Hi, I'm Nick and in this video I'm going to be showing you my creative process.
I'll be talking about what influences me the most, where my ideas come from and why
I create my art.
If you are working in the creative field, at one point or another you just aren't going
to be able to naturally come up with an idea for a project
or brief.
This is when you are going to need a process to help you develop an idea.
So through showing you my process I hope I can show you some ways to come up
with an idea when you are stuck.
Wait.. one second.
Let's start with the easiest process.
And let's get it out of the way quickly.
I'm talking about the creative process where you don't need to think.
It just naturally comes to you, you know exactly what you are doing within seconds of reading
your brief or coming up with a new project.
Or you're walking and suddenly a magical idea hits you smack bang in the head.
That's easy.
Sometimes you can't explain how you got that idea.
It was just natural, as if the concept was lying dormant in your subconscious.
You have the idea, now you need to actually do it.
That's the next step, and we'll get to that later.
It's the times when you can't think of an idea which is important.
In this situation you have a choice.
You could wait. and wait. and wait. and then wait some more
for that one magical idea that comes naturally.
It'll come eventually if you wait.
But maybe by that time your deadline expired two years ago.
So watcha gonna do?
You need a CREATIVE PROCESS.
So what's my creative process when I'm stuck?
First off I'll start by saying there's probably not a process which is going to work every
single time.
It's not like saying "If you multiply 15 by 7, then divide
it by 0.6 = Artwork" NOPE.
It's going to change from time to time depending on your mood and circumstances.
But here's a few methods that has frequently worked for me when I'm stuck for an idea.
It's brought to you by my favourite Youtuber and the pioneer of vlogging - ZeFrank.
He says, first you need to make a list of everything which would be obvious in regards
to your possible project ideas.
Everything you think someone has already thought of before.
For example, a bus has wheels, a driver, seats and an engine.
Write all that stuff down, and then forget about it.
Throw it out.
If you want your project or idea to be original, then you're going to have to think past the
obvious stuff.
Sometimes in order to list everything obvious you need to research similar ideas.
For example, my style of artwork is Tribal linework.
I wanted my artwork to stand out from everyone else's tribal linework.
So I started drawing tribal versions of Pokemon.
Found out tribal versions of Pokemon weren't such an original idea after all.
Oops.
Back to the drawing board.
Then I researched what types of tribal artworks are out there.
I couldn't find anyone who was combining watercolours
with tribal linework, so I made that my niche.
That's how I found my style.
In other cases you might not be able to come up with an original idea.
So find that list of obvious ideas again.
Pick an obvious idea but let's change the lens we're viewing it through.
Let's magnify it and focus on a little detail that people might not realise.
Let's borrow the bus example again.
Whose job is it to design the yellow handles on a bus?
Let's zoom out and focus on the big picture that people aren't noticing.
Why aren't there more bus lanes in and out of the city?
Let's change our perspective.
How would a person who has grown up isolated in the Amazon forest experience their first
ride on a public bus?
You don't always need to think right outside the box.
You can also look inside the box, but change your angle or even your dimension.
Another handy creative process method is to create a scrapbook of ideas, or sketches which
you can pull out when you need an idea.
Every time you think of something in a different way, write it down.
Every time you see something cool like a pattern, character or artwork, write it down, or quickly
draw it or take a photo.
Through this way you create a database of ideas.
Without creating my database of ideas, I wouldn't have come up with this idea for an artwork.
I saw an artwork by DeviantART artist Kinko-White who painted a beautiful acorn.
I added the image to my bookmarks and when it came time to draw my next artwork, I thought
of it as a reference.
It's going to take some hard work to make a list of these things.
You have to find ways to motivate yourself if it doesn't come naturally.
Otherwise you're just going to end up procrastinating and justifying your procrastination
to yourself.
For instance, this video is a bit difficult to create.
Making this video wasn't coming naturally...
at first.
I had to motivate myself into making it.
So what am I doing to make it easier on myself to make?
I'm paying attention to the small details which effect how well I work and focus.
If my workspace isn't well lit I don't work well.
I listen to Chillstep and long house music mixes so I feel relaxed and don't find myself
wasting time changing the music all the time.
I clean my room before I start work so I don't get distracted cleaning it.
I drink peppermint tea because it seems to trigger
me to work hard.
I incorporate little references and my own interests in the project I'm working in so
it's more fun to make - like in this video I added in random transportation and clips
of me shooting my bow and working on my car.
It's all about noticing what triggers your creative mood and how to maintain it.
That's how you turn your un-naturally thought up idea into a project where you can work
as if it was a natural idea you really want to do.
Take notice of your environment the next time you feel like you're in your creative zone
and replicate it when your stuck.
I guarantee it's going to have a positive effect.
Finding people who influence you is also important.
Try to find lot's of people who create things you love.
Surround yourself with creative people and the creative community.
Being involved in that community exposes you to so many new styles, techniques and ways
of creating things.
Looking at other people's work is a really quick process of bouncing ideas and styles
off each other.
You will find lot's of elements and aspects from other
people's work which can influence your artwork.
These elements and aspects you like from other creative works can be useful when you need
to create something you don't instantly have an idea for.
You might think that it's bad to try to replicate aspects of other peoples work in your own.
But you aren't going to end up completely copying their work.
Sub-consciously you are going to end up applying your own ideas, strengths and weaknesses to
those aspects which will make it your own style.
For example, I started drawing scribbles and zig zags on paper, then I saw tribal
artworks on DeviantART, I started drawing my own versions of them, saw a tribal pokemon
on DeviantART, started drawing my own pokemon, saw a tribal artwork with colour, I started
using coloured textas in my tribals, then I saw lots of watercolour pieces which influenced
me enough to try and combine tribal art and watercolour together.
Each time I "copied" a new technique I ended up
automatically modifying it to my own strengths which made it my own style.
So who are my influences?
In terms of artworks, I have so many influences I could not name them all.
In every artwork I like there's always an aspect which I can look at and want to incorporate
into my own work.
This could be the way they use ink, the way they splatter their watercolours or the types
of things they draw.
Before each artwork I create I look at google images and search for things similar to what
I want to create.
There's bound to be images which are going to help you see what you like and what you
don't like to put in your piece.
This can be really helpful when you don't know exactly what you are going to make.
Find new styles and techniques to try and make - even if you think it's past your abilities.
Push past your creative comfort zone to progress your skills.
That just about brings it to the end of how my creative process works and what I do when
I'm stuck for ideas.
To finish off the video, here's a narration of one of my best artworks from start to finish.
The katana is influenced by an artwork from DeviantART users "SilverFists" and
watercolour artist "AgentPummel".
Here it is:
I hope this video helps you out just a little bit when you're stuck for ideas!
So what's your creative process and who are your influences?