accurate goal? Quantification.
Outlining means completing the outline, coloring means completing the coloring, detailing means detailing. Completing any step, any character, a tree, a cloud, or any step within them is a precise goal. Do one step well, then move to the next, and repeat this process.
Confidence is built on these small successes in each phase.
When I have free time, I love looking at the works of artists I am interested in. To be honest, it's mostly about accumulating aesthetics and appreciation; I can't learn from masters. The places where I learn are often foreign forums, where the atmosphere is really good. These forums are a mix of frontline professionals and amateur newcomers, where experienced artists share their insights without reservation, and any valuable questions will receive answers. In contrast, in my country, you usually have to pay tuition to attend classes first.
The most important point is that as long as the subject matter does not offend others, regardless of how weak the foundation is, there are always people willing to share their work, express their confusion, and ask for suggestions. Some even dare to quote prices and sell their work, just like setting up a small stall. This nearly maximal inclusive environment is something I only discovered in my country in the early 2000s; now, there is hardly such an environment and platform. The space is filled with works and courses that follow aesthetic trends and advertising for traffic; if you find any, please let me know, and I would be very grateful.
There is No True Restart#
I really like what a professional player said after posting a painting in a QQ group back in the day:
"If it doesn't change beyond recognition, I feel embarrassed to post it."
In creation, I always believe that figuring out what to create is more important than figuring out how to create it.
Once you start putting pen to paper, novices will quickly encounter two other difficulties.
- The skill level isn't there, and they truly can't achieve the expected effect.
- They achieve the expected effect, only to realize that it isn't what they wanted to draw.
The first seems to have no solution; you can only practice more. But don't forget this is digital art; it no longer relies solely on "hand skills." Many seemingly unsolvable problems can actually be resolved by clicking a button or adjusting a parameter in the software. You just need to make good use of search engines to find out where that button and parameter are. Alternatively, you can use another software to achieve it, or even AI. (If you are resistant to using AI to assist in creation, I think this article “Will Painters of Van Gogh's Level Be Replaced by AI?” can help you.)
For example, if you can't draw a straight line, in Procreate, draw a line and don't move; after a while, the line will automatically straighten. In PS, holding Shift can also draw straight lines, and there are even stabilization brush functions and various symmetry features—there are many methods.
Another example, if you can't find a good color scheme, take a nice photo, apply Gaussian blur, and overlay it on your sketch. By moving, rotating, and scaling this photo, countless excellent color schemes will emerge without needing to try each one painstakingly;
Yet another example, if you can't accurately draw a face shape, you can use the liquify tool to directly "mold" the correct shape. If the proportions of the facial features are incorrect, they can be adjusted in seconds.
Some believe these are cheating or lazy methods, but they are not.
Even if these techniques might cover up some deficiencies in basic drawing skills, I believe the more important aspect is that they save time. Basic drawing skills are certainly still necessary, but they are no longer as crucial as in the traditional painting era. In traditional painting, the emphasis on strong hand skills was not only to draw more accurately but also to save time. It was simply a necessity due to technical limitations.
Reverting, layering, overlaying, copying, filters, importing 3D models... these are inherent advantages of digital technology.
The more troublesome issue is the second difficulty. For works that are already halfway done and technically sound, one might suddenly discover (either by themselves or pointed out by others) that the content has deviated from the theme and is not the idea they initially wanted to express. To correct this, a massive amount of rework or even redrawing is required. In such cases, sometimes even the most advanced technology cannot fix it, as it has strayed from the original core direction.
This is particularly reminiscent of that classic joke: you pay for a movie ticket, watch halfway, and realize it's a terrible film; do you leave or stay?
Most people won't leave. However, I believe that for creation, it's a bit different. Movies are made by others, and you can't do anything to improve the experience. Creation is self-directed; besides giving up, there is the possibility of correction. Even if you put it away and don't look at it anymore, at least don't throw it away.
The products of digital technology creation cultivate the habit of archiving rather than deleting, which is crucial .
I have also encountered such experiences.
When creating the first piece of the SCP - Huaxia Series, at the stage of refining the fifth image shown above, I realized that the metaphorical symbols in the picture had issues, and they were quite extensive. At this point, I had to decisively overturn the hard work I had put in, regardless of how beautiful the shapes were; I could only save a new version and continue to modify patiently.
In movies, you often see someone writing, struggling to write well, and then crumpling the paper and throwing it away. I think it's better to face the current paper than to grab a new one. Many novices often overlook the value of these "historical versions."
The fact is, there is no true restart in creation, nor does it ever end; it can only be abandoned.
It may seem like you're facing a new canvas again, but in reality, every action afterward integrates the experiences and memories you thought had been deleted. For something with an unpredictable outcome, all you can do is continuously adjust your direction toward the goal. Even if you toss it aside, the lessons learned will seep into the next step, if there are any lessons to be learned.
Amateurs Should Share More#
As a novice, I am certainly an amateur; in fact, I am still an amateur player.
In any field, amateurs are almost always the largest group. People fear being seen as amateurs, but amateurs have their advantages. I dare say that in creation, amateurs always have the highest degree of freedom. They already have a certain level of interest and ability, yet they are far from hitting their skill ceiling. Moreover, they are more likely to do unconventional things in their creations, allowing for more possibilities.
Amateurs will use any tools they can get their hands on to try to express their ideas. Especially in the digital age, you don't have to be an expert, you don't have to be wealthy, you don't have to be famous, and you don't need an impressive degree or a background from a giant company. Online, everyone has the ability to contribute some value.
Therefore, amateurs not only need confidence and courage in creation but should also dare to share their works, thoughts, behind-the-scenes, or even just a sketch; any small experiment can be shared. Even if it's not public, it can be shared with trusted friends. The final product is indeed meant to be seen, but many novice friends feel they have nothing else worth sharing. It's akin to saying, "My work speaks for itself."
The truth is, works do not speak for themselves. Most people are genuinely lazy; when I was building my website, I discovered a data point in the backend. If you place a link to the main site at the beginning or end of an article published outside the main site, the main site's traffic noticeably increases in those days. Without adding that link, it remains flat.
Displaying rich background information about the work is as important as showcasing the work itself.
Due to my profession, I have a hobby of collecting movie soundtracks. If I hear this music for the first time without having seen the movie, I am likely to scroll past it. Many soundtracks have numbered titles, unless the music itself is of high quality. In most cases, the opposite is true: I first watch the movie and learn the story, then immediately search for where to find its background music. At that point, the story becomes the background information for the music.
Humans are lazy but also curious. People want to know where things come from, how they were made, and who made them. When you talk about your work, it has a huge impact on how others feel and understand your work, and how they feel and understand your work affects how they value it.
Just last month, I met a medical student from Germany on Discord. It all started because I shared my speed painting video in a forum, which, for a professional video creator, could be considered a rudimentary video. They found it useful, added me as a friend, and we started chatting. As we talked, I discovered that she is also a budding YouTuber, sharing many suggestions more suitable for developing media abroad, such as how to optimize titles, thumbnails, tags, keywords, filming, and voiceovers. Whether in painting or making videos, we are both amateurs, but this is the unexpected value that sharing brings.
Finally, how others feel about your work and how they understand your efforts will naturally influence their evaluation. Believe me, even if you only painted a realistic basket of eggs, if you say nothing, there will still be people who don't understand what you're expressing. Most likely, experts will see it as a practice piece, while other amateurs will likely think you're showing off.
In Austin Kleon's book, "Show Your Work," it says:
Words matter. Artists love to trot out the tired line, “My work speaks for itself,” but the truth is, our work doesn’t speak for itself. Human beings want to know where things came from, how they were made, and who made them. The stories you tell about the work you do have a huge effect on how people feel and what they understand about your work, and how people feel and what they understand about your work effects how they value it.
I am also correcting my direction.
I am trying to build a website to showcase my writing, paintings, and behind-the-scenes content.
I am attempting to gather everything I have learned from every field I've encountered and see what fresh ideas can emerge.
I am trying to output higher quality work to compel myself to input higher quality materials.
I am attempting to plan and publish different content on various platforms, understanding the rules of each platform.
I am trying to connect with people from all over the world and discuss the value of documenting and sharing the creative process.
I am trying to embrace all possibilities.
Conclusion#
By now, I think you should have noticed that I haven't separated confidence from courage; they coexist and influence each other in almost everything in life, not just in creation. In the next article, we will discuss another new discovery—“Shapes and Silhouettes.”
This article was first published on CG Art Lab, and you are welcome to subscribe for free via email.