My Colored Sketches: Is there a point?

[Test-0]

Greetings.

I had just recently finished a sketch I was doing and had decided to color it all nice and stuff. Ended up looking nice and spiffy and all that, put it up on DeviantART, then remembered something as I looked through my gallery for other colored sketches: none of these other sketches got any attention. I know what your thinking, "But Test, they all have views and comments, right?" Well Jimmy "Er my names not" the point is they get very little views in comparison to my other sketches. In fact, the LESS work I've done for something, the more views more comments and the more well received it is. O_o;

Here's a few links to some of my colored sketches:
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/56914431/ (Shrunken Sango, the new one)
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/54891167/ (Bubble Expansion)
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/54790438/ (The Female Samurai BE)
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/54736180/ (Shrunken Smile, Lorekeeps birthday present. :3 )
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/50097145/ (Sexy Ayla)
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/35968629/ (2K Kiss)
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/31550126/ (Ranmama, Preg)

Now, I would like to know. Is there really any point to me coloring any of my sketches? I don't want people going 'Color good. You do color. ^_^' because as far as I can tell, for me not other people mind you, there isn't much of a good point to it. A truthful answer only. Look at the coloring I've done and tell me, should I DO any more coloring, or do I just suck so badly it would be better if I just left all my sketches black and white?

No pressure or any(OH GOD TELL ME!!!!!)thing.

Color is fantastic when done properly and realistically- but that's pretty time consuming, I suppose. I think the practice would be worthwhile, but if I were an artist (which I'm not, since I don't count MS paint crap), I'd save it for bigger scenes (or just larger pictures) and, uh, stuff you think is special enough to warrant it, lest people start complaining that they expected stuff to be in color all the time.

[/$0.02]

[TrumanGrace]

Sometimes, I like the images more in black and white than I do in color. It really depends on the imaging and such. It's not easy to do coloring well and, in many cases, adding it might detract from the images. If I were an artist, I would reserve it for special pictures, like Chii said, like the birthday gift, or for images I truly wanted to color.

I like the actual coloring work on your sketches, but to be honest, not the backgrounds so much. On things like the Shrunken Sango, the 3D background just seems to clash with the image. I'm not a very big proponent of using the 3D backgrounds behind the 2D image in most cases, as they usually tend to clash. In this case, I would probably think the images would look better on a white background than the 3D rendered background (although, admittedly, I do think the Smile image looks great as is).

But take that for what it is, you're the artist.

[Test-0]

Originally Posted by TrumanGrace

But take that for what it is, you're the artist.

Good to hear the coloring on my sketches isn't horrible at least. ^_^ I usually stick to special occasions only for coloring, but I also don't think every sketch I do should be black and white because I CAN actually color them with... relative ease.

Though, it sounds like the backgrounds don't add up to the rest of the sketch. In most cases I google a quick pic, add some filters to blur it out so it's not real vs cartoon ect. In this case, which I am kinda happy to hear you think is 3d, it was drawn. I draw backgrounds when I think it would be better off then to google a pic and paste it in. Hmm, now that I think of it, I should list some drawn background pics since most of the ones I had linked are mostly googled... ^^;

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/40416105/ (ZX Processed: Platane SW)
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/38811697/ (Normal is Cute)
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/34548972/ (Love Thyself)
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/32347620/ (A Big Cheer Growth)

There's some links to some sketches I've colored the backgrounds for. So, um, is that the problem? ^^;

[Grumpy]

You should always practice all areas. I must ask you something.... Are you drawing for yourself or for others? I know exactly how it feels to get a lot of feedback on some pieces which makes you want to continue doing that, but it's also boring in the long run.

Keep drawing and coloring I say.

[Test-0]

Originally Posted by Denny

You should always practice all areas. I must ask you something.... Are you drawing for yourself or for others? I know exactly how it feels to get a lot of feedback on some pieces which makes you want to continue doing that, but it's also boring in the long run.

Keep drawing and coloring I say.

Heh, thanks for the feed back.

As for the question, I don't think any artist can truly say that what they do is JUST for others and not themselves. Thats not to say it's a bad thing, just that they need something out of it to make them selves happy. But I can say that most of the stuff I've done was for other people, mostly for people that can't do it for themselves. I guess thats how I built my whole reputation here, now that I think of it. I'm not a hugely good artist like the other people here, but I try and fill the gaps for people that can't get what they want anywhere else, which is fine by me. Makes for good practice anyhow.

So, I guess the answer is, I do it for myself, mostly for others.

[Grumpy]

Then there's a second question; if you do it mostly for others, does it mean you shouldn't practice other areas - get a lot better - and prove to them how awesome it can really be, in color for example?

[Test-0]

Originally Posted by Denny

Then there's a second question; if you do it mostly for others, does it mean you shouldn't practice other areas - get a lot better - and prove to them how awesome it can really be, in color for example?

Ah. I think I know where your going with this. In order to reach a wider audience and thus a wider ark of ability I must kill Abraham Lincoln! ...I mean, practice at stuff like coloring and backgrounds!

I hope thats what you mean.

[Grumpy]

Yeah. How fun is it to be experienced and limited to one area anyway?

[LostHopeOfDusk]

Your art is good, and colored art is like a comments magnet… most people tend to ignore art that is not colored, sad but true.

[Test-0]

Originally Posted by LostHopeOfDusk

Your art is good, and colored art is like a comments magnet? most people tend to ignore art that is not colored, sad but true.

Heh, I guess my color magnets are the same polarity as the commentors because they get the least comments. ^^;

[Kojiro Highwind]

sent ya a PM test good buddy ^^;