What Inspires You?

Tell me what inspires you to design. What affects you during the moment of designing a new piece? What triggers your train of thought that gives you the idea or ... ideas, that gives you the urge to open up whatever software (or bring out whatever traditional resources you own) you use and start working?

For me ...

Looking at other people's work. This is generally the main source of where people gain inspiration from - it's a fact. And I won't deny it myself. I do get inspiration from looking at other artists' designs.

There's also cultures. Viewing different cultures that are found around the world gives me ideas of styles that I can incorporate into my designs.

However, music is what primarily inspires me -- Trance, Chillout and Progressive music to be exact. These genres of music gives me a sense of elation and euphoria that no other music can give me.

Most of you probably won't like the kind of music that I listen to (especially those that don't like music where lyrics / vocals are not present, Lol), but ... if you get the chance, listen to "Ten Seconds Before Sunrise" by Tiësto (the real Tiësto =p).

And also, "Still Alive" by Lisa Miskovsky (this is the theme for the video game, Mirrors Edge).

[<No Name>]

I like trance.

But my inspiration comes from what makes me lol

[kai2]

Music for me also.

[Jay!]

Music definitely inspires me, also looking at peoples work.

[Neon Knight.]

i am inspired to work by the people i see

[Dr.W Aka PG]

You might find this cocky, but I have no intention; it's just the way I roll.

--
Other people's work
HOWEVER, not just anyone's I look at the best work, the most unique -- the one that captivates me at the first sight. It could be anything, a painting on a museum, a graffiti tag on someone's binder, a sketch on a yellow padded paper -- anything extraordinary. Then, I try to come up with something better than that. I always compare and ask myself, which is better? My work or is this?

My dreams-- my wild imagination
It makes me go searching for stocks (I'm no Knight or Baby Ruth) that could be exactly how I imagined it or at least close. When I'm on search, I get very, very picky and shallow. I look at everything from body angle, the face, the figure, the environment, the colors (hair, skin, eyes, lips, background, clothes) -- it just has to match my imagination if not better. If I have a close stock, I try to make magic. ♥

Random Quotes/Phrases/Words

Movies/Shows, hardcore awesome movies/shows.

Scenery
I always try to put what I saw or imagine into a picture.

edit: I don't know how people get motivated by music.
I'm so weird. Anyway, I just listen to music so that I don't feel alone and keep my mind of stuffs.
weird, my music goes by how I want sig to be. if I'm going for something sweet and romantic, I listen to love songs.
Just so that I won't lose my purpose.
dotdotdot.

Currently, this is the style that I'm trying to accomplish.
I was going to enter something like this in the last SOTW, but I thought to save it for the next one. (:



PS: Everything is made by hand. NO STOCK.I love it even if the coloring is hard ♥
edit; I didn't make that ^.