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Does anyone here go through an artist identity crisis?
I'm at the point in my life where I'm not sure where to go with my art.
Some days I want to do cartoony/very stylized comic book art, and focus on the line work and do simple flat coloring or gradients. Babs Tarr, Alex Ahad, Der-Shing Helmer, or Tyson Hesse are some similar examples.
Other days I want to do highly rendered digital paintings, similar to Sakimichan, Ilya Kuvshinov and Ross Tran.
Then there's subject matter. Some days I just want to draw fanart, and others I want to focus on character design. If I were to be a full fledged illustrator, I can't have a portfolio full of fanart, but sometimes it's all I want to draw.
Hell, at this point I think I want to go into storyboarding since one of my dream jobs is to work for animation, but I can't animate.
I know in this day and age, to make it as an artist you need to have a big social media presence, but your art is basically your brand.
A part of me wants to do everything, illustration, comic books, storyboarding, character design. Another part of me wants to focus on one thing to make a brand for myself.
I'm not sure what direction to go into at this point and spend all my time and energy in.
Pic related, a quick sketch I did.
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every. fucking. day
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>>3024349
Yes, many people have that problem, and work in a variety of styles.
Put it all in the water, and see what catches traction.
You rarely get to decide the direction you're going to go in - it's like choosing a job. You put your resume or portfolio out there and see who calls.
Your "brand" doesn't have to be a hyperfocused style.
Once you are employed, your employment will help you direct your attention both in and out of work in more ways than you realize.
>>3024365
Just like that. So nobody replied. Don't get frustrated or take it personally, just keep fishing.
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>>3024349
Don't go for a fucking style and that will be your style.
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>>3024349
Well, what are you good at?
What kinds of things can you work tirelessly on?
Do you just want to be good at one thing without putting the effort in?
>illustration, comic books, storyboarding, character design
These types of art are very similar to each other. In fact they are all part of sequential art. If you build an audience on one of these, they won't be upset if you try another. It's not like you want to be both a professional golfer and a basketball player.
Anyways, if you want to change your artistic direction later on, it's not that uncommon for artists to completely reinvent themselves. It's also not that uncommon for artists to have diverse portfolios. Don't chain yourself up by trying to be like any single artist.
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That's not an identity crisis, that's the process of finding your identity.
As an artist it is a GOOD thing to experiment with mediums, styles and subject matter.
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>>3024349
Same boat as you OP
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>>3024349
just go where the wind takes you. spend a few weeks drawing cartoony stuff, then spend a month rendering something hyper-realistic, and get into something else. Eventually it will all sort of meld together into your style. you can't force it. you will eventually find the perfect blend to focus on, and you'll keep experimenting and growing.
art is one of those things where, if you try to focus on the destination, you'll lose the thread. have to love art for the journey.
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