{"id":375207,"date":"2026-04-04T19:53:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T19:53:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/375207\/"},"modified":"2026-04-04T19:53:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T19:53:16","slug":"how-to-find-your-creative-niche-with-fan-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/375207\/","title":{"rendered":"How to find your creative niche with fan art"},"content":{"rendered":"

Finding your tribe, the people who deeply love your artwork and truly get what you\u2019re doing, is one of the most fulfilling and joyous aspects of being a creator. Fan art<\/a> is a clever and efficient way to do it, because it gives you access to a ready-made community of like-minded people. And, if you\u2019re lucky, it can result in work opportunities, or sometimes even the chance to make art in an official capacity.<\/p>\n

\u201cCreating fan art connects people who enjoy the same things, and it helps me reach people who wouldn\u2019t normally see my artwork,\u201d says Lara Georgia Carson<\/a>, a senior designer at the production and animation<\/a> studio WildBrain.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhen I post fan art, it inserts me into different groups of people who might not normally follow artists, and I love being able to \u2018fangirl\u2019 over things that are mutually enjoyed.<\/p>\n

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\u201cFan art allows me to express my admiration for the things I enjoy in a tangible way,\u201d explains Lara<\/p>\n

Image credit: Lara Georgia Carson<\/p>\n

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Lara\u2019s fan art of the protagonist from Frieren: Beyond
\nJourney\u2019s End<\/p>\n

Image credit: Lara Georgia Carson<\/p>\n

Putting your own spin on beloved characters from various works of fiction and emphasising the features that matter to you most is a surefire way to enrich everyone\u2019s enjoyment \u2013 yours and the audience that you\u2019re sharing them with.<\/p>\n

Daniel Kamarudin<\/a>, an illustrator who also designs statues and collectibles for both original and existing franchises, tells us: \u201cMaking artwork of your favourite characters is like speaking to your community and the fandom in a voice that only you possess. Your art style is unique to you, and painting characters your own way is your contribution to both the particular fandom and the art community as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Daniel\u2019s fan art of the virtual YouTuber Mumei from Hololive (Image credit: Daniel Kamarudin)<\/p>\n

Daniel sometimes chooses subjects that are relevant in popular culture, but more often than not, he likes to stir up nostalgia by drawing from something he watched or played when he was younger. He tells us that experimenting with different fandoms is key to finding your people.<\/p>\n

\u201cEventually, you\u2019ll attract people who fall in the same section of the fandom Venn diagram,\u201d he says. \u201cFor example, I found a particularly fun niche of Hololive fans who enjoy the members painted in a more classical style like mine, as opposed to the \u2018purist\u2019 approach where they\u2019re more in line with their original art style.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sign up to Creative Bloq’s daily newsletter, which brings you the latest news and inspiration from the worlds of art, design and technology.<\/p>\n

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Daniel says: \u201cI like to add Easter eggs, so if I feel that I can squeeze in a relevant detail to the character or story, I will. I\u2019m not too sure if people pick up on these; they\u2019re mostly for my own enjoyment.\u201d (Image credit: Daniel Kamarudin)Fan art can help you find your following<\/p>\n

As well as finding kindred spirits, it\u2019s also a way to grow your following. \u201cFan art attracts the most people, and creating pieces for specific IPs is sure to get you an audience,\u201d says artist and comic creator Sean Kyle Manaloto<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cConsistency is key, and it helps to post your art on IP-specific places like Facebook fan groups, and also using a few hashtags and tagging accounts related to the fan art.\u201d Lara tells us that taking community requests and participating in trending fan art challenges can be a great way to get your work seen.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSince a lot of the fan art I create is from games and shows, I watch a clip or two to see the characters in action and take inspiration from certain frames before I start to compose the piece,\u201d says Sean (Image credit: Sean Kyle Manaloto)<\/p>\n

\u201cRecently there was a Frieren art challenge, and years ago there was a Sailor Moon one; they both had huge reach in both the art and fan communities. When new content comes out that has buzz around it, it can be good to strike while the iron is hot, and trending fan art posts can then bring people to your page.\u201d<\/p>\n

What to read next<\/p>\n

As you get more eyes on your art, there\u2019s always the chance you\u2019ll get spotted by people who want you to work for them. Some of Lara\u2019s fan art has become licensed to its original IP and used as promotional material, and she has created official art for Disney<\/a> Lorcana. Daniel got his start in the industry this way, and Sean has been asked to work on projects ranging from tabletop campaigns to video games and art books.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI like to pay close attention to the character\u2019s body language and expression,\u201d says Sean\n<\/p>\n

Image credit: Sean Kyle Manaloto<\/p>\n

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Sean\u2019s version of Raziel from Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, a 1999 video game\n<\/p>\n

Image credit: Sean Kyle Manaloto<\/p>\n

Going beyond fan art<\/p>\n

Despite the success that fan art can bring, it\u2019s good to remember that it\u2019s just one string in your bow; there can be pitfalls to relying on it too much to grow your following. Comic artist, illustrator and background designer Bailie Rosenlund<\/a> tells us that building an audience should be a side effect, not the goal.<\/p>\n

\u201cCreating art based on what you think your audience wants is going to make you feel miserable and burnt out,\u201d she says. If one piece of fan art does really well, you may feel pressure to make another similar artwork. \u201cTruly, if you don\u2019t want to do that, then just don\u2019t. Fan art should be fun and indulgent, and created first and foremost for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cCreating fan art, for me, has always been self-indulgent. Sharing it on social media allows others to also indulge,\u201d says Bailie (Image credit: Bailie Rosenlund)<\/p>\n

Bailie also advises a thoughtful approach to using fan art in your professional portfolio. \u201cDifferent artists and art directors have varying opinions on whether or not fan art should exist in a portfolio,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do have fan works in my portfolio, but the majority of it is original. The fan works I\u2019ve included are ones that I\u2019m particularly proud of \u2013 ones that show off my compositional, lighting or colour sensibilities. Also, as my job as a comic artist does at times require me to draw existing IPs, it allows a client quick insight into how I may interpret their IP into my own style.\u201d<\/p>\n

On top of helping you to reach people, creating fan art is also a good way to hone your art skills. Bailie tells us she often learns something new that she didn\u2019t expect from her close study of the design decisions she sees in the media she\u2019s referencing. \u201cIt\u2019s a great opportunity to learn from other artists,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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Bailie says: \u201cSharing fan art has helped create a really nice community I never expected to have, and I am very grateful for everyone who follows and enjoys my work (Image credit: Bailie Rosenlund)Fan art and the learning curve<\/p>\n

Lara tells us that as well as helping her push her style, be more experimental, and engage with media in a more critical way, making fan art has been great preparation for working in production environments.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I\u2019m working on a TV show as a designer, I have to be able to match the style and create inside of the established world, which is a little bit like making \u2018official\u2019 fan art. So the unofficial art is good practice for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cI find creating fan art really therapeutic; it gives me a chance to explore styles and techniques without overthinking the meaning or the content,\u201d says Lara (Image credit: Lara Georgia Carson)<\/p>\n

Daniel uses fan art to practise fundamentals and experiment with his techniques. \u201cHaving a familiar character or subject matter you can practise on makes it easier to focus on the things you want to learn from a particular piece you\u2019re painting,\u201d he says. \u201cLearning how to clean up my lines, create more appealing compositions, render a certain way, and so on all came from painting characters I like.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Daniel\u2019s version of Ceres Fauna, a Hololive virtual YouTuber who encourages humans to return to nature (Image credit: Daniel Kamarudin)<\/p>\n

Sean has also seen a benefit to his art practice. \u201cThe process of making fan art has greatly expanded my visual library and has taught me a variety of lessons, such as how to improve form, making textures more believable, and honing attention to detail,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cCreating fan art is always challenging, and will always teach you something new you can apply to personal art.\u201d<\/p>\n

Natalia Klimczak<\/a> is a UK based painter and illustrator, creating work inspired by fantasy and fairy tales. She focuses her fan art on characters from books rather than from movies or other visual arts since this allows more creative freedom. \u201cYou often get a rough description of what the characters look like, but the rest is entirely up to you,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love adding little pieces of myself and my taste in aesthetics to characters I like. I think drawing fan art of book characters is probably my favourite thing to do. I consider the character\u2019s personality, aesthetics, and the themes surrounding them.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Natalia\u2019s imagining of the faerie prince Cardan Greenbriar from The Folk of the Air fantasy book
\nseries by Holly Black<\/p>\n

Image credit: Natalia Klimczak<\/p>\n

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A dreamy rendering by Natalia of Hypnos, Sleep Incarnate, a character from the game Hades<\/p>\n

Image credit: Natalia Klimczak<\/p>\n

She says fan art opened career opportunities for her, but that this isn’t be the main reason to do it. \u201cGetting obsessed with a piece of media and feeling inspired to draw characters I love definitely played a big role in me becoming the artist that I am today. It kept me motivated and also made learning how to draw more enjoyable for me.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing more exciting than getting to work on a project related to a series you love. But it\u2019s not the reason I do it. You can spend years drawing fan art of your beloved characters and never get noticed.\u201d<\/p>\n

For inspiration, see five artists’ tips on how to make fan art original and fresh<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared in ImagineFX. Subscribe to ImagineFX<\/a> to never miss an issue. Print and digital subscriptions are available.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Finding your tribe, the people who deeply love your artwork and truly get what you\u2019re doing, is one…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":375208,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[437,434,435,436,438,146,85,46],"class_list":{"0":"post-375207","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-artsdesign","12":"tag-design","13":"tag-entertainment","14":"tag-il","15":"tag-israel"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=375207"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375207\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/375208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=375207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=375207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=375207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}