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How to create original fan art

Take you ever wanted to recreate your favourite characters from books, television series, or movies? What almost reimagining Chucky the possessed doll every bit the new spokesperson for off-brand cereals? Or perhaps you only want to pay homage to your heroes.

With all of the fan art out there, how do you compete? How exercise you lot come up with something original? Where do you notice inspiration? What art techniques and tools volition bring your vision to life?

To discover out, we contacted a range of artists who create fan art and asked them for their tips for creating original work that looks groovy.

01. Learn the nuts first

Jamie R. Stone suggests getting the basics downwardly before finding your own mode (Image credit: jamie R stone)

Jamie R. Stone is a T-shirt creative person operating under the handle Punksthetic Fine art. "Information technology's OK to be inspired by your favourite movies and borrow certain elements to create your own visual mode," she advises. "But start with the nuts of making art first."

Once you lot have the basics downward, and so yous tin start to mix and match unlike concepts to come upwards with new ideas.

02. Play around

Christopher Pierre draws inspiration from everyday life (Image credit: Christopher Pierre)

Don't overthink your blueprint or go locked into an idea. By doing so, you may be cutting off a potential masterpiece. Christopher Pierre, a digital creative person from the Caribbean area Islands, likes to keep all of his options open. He says that everything has an impact on the shape and scope of his artwork considering he takes a wide-eyed arroyo to everyday life.

"One of the all-time pieces of advice I received was a quote: 'Await at life through the eyes of a kid'," says Pierre. "I definitely use that philosophy in sketching, drawing... whatever and everything."

Jody Parmann finds digital art much easier to fit into her day (Paradigm credit: jody parmann)

Time to create is limited these days, and if you're raising niggling ones similar Jody Parmann, time to create can seem non-existent. Parmann was a painter before she had children, but now she does most of her art digitally, using Adobe Depict.

"Pulling out my paints and spending an afternoon existence messy in the studio is a thing of the past," she says. "The iPad and Apple tree Pencil is easy to choice upward when I have a few spare moments and put way when my children need my attention."

Her communication to anyone trying a new tool is to exist patient. "Take purpose for what y'all're trying to make, but don't immediately expect to be at the same level as yous are with more familiar tools," she smiles.

04. Build depth with layers

Rebecca Marshall builds up layers to create a 3D await (Image credit: Rebecca marshall)

Apartment images can be great, but if it's a 3D look you're going for, you need to add some layers of colour. Adding highlights, shadows, and blended colours and tones will help bring things to life.

Rebecca Marshall, a storyteller and graduate of Rocky Mount College of Fine art and Design, uses multiple layers to create depth in her piece of work – much like a painter might start with an underpainting. "It tin be a slow process," she explains. "It never looks similar much at first, but everything comes together with the more layers that you apply."

05. Be true to yourself and your style

John M. Tatulli recommends having confidence in your ain style (Epitome credit: John Thou Tatulli)

Beingness true to your mode is central for John M. Tatulli. He firmly believes that when you draw plenty, your style volition brainstorm to rising to the top; you simply need to trust it and allow it to be what it is.

While it'due south OK to be inspired by your biggest influences – which for Tatulli are Jake Parker and Volition Terry – yous don't have to make your piece of work look like theirs. "Trust your style and shine," he says. "You were designed to exist different."

06. Use a lighter touch

Lowering the sensitivity of his Wacom helped transform Oliver Harbour's work (Paradigm credit: oliver harbour)

Don't over-grip your pencil or stylus; if yous're using a Wacom or other touch-sensitive tablet, adjust its settings to accommodate your way – for instance, a reduced sensitivity helped with the airbrushing of these wings.

It may audio lilliputian, but Oliver Harbour says it can make all the difference. "You don't realise how much force per unit area and strain it's putting on your wrists and fingers," he says, "and how much more than control yous'd take with a tighter bear on."

07. Take your time

Virginia spends time researching before embarking on a piece (Image credit: virginia kakava)

When Virginia Kakava sits down to start a piece, preparation is cardinal. The first thing she does is to study the subject and learn more about the graphic symbol. She uses her initial sketch to figure out the style, clothes, and environment, before getting started on the final artwork.

Kakava's fan fine art combines photo manipulation and digital painting. "The final rendering is very of import," she emphasises. "It's the last adventure to determine the feel yous desire your artwork to have, either by changing the brightness etc. or by adding filters to brand a more unified result."

08. Keep practicing

It'due south been said that to go a master at annihilation, all y'all need to practice is work on it for 10,000 hours. For United states of america-based artist, Vincent Turner this advice is spot on. Turner has been experimenting with different techniques for a long fourth dimension. "The more you exercise information technology, the better you lot go," he smiles. So if you oasis't quite mastered a detail technique or approach, don't shy away and endeavor and avert it in your piece of work – work at information technology, and you lot'll improve.

09. Relax

Brian Allen thinks the best work emerges when you lot have fun creating it (Image credit: brian allen)

Brian Allen of Flyland Designs reminds us not to lose sight of the reason we create fan art in the first place. "The best artwork materialises when you're having a lot of fun creating it," he says. So relax, and don't have yourself and so seriously!

10. Be original

Adam W Rodriguez originally shied away from fan art (Image credit: Adam Due west Rodriguez)

Adam W Rodriguez was beginning inspired by cartoons and comic books simply avoided fan art because he felt it wasn't "original art". To which his six year-sometime niece argued, "Then make your fan art original."

The lesson Rodriguez learned was that exploring unlike genres will merely aid you grow as a artistic. Understanding dissimilar types of art can, in turn, help brand your ain art more unique. "Don't limit yourself by antisocial certain styles of fine art; instead claiming yourself and make your contribution to that style," he says. "So, hate less and explore more than."

Read more:

• How fan art can get you paid
• Sci-fi and fantasy art painting tips
• 14 fantasy artists to follow on Instagram

Tammy is an contained creative professional person, writer of Apple Game Frameworks and Technologies, and the maker behind the AdventureGameKit – a custom SpriteKit framework for building point and click risk games. As an innovative problem solver and manufacture leader, Tammy enjoys working on projects from content creation – including books, tutorials, videos, and podcasts – to the pattern and development of cross-platform applications and games. For Creative Bloq, she has written about an array of subjects, including animation, web blueprint and grapheme design.

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