My dream is to become a great artist and attend a high caliber art school. I used to store my work in a portfolio in my art teacher's office. All of it was destroyed by water damage and now I have to make two years worth of work this summer. My father says I need to paint and draw, not think. But I can't just pump out stuff like a machine! I need inspiration and I've been digging every where for it. Yet there isn't anything that moves me. If I don't make up the work then my portfolio will be incomplete! But it is so hard I think my hair is turning gray! This sounds stupid I know but can anyone offer some advice. I am in such a rut right now and I can't get out of it. This is stuff I've made in the past to give you an idea of what my style is.

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this is true all great artist take time to make a great piece of work and inspiration
comes out of nowhere. like when i make a amv i don't release them all that often somtimes never even put them out but thats how it goes. some of the greatest author's only put out a book like every 3 years. it's a hard subject to understand because there is no understanding about it. it's just random but you'll come up with something i can see it in your past work. i really like the first piece you posted there. anyway best wishes

Your first picture is a lot like the style I use. I go with the whole fantasyish, tattooish look. Right now I'm in college for art and graphic art so I know what it's like to have to just pump out art left and right to get things in on time. But if you really want a career in art and illustration, deadlines are your number one priority. People are going to pay you for something they want by a certain time and it's quite stressful if you can't come up with something. My illustration class was hell because of that. My teacher was a professional and she's done movie posters, magazine ads, etc. all with traditional media like pencils and pens. You have to really be into art full time to excel.

So yeah, the best thing to do if you need a lot of art for a portfolio is to just sit in a comfortable room and listen to music with a pen in your hand. Just draw what you feel like drawing. Thinking doesn't help as much as communicating your feelings onto paper. Just let everything flow.

Thanks! ^_^ Especially you Kal. It is nice to hear from a fellow artist. I've working like a dog lately and have completed only 5 works so far. They're all okay. I just need to keep working and maybe, to keep it interesting, experiment with new medias. I'm considering doing a mosaic with broken wine bottle glass. :lol:

I think you should try to study any type of art that moves you, or interests you in any way. Just look around for an artist or a certain style that you like and try copying it. At some point you can try integrating that art(or those arts) into your own style and that may lead to some new inspiration. You'll be able to think of more ways to accomplish a piece and thus find your inspiration. Alot of artists seem to use this technique. You may even realise a new style of art that you can call your own.

Take Yoshitaka Amano for example. Japanese anime style plus (but not limited to)Art Nouveau style = Yoshitaka Amano style.

I for one, have been wanting to get into certain types of realism. I really need to get my perspective and proportions down. I feel as if I'm limited to certain types of positions I can draw people in. I should buy one of those mini mannequins. >_>

Oh did some watercolors based off Yoshitaka Amano's work but they were among those destroyed by the water and mildew. And those mini-manequins work wonders. I have one and it really shows me proportions and it a pose is physichally possible or comfortable. Realism is among the hardest in my opinion. I've been working a lot with still lifes recently. I tried intergrade themes with them too. My most recent one was a still life using only sewing stuff. My sewing machine, a large amount of fabric, my ball for pins, etc.

Oh my goodness Ne Ne, your work is awesome. : o I wish I could make stuff like that..

But I so understand when you say its hard to be creative and artistic without inspiration. Its like when I want to make graphics, yet I have no inspiration and it comes out looking like crap.
Even writing. When I'm inspired, it'll just come to me. I don't cope very well under pressure of writing. I have to feel free and comfortable to express myself.

Do something you like. Listen to music that stir's you up. Get psyched up, and start looking through art work at graphic sites. Letting other's work inspire you is a good way too. ^^