As an “”“artist”“” (I say this in extremely heavy quotations because I’m still not quite the real deal) I’ve been trying to get, at least like a few new fans or people who appreciate my work but, nothing I do seems to work
this doesn’t just apply here, I recently joined newgrounds and I haven’t done much on that site yet but I do wonder how other creators on that platform got as big as they managed to.
So, I come back to my main question, how do you build a fanbase? or start your own following of friends and supporters?
first step is to build up confidence and a self-esteem
your arts are good, stands proud
a mix of luck and society networking… both of which i sorely lacks and as such cant really help you, sorry
if you want my advices, interact with other artists and such, it seems to work in places like twitter
you dont really need to befriend them, just casual conversations work ( but please do not befriend an artist in hope of getting clout from them )
doing art trends and such work to because, as harsh as it might seems, just because you’re good doesnt always mean people are going to care or even see your arts due to how algorithm works, a shtpost that uses a popular trend will probably be more popular than something you spent hours on
and thats okay, several artists i know get popular by doing that and then expanding on their followings, some will leave and some will stay, just try to not get too disheartened when your followers drop
alternatively, join a fandom and draw for that, do take note that it will give a certain expectation to your followers who might leave once you decide to stop drawing for said fandom
theres another way but it has the same drawback as the above method so i wont be mentioning it here
Yikes, there’s a lot to consider if I want a following
but is it possible to get fame and recognition, through mostly just soloing?
because I have a bit of an inferiority complex and it makes me sweat buckets talking to other artists online (not that I’ve talked to many but I just want to grow a fanbase and nothing much else)
Nah, I mean my siblings are both artists (so my standard has become unreasonably high) and yeah at some point you are quite less skilled, but it doesn’t mean you should think you are a fraud, stay humble but wise.
You could try to:
start asking around,
be embarrassed several times (the more you fall, the more you learn how to get up)
don’t be afraid of embarrassment and what others think
try doing commissions
you can start with the people you know.
let others critique your work
Just following the trend could just lead to your work being “cliche”. Don’t be scared of just sharing whats inside your head/heart.
yknow cuz i know u like swimming ill use it as an example. Lets say ur an amateur swimmer, and u already wanna compete and get recognition n stuff from around the world.
people arent gonna flock to you to watch you because you simply dont have the prestige or talent required yet
If you truly want to build a large following/audience you have to cultivate something that stands out from the rest of the competition first,
aka an unique art style or just draw well
So honestly I would focus on improving my skills and practicing daily if I were you and try to find my own style
honestly my main takeaway is just do your thing man. Dont try to focus on pleasing people too much with your art and gaining a following, it can become obvious and that makes some people get the wrong idea.
if you’re still dead set on gaining fame/audience then i’d begin by making tiktoks/shorts about the drawing process, taking requests, etc. they seem to be decently good at attracting attention
It’s hard to explain… like I know I put in the work to get where I am (which is still mid as hell btw) but I also feel like I kinda shouldn’t be here? again I might not be wording this issues out very well but it’s a feeling that creeps over me sometimes
I think I should just stick with algorithm exploiting because all of these involve needing others in some capacity (which is a resource I don’t quite have)
My siblings are great artist and bro did i feel terrible not being able to draw as good as them, i felt like i was adopted or smth. i felt like shit, like a stain. But mom said that “What is art? It’s expression of what we have inside portrayed by our body.” and then i found out that im more of a physical artist. So try to explore in other fields, i mean it wont hurt ye?
the denial is spreading