STREAMING ON TWITCH RN !!! www.twitch.tv/ergojosh

Real artists don't do it for the money Artists: freebies don't pay the bills

"digital art is cheating" is so silly. Saying that as a traditional artist lol. There's so much shit you need to learn when getting familiar with a program, it's a whole new thing.

“uSiNg ReFeRenCeS IsN’T *rEaL* aRt” People out here acting like DiVinci, Picasso *and* Michelangelo didn’t use references at one time or another

"real artist don't do it for the money" Landlord: rent's due Artist: here's a portrait :) Landlord: wow that's beautiful... here's an eviction notice.

As someone who has been a freelance artist for 15 years, there is nothing in this video I disagree with. NEVER WORK FOR FREE.

me when i use a reference for my character's pose: **gets accused for "cheating".** me when i don't use a reference: **receives backlash for having unrealistic anatomy** _wtf do you want from me._

The whole world is a reference. Everything that exists today has been referenced from something. Nothing is new under the sun

The whole 'nude art' being taboo thing is kind of a new-age mentality in terms of the known existence of *Art.* If you look at artwork throughout history, whether it's historical Christian murals or Shunga, all that has really changed is the style and process. It's a part of human nature inspired by the same inspirations we've had since the beginning.

Art is like the ultimate form of remixing!! Poses we draw are remixes of what we see in real life. Everyone's work is a combination of techniques and features from other artists' that have inspired us. Nothing can ever truly be original because at the end of the day, billions of people have existed through time, many with shared experiences that get translated into our work. We and our work is a product of our environment, culture etc. I think the most important thing about work is to be authentic. I personally believe most of our "style" is actually our "voice" rather that the physical elements. This applies to visuals, audio acting (think Stanislavsky) and more. Also lol I love drawing naked bodies - the human form is fascinating and so varied!

Josh, ma man, I'm lovin your room aesthetic-

That Black Panther light in the background hits different

16:03 The thing is it's not supposed to be sexualized. Everyone is in a room drawing a nude figure to understand anatomy, shapes, even lighting and shading further down the line (I know because I did it at 16/17 and I practiced both). If it were "perverted" or wrong, legally, no one under 18 would or should be allowed to do it. Besides, the models that volunteer for this aren't "sexy" either, they're people like us who provide a role in helping others understand the human form.

i really can't stand when people say that art should be free, or that art is too expensive. okay then pay the artist's rent and food and med bills and whatever they need to exist and make your art lmao

Drawing nude is "perverted" Don't ever go into a Academy of Fine Arts then lol at least here in Italy, the first thing you will do when you start your first year it's having a naked model in the middle of the class and drawing her, at least twice a week for half a year lol Art is based on life drawing of naked models. When it comes to erotical art is most of the times welcomed in your personal projects for exams if you discuss it with your teacher beforehand, as art it's not supposed to be moral

Nude art is wrong? I honestly have never heard of that, yea that makes sense if ur trying to post stuff on social media but have yall seen art galleries? A large majority of art is of nudes lol

I don't understand how people can judge others for drawing NSFW. It should be completely fine as long as it's private or in appropriate environments. Most art-servers on discord I've been on (or still am), for instance, have an NSFW channel/section or some kind of seperate room for sensitive topics. It's not like these artists just throw sexual content onto random people's faces.

one time i saw a friend argue with some dude who was mad because he thought the way someone else drew her was like, PC or something because it looked too masculine?? so [instead of saying it wasn't an accurate portrayal of her, specifically] he was like "you can't ARGUE w BIOLOGY women are just born to be built a certain way" and she was like "bro i'm trans"

0:57 If you use Reference, it’s not real art - Ridiculous. But maybe I feel that way because my training was commercial oriented where delivering quality on time took priority. 3:23 Copying another artists style - Maybe taboo? For me it was a tool for exploration and growth. The artists I know from college who stuck with it all ended up with unique styles. 6:21 Boy square, girl circle - Not too taboo. Its a broad stroke but it works, especially as a foundation for original characters. However, when this ‘taboo’ is broken with intent in the right way to communicate something, it can be powerful. 8:43 Starting with digital is cheating - Ridiculous! I think as long as someone grasps the fundamentals and can express themselves the way they intend, its all good. 10:33 Don’t draw this, don’t draw that - Ridiculous. Create whatever. However, in some circumstances or cultures for example, make sure you have a grasp on the consequences before you share! (well, seems I went off topic on this one! The context is way off!) 13:10 Work for free at the start - Soft ridiculous! Get paid if you can, but if you feel you are getting something of real value to you by working for free, cool. Just remember you still have to eat once in a while! 14:26 Real artists don’t do it for the money - Ridiculous. Even though I haven’t made arty ‘art’ in years, I still get that sometimes in graphic design. Even if your creativity feeds off of self inflicted suffering or you are independently wealthy in the first place, I just can’t! 15:57 Drawing nudes is perverted or wrong - This one I feel is a personal choice. Our first life drawing lessons had me feeling like I was breaking some law. I had real anxiety! But, by the end of 1st year, it was just another class. Context is everything! 18:04 Depicting violence in art is ‘edgy’, and edgy gets dismissed - Ridiculous, at least around here. 20:23 Don’t break the rules until you know them - Not ridiculous. I personally found a lot of worth in this, but i can see how others might not. Great video! I’ve been psyching myself up to at least pick up a pencil again and this helps!

Your voice is vibrating my Tablet lol

Tracing should not be taboo. I learned SO MUCH from tracing. Probably would have learned a lot more if I hadn't listened to my peers in my younger days. Tracing is a great learning tool. Tracing over anatomy has helped me so much.

I just recently got into NSFW art, and its super fun. I love drawing adult related content whether it be sex, drugs, violence, gore etc. It really brings out my creative side to be honest, way more than SFW art.

Let me tell you, when I started using digital art I was TERRIBLE. it took me a good 6 months to start making art I would share with other people, but I'm good at and was good art traditional art even before I started. Digital art is real art, like it or not.

you're literally the most underrated art youtuber ever- omg 💞

Man your first art class is about drawing using references.... And it's not possible to remember anything and do everything out of memory. If you want to improve muscle memory you need to draw with reference.

I draw a lot of violent artwork and iv'e had a handful of people give me shit about it in this very shallow fashion, even referencing suicide without actually depicting it iv'e gotten shit talked to about. people these days seem to forget that discussing taboo topics and using artwork to express feelings about things is important for processing life and understanding thoughts and experiences so that we can all grow. Comfort can be dangerous and I make it a point of mine to constantly push my own boundaries and i really wish more people would do the same.

Im glad somebody actual talked about this.

What do you call a painting by a cat? A paw trait I make art vids in case any y’all were wondering lol Stay safe and funky everyone!

As a portrait artist I have to use reference but I do ask for more than one photo of the subject because the two dimensions of the photos can hide perfect understanding of the lines and depth. Certain features can be misunderstood by my artist eye with odd shadows, etc. And even though I can get pretty photorealistic, I found I HAD to add some style in order to convey that the final product is ART and not just a photo.

Do you have a sweet side hustle reading audio books? Have you thought about it?

I like the black Panther theme, R.I.P Chadwick boseman

If you used a ton amount of reference as a beginner , you will be able to create amazing artwork from imagination when you become a professional

Loving the black panther aesthetic!

Lol, reminds me of the time when my mom saw my photocopys of nude sculptures for anatomy study. Shez thought i was a perv. XD

I used to do a lot of traditional art on the more realism side but then I stopped because art just wasn’t something I was too serious about. Now I do more photography. If I had seen your channel when I was younger, I probably would’ve gotten into art more and wanted to improve more. I just love your channel and I enjoy the work you do.

*Best.advice.ever.* 1:05 "If you use reference, it's not real art" Wish I realized this is a total BS sooner. Would have improved x100 faster XD

Why did my dumb brain read the title as “let’s talk about art tattoo’s”?

One reason I've heard for starting with traditional before digital is that without ctrl z, you have to think before you make your stroke while also not being afraid of making a mistake rather than repeatedly making a stroke and undoing it hoping to get that one perfect stroke.

Drawing nude art is perverted and wrong Kim Jung Gi n SakimiChan: 👀

Haha using references inspires me to draw more シ 💜🖤💜🖤

“Find your art style!” Seriously. If your a young artist having an “art style” isn’t important.

I don't think nude art has ever been a taboo. Is this an american thing? I've been attending nude life classes since I was 13. Haha?

I “learned the rules” before I broke them and now I can’t BREAK OUT of the rules, I was doing realism and things at a young age, at least attempting and now I can only really do portraits, I can’t even draw anime I’m so stuck. I’m trying to get out of the loop but that’s my experience of learning the rules.

I think the discussion of art being priced is a very interesting one. In my opinion when you put a price into a painting or drawing, you are in a lot of ways taking the value out of it, what I mean is that art is such a profound and gorgeous thing and when you start pricing it, it looses it's valeu, in a way it gets corrupted. Having said that.. We don't live in an utopical world, people literally need money to survive.. to buy anything you need money and most of the times we considered it normal ( ex: food, water, electricity and even entertainment for most of the times). So buying and selling art should also be a natural thing, mainly when you think about how much effort a person actually put to draw/ paint that ( not only regarding the time it took for that specific peace but for their whole journey)

When I draw I look at u as inspiration ngl

I think you should practice the fundamentals and stylization at the same time. I also think we should stop looking down upon nudity too. Lots of people look at nudity as something that is always sexual, when it’s not. We all have one or the other, go to an Ancient Greek art exhibit if ya want

A master painter told me this when I was a kid. I was impressed on how easy he took a digital tablet (1990) for the first time in a demonstration. The lesson, a medium is a tool. A digital tablet is just another medium/tool, your talent and skill is what makes you the artist you are, not the tool.

10:30 Can confirm. Been sketching with pencil my entire life. Started digital in 2017, and I had to start from scratch. Add on top of that all the extra options you have at your disposal and digital--it might be difficult to believe--is HARDER than traditional. It's always said that the more constraints you put onto an artist, the better artwork you will get from them. It's true. So, don't disrespect digital artists. They are jacks of all trades, and still manage to put out some masterful work

Using reference is a frickin' blessing! I've drawn for years (during my whole life, actually), but I started to draw with reference a year ago. I've developed as an artist SO MUCH during this year, which is ridiculous. Like, I've many postures in my muscle memory now, I know more of the human anatomy and...I just have developed so much!

All the great classical artists used references.

Nobody: Josh in the first three seconds: “Taboo”

I was glad you brought up that tracing point. I sometimes need to get commissions done fast, and what they’re asking for is like, “draw my wife, here’s a picture of her.” They could care less if I traced some proportions so I could move on to details faster and then move onto another project. All they care about is the product.

That somewhat big comment about drawing what you want is so true. As you said. There’s really nice anime art & furry art. They know how to draw so good under those categories. I give major props to them for drawing what they want 100%

11:13 as a furry artist (or actually someone who tries to draw furries) People dont know how much goes behind these things, for chibi for example, you have to know your anatomy for it to look good And also for furries, with furries you have to combine human anatomy with animal anatomy, and that can be VERY TRICKY to make it look good You have to take two concepts, that you basically have to learn separately (i first started drawing animals and now am working on human anatomy) and combine certain aspects in the right way, like how would they digitigrades stand? Its not the same as humans, so the knees would have to be bent to keep balance, or they’d have to lean forward a bit. Where exactly would the head connect correctly? A wolf has his head connecting to his neck more to the back of the head, while humans have it under the head, so how would you connect those two correctly to eachother and the list goes on Now i am rambling on about furry art here since i mostly draw that, but the same counts for any other type of art. Like i mentioned before, for chibi art you still have to know basic anatomy to make it look right, fantasy creatures work the same way as furries etc. In my opinion, people should be able to draw whatever they want, as long as it isnt hurting anyone

Some of these I’d never heard before, and some were the mainstays. Art is different for and to everyone. One of the biggest things for me in this video was “starting to draw digitally is cheating,” which, like you said, it’s not, it’s just different. And in my case, it was incredibly helpful. My cousin is comic book illustrator and we’ve worked together on a lot of things. For so long, I only ever did the writing. But I was basically born with a tremor, I’ve had it all of my life. I’m fine doing cartography on paper because you’re pretty much using rulers a lot of the time and my handwriting is still fairly neat. But my tremor was so bad that after drawing for 15 minutes, I would just quit and want to cry, every damned time. Once the digital art world because accessible, one simple factor changed my life: streamlining. Now I can do what I could never do on paper, and contribute more than just words. But part of the idea of digital art as “cheating” has still somehow stuck with me, causing me to do other things in a longer/roundabout way that some artists may not choose to do. The biggest example I can think of is that I can hardly ever use the fill/bucket tool. I cannot remember ever not colouring in a piece 100% by hand. It doesn’t bother me, as I find colouring one of the most relaxing parts of my art process, and don’t mind doing it at all, I also don’t think less of artists who do use the fill bucket tool. It just only connected with me after seeing this video, and it let me reflect on my own process as an artist. Thanks for this. Cheers!

Woah, overall grey color, beautiful touches of purple light and i was wtaching the scene the entire time...whole setup is beautiful, little white fur there, small yellow flower and subtle blue wallpaper on tv... terrific

A note about process: if someone painstakingly creates a photorealistic image by hand that informs my appreciation of the work. People shouldn’t be put off using any process they want to produce what they want, but process can play a big part in what the piece communicates.

It was really interesting seeing your perspective on this topic, thoroughly enjoyed.

Ahhh, I just would like to stop by and appreciate how simple and minimal is everything in your videos, Josh-san. from satisfyingly calm gray background and your shirt perfectly in balance with it and to your amazingly calm tone of speaking and amazingly simple way to explain things. Listening to you feels like a reeeest to me

I love just listening to you talk while I draw, your videos are really inspiring

What you said about style is so true I’ve used another artist style before and every time I did it never came out exactly like the original it always looked different. Then i usually end up just putting my own spin on it anyway plus artists mimic other artist style all the time and if they say they don’t they’re lying we all have our favorite artist and people we draw inspiration from.

Every artist needs to watch this video. Taboos hold us back from becoming better. I especially loved the mimicking or studying other artists point. The same thing applies to writers and many other creative endeavors. You cool if we share this with our audience?

All the great artists from the ancient times used references, be it live models or corpses (aka Da Vinci) to study the anatomy and everything. I use references all the time and i'm not ashamed of using them, it's very good to make us see how things work. Helps us evolve and be better artists.

dude this was sick, i have been looking for vids like this, the little sit down chill talk vids, and it helps that ur voice ans set up is sooooo chilll

So basically do whatever the hell you want with the exception of copying work and claiming it as your own 😆

I remember drawing a mermaid back when I was in 5th grade taking reference from Airel and my art teacher saw that and she tore that paper and threw it away (she also called the counselor on me idk why) cause according to her it was very revealing and sexual.. I mean like.. dude.. have you ever seen 'the little mermaid' ? What am I supposed to draw instead of starfish on her tiddies?? A fricking tshirt??? I cried so much that day, I literally put hours into that work as a kid just for someone to treat it like that.

All these artists coming out in support of using references warms my heart as someone who constantly uses references

I love your videos e r g o j o s h, the style makes me feel happy and comforted. Thank you for being a great artist and KZfaqr!

I need Josh to decorate my future home because WOW his livingroom is so perfect!

The people that shame referencing may be the same who are losing their heads in love with how good and accurate the art featuring their fave characters are drawn.

OMG YOU ARE LITERALLY THE MOST HELPFUL ART CHANNEL I'VE EVEN ENCOUNTERED how come I didn't know about you earlier hu-hu, and you took Avatar as an exemple *sobbs*

Very well done video Josh. I particularly liked that you addressed the traditional verses digital art divide. As someone who has painted for many years I can attest that digital work isn't anything to be discounted. I've recently started doing digital work in addition to more traditional studio work and my instagram page definitely shows that I've got a long way to go until I can use a tablet as well as a paintbrush. So for those of you that only work digitally, keep rocking it, it's a tough medium and I have mad respect for those of you that have mastered it.

If I don't use reference I see that my art is lacking. Like even when I draw an oc that's 100% imaginary and despite my art style being cartoony, I still like to look up reference for for example freckle patterns or poses.

Omg when i switched from traditional to digital art i ALMOST gave up. I was TERRIBLE, but now a year, its fun as hell and i learned alot!

Thank you. I do really love your channel and your vids. You seems to me so wise and calm person at the same time. And your voice is so relaxing)) Keep it up!

In my artistic high school (here in Italy we have different types of high school, focused on different things) we had 6 hours of nude class per week the last 2 years.. When I told it to my friends they were a bit weirded out, but inside the school everyone was chill about it. You could see models just walking around in robes and flip flops during recess. I have great memories about it, and I learnt a lot. Being able to see and study a real body it's really important. Even though we were 17, no one in the class looked at it the wrong way, we were all focused about the beauty of the forms and how to replicate them, the gestures, the warmth, the soft lighting.. I think we all improved significantly because of that. I miss it so much.

I love your videos so much dude ❤️❤️❤️ they motivate me to continue following my dream of becoming a professional artist and just thank you so much ❤️😊

I always say the same three things to new artists. Ahem: 1. Best said by my professor, everyone uses references. Technically, remembering how something looks in your head and implementing it is a reference. But it is absolutely naive to assume humans have this amazing capacity to remember everything they see, so when you can't use the references in your head, find them. 2. Never tell someone what they can and cannot draw. It is up to them. However, consider your future as an artist. Do you want to only freelance? Do you want to work for a specific gaming company? Any animation studios you're aiming for? If that's the case, then it is best to hone your talents properly. It doesn't mean you need to copy the style of a company, no, it means that you need to consider what they WOULD like. If you turn in a portfolio filled with anime characters to a company that has very realistic humans in their games, they're not going to hire you. Then vice versa, if you show no anime in a portfolio when you want to work for an anime-based manga company, then they're not going to hire you. Freelancing, well, you do you. I personally want to be an all-rounder animator, I want to be able to copy and create many styles (not all, but a good range). I love anime, never been a fan of the art though (love the stories), so I don't draw it, but that's fine as the companies I'm aiming for have no involvement with heavy anime styles. Basically, DON'T let someone tell you what you can't draw, DO consider your career and goals. 3. Know the rules before you break them? Yup, I agree with that, but I do not at all believe that means someone needs to learn realistic art. And, what's more, I don't expect someone to know ALL the rules before they break them. I learned how to draw by taking parts of the body, figuring out how to draw the anatomy correct (not realistic, just... it makes sense in movement and measurement), then I broke it. I didn't learn the entire body. I hit a road block, shimmied back down to the basics, learned them, and climbed back up into a preferred style. When I see a stylized character whose anatomy is incorrect and clearly isn't done for style, I always say, "Look at yourself in a mirror and study where things hit. Where do your hips end, what are your elbows parallel to, how do your legs look bent, etc." The more you spend time studying yourself, the more you'll find yourself studying other humans and it'll translate to your art. I can't tell you how many times something will catch my eye, whether that is a human body, fabric or hair (etc), and I'm like... ohhhhhh, that's how I'd draw it. Then I'll look at it awkwardly for a couple minutes, really sucking it in, then hope that one day I'll need to implement it. All together: Use references, you're already doing it. Draw what you want, but plan ahead (plans can always change though!). Break and rebuild constantly, it isn't a one time pitstop.

I agree with you Josh on all points, especially the first point with using references and how they help you grow as an artist. Thank you for making this video! I’ve definitely found myself in a position where I found it easier to break rules before learning them. It helped tremendously with my artistic journey. I started drawing manga and anime as a teenager, and when I was in college learning drawing fundamentals and figure drawing, I found it more beneficial to understand how to draw things more anatomically correct (or proper) after drawing them stylized and animated for so many years. And side note, drawing nude figures is a great way to learn more about human anatomy. It’s organic, natural, and helps break the body down into simple forms. I especially found it easier than drawing clothed models; there’s sometimes too much going on, and it distracts you from focusing on what you’re supposed to be drawing, a human being.

Thanks for talking about this, this needed to be said 💗

7:40 I really love how they dealed with this in Dorohedoro. You have tough girls there and those who are physically strong also LOOK like they can fucking snap your neck. One woman is a healer and to compensate her lack of offensive magic she basically went full gym, but still looks good and "feminine" in her own way.

Great video! Lots of taboos trying to hold us artists back! Rules were made to be broken!

I really appreciate you taking on these bothersome art taboos. Great video!

I'm pretty good at traditional art and I started doing digital art and I felt like I needed to learn to draw again. For me it was really hard adapting to using tablet, but I do enjoy it more than traditional art. Also, I love your background! Those purple lights are EVERYTHING

Holy shit I'm early I am watching this at 1:30 am. Josh's voice is so calming

Who else is watching this guy primarily for his voice? obviously I enjoy the info input, but hey let's not lie to ourselves :D

i find when learning something new such as clothing or a face, tracing it (and not posting it as your own ofc) over and over and then drawing it by yourself without tracing over and over, helps a ton with hands and stuff

You got way the best voice and sound quality of alle the tutorials I watched in the last few weeks.

You sound like an audiobook narrator and that is amazing

I like listening to your voice , it's kinda relaxing haha :) Sending you hugs from Madagascar

love this conversation so much, thank you for validating my art feels

I love your room! It's full of my favourite color (black 🖤 +purple 💜) I love your voice! It sounds so soothing I love your artworks! You're so talented I love your content! It has tons of information 👏

That avatar moment was precious

"Art should always be free" I think this stems from the belief that something you like can't be work. And no work means no money! They just don't understand that you can love your work, but that it's still work nonetheless.

Anatomy I’m my school really did help, we learned ab the joints and the almost correct proportions for every human body in a more in depth way

Great video Josh! I'm eager for the day I get into a debate with someone over digital art or using reference. Imma send them straight to this video.

That lighting and set is 😘

i used to dislike how art is taught in school, but eventually i realized that,, theyre teaching the fundamentals that'll help me with whatever i choose to do with my art. if you don't wanna learn it that way, then don't, but it is helpful.

I enjoyed the topic and your video. You voice is easy to listen too as well. Just a though. Would be awesome if you had these conversations with other artist and also get their ideas out. It just feels good to hear the thoughts of other artists out there because in the real world I don't have that many people to talk about this to. Thanks for sharing!

Very good, man. Been really enjoying your videos