[Shion]

I cut'n'pasted your post for prosterity.

I would have been an artist, except for the fact that I would have had to be around artists all day. Now, I am but a humble "illustrator".

[Darkwolf377]

My best friend wanted to be an illustrator--and he is--but he had to go back to school to learn computer animation, and he's making six figures in that field now--and he has no involvment in movies, either.

Anyway, I get much of my inspiration (I"m a writer) from illustration, have more books of book illustrations (SF,fantasy generally) than many artists I know. I asked my friend why illustration is looked down by "artists".

Over the years we have revisited the question, but he frequently comes back to the same answer. "Norman Rockwell was an illustrator, and his subject matter appealed to the average person, who is precisely what many artists DON'T want to be. They want to distinguish themselves, make a scandal."

95% of the contemporary art I own and love is illustration. So you ARE an artist.