Expanding to different fields of art

So throughout my entire graphic career I have only specialized in creating signatures and as of lately I am starting to notice my improvement over time. However, I cant help but feel that I can expand on what I can do now and step into the field of large pieces, photo manipulation, and vector art. However, I have only made something that can be considered a photo manip/large piece, which could be found here http://www.gfxvoid.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63554, and that itself isnt really too good.

My competitive drive wanted to join the LP collab competition but I knew that I couldn't produce anything to actually compete or even help someone create a LP. So a question to people that have experience in other fields of art, how should I get started in LP artwork so that I can be headed in the right direction? And how did you expand on what you started with being signatures or anything else art related?

I'm glad you're thinking about expanding your art, because no offense to anyone here, but sigs are completely useless. Not to be mean or anything, but they're only purpose is to be added to the bottom of your post on a forum, and that's it. In any real world situation, they're not worth anything.

As far as going from sigs to large pieces, I think the biggest mistake you can make is trying to make a large piece using signature techniques. Sigs are all the same really. A render, blending, brushes, finished. But with a large piece, it's all about creativity. Plus you have so much room to work with that you cant just slap a render in the middle and use some brushes for the entire background like a sig.

If you're going to get into large pieces, I would select a style that you really like. For example: photo manipulation, abstract, pixel art, vector, etc. Choose one and work on developing that style into your own. It's fun to make wallpapers, because then if you really like your outcome you can throw it all your desktop and see it all the time (as well as others who use your computer).

But yeah, definitely get into the larger pieces. Maybe even web design. Something you can make money off of. Not saying you should chase money or anything, but why develop a skill (making cool sigs) if it has no potential payoff later down the road?

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Originally Posted by Monroe

why develop a skill (making cool sigs) if it has no potential payoff later down the road?

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Not everything is about profit. We make sigs because that's who we are. I'm sure there's something in your life that you enjoy, right? You should be able to relate.

And maybe signatures won't make you any money. The alternative is to get a job and do signatures in your free time.

Relax bro, I make sigs too lol, I know where you're coming from.

I'm not trashing sigs, or trying to put down anyone who makes them. I'm just saying to see them for what they are, a bit useless. Sure, they're fun to make and give you something to do. They're great and all. But my point wasn't about chasing money or trying to make a profit (which is exactly what I said in the previous post). But simply, if you're passionate about art, and you love creating art, why not choose a field where you can develop your skills and turn it into something useful? Like web design and wallpapers, you can make them for free and not charge a dime, but they're still useful. People can use them. You can use them. You can make money off of them. You can make them for charities. Anything really. But signatures, you put them in the bottom of your post and that's it. They have no purpose. NOW IM NOT SAYING DON'T MAKE SIGS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO PURPOSE. I'm just saying WHY NOT develop a skill on the side that can have a potential payoff (monetary or otherwise)?

Besides, its not like I went to the Signature Showcase forum and said fuck signatures, make large pieces instead. He asked about making the switch the large pieces and I explained why I think that's a great idea.

Good topic! I remember how I started out making signatures. Making signatures is good for your development I think because it allows you to learn photoshop and become familiar with that environment. Render+background+blending+lightsource, all that stuff is pretty repetitive and common for signature making.

At one point, I started doing a pentool tutorial, and from there on started making vector art, because I was tired of making signatures (and wanted to be better than everyone else here on the board obviously).

I think the best way to learn something is just to do it. Keep in mind that your work will be shitty at first (for a long time even), but if you force yourself to practice frequently even though you know the outcome wont be as good as you want, you will be good.

From my point of view, a lot of people try to expand from signatures to large art, but never really try because theyre too scared of the large blank canvas. Instead, doing something you are good at (making signatures) is a lot more fun because you know what you are doing (your comfort zone), you are procrastinating to become better!

Best advice is just to start practicing, stop worrying about that it 'could' be a waste of time, work frequently. Doing just tutorials is good too as it helps reaching your goal.

Don't worry about how you start out. Everyone's a newbie to something sometime, but rarely do people dare move into something new altogether.
One problem I had when starting out was that my ideas behind the large piece was too random and since it wasn't a strong enough idea, I ran out of ideas for what to include in the piece. So setting yourself a project or a series of art centered around one topic helps a lot. Nature perhaps. Not sure if it's the common thing to do, but t helped me keep to my theme and resulted in a better piece.
It's worth it going into bigger scopes of art basically. :)

Most people say doing manips first are a pretty easy way to start, and I would have to agree. Manips are actually how I first got into LP's. Then you can sort of expand from there. Manips offer a lot of useful stuff for other LP's. Lighting blending and just making everything like its suppose to be there. If you want to start expanding I will be willing to help out and CnC your art. Just don't be afraid, find what style you like and stay with it, nobody is good at LP's on there firs few but sooner or later you will become pro.

Yeah I see what you guys mean however it seems that I usually can't think up of a concept to work with.

And its nice to see support from others :D

If your having trouble thinking of stuff just do something like this,
Just take like a stock photo of anything and change something.
Here is like an example of a bad manip I did ages ago.
Stock:http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s...3562Medium.jpg
Product: http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s...tsdarkcopy.jpg

its very basic but will still help you.

Badd?? its pretty good. I guess I'll start with baby steps

you dont havee to do any sort of art to start out with, just experiment and find something you like and something that you can complete, be happy with, and it ends up looking good ;), good luck! i hope your LPs turn out great!

Haha thanks ex

LPs is a bit hard because your not accustomed to using the larger canvas space however once you get used to it, it comes alot easier:)

join da if you havent already done so.

look at these artgroups...

http://slashthree.com
http://www.cosmosys.net
http://www.evokeone.com
http://www.theluminarium.net
http://www.depthcore.com
http://www.digitalflow.org
http://www.revuh.nl
http://www.intrinsicnature.org


Look at the packs and draw inspiration, and just practice.