I mean... For me I've been drawing as a hobby since I could pick up a pencil so it's kind of a thing that I know I'll never stop doing even when I take super long 3 month breaks from even touching anything art related. Personally, I don't usually draw to get appreciation from other people, which is why I share maybe 1 out of every 50 pieces to either my friends or on the internet. I do it out of admiration for whatever I'm drawing, which in this case is Naruto, and add my own flare to it to add on to what already exists to satisfy my need to see a concept that will never happen in canon or just plain out appreciate the aesthetics of a character design, if that makes any sense. I'll admit that I really want my stuff to be praised when I post, so every little comment is enough to keep my spirits high which leads to more posting, but ultimately I'm just drawing to make myself happy, and if other people like it then great! If not, it still doesn't bother me.

so i gave up art a few years back but on here i realised there's so much art out here for this game but i don't get the point.

it'll never be showcased in the game or ever be acknowledged by the devs so why do you do it?

Because it's fun to draw ? For me it's about the process of drawing itself that's fun, not just the end results.

if it's a hobby or interest i get it but don't you feel under appreciated or overlooked when every art that you do gets a "nice!"

from onlookers who aren't exactly praising but rather providing a comment

oh we are praising, thou i usually reserve my praise if i don't know that person too well, because people issues..

not everyone is easy to interact or like vocals on a forum, some don't even want their art to be judged,

plus just a nice is often good enough for me... since i already draw it first, so why would i not share it if i already drew

so they present themselves as an admirer of the art only to forget about the drawing within the next 20 seconds..

so on a real, what motivates you to keep on drawing?

no.. if you appreciate art that 20 seconds is like being in heaven... we draw for those people and ourselves

as an appreciator it's worth it.. no different than reading a bunch of words..

why do people write, or sing.. why do people care to read and listen, because it's a form of expression of self..

and drawing happens to be some of our way of expressing our self and our thoughts.

even as an artist, it's ok to be under appreciated.. we don't expect people to understand us all the time..

especially when you consider how complex a person mindset can get

sometimes though we have very particular reasons for drawing, and yet that intend is not even translated into the picture.

it's nice to want to draw for others, but always, always draw first for yourself too.. that's my point of view.

if you are drawing for fame or attention, well your in over your head if you don't even enjoy the process

then again some people can draw so well and efficiently, sharing their art is a pleasure and leisure thing

many here are fanbase art, in fact my favorite anime is not naruto, but i only strictly post naruto base art here...

that is to say.. if it were other forums on.. i would have participated in much more variety of artwork.

which i'm sure the artists who posted their art here would also agree that our scope is already limited

yet there is a lot of stuff one can draw and a lot of inspiration to on draw on from viewing and learning from other artists.

that is first you need to consider yourself an artist. but to be a level of a mangaka or such is totally different thing

you need a good story, good design layout, the right words other than good art and perspective.

so just being able to do it is an art of itself, and last but not least to celebrate the artworks of our intent.

I guess, as an current onlooker, it's a bit hypocritical of me to say this, but believe it or not, I used to write quite a bit, and draw here and there.

Writing and drawing isn't something that I do because I seek admiration or praise. I don't share my own work because I don't need people's opinion or validation in order to deem it as something special. Writing and drawing is something you do for yourself: for your own enjoyment, for your own progress, for you. Having the attention and the nice comment can make your day, but ultimately, you do what you enjoy because you enjoy it. If you feel underappreciated and overlooked, you shouldn't feel the need to share your work here.

That is to say, it's also something very special when someone does decide to share their work here. They are allowing you a glimpse into their own creative mind. I don't think enough people realize that. But for every commentor, there are lots of lurkers, including me, that do appreciate it. And if it seems like they just don't get it, chances are, they just might not. They're not you, so they can't appreciate the time and effort you put into your work. But you do. So take pride in it.

That's just my 2 cents. Please keep drawing and writing, even if you don't decide to share it here. But if you do, know that there are people that appreciate it, even if we are few.

i see never thought about it that way, i initially loved doing art for myself, recieving feedback and often uploaded them on deviantart/flickr , did a few commissions here and there but that initial love started fading probably because i didn't like the complex arts i was doing; guess going back and doing basics might reignite the love goes and redownloads paint sai

I posted pictures in many places, not just here. However, I still like to post pictures of NO here most, when I put NO pictures on twitter or pixiv, some of my friends want me to go back to the same :v because almost no one plays NO.

I draw what I want (sometimes R18 :v I don't post it here).

As for the pictures I paint, if it annoys people, I'm willing to delete it.

(honestly i feel) everyone loves R18 art =D, but for a mix community it's still best to be tag with warning or spoilers

becos it's kinda unhealthy for people with less self control, and specifics. *nods*

art is v subjective *sage nods* viewer's digression advised. ^_* (ps: no stoning of artists and vampires *innocent*)

I draw because I got inspired by the legendary lady Tiami, who had posted many fanarts of the mains here long ago (now she has retired and moved to another fandom, which is sad) and I still do draw even until now (mostly R18 stuff now, which I post somewhere (personal discord server) and only people I trust or show interest to my works get invited and able to see them), and I just love Breeze Dancer a lot. Learned on how to draw all by myself from 2 years ago, looking at tutorials on YouTube, advices from lady Tiami and my best friend ImAkuma, and now here I am

I think ultimately art is about what you feel and what you want to do with those feelings? Like, of course, there's always that validation/attention thing in the back of one's mind but the major part of creating is about responding to things surrounding you? For example, this forum is like half-dead, but people still post fanart/fanfiction of the characters they love because they find them important? ... 'This part of the game moved me/I liked the introduction of that one main/I find this one's design simply stunning/their personality has so much potential' is enough to make my hands grab the pen and go.

I don't think that most of the people who create do so because they want to be noticed. Because like, craving for attention won't bring you far enough to make the art you'd like? it usually makes one's art worse and duller if you ask me >.> The motivation that will last long enough to allow one to draw comes from themselves.

+ about the forgetting part! I'm pretty sure people actually remember the art they see. I've scrolled through who-knows-how-many pieces and still, if you put one of these in front of my face I would likely be able to recall it? Like, people usually go search for the art they want to see so it probably IS somehow important to them as well.

(++ pretty sure a 'nice!' is still a good thing. Sometimes people don't know what else to say and that's perfectly fine! They paid attention and felt the urge to leave something- Anything. And I think it's pretty great)

Gah, I miss Tiami

She draws fanarts for Final Fantasy now, it's great

I've decided to visit forum after a longer time again and I see interesting discussion, so let me drop also few words from me:

Drawing, writing or being creative in any way is something I do for myself mostly- it's not only a hobby but a forever challenge for myself to keep getting better and a way to proceed emotions and ideas. Sharing my works is like opening and showing part of my mind and heart to people, which is not always so easy in other ways- sharing that light I hold in while working on something, that happiness of creating something new.

What for? Not for praises, although those are always a nice bonus- everyone likes to receive some positive feedback about their work, motivation to keep on doing it and getting better but personally- if you do something JUST for things like this, you are missing something important in whole this. Art should be something that makes you happy, not just a "product to sell"- be it money or likes.

That's why, what warms my heart more than anything is hearing that my creations motivated people to also create and improve themselves, to also share their works, to discuss, show their ideas.

And as mentioned above (I love you people, seriously T_T but I'm more than happy in my current fandom)- I'm now creating for other game- not only drawing and writing but also enjoying myself in the art of "virtual photography"- for same reasons as always~

Stay creative, keep the light shining bright, if you feel like it- share it with others, if not- make it something you will enjoy on your own.

Cheers, luvs- to the next time

oof

- i draw mostly because i can. and for practice. i like it. i'm pretty ok with it. it's a marketable skill in this world. why should i stop? naruto online was never the endgame, and i use fanart as a stepping stone, to practice certain styles. outside of naruto, i draw because it helps express my creative side. it's fun. it lets me control me own reality. instead of having to simply imagine something i can put it down onto a canvas develop it. i also draw for art contests because i want the prizes. and then i also draw for commissions, as a side job lol

- what keeps me going? knowing that i've made an impact with my stuff. prizes, money. being an artist is my job. i do enjoy it, but love doesnt always keep you going through the night with a f'ed up shoulder. sometimes it's bc u really really want to get better at it, and sometimes it's bc u really really want to get food lol

but. if you yell into the void too often you'll get burnt out pretty quickly. (hint hint this is why artists are often thankful if u comment on art you enjoy. let them know you enjoyed it! it makes a world of difference.) so take time to put out things for yourself, or things for your friends. draw stuff you like. something u can look at and say yea i'm satisfied with this thing. yknow, stop to smell the roses

- it doesnt have to get acknowledged by the devs tho but it's nice when it does (and you know, i've heard you can get a graphic design job that way :p).

I know I've had answered the question a few years ago, but as time goes on I can safely say that the reason why I draw has changed over time.

Now, I draw because I want to express myself through the art I make. I want to express my (unhealthy amount of) obsession with Breeze Dancer. I want to improve my art skill even further so that I can create an immense amount of amazing art for her. Whether it's just something simple, to something that's really complex.

I also draw Azure Fang from time to time whenever I feel like it cause I don't feel like leaving the other one in the dark, although I don't draw the male main for obvious reasons.

On the side, I also started drawing my own OC from the story I've been making up in the past years, slowly shaping them through my art skill. I want to share the story through that same medium as well, essentially becoming a comic/manga artist. It's still a long road for me until I become skilled enough to start making my own comics, but I can't wait for that day to happen.

Anyway, here's one of my latest drawings (it's cropped for obvious reasons)