FanArt – Artwork created by fans of a work of fiction and derived from a series character or other aspect of that work. Many artists do it, but why?
If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram (which you should), I occasionally post FanArt of certain series – Gravity Falls, right now, but I’m planning on expanding the collections. You may be wondering why I do it; every time I create a piece of fan art, it’s time that I could have dedicated to creating something original from Eledris.
There are several reasons why artists draw FanArt and why you should definitely join in.
Showing appreciation
In my opinion, fan art is one of the highest forms of appreciation. You’re, by drawing, sending a message to the creators and fans, saying: “I like this series so much that I have dedicated a great deal of my time to show it.”
The same goes for creating stories, or games, set in the universes of someone else’s work. You are dedicating precious time to showing how much you like this series and how much you want to build on its canon.
Studying
Once I drew my first FanArt, one of Bendy from the game Bendy and the Ink Machine, I first realized what the character actually was made out of. When observing the original works, you see only the finished product, which can become easy to take for granted. While you draw, recreate, the objects found in the series, you reverse engineer their design. You put yourself in the shoes of the designer who created it and you try to observe their thought process.
This is why FanArt is an awesome learning tool – some designs are extremely complicated and created by professionals. By re-drawing them, you de-construct the design and learn more about it.
Pulling fans in
What do you think is easier – earning 100 likes with a drawing of Spider-Man, or earning 100 likes with a drawing of Earnie Blackbone, the pirate you invented?
People are already invested in big IPs (Intellectual Properties), such as movies, games, books, shows, etc. If you post a FanArt you made on social media, more people are going to see it, like it, reshare it and visit your profile. They will then see all your awesome original works and follow you.
The FanArt will pull them in, but they will grow to like your original content and that’s why they’ll stay.
This comes with a certain danger – you shouldn’t do just FanArt. In fact, most of your work should be dedicated to original creations.
Now go out there and create some awesome FanArt!
Are you doing FanArt? Why, or why not? Let me know in the comments down below!
