Tag: drawing

Art Update July 2023: Can’t Quite Hack It

Another Unexpected Turn of Events

Hey everyone!

It’s been a while but I’m back with a new update. I had a few neat things I was working on that I was excited to reveal and talk about. Unfortunately, the world had other plans and decided to throw yet another major curveball at me. I hinted at this in the title, but all puns aside, this isn’t really a joking matter. Simply put…

…My instagram account was hacked and hijacked from me.

Yes, I fell victim to the ever growing epidemic of scammers and hackers. Now normally I’m very good at weeding out a potential scammer/hacker, but this particular person hit me where I’m most empathetic. They posed as a fellow artist struggling to be seen and acknowledged. My red flags didn’t go up at first because this person communicated in such a way that felt like a real person with a genuine issue looking for fellow support in the community. As an artist currently in that place, I understand the pain and struggle to get out there and be truly appreciated.

So after a bit of back and forth chatting, they send me a link to an art contest asking if I can help them out and vote for their work. Right there the alarm bells should have been going off, but again, I was blinded by the empathy I felt having personally dealt with similar things. So I clicked on the link. As soon as I did though, I noticed the site was fishy. I used no names for anything, only referring to the artist by number and generic descriptions. Also, certain links and buttons that would work on legitimate sites were not here. So I left without entering any sort of information that would give them access to my account. But I guess these hackers are more cunning than I thought, because they must have had a way to get it regardless. Simply clicking the link was enough. I thought little of it at the time. However I woke up the next day to a notice that my email was changed and I couldn’t log in anymore. Followed by a series of “support” emails stating that if the account couldn’t be recovered then I’d need to pay $600 to get it back. At that point things were too far gone and I couldn’t get it back.

I lost all the progress and connections to fellow artists I made on that site. Gone in an instant. What stings more is that it should’ve been preventable, but the empathy clouded my judgement. So I had to live with the consequences here.

I had to start all over again. From the beginning with zero followers. Completely demoralized. Needless to say, I was feeling really down and unsure if I’d be able to recover. I say that because I started that account almost ten years ago and I had only connected with 360 people. So of course I’m thinking to myself that this will be difficult to come back from. I struggled immensely just to get to where I was at, and even then that’s not really a whole lot. Some people get that many followers in mere hours. That’s not how it has been for me. I’ve had to really work hard to connect with the 360 people I had. Now they’re gone and I have to try and work my way back. But I don’t have another ten years to get there. I can’t do that again. I had to try a different approach.

So I reached out to as many of my fellow artists as I could and explained my situation to them. What caught me by surprise was the overwhelming support they all gave me. Many of them were almost complete strangers to me, yet they helped me out and spread the word. I am incredibly grateful and humbled by that.
Since this event happened, I’m only a fraction closer to where I was, but I’ve made way more meaningful connections with artists now than I had before. So even though I’m still setback a lot, it feels like I have more. Perhaps by starting over, I’ve weeded out the “bots” and “ghosts” and instead found myself becoming closer with actual people with likeminded interests.

Maybe being hacked wasn’t a bad thing. Maybe it’s exactly what I needed. A fresh start.

So that’s where things stand now on that front. I’ve been focusing more on getting back the small audience I had over there. Some good news that hasn’t changed is I want to announce that I will have an artist table one again at Comicopolis at the White Oak Library in Lockport, IL on July 29th. I wanted to participate in many more conventions, but with being in the first year of a new full time job, I wasn’t able to stay on top of that for this year. I’m happy I was able to at least book this one and then after it I will keep an eye out for others to join for next year. I really enjoyed the convention scene and I want to get back into that soon.

Well if you made it this far, thank you for reading and hearing my troubles lately. My entire art career has been littered with struggles. Those close to me can attest to that. However, I’m learning quickly that no matter what happens you cannot give up when things like this happening. Not when it’s something that is important and you’re passionate about.

The comeback will be far greater than the setback!

Keep Moving Forward
by Categories: Deep Thoughts, UpdatesTags: , , , , , , , ,

Pivoting to new endeavors

Hey!

I’m back again but this time with a bit of a new approach. This is going to be an update on many of the art things I’m doing and working on. I’d like to do this type of thing every few months to keep you all in the know with whatever art related things I have in the pipeline. So let’s get into it!

The first thing, and you may have noticed this already, but I closed down commissions for the forseeable future. I did a handful of commissions here and there, but now I want to focus on other things that will take up more of my time and energy. So I simply won’t have the time to devote to it as before. So for that reason I’m closing the doors on it for now. Will I open them again? Possibly, but it’s really hard to say right now. I’ll certainly consider it down the road.

So what could I possibly be focusing all my attention on that would cause me to shut down commissions? Well, the answer is me. Quite simply, I want to start working more on the projects that I am truly passionate about. The ones that I decide are important. Now that could be seen as selfish and I guess it is a bit. But my whole life I have been doing work for others making their ideas and visions come to life. Well now I want to apply all my attention to making my ideas a reality. I’ve had so many ideas that I never followed through on for whatever reason. Life is short, so I’m deciding it’s time to work on my ideas before it becomes too late.

One of the things I’m doing is putting a big focus on my presence on creator supporting sites, specifically Ko-fi. I’ve had an account on that site for some time, but I never was consistent with with uploading content there and used it more of a tip jar if you will. Well now I went back and reworked my the whole thing and restructured it. I set it up so I know offer membership options on Ko-fi! I have three tier levels each with something unique and exclusive. I want to offer something special for those of you who support me and my crazy art journey. It’s already live too so please go check it out here https://ko-fi.com/dstankowiczart

The other thing is I want to focus on my original comic story I’ve had for many years. This comic stars my original characters Potato and Bimm, which you can see plus other character concepts for their world in my gallery. Anyway, I’ve completed a few pages but it has taken me far too long to still be so early on in the creation process. So I’m going to be putting an emphasis on finishing this thing real soon. I even plan to show off some of the behind the scenes look at the pages on Ko-fi. Every thing then will come full circle!

That’s about it for now. I really hope I can remain motivated to keep up with this plan, because it has the potential to be the most rewarding. The next thing is I’m looking into getting back into the convention scene and sign up for a few upcoming shows. I’m not sure which ones yet but I’ll be sure to keep you all updated again in the near future when I know.

So until the next update, keep moving forward!

by Categories: Deep Thoughts, Potato & Bimm, UpdatesTags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Fresh New Start

Another new year with another attempt at making change.
But will it work?

Well here we are again. The year is ending and it’s time to reflect on all the goals I had for myself. Let’s take a look and…oh…well, this is awkward.

All joking aside, you’ve probably noticed that I haven’t been here at all throughout the year. That is because I unfortunately dropped the ball. I could make excuses for “life happening” and what not, but I won’t. I know full well it is my own fault for not following through with what I set out to do a year ago in a similar post. That means many, if not all, of the things I wanted to change or accomplish never happened. While that is incredibly disappointing on my end, I can’t dwell on the past. It happened, and all I can do now is look forward.

That is exactly what I plan to do. Too often I’ve focused on what didn’t work or what went wrong to try and avoid the same mistakes. It hasn’t worked out too great for me. So I’ll acknowledge the failures but continue to move on. I know my track record is against me here, but something in me has changed. I feel more committed to my goals than I ever have and I need to strike while the iron is hot.

It happened, and all I can do now is look forward.

My plan for this website has changed a bit. The ultimate goal is to have this place be the one site to find everything related to my work. At this time that doesn’t seem possible yet. So for now I will use this blog as a way to update everyone in a more detailed manner on what I’m working on each month. Keep people informed on the projects in development, conventions I may be attending, and other art things. I’d also like to write some product review here once in a while. I will also try to update the artwork in my gallery to keep up with my ever evolving skills and style. Basically, I don’t want this website to be stagnant for too long. It needs to be a living and breathing place so all who come here can engage with the content.

The next change was a tough decision, but I’m closing down commissions. The ones I have done before were super fun, but the requests are not consistent enough to remain a top priority. I will still have all the information available on the site and you can always reach out to inquire about them. I just won’t be actively pursuing them like I was trying before. It may come off as selfish, but I want to focus more on the art that I am passionate about creating, like my original comic. More on that another time.

Which leads to the next thing. I’ve had a Ko-fi page for a while but I only updated it on occasion. I want to change that. I’ve decided to start offering memberships there for access to exclusive artwork and see other art related things before anywhere else. It will be the best way to support my creative endeavors outside of artist alley tables at conventions. It is way too expensive for me to run a server on this site to do what I can with Ko-fi, so I will used that in conjunction with my website to see and experience all there is with my work.

I want to focus more on the art that I am passionate about creating.

As for social media, I’m going to take a more relaxed approach to it. I’ve tried so hard to do the right things and follow all the tips and advice to reach more people there, but it just hasn’t worked. So I will still use my Instagram page but it will mostly be to preview what you can find here or on my Ko-fi page. Maybe that will allow me to be more personal there, which may end up being the thing I was missing. Funny if that ends up being the case. We’ll just have to wait and see.

So here we are on the dawn of a new year with familiar goals. But it’s time to pivot and adjust my approach. Will it work? I don’t know. What I do know is things weren’t working before so it is time to mix it up. If I want new and different things to happen then I have to start doing new and different things. Seems pretty simple when put that way. All I know is that no matter what happens, I have to…

Keep Moving Forward

Happy New Year!

by Categories: Deep ThoughtsTags: , , , , , , , ,

A New Year and New Beginning

A fresh start to invigorate an artistic career

Hope you all are enjoying the new year!

Even though we are already just about a month in, I wanted to talk a bit about my game plan going forward with my artwork and this website. Much like every year, I have big plans and aspirations on what I want to accomplish. While I’ve fallen short in the past on many of those goals, I’m hopeful that this year I will change all that.

The year has already started off on a good note. At the beginning of the month, I began a new job as a full time Graphic Designer! I’ve been clamoring a good long while for a creative position like that, so those closest to me will know that a huge weight that I’ve been carrying has been lifted off my shoulders. I quite enjoy graphic design and I’m really liking the job so far, but if you’ve been following me for any amount of time then you’ll know that this isn’t the final destination for my career. My dream is to be able to make a living off my illustrations and character designs. This new job is a great leap in the right direction but I still hunger for that full time illustrator role.

That is one minor downside to this new job. Since it is full time, it has taken a lot of the time away from me working on new and current illustration projects. I’m now in a position where I have to use what ever time I have each day and week to work on artwork as best I can. That means that now there will probably be even longer periods of inactivity both here on my site and the few social media pages I use (which I still hate by the way). I am still drawing and creating whenever I can. If you don’t see or hear from me for a while, just know I’m working on things that are taking longer now that I have limited time throughout the week. The big takeaway here is that I will still be drawing and illustrating because I enjoy it too much and I still want to share my characters and stories with the world. Graphic design is nice, but I still want to be a full time illustrator, so I am continuing to reach for that.

I am still drawing and creating whenever I can

One of the things I hope will strengthen that effort is the way I intend to use this website. I may have stated this before, but I want this site to be the the central hub for all things related to my artwork. In the past I was only really using it as a portfolio site with galleries of some of my better original work and nothing more. Recently, though, I have begun to add other ways to broaden how you view and interact with the website. One of them is the inclusion of this blog, where you can hear news, info, and updates straight from the horses mouth with no limitations. That was a great idea as I now have a way to speak my mind and let you all know what is happening with my artwork in a more direct fashion. The other change I made even more recent is the ability to support my art by selling prints of illustrations, commissioned work, and individual donations. As a goal to make this a one stop shop for anything with my artwork, it just made sense to make these options available here versus using another site like Etsy, Redbubble, Ko-fi, and etc. There is another idea I have planned to try and I’ll be announcing what that is very soon. Stay tuned…

So that is where things are at right now. The year has just begun, and while there have been some big changes already, some things have stayed the same. My desire and passion to keep creating colorful and appealing characters/illustrations has and will never waver. I’m also continuing the development of my comic starring my characters Potato & Bimm so that I can finish it by the end of this year, which is very exciting! Many exciting possibilities that I am optimistic can become a reality. My time has become more scarce now, but all that means is that I need to become more focused than ever before. The visions and goals I’ve set for myself are right in front of me, and to reach them all I have to do is…

Keep Moving Forward!

by Categories: comics, Deep Thoughts, IllustrationTags: , , , , , , , , ,

A Time to be Thankful

As I sit here I find that many things have changed in the world. While those around me are improving, growing, and moving on with their lives, I see myself in the same place. A state of limbo I feel somewhat stuck in perpetually. However, despite that, I choose to be positive and grateful for what I have. It is incredibly easy to be cynical and bitter about the things we don’t have (I admittedly have done this), but it takes a stronger will to appreciate all that is right in front of you.

I know that while my family may get on my nerves quite often (and honestly, whose doesn’t?), they are always there for me and have my back no matter what. And my close circle of friends has been amazing. I am who I am because of all of them and I wouldn’t have that any other way.

There has been an unexpected surprise this year though. I’ve started building great rapport with a community of likeminded artists on Instagram. That is extremely unexpected considering my disdain for all social media. It’s a great feeling to be a part of a small group of artists who support each other. Their kindness and support has helped me keep up a positive mindset about the future. I am very thankful for them.

I’m not a writer, so many of these blog posts come as a struggle to me. But I felt the need show my appreciation for all the people and things in my life. I am grateful for all of them, no matter how small. So I hope you all enjoyed this Thanksgiving holiday weekend and ate boatloads of turkey and stuffing.

Thank you for all your support. Even if its just stopping by to give a look at some of the art and share it to someone else, it helps so much for an artist like me trying to get his feet off the ground.

In case you didn’t have enough, here is some left over turkey as a thank you.

Keep Moving Forward

by Categories: Deep Thoughts, IllustrationTags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Knowing When to Take a Break

Sometimes its ok to walk away for a bit.
Just make sure to come back at some point.

Being an artist isn’t as easy as many people make it out to be. While on the surface it looks like all we do is just make pretty pictures for a living, there is more to it than that. As strange as this may sound to a bunch of you out there, it actually takes a lot of work and a ton of time. Even though it’s super fun and incredibly rewarding, the weight of all of it can be too much to handle at a point. When you pick up a pencil or stylus and it feels like a burden and a struggle, then you need to make a change. It’s a little thing us artists like to call…a break.

*gasp*
Taking a break from the thing I love and am passionate about? What blasphemy!

I know, it sounds crazy and absurd doesn’t it? But all joking aside, it really a necessity that many artist can easily neglect. Even if they are well aware that a break is needed, it can be difficult to distance yourself from you work. I fall into that group all the time. Which is why I bring this topic up here. This blog I started was supposed to be a weekly thing that I kept up with for the foreseeable future. However, after about a month of it I began to struggle with what to write about and it starting feeling like a hassle to force something out. Now a huge part of that could be that I’ve never been a writer at heart and always preferred to showcase emotion and feeling through visuals. I’m an artist, it’s what we do. Anyway, I reflected for a moment on what I wanted to accomplish here with this. I reminded myself that the purpose of this was to be a way for me to express my thoughts on various art/artist related topics and not worry about being struck by the almighty hammer of the internet overlords.

*cough cough* Facebook and Twitter *cough cough*

Once I remembered that, I realized that I was literally burning myself out. I exhausted all my ideas I had in mind, and I was trying to force out new ones out of thin air just to hold to a schedule I made for myself. While it’s great to set a goal and adhere to a scheduled path to reach it, sometimes it just doesn’t work out the way you wanted. I can’t speak for all artists, but that’s certainly the case for me when it comes to my work. I can’t force it. I need to brainstorm an idea and way to make it a reality before I can start it. I can’t just tell myself, ‘I will paint an elaborate portrait every weekend’. That’s just not how it works for me and it never has. It feels like a very rigid and corporate approach to this line of work. If it starts feeling like that for me, then all the fun and enjoyment is sucked out. I need there to be a bit of openness and spontaneity to my artwork so that it feels organic and not manufactured. When I try to manufacture something and it feels forced, the result always looks like shit. Then when that happens the demoralizing feeling creeps up and I begin the downward spiral of demotivation.

That’s just not how it works for me and it never has

So why take a break? I’m willing to bet there are many artists that don’t take a ton of breaks. That might be fine for them, but I can almost guarantee that those artists are already well established in the industry. Once again, I can’t speak for all the artists in the world, but I feel like I can say with at least a bit of confidence that taking a break from your work isn’t as hard when you know you have the audience and the income to get you through that gap in productivity. Breaks are hard for me to sit through since I’m still at the lower stages of my career. Whether a break is just a few hours or even a couple days, for me it always feels like an eternity. That’s because I’m not at the level I want to be and every moment I’m not working to progress forward feels like wasting time. I also know that sitting down and forcing work out when it just isn’t working is more of a waste of time and counterproductive.

When you feel like you’re burning the candle at both ends and you’re running out of wax, the best option is to step back and take some time to rebuild the figurative candle and maybe even reinforce it. Burn out is real for any profession. I felt some major burn out with this blog and some of my work. So I took some time to gather myself back up and resume with some fresh and exciting ideas. So take a break before your candle burns out completely.

Keep Moving Forward

by Categories: UncategorizedTags: , , , , , , ,

Don’t Look for Your Style

An artist needs to have their own style, but I think it’s crucial they don’t try to find it.

Every artist has a style that is uniquely their own. Just look and any famous creator’s work. You can tell who created it simply by the style of the work. A Glen Keane drawing is easily distinguishable from a J. Scott Campbell drawing. Each one is amazing, but with different styles that are attached to that artist. You can tell what is a Stanley “Artgerm” Lau illustration simply by the style he uses. What is so great is that no two artist have the same style. Or at least, they shouldn’t. I’ll get in to that in a bit. One thing I’ve learned though is that if you are struggling to find your own style, it is best not to focus heavily on figuring it out. Instead, you need to let your style find you.

How do let your style find you? Well, you do it by simply creating. That seems too simple, But allow me to explain further. If you are an artist or trying to become one, chances are you have some that you admire. Take a handful of those artists and analyze the parts of their work that you’d like to emulate. Maybe one draws great hands and another shows facial expressions well. Combine all these aspects and meld them into what you make. The fun is that you can experiment at this stage. Play around with different things and find something that works well for you. Truth be told, It’s how I developed my style. I took inspiration from artists that I admire and molded all those different ideas and techniques into something that I felt was unique to me. That may not work for everyone but it definitely helped me starting out. I experimented with many different approaches and even had a anime feel for a time (yikes!) I figured out what I liked and ditched the aspects that just felt off to me.

Let your style find you.

Don’t take this concept too far however. It can be very tempting to just copy verbatim a very appealing style of an already established artist. Its important to be your own artist and not just a carbon copy of another. There is already a Tom Bancroft. Don’t be another version of him. Play around and have fun with the process. You’ll know when you find that one style that fits you because it will just click. Not everyone is going to like your style either, which is a tough pill to swallow. I constantly struggle with that to this day. Every artist wants the entire world to like what they do, but that isn’t realistic. You can’t please all the people all of the time. So don’t stress on that or else it will eat you alive. Just create what you enjoy and those likeminded people with hopefully come one day.

So the moral here is to not beat yourself up while developing your style. Try to let it come naturally. Consume many different types of content, gather inspiration, and utilize that in your drawings. I’m not saying it’s an easy process, but it is a rewarding one. Just keep at it and don’t give up. Let your style find you.

Here is a progress shot of Pauline from the Mario series in my style.

Keep Moving Forward

by Categories: IllustrationTags: , , , , , ,