I might have made a mistake.
It's been a month since I bought my art talent. I looked at tutorials, made an account on what Woogle advertised as the largest art community in Japan called 1gaka, and made some art drafts in my profile's portfolio as a way of advertising myself.
At the same time, I used my social media account to promote that account. The tutorial said I won't get a flood of customers in the first day and should wait for it at least a month.
A month had already passed. There were only 18 people who had seen my drafts in total but not once did they reach out and commission art from me. I even made sure I made my art as high quality as possible.
With the ability to clearly visualize what I am imagining, it has become easier for me to draw what I want. I belatedly realized that drawing professionally was time-consuming. It took me two days before I could finish my very first detailed work, and that was with the aid of these two talents.
Lately I have been turning my style simplistic as doing high quality art takes a lot of time. Even though I am drawing simplistic art, because I am drawing them professionally and turning them visually appealing, it is still taking me at least six hours before I finish one art.
And that was mentally draining!
Who would have thought constantly recalling a clear image of what I wanted to draw would be mentally taxing?
Thankfully, I am still earning stuff in my stock investments. If it wasn't the case, I would be regretting ever purchasing these two talents!
I wonder what I am doing wrong?
Anyway, it made me panic for a bit. I already hired a person to help me resign from this company, and that lawyer had been helping me with all the necessary paperwork so I could leave the company without any public backlash. Not doing so would leave a black mark in the society, and that would totally ruin my life.
It's Japanese work culture, so stuff like this must be done before I can resign.
That's another expense I have been paying with my earnings from my investments. Its teetering close to my limit as my income from that is slowing down. The market isn't stable that even my deep knowledge of stock market tells me that this autumn season is very bad to invest on any companies, unless I want to take the risk.
There are still some market that I can invest in, but its not like they will give significant profits to me unlike the earlier time I start joining this fickle business. Most market that will be profitable aren't public, and if I want to actually invest in them, I need to be a legitimate investment firm for that.
I'm just one person. I can't invest on those big brand names. So I can only scrape whatever small income I can get from the few small tier companies out there.
Other than my expenses to the resignation agency, life is still moving on. I don't have to think about price hikes and inflation on market products because of the Shop. I can stock up food in bulk for a very cheap and affordable price with no shipping fees involve.
They get delivered in my door instantly everytime I'm done ordering some stuff. I also bought my computer, drawing pad, and digital pen at the Shop as they were cheaper than the ones sold on the mall.
I manage to gather at least 500,000 Yen from my small investments. That was half of what I got from last month. I might need to buy another talent, or some minor power that will help me earn money.
Before that though, I have to talk to someone who knows more about this commission stuff than me. He is the one who gives me the idea anyway.
It's currently our break. Our cafeteria thankfully is part of our company benefits which means we can freely choose our meal there. Though that is only for a single portion.
I usually eat alone if I can help it. I know most of my coworkers, but I consider them all as acquaintances. They have their own niches and hobbies that I honestly don't understand, and they don't really pry so much about my life, so we barely talk to each other than simple greetings and small talks.
Today will be different because this is the first time I will be the one approaching them. As for who am I going to talk to, it's the one who knows about this art commission stuff.
His name is Watanabe Nobu. A man with a slightly lanky build and someone who usually wears round glasses. The few times I talk to him whenever we got into an after work gatherings, he gives this impression of a nerd who has this certain obsession on drawn images.
I still don't see the appeal of those cartoonish characters. They look visually appealing I admit, but I don't think it is that great.
Anyway, this guy is the only one I know who does this artist commission thing. I want to know if he can help me with my dilemma. If he can't give me a solution to my problem, buying these two talents will be such a waste of my money.
"Uh... can I sit here?"
He looks up at me with a start, before he nods and turn his attention back to his phone. I talk to him once more without waiting for it after taking a seat and making a single thankful prayer to my current meal.
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"By the way, I heard you do art commissions."
"Huh!? Are you interested?"
He looks strangely excited. Maybe he is looking for customers too?
"Well, I actually do commissions too, and I want to talk to someone who knows more about it."
"Really!? On what community? Which fandom?"
Community? Fandom? What is that?
He might have caught on my confusion as he cleared his throat and then shook his head.
"Sorry... can you tell which site you are doing your commissions?"
"Right. I made an account in 1gaka a month ago and made some sample drafts in my profile. I already research about common artist rates, and made the necessary arrangements in my profile."
Why is it? Why is he looking at me with a frown on his lips?
"1gaka... really?" He shakes his head.
"Is there something wrong with it?"
"Yes. There is."
Wait, something is wrong with that site?
When I did my research, I think it wasn't that bad. Woogle advertised it as the biggest art community in Japan. No way it would lie to me. I read the reviews and other reports about it, and the site was legit.
He explained to me about it after he saw my confusion. His explanation enlightened me from my blunder.
1gaka isn't a scam, but it's not a place for casual anime artists or other niche artists that people usually commission arts for. That site is full of realistic art models and background design work.
It's the place most 3D artist flocks to. They make models of medieval structures, magical items, or some effects. They don't make actual art commissions, but simply sells assets or templates from their portfolio.
Of course there are few artists who does art commissions there, but those are very prominent names in most art communities. They can just drop their work and many will reach out to them to request for art or other stuff.
After telling him about my account, he looks at it from his phone and shakes his head. I think he says something about being careful using my real name in the internet.
Why should I be careful? I have been using my social media account with my real name in it for a few years now and nothing happens to me yet?
"Hmm... Is this AI art? No wait, the hands looks properly aligned..."
"AI art?"
Another explanation later, and finally I know why he thinks that. My art looks hyper realistic on certain parts.
Certainly. I don't have any reference to those anime stuff, so I usually imagine what I actually know in my life and try to draw them in my digital canvas. Most of those are stuff in Hokkaido. With my digital art talent, I manage to draw something a bit realistic even in a drawn form.
I think he says something about it being line art due to the clear outlines I made on each edges of the background and the focus character in my very first art. As for the others, he quickly realizes that I have been minimizing details and making them simplistic.
"I didn't expect you to be good at line arts. If you join a proper art community and try to cater to a specific fandom, I'm sure you will quickly become popular."
"... Really?"
"Of course!"
He said with confidence. Then he looks at the time in his phone before looking at me sheepishly.
"Sorry, let's talk about this later."
I realize that we have spent some time talking that our break time is going to be over soon. We quickly finish our meal, promising to talk more later about this.
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A day later, after adding him in my CURVE account, a social media account in Japan, and then chat about it for a bit, I become more aware about the mistakes I made and the necessary steps I have to do to become a successful artist.
I can't build up a customer base by just posting samples in my profile. Even if I promote it in my social media, if no one from my friend group are interested in it then it's practically useless.
I have to join a community of artists first. Watanabe-san tells me about the different types of art communities. There are those who mostly draw 2D line arts, those who focus on 3D art, those who caters more to pixel arts, and more. It is further separated by many genres and fandoms from different types of people.
There is no rule that says an artist is limited to a single fandom or genre, but Watanabe-san recommends me to focus on a single genre and a single art style. My drawing style seems to focus more on the scenery than the character themselves, which is a bit unpopular because characters are usually the centerpiece of modern art these days.
If I want to appeal to the majority of people, I have to get used to making art that emphasizes the character instead of the background.
Other than that, he says there wasn't anything he could criticize in my work. I have a good way of drawing anatomy, drawing perspective, and drawing the background scenery. He said that it looked like I managed to put what was on my imagination, which is not further from the truth.
If he is going to criticize something, it is that my style of drawing is a bit too realistic in the kind of art style I'm using. His advise was to turn my drawings a bit more vibrant and anime-y so it would align to my art style which was line art.
Watanabe-san has connections with some artists, and says that he will let me join their art community.
By his suggestion, I made an Orderly account. It was a public social communication platform available worldwide, and an application that turned Airype obsolete. After creating the account, I was invited in their server.
They welcome me with open arms and tells me to be at ease and just do things at my own pace. I can make some sample art to their sample art channel, or put my profile link in the advertisement channel if I want to promote myself.
I prefer that. It lacks the strictness I am expecting to a group, unlike what I usually experience in the company I am working for. Watanabe-san said this was normal for an internet community.
Before that, I search for any interesting fandoms out there. He says to start with what we are known for, which are anime and other things related to the Otaku subculture.
Today is my day off, so I have a lot of time in my hands. I feel like I am a bit too old watching anime, but I might as well try if this is how I can acclimate myself more to the general interest of these people.
As I am going to watch something childish anyway, I'll be choosing something on the cuter side. This is for entertainment anyway so I want to feel happy watching something.
"Hmm?"
After browsing through the anime list available on some site called B-anime. It's subscription based, and because I have the money anyway, I buy the subscription so I can watch anime as much as I can.
Anyway, my eyes settles in one of the titles with the front cover of the anime above it.
"Magical Girl Kamujou?"
The style alone looks very cute. There is a pink haired girl wearing an all pink fluffy dress and wielding a rose-decorated bow, and some other colorful girls around her. There is also some sort of white critter-like creature above the image staring at the screen with a derpy look on its mouth.
I read the summary and chuckle at the simplicity of it. Just a normal school life with some magical fights against the evil forces that threatens their daily lives.
This is pretty interesting. I think I will spend my time watching this one. It only has twelve episodes anyway so it won't take long.
I wonder what kind of hijinks I'll find in this cute anime. Surely it won't become that serious.