Artists: When creating a gift for someone, do you make something that you love, or something that you think they'll love?

I feel tht it is important to consider the recipient, but to honor your own artistic sensibilities at the same time.

I make gifts based on what I do best, coasters. I have never had any complaints. Paintings are much harder. My Daughter-In-Law has a painting made by her grandmother which I love, but she hates it, and has packaged it up for permanent storage.

I suspect it will eventually end up being donated to a charity.

Both.

First off, why don’t you like it? If I had to offer some constructive critique from my point of view, you needed to go bolder with the contrast. An example would a be a study of Frank Frazetta, if you look close, many of his works the detail is not tight, but rather loose in the fringe areas. Pieces such as ”Bram Mak Mon”, ”Cat Girl”, ”Dark Kingdom”, the details in the background or at the edges are visible really because of the contrast. The subject pops because of how the shadows are worked.

Having said that, I would have to say whenever I do a piece of art for someone I always have to consider what they like, or their taste is. If I had the Jones to do some fantasy like Franzetta, but the person I am painting it for, is more into trendy art like Nagel, they would not like it. The trick is to take the subject they like and add your own twist to it, enough to make it interesting to you, and still your work, but not so detached from what they like, that they would never use it or identify with it.

I think its best to consider the recipient but for me it usually comes the other way. I will finish a painting and then think to myself “Oh, I bet so-and-so would love this”.

They are most likely asking for a painting from you because they already love what you do. Do what you do with you in mind. It will shine through more and be received more honestly years from now. You are an artist because it is what your soul wants to be, right? Don’t be an artist for anyone else but yourself. They will love whatever you give of yourself to them. That is the true gift here.

@Hypocrisy_Central that is a lousy camera photo of the painting. You can not see the shading and shadows as they are in the real deal. The face, for example, is actually highly detailed and shaded and highlighted, which you can not see in this photo. Shading and contrast are some of my strengths as an artist, but they don’t always carry over well in poor photos of my art. The problem that I have with this is that it is that the overall composition is boring. Also, it borders on being cartoonish and fantasy art, where I primarily tend to lean toward literalness and realism in my art. It doesn’t feel like it is “mine.” To me, it is uninspired and bland. It is al

It’s your message.

Make something I think they’ll love. She did love the necklace I made her and it wasn’t easy getting the material to make in (crafted a platinum pendant and a silver chain)... And then a year later I learned that maybe I should have used a lighter material when she threw it at the back of my head.

I rarely make art for someone specifically. It’s hard enough planning art in general, trying to do it from someone else’s brain is mental. I’ve had success giving people pieces that I’ve already made that I know they like. For example this year I’m giving my mom a mask she’s been hinting she wants for years.

Oops, I didn’t mean to send that, yet. Stupid phone.
My point was that it was meant to be whimsical and cute, and I don’t really do whimsical and cute, and I feel like that shows.
Part of the problem is that even if someone likes something, that doesn’t mean they’ll want to display it in their home. The painting above is an appropriate wall hanging for a young girl’s dorm room wall, which is where it is meant to end up. So when someone asks me to make them something, and they don’t have anything specific in mind, I almost feel like I have to mimic a similar style of art to what they actually like to hang.
The other person that I’m painting for should be a bit easier, because I think the only paintings she has hanging in her home are made by me, different floral paintings. I just don’t want to overdo it with the flowers.

It’s much different when I’m inspired to create something, and people enjoy it. Creating something specific for someone to display without any idea of what they’d want has me stumped. I didn’t realize this until I did the painting for my sister, and honestly, if she hadn’t shown up and loved it, I would have painted over the whole thing and started from scratch.

I try and make something to suit the person I’m making it for, but trying to do that usually results in sub-par work. Ultimately, there has to be something in it for my sensabilities, but that usually works out okay because my friends tend to like my taste.

I have always had trouble creating anything my heart isn’t entirely engaged in. It ends up looking kinda forced and ‘flat’ as you say. Couple that with being unable to draw anything twice, and It’s hard to do any work on spec. If I were in your shoes, I would make that first line (my particular style usually starts with a random curved line) ymmv Then proceed as I like working in bits and pieces of what the client wants. Alas, paint is not my media. I wish I could be more specific and help more.

I cannot imagine how atheism would have anything to do with this question, but for the record, whether I am buying a gift or making it myself, I always bend over backwards to give them something I think they will like, even if I really don’t like it myself.

A colleague at work once wanted a garden scene painted for his living room. He wanted the entire painting in shades of purple. I did it. I didn’t like it one bit. But it was what he wanted.

@ETpro it asks ARTISTS not ATHEISTS…

@King_Pariah Ha! So it does. How on earth did I look at that and read Atheists?

@ANef_is_Enuf The problem that I have with this is that it is that the overall composition is boring. There are many simple uncomplicated compositions. Nagel has very simple compositions yet his work is distinctive. Fantasy art as a class is not poor. If that is not your cup of tea but hers, you could have done something to make it more “you”, like play with the background, ad some element to engage the woman, etc. I am trying to find what you see as boring in that piece of yours. What did you expect it to do?

I’ve done both, but then I’m not that great of an artist. It’s actually easier for me to copy something I know they already like, but I think that’s a testament to my lack of ability/creativity as an artist. It would be much harder to mold my work to their style if I had more of a style of my own.

For you, how about painting what you like, but adding in some small details that would be meaningful to the recipient? Make the personal aspects more like a supporting cast to your main player.

@augustlan “It’s actually easier for me to copy something I know they already like, but I think that’s a testament to my lack of ability/creativity as an artist. It would be much harder to mold my work to their style if I had more of a style of my own.”

P’shaw. I’m planning on forging myself some art when I get the time. If you or someone else will enjoy it why the hell not?

I try for something I know or think they’ll love.