Scared of Starting

When it comes to working on fantasy maps, I have a lot of research to do before I even place my first pixel. Geography, sociology, anthropology, history, botany, and generally inspiration from other works of fantasy and their setting designs. I like my worlds to feel like they could be a real place, with various kingdoms and empires that culturally, genetically, and architecturally cross-pollinate with each other, which plays a hand in how they would divide baronies, or implement their infrastructure. The right amount of this kinda research, to know how things would realistically look gives me a good idea of how it SHOULD look. I don't claim to be an expert in any of these fields, but I shudder to think of what my work would look like if I haphazardly threw mountains down and said "Here's the elf country." (-personally hates when nations are overly simplified as "the elf country" or "the human kingdom"-) Anyways, I personally envy artists and writers who can play it by ear and still have something that comes out looking or sounding great.

i really enjoy designing and coloring <3 i can get really absorbed into arts and crafts and once i'm in the zone time flies pretty quickly without me even noticing. also seeing the finished piece/improvements in my art help motivate me and i just get the indescribable urge to draw if you are afraid of wasting materials i definitely recommend trying digital art with a tablet. they have a bunch of cheap tablets that work great, my first tablet before i got a cintiq was $70 and still works after almost 6 years that way you get fix mistakes more quicker and you wont ever waste paints or paper

A bit late to respond, but being afraid of failure is easily the biggest hurdle for any artist in any medium. It's really all about just working on whatever your heart desires and continuing to do so until you improve to a point where you're satisfied and then once you've done that never stop improving and learning. Failure's just a part of the learning process. Also, always start with the fundamentals; drill those into your head until you've got a basic idea of human anatomy, shape, colour, shadows and lighting, etc. as it can really hinder progression if you don't have at least a basic understanding of those things. (I know it's such a boring/tedious thing to do but even if you aren't drawing/painting/sculpting people it's still fairly important to learn.) Anyone can be an artist if they're willing to put in the time and effort, so never stop practicing and you'll be just fine!

i fully understand i have been afraid of art for just about my whole life i am 18 and just now deciding to conquer my fears and i couldn't be happier. if you are uninspired try looking at tutorials eventually you will find one that you think you want to do or can do and make sure to have fun always always always date and save your work evn if you hate it especially if you hate it when you grow as an artist those old pieces will be worse but it will motivate you to keep going because you can see your improvement. also if you are scared of failure or are a perfectionist i recommend painting over drawing i personally have a bias but with painting i and many others find you can be more open to looser works as with drawing we want it to be perfect so if you paint you may worry less also there are so many was to paint so you are sure to find a style you like and a way to practice like painting over photos if oil or acrylic you dont need to worry about getting to expensive products right off the bat i use .50 cent acrylic paint and brushes from walmart if you want to do watercolor though i would suggest a slightly more expensive than the cheapest but remember its okay to experiment so dont worry about it being too cheap just have fun and actually do it you wont regret it good luck :)

pastels are super messy and to preserve them have you tried a spray sealant you can get them at walmart but i heard that hairspray can also work but i havent used them in forever so i wouldnt know. also i think copying pieces is a great way to practice as long as credit goes where its due your art will always turn out differently than the original and you could change small things like adding a tree or changing the time of day to make it your own. and if you want to sell i suggest framing or matting it looks mor professional and it keeps the pastels from transferring or smearing good luck! :)

okay ill keep the no hairspray in mind lol i dont use them so i wouldnt know ill go hunt for so pastels and get back with a few experiments if i can find them :)

i havent tried it and if im literally a huge idiot ir you feel as if im acting like you are one just tell me but have you tried using mod podge after spray sealant because mod podge wont wear away and id assume that if you sealed before painting on mod podge it wouldn't smear. also sorry again if im throwing out garbage info i literally never use pastels but sometimes that helps to get a point of view from someone who has no clue what they are talking about. and good luck :)