Art is wonderful. It grants you a visual voice that at one moment can be an operatic soprano and then a deep, gurgling bass at another. But I must admit, it can be an intimidating process on multiple fronts.
First, there's the topic of skill. Everyone has to start somewhere. And the only way to develop that skill is by messing up, failing, and going at things over and over again. For the type B folks out there, this may not be much of a problem. They go into a hobby to enjoy the experience while the actual quality of the end product is not really that important. However, the unfortunate lot of us stuck with type A personalities just can't let that slide. It's a bummer to suck. It's a bummer to put in a good effort and get bad results. It's a bummer knowing that you have to put in a lot of work and spend a lot of time being dissatisfied and unhappy before you finally make something that pleases you.
Then there's the topic of criticism. Sure, you might think your piece looks amazing. But then you're thinking, how will everyone else feel about it? Will they see all the gorgeous details you painstakingly added? Will they notice how thoughtful you were with the composition? Will they recognize how you agonized over which color to use for the main subject and then poured over which backgrounds colors would perfectly complement it?
That parts hard to say; it's really going to depend on the crowd. Your friends and family are likely going to be pretty supportive. But, if you post for random audiences online, they can range from uplifting and wholesome to absolutely vile and hateful. And even if you do choose to show it to a likely supportive crowd, how comfortable will you be doing that? Self-esteem is a beast with god-like powers, for better and for worse. Someone who is genuinely skilled but just doesn't have much self-confidence is probably going to be petrified at the idea of showing even their best friend their art.
And that's why the world needs artists like Scott Christian Sava. I mean, the world needs all kinds of artists because the world needs art. For more on that point, see my previous post The Importance of Making Art. But it also specifically needs artists who will hold open the metaphorical doors to the world of art instead of letting them swing shut behind them. And you would be hard-pressed to find someone more willing to prop up those gargantuan, heavy gates than Sava.
Sava was born in Yonkers, New York. He eventually attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and graduated in 1980. Over the years he has weaved his way through the worlds of art, comics, animation, and games, working on franchises ranging from The Amazing Spiderman to Star Trek and for companies ranging from Atari to Disney. In 2000, he founded Blue Dream Studios, contributing to projects for The X-Files and Alien Vs. Predator, amongst many others. In 2020, Blue Dream released its first feature film: Animal Crackers, which, according to Sava's website, was Summer 2020's #1 animated movie in the world. He currently resides in Tennessee with his wife and children, making art out of his self-proclaimed hobbit hole.
Early on in his career, particularly during his time in the comics and games industries, Sava's preferred medium was colored pencil. He has also dabbled in 3D computer graphics, using them for his Dreamland Chronicles book series. However, as the years have gone on he has mostly migrated to ink and various watercolor mediums, with the occasional use of colored pencils for small details. He's quite fond of portraits and of painting celebrities. Truthfully I don't care for these too much, as while the portraits are done with great skill, these kinds of pieces are tired. What I really love though is when Sava works with much lesser-known and more minor models. Many of his portraits are heavily inspired by these models, such as his Gothic Vampire, and their visages are combined with his creative vision.
Sava has great control over his linework and skillfully uses line weight to add emphasis to important subjects and limit the attention drawn to background details. Meanwhile, his colors are often vibrant and intense. And, despite the traditionally light nature of watercolors, he uses them to achieve deep shadows as well. He attributes much of this to his use of high-quality watercolor papers that can endure layer upon layer upon layer of color, as well as premium pigments themselves.
The other artists I've written about on here have modest social media presences. They have the obligatory Facebook or Instagram accounts where they post periodic updates, but they don't really interact with the audiences. Sava on the other hand is a bonafide art influencer with very active TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube accounts. Normally I hate that term influencer, as I feel like it's associated with narcissism and false projections. However, Sava is definitely a black sheep in the world of influencers.
This is mainly because he is incredibly open with his creative process. Of course he's more than happy posting works in progress that are going well and finished pieces that turned out stunning. But he also posts about his mistakes and failures. For some pieces, he will create a long series of shorts and reels documenting each step of the creative process, including all the rough spots. He is more than happy to admit to completely redoing a sketch that he started in a previous video or covering up details with shadows that he did not initially anticipate would be so dark. If he is unsure of the direction that a piece is going in, he makes his watchers aware of this. While most art influencers only show successful pieces or timelapses without mistakes, Sava shows the good and the bad. It's reassuring to actually see that even a professional artist with decades of experience still questions his decisions and makes mistakes.
Also, despite his use and featuring of expensive, high-end materials, Sava is by no means a tools elitist. He constantly reminds his audience that although expensive tools can elevate a piece, the foundation of said piece is built on skill and practice. He encourages all of his audience members to create art using whatever tools they have, whether the watchers are fellow professional artists, hobbyists, or folks that have never made art before. And to help promote the creative process, he is constantly engaging with others in the art community. Recently, for example, he has been adding pieces to an art swap board at his local supply store. He also has semi-regular "playdates" (livestreams) with community members such as Kim Diaz Holm.
Regarding the artists I've previously discussed (Takato Yamamoto and Jan Brett), virtually all of my admiration for them stems from their art. I love their styles and I tell myself "Wow, it would be so cool to make art like theirs or be as good as them". With Sava, however, it's his personality and attitude that inspire me the most. I enjoy his work, don't get me wrong, but his optimism and encouragement are infectious.
After I see some form of content from him, I tell myself "Hey, I was just having a bad day the other day. Let's give that drawing another shot", or, "Hey, Scott was struggling with shading in his last video, but then he turned things around. I can turn around my problem piece too". And because his biggest draw is his attitude, he can appeal to basically anyone. I can absolutely understand someone not being a fan of Yamomoto's eerie, erotic pieces or someone feeling that Brett's animals-in-overalls are somewhat corny. But who in their right mind is going to have an issue with a chipper man whipping up portraits in his hobbit hole? Nobody is, because as Sava himself puts it, he just wants to make the world "a kinder, gentler place, one story at a time".
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You can find Scott Christian Sava's work on the following sites:
Website: Artist | Scott Sava Art
Facebook: Facebook
Youtube: Scott Christian Sava - YouTube
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