As a passionate Splatoon player and content creator since the original 2015 release, I live and breathe this franchise. After sinking countless hours mastering the signature turf war battles, I discovered my true calling: Making ART!
Splatoon raises the artistic bar compared to other online shooters. The in-game tools transform matches into wildly creative spaces full of self-expression. Making art brings joy on personal levels while connecting with the chill community. That‘s why art creation is ESSENTIAL for getting the most out of this fresh experience!
This definitive guide from a devout Splatoon artist will teach you how to make art to take your gameplay to the next level.
Art Creation 101: Core Concepts
Before diving headfirst into Splatoon art techniques, let’s ground ourselves in some key creative concepts. Understanding these principles will give you the mindset to make amazing art!
Concept 1: The Virtual Canvas
Splatoon 3’s art editor interface functions like a blank canvas. Imagine it as a space of unlimited creative potential waiting for YOUR vision.
The intuitive toolset gives you radical freedom compared to other shooters. I mean what other PVP game lets you make art while battling enemies?? This infinity of expression empowers individuality for all players.
Concept 2: Core Art Principles
Master artists harness fundamentals like composition, contrast, balance, color theory, shapes, and lines. These key principles guide visual interest and impact.
I apply real art concepts when designing my Splatoon drawings. And YOU can nail these too with the ultra accessible tools. Don’t worry about skill level…just feel the flow as you discover your unique style!
Concept 3: Shareable Creations
Making art breeds immense personal joy. And Splatoon lets us CONNECT through sharing our creations!
The vibrant community continuously inspires me with fresh ink-redible designs. I also live to see reactions when people experience my art!
So embrace this social space by posting your work. Or just create for your eyes only…both reward the artistic soul!
Now let’s jump into the semicolons; here is everything you need for making art in Splatoon 3!
Accessing the Art Editor
The art editor hub offers a blank canvas to envision ANY creation. Here‘s how to access it:
Locate one of the bright red mailboxes in the central city plaza. I like the one by the yellow Hotlantis store!
Interact with the mailbox interface and select "Splatfest Post" or "General Post".
A creative toolkit pops up on screen with various drawing options.
This launches the magical art space! Now grab your stylus and start envisioning your masterpiece…
Core Drawing Tools
These essential tools form your fundamental art arsenal:
Pen
The pen equips like a trusty inking brush. It has 3 size settings controlled by L/R buttons:
- Thin pen for precise lines
- Medium pen for bold strokes
- Thick pen for shading large areas
Use pen pressure to dynamically adjust thickness for natural ink flow!
Eraser
The eraser clears previous pen marks just like on physical paper. Cycle 3 sizes with L/R:
- Small eraser for detailed dots
- Medium eraser for fixing whole lines
- Large eraser to clear big sections
Erase gently instead of fully redrawing to retain a natural sketch style!
Color Palette
Like a vibrant marker set, the color palette offers a spectrum of hues and tones to choose from.
Tap colors to instantly change your pen pigment. For advanced techniques, limit yourself to a specific color scheme with only 3-5 tight hues!
Unlocking Your Creative Potential
Let‘s level up with advanced tools that take artwork possibilities even further:
Undo (ZL) reverses your last mark if you mess up or want to retry. Then redo (ZR) brings it back if you prefer the original!
This makes guided experimentation easy. Test colors, shapes, styles and reverse anything without starting completely over. Iteration is key for great art!
Wipe the slate 100% clean with the clear canvas button (L3). Whoosh…fresh blank space to draw freely without any previous marks holding you back or distracting your vision!
Don’t lose precious time trying to paint OVER lackluster work. Just clear it for a fresh start instead. This builds decisiveness and creativity in every piece!
Ever feel when a piece isn’t working right? Flipping the canvas 90 degrees (with the Y button) gives a literal new perspective to assess your work-in-progress with objective eyes.
Rotate multiple times to catch uneven composition, shapes, or line angles. This tricks your brain to boost objectivity so issues pop out!
Get CLOSER with the zoom button (X) toggling between two modes:
Zoomed Out: See the full artwork at once for general shaping.
Zoomed In: Fine detail work for crisp, clean lines.
Precise drawings utilize both zoom levels. Plot overall composition zoomed out, then get handheld with line precision up close!
With the core tools mastered, let YOUR unique art shine through!
Inspiring Your Inner Artist
Feeling creatively stuck? Use these proven ideation tips to get vision flowing:
Remix Iconic Moments
Recreate hype gameplay sequences like pulling off a triple splat. Or immortalize legendary characters in your signature style!
Design Gear, Weapons, Arenas
Dream up fashionable drip, overpowered splat machines, and battle arenas YOU want to see in-game!
Meme Templates
Apply iconic meme templates for hot takes and LOLs. I use the "Is This A Pigeon" and "I Sleep / Real Sh*t" blueprints myself!
Abstract Experiments
Make art for YOU alone outside pressure of public appeal. Go weird! What wacky shapes and color combos can you conjure?
Ideas spring naturally once creating. So don‘t overthink…just start drawing and ride inspiration waves manifesting under your pen!
Master Technique: Construction Lines
Ease artwork creation with "construction lines": Light guidelines mapping out piece foundations before finishing render.
This preliminary sketch offers clarity for complex subjects and saves time rather than attacking endline details right away.
See my visual guide demonstrating a step-by-step construction line workflow:
Creative Exercise: Limited Color Challenges
Restricting your palette pushes creativity in totally unexpected ways!
I invite you to try these 3 hot limited color challenges:
Monochrome
Use ONLY black and white. No grayshades!
Primary Triad
Red, blue and yellow only. Explore bright primaries.
Split Complimentary
Pick one vibrant hue then exclusively use its direct compliment plus both adjacent colors from the wheel. For example orange would give blue, yellow-orange and red-orange.
Can you capture depth and mood? What clever illusions emerge working AROUND lack of varieties? Having less ironically gives you MORE creative solutions!
The only limit is your imagination 😉
Posting Your Artwork
Show off your artwork for the world to admire! Share via built-in social posting:
Saving Art (press – button) lets you revisit WIPs. But the real magic lies in…
Posting Art (press + button) for uploading your final pieces to Twitter, Facebook etc.
Public posting connects with the passionate artist community. I LIVE to see the hype reactions roll in! Feel the solidarity of fellow creatives who "get" your vision.
Join the Vibrant Artist Community
Beyond the core game, a subculture THRIVES on art itself from memes to masterpieces!
Subreddit – /r/splatoon
The Splatoon subreddit features daily art uploads spurring inspiration & clever feedback.
Social Media – #splatoonart
Inkredible designs with this hashtag on Twitter and Insta. I post all my work here!
Discord Servers
Find groups for collaborating and sharing techniques to level each other up!
Conventions
Public fan conventions showcase epic IRL ink artwork. Maybe I‘ll see YOUR pieces displayed at a future event!
The options are limitless when creating Splatoon art thanks to infinite tools unlocking wide personal expression…
Now let‘s get to the FUN part: Making artwork!
My Signature Method: "Ink Splat Freestyle"
I developed a loose art style tailored to Splatoon energy which I call "Ink Splat Freestyle".
It‘s all about explosive shapes, dynamic line variety, and vivid neon pop colors!
Check my signature style in action:
Through thousands of hours practicing experimental techniques, I mastered harnessing the chaotic FUN of this game into artwork, my works resonating with the fan community.
While I encourage you to explore your own artistic voice, feel free to borrow from my ink splat methods!
The Splatoon art world thrives on radical creative diversity after all. We‘ll cheer on your fresh perspectives so don‘t be shy!
Guide Conclusion
Friends, Splatoon‘s creative empowerment liberates our souls. Making art unlocks mental flow states inducing pure living energy!
Forge fresh self-expression by spending equal gameplay time creating art. Trust tools designed for anyone lacking confidence.
Lean into the welcoming community who celebrates INDIVIDUALISM, not just skill levels.
Soon you‘ll unlock new mindfulness through doing what you love. Not chasing arbitrary definitions of "good art".
Just CREATE for the sake of joyful creation alone!
This guide revealed the fundamentals so now stylistic choices are ALL you. Simply explore until our signature visual voice clicks intuitively.
These tips help smooth the journey toward artistic awakening and mastery. But the rest depends on your unique pen flourishes 😉
So pick up the tablet pen and START envisioning whatever vivid ideas splash into your mindspace!
I can‘t wait to see your creativity shine. Now let’s ink up and paint the town together!
