Creatives
for the
Modern World
“The only thing that is permanent in life is impermanence.”
- Thor Odinson, Avengers Endgame
Technology is arguably the crowning jewel of modernity, and with it comes digitalization, a new way of doing various things, art included. Two artists with differing preferences, digital and traditional, disclosed their lives as modern-day creatives.
Digital Creative. Ms. Ferl Reyes, also known as haredigitals, is an artist from Laguna whose platform of choice is digital. She finds it more comfortable and convenient to use. She stated, “a gadget can last for a long time”.
To her, getting the right materials for traditional art requires a lot of searching and is rather pricey. “Rather than thin lines, I would make the line weight heavier in some areas to indicate shadows”, she said. Her preferred style involves thick brushstrokes for added effect. Her style is heavily influenced by anime. This may have rooted from the fact that her passion for art began with her “obsession with anything
animated, whether it be anime, cartoons or even games”.
She started drawing characters ``the worst way possible” around the age of ten. She drew Amos the Fanboy, Bacon Strips, Ethan Becker, and LavenderTowne are the artists Ms. Ferl looks up to. “I learned how to do facial features, like eye-shapes, from Amos the Fanboy. Bacon Strips got me into using thick line-art. I also incorporated Ethan Becker and LavenderTowne’s hacks and basic art techniques in my style”, says Ms. Ferl.
Traditional Creative. Mark Anthony Viernes, also known as Marked By Mark, is an artist from Las Piñas. As opposed to Ms. Ferl, he prefers traditional art saying, “It is my forte and it is easier for me to give life to my artworks using traditional methods. “My passion for art kicked-off as early as four or five years old, with my interest in crayons and other art materials. I even got lost at the mall just because I was searching for the art materials section”, he added.
He even draws when the lights are out. Although expressed through the traditional platform, Mark’s style draws inspiration from vector art, a form of digital art, “I am not into realistic types of art because to me, it is too complicated and time-consuming. I really want to finish the artwork that I am working on in just one sitting”.
When asked who he looks up to, he said that he is a big fan of Mimiyuuuh, an online celebrity who happens to be a fashion designer, as well. “I usually do designs that are “street style-ish” that really captures Mimiyuuuh's vibes”, he said.
Despite their differences in terms of preferences, both Ms. Ferl and Mark agrees that digital art deserves its own merit, and is even on par with its traditional counterpart as far as effort and time invested is concerned.
“With the concept of modernity, I think people tend to think that digital art is easier than traditional. Both are hard in their own ways. I would rather see them as equal”, said Ms. Ferl.
“For me, it doesn’t really matter if you are a traditional or a digital artist, as long as you can showcase your talent on the way that you are more comfortable with. It is still an art form and you’re still creating masterpieces”, Mark added.
On creators struggles. Art-block, for one, is a common occurrence among creatives, traditional and digital alike.
Ms. Ferl says that she watches series or plays games. “When I watch a series, I tend to make fan-arts of it. Hence, my key to coping with art-block”, she mentions.
Mark, on the other hand, opts to resting. “If I proceed doing a piece despite the art-block, I might ruin the entire artwork and its message. I usually take a break for a while until I get the momentum back to continue”, Mark says.
Ms. Ferl claimed she struggled when she shifted from her previous art style that used thin lines to thick lines. Needless to say, trying something new can be quite hard. She prevailed, either way. Her artworks nowadays are fine mixes of vibrant colors and cute designs highlighted by her use of thick brushstrokes.
In Mark’s case, while he thinks that all of his artworks are emotionally and mentally testing owing to the uncertainty of how the end result will look like, he says that his “Mahiwaga” painting takes the cake. “It was a portrait of my uncle and his boyfriend and my very first attempt to do a realistic painting. It took me about four to five months to finish the entire piece. I tend to break down when it's not to my liking, or if there’s something that feels off”, he said. Luckily though, his clients liked the finished product. I think everyone got his/her own way of maintaining emotional and mental health despite the pressure.
Ms. Ferl’s approach, interestingly, is treating her projects as puzzles that need to be solved. This way of thinking definitely spices things up for people who find joy in challenges. “That way, I’d know that the whole thing is both fun and stressful”, says Ms. Ferl.
On unwinding. Mark said that taking a breather helps him a lot, and I guess we can all agree that pent-up stress without rest takes its own toll on one’s emotional and mental health, artist or not. Art thievery, perhaps, is a creative’s worst nightmare.
Ms. Ferl shared with me her recent experience when her old IV OF SPADES fan-art was used commercially without her permission. “When I confronted the seller for it, the seller blocked my messages. So, I asked a few of my friends to help me reach out to the seller regarding this. That is when they finally took it down, and the issue was resolved."
On struggle in staying creative and moving forward. “It was tough to be progressive. You need to have improvements every time to avoid burnouts”, Ms Ferl claims. To her, the satisfaction of seeing herself get better at her craft to keep your fire burning.
Getting sparks of ideas at the worst possible times is Mark’s greatest struggle as a student-artist. His busy schedule is limiting his capability to materialize his ideas. The unfortunate thing about ideas is that they come and go.
On commissioned artworks. According to Ms. Ferl, due to her style being far from the usual anime aesthetic, she’s been having it rough.
“The competition in this industry is something else. Many different artists have more experience and knowledge in art”, says Mark. “I stopped for a while now, but I still try to search for anything different or unique from the services that the other artists offer”, he added. Just like any other kind of business, I guess it is safe to say that doing commissioned artworks is a battlefield of its own. Since we’re at it, naturally, a business is not a business without the clients, so I asked them if they ever had to deal with tough customers.
“It’s hard for me because I need to do something that they will also appreciate”, says Mark. I think clients are responsible for setting their expectations clearly, don’t you think so? It’s tough doing guess-work.
Ms. Ferl mentioned that there was one time when the client did not respond for a few days. She had to warn the client, of course, that he/she might lose the slot. They were able to talk it out and settle things. Still, please don’t leave artists hanging like that.
Truly, traditional and digital artistry go through a gamut of problems that come with art as a business and struggles in personal, emotional, and mental domains. Traditional and digital art, regardless of their differences, deserve respect and recognition. Even to this date, a lot of people still don’t see how elaborate the process of creating a digital art piece can be, and how, just like any craft, requires mastery. Regardless of the platform, creatives fight their own battles, whether it be emotional, mental, creative, or financial, beyond what the canvas can envisage.
Ms. Ferl’s commission rates are available at haredigitalsph.carrd.co for sns icons, backgrounded illustrations, and customized emotes. Her social media accounts are linked there. You can reach Mark through his Facebook account, Mark Anthony Viernes, or his Instagram account, @marked_by_mark24. He makes both canvas paintings and wearables. Be sure to check them out!
