First thing's first: I'm an artist. I always have been. Since the day in elementary school when I was doodling Fluttershy in my math notebooks, to when a girl told her parents on me because I hadn't drawn the clothes on a character yet and she said I was "drawing naked people," to this day... when I'm struggling to find time and energy to do so much as a doodle of whatever's been capturing my heart lately.
My relationship with art has always been a complicated one. I went through many phases of loving, hating it, wanting to do it and wanting to do anything else. Maybe right now I'm on the "wanting to do anything else" and "wanting to do it" trains at the same exact time. However, my little habits never die even when I am lacking the mental strength to actually put pen to paper and enact my inspiration.
One of those habits? Brush-shopping.
The digital age has come with many beautiful features. Social Media and Digital Art are at the top of the pole. Now, does that mean they're ALL good? Goodness, no. Especially since those two are now mutually tied together, where every kid nowadays is striving to become the next big artist and to "find their style."
I find those notions laughable as a crusty 21-and-a-half-year-old artist who's been on the internet since she was 6 and drawing in MS paint for just as long. Modern notions of art -- marketability, categorizing styles, generalizing, and chasing an algorithm -- are just... so shallow. But I understand where they come from.
After all, it's a product of trying to find one's identity, or seeking validation and worth in one's work. Artists are constantly seeking the best tool, the best method, the most beautiful things and how to get the most likes. They'll name every art style in hopes of imitating it, ask how to do very basic things, and soak in information in a very methodical, algorithm-based culture around art.
How does this tie into brushes? Well.....
One of the biggest questions I see most asked on posts is "What brush is this?" or "What is this art style called?" -- the former more often than the latter, though.
I'm sure it's an innocent question, but I have found more often than not the process is: ask what the brush is, get it, use it once or twice, and realize nothing has changed and thus go back to your usual tools. At least... that's how it's been for myself and the few anecdotal cases I can confirm, and the dozens of observed ones I've come across in my internet travels. There's some kind of myth or belief that when seeing beautifully mastered art, you'll get that same skill once you wield the same tool.
The part that made me want to write this was my own ritual of downloading assets and brushes, where I often fall into that same pattern before snapping out of it. I came across a brush called "[Re] edge variant pen" -- a gorgeous, sharp brush intended for manga artists or anyone seeking a crisp lineart style. Is it something I'd use regularly? Maybe not. However, looking at the demonstration art for it, I found myself drawn to it anyways. Almost experiencing that same feeling of wonder, the "If I use this, I can make work like this, too!" that I always thought I grew from.
I mean, look at it. Isn't the work beautiful?
I found myself then doing the step many young artists tend to skip or be fully unaware of: trying to understand the techniques used in the demonstration piece. I see a lot of quick strokes, fully inked-in areas for shadow, and a LOT of hatching. There's also some screen-toning being used ... it's a very confident and mesmerizing drawing.
I'm ... not quite confident in my lineart. Or anything, really. I often just throw things together and tinker with it until it feels right, or I'm too exhausted to keep adjusting. However, every new thing I download I see as an opportunity to learn, to experiment, and although I won't ever convince myself seriously that I can make work as amazing as the great, at least I can figure out other methods than the ones I stick to that can be more efficient or produce unique outputs.
I'll always be a supporter of doing things yourself, though. The perfect brush is just a few settings away from existence -- you just gotta make it.
Thank you for reading. See you next time. :)