Firstly, I want to apologize to the watchers of this blog. I started this blog at a time when I really should have waited. The company I work for, Funcom, just released it’s new game Age of Conan and the beginning of crunch was not a good time to try to start a blog. Any how, that is just an explanation for my absence, I know no one likes to hear excuses, so onto the post!

This week I had the pleasure of babysitting a friend’s pet ferret. If you are unfamiliar with ferrets, they are a small carnivorous mammal, related to and about the size of a weasel. They are known for being absolutely crazy! I have been thinking lately about getting more into the art industry and I realised there were quite a lot of things I could learn from this little ferret!

#1. Never stop trying

If you know nothing about ferrets, know this first: They never give up! My grandma had a ferret who, whenever she got out of her cage in the morning, beelined straight for the refrigerator and tried to move the thing. Ferrets will always try to go where you don’t want them to be, and they will always go there no matter how many times you pull them away and move them somewhere else. They are determined little creatures!

And this applies to art… how?

Even if you feel like you’ve been knocked around or prevented from going where you want to go, never give up. No matter how many times it feels like you have been blocked from your goals, you have to get up, keep marching on and try again. This applies to yourself and your art as well. Even if you are frustrated with a piece, stay course and don’t quit. That frustration is a way of learning, once you get past it, you will be so much more knowledgeable and thank yourself later for not losing focus.

#2. You always have more fun with friends!

There is nothing more sad than a lonely ferret. Even if you do nothing at all, your very presence in their vicinity brightens their whole little world. It was hard to resist spending all of my free time in the evenings in the playpen with the little animal, as she used me as a human jungle gym. If I wasn’t playing with her she seemed to get lonely and despondent.

And this applies to art… how?

Like ferrets, humans are gregarious. We need the company of our fellow man. Without them, we also get lonely. With encouragement from your friends or online pals, you can do anything. If you are ever feeling down about your artwork, be sure you are making strides to let people know about your work. Post your work online or show your sketchbook to fellow artists. Nothing can be more uplifting than a someone giving you a good critique on your art.

#3. Bite and if that doesn’t work, make a little noise!

Ferrets are known for being quite feisty. They will play nip (and sometimes get a little zealous about it- OUCH!) to get your attention. And when that fails, or if they are being held too long, they will make all sorts of noise to let you know what they want!

And this applies to art… how?

If you never put your stuff out there, you will never become famous. Regardless to what some may say, you won’t get famous for your artwork after you die. That is the exception, not the norm. You have to bite! By which I mean, you have to get people’s attention by aggressively showing off your artwork. You have to self promote. The internet is a wonderful medium for such, but it is also an immense ocean. You have to try really hard to get yourself seen above the crowd. Make some noise if you have to!

#4. Be on or off

Ferrets have this peculiar habit of resembling a light switch. They always appear to be one of two ways, on or off. When they are on, they are 110% playful, in your face, loving life and having fun. When they are off, they are almost in a state of comatose. They sleep a lot and hard. Some people even have ferrets that are such sound sleepers that they can be picked up and moved around without waking up! Now that’s what I call out like a light!

And this applies to art… how?

When you are at half energy, it’s really hard to produce good quality work. Take care of yourself, get good sleep, exercise and eat healthy. When you do these things, when the time comes to concentrate on art, you can be at 110%, at top gear and enjoying yourself immensely. When you are sleepy, exhausted and only have the power of coffee keeping you awake, you can hardly concentrate on your goals in art or otherwise. Make sure to take care of yourself so you can be “on” when working on your art!

#5. War dance!

Ferrets have a move called war dancing, where they frantically jump around in pure joy, huffing with their mouths wide open in what can only be called a grin. They have a pure joy of life that you will be hard pressed to find in any other animal. It almost seems like nothing can get their little spirits down!

And this applies to art… how?

No one can make you get excited about art, you just have to reach from inside and find the love for it for yourself. You really have to be passionate about it. There is an inner joy I believe all humans posses that inspires them to want to create, you have to find that tap and let it flow. After all, art is what you want to do, right?

Is there an animal you think you can learn artistic lessons from? Feel free to share in the comments!

Originally from Norway, Henning now lives in Greece and is helping to develop the MMORPG Darkfall. In this interview, I ask Henning some questions aspiring artists may wonder about. You can view more of his artwork at HenningLudvigsen.com. Enjoy!

Q. I think a big reason people stop drawing as kids is out of fear of failure and their art not being accepted. Have you ever felt this way and if so, how did you overcome this feeling?

A. I never had this fear, and everyone around me was always very supportive concerning my interest in drawing and painting. I’ve always been the artsy person in my group of friends, and I decided from my early years that I wanted to work with illustration when I grew up. The transition towards art school and the art and design industry simply happened on its own. In some cultures, art isn’t considered a “serious” profession, which I think it very sad as you do see this all around you, all day, every day.

I think that it’s a good thing having the personal skills of always jumping into any tasks with both legs, even if there are tasks you’ve never handled before. I personally think I have this skill, and I don’t really listen to people who find my work unserious.

Q. I grew up as pretty much *the* artist, I didn’t know any other people who liked to draw as much as I did. What advice do you have for people in similar situations and how would you suggest they maintain their creative buzz?

A. I had the very same situation, but then again, I never had any problems with my creativity. I think that looking at your self as something special and different from the others might help. Try to figure out WHY you want to work with art, and do it because of that. Don’t do it for the wrong reasons, or you will finally loose your muse and productivity.

Q. What advice can you give to us artists who are starting out in the creative field? What are some of the best ways to get noticed?

With the modern times, I believe in having a strong online presence for getting noticed and for getting projects and offers. Having a solid portfolio, and always deliver more than what is requested from you when you get the chance of proving yourself. It’s a very competitive profession, and with the internet, you have to make yourself visible by producing quality in a reliable way.

Q. How do you suggest balancing networking and drawing time, as each is important in becoming a successful professional artist?

A. Networking is extremely important for getting your name out there, and also for getting the cool jobs and projects. Both things takes time and none of them should be underestimated, which usually means long days and crunching hours.

Q. Drawing a lot is the only way to get better, but until each of us get our dream jobs, we have to juggle real life, other jobs and art. What is some practical advice for us artists with a busy schedule on how to improve our art?

A. First of all, hope that you have an understanding and supportive partner. Working with art WILL mean long hours and unpredictable projects popping up when you least expect them to do. Painting a lot if of course important to improve, but don’t burn yourself out. If you’re meeting the wall and find yourself in an art slump, either take a break and wait for it to return, or MAKE yourself work though it. Both things works for me.

Remember that even simple 30 minute speed paintings helps you to improve, and I believe that everyone can make time for this once per day no matter how busy they are. It’s all about self education.

Q. What do you find is the best way to market yourself to get noticed and get a job within the creative field? Do you suggest limiting your genre and style or making it expansive enough to permeate multiple genres?

In the beginning I tried to cover as many drawing and painting styles as possible to offer myself as a diverse artist. Throughout the years I kind of found my own genre, and I believe that if you want to become really good at something, you need to limit your style and genre. By time, you will probably narrow down no matter how diverse you’re aiming to be, unconsciously.

_____________________

If you have any suggestions or tips on the format or would like to be interviewed yourself, just email me or leave a comment!

Hillary, also known as Hibbary on deviantArt, illustrates here how to go about the process of dying paper in a detailed tutorial. This technique is a great way to achieve a textured look to your paintings. Not many tutorials on the subject are so succinct and illustrative. There is plenty of room for creativity here.

Have a go and try dying your own paper. Comment and show off your work!