Roleplay and mechanics of IC art-making

[TheLastAxeman]

Hello!

Among other features, I would like my current character to draw some sketches from time to time, to extent of making them as items/fixtures to provide as gifts to other characters etc.

Should I consider investing in specific skills? I believe I can create a fixture being picture frame via trade skills and then rename it and then provide a description about how the sketch looks like, just like player-made sculptures, fixture compositions, paintings etc are made?

Is it restricted by anything else than actual mechanics and respect for RP and staying in character?(for example, my character isn't great artist, he has some passion for it and likes to do it, but he's not very skilled, so I would stick with describing his artworks as made by amateur and having some flaws etc)

Can they also be "drawn" by my characters on sheets of paper, making them less durable and short-lived?

Thank you in advance for your answers/suggestions.

[The Rambling Midget]

Any and all. You can make a variety of paintings and sculptures with the Art Crafting trade skill, along with several other fixtures spread across the rest of the trade skills.

Name and describe them however you like. (within reason and rules) You'll find that the players who enjoy art are willing to play along with just about anything, and those who aren't interested don't matter, because they're just going to ignore it all.

Simple Writing Paper works great for sketches. There are occasional IC sketch/drawing/short story/poetry gatherings and contests that you can join.

If you're going for the RP flavor of a sketch artist, I recommend Art Crafting, but art can be made with any medium you choose, from wood to metal to food and drink.

[Perplexia]

with a fairly small investment into Art Crafting, there are two generic painting fixtures you could make, both DC 11 and only 2 craft points
the more detailed painting fixtures are DC 21 at most, and none of them exceed 20 craft points; you may be able to get away with using godsaves to make these without fully investing in the skill (consider it a rare flash of inspiration, if you will)
Art Crafting additionally includes pottery and stone carving, should your character ever wish to experiment with other art forms

the necessary painter's palette has a DC of 11, but only requires 1 craft point, so a 1 point investment into Carpentry as well as reliance on godsaves would suffice (this also allows you to craft the charcoal needed for the palette)
i've also occasionally seen these sold in player shops in the past, particularly in Cordor

if you're aiming to be fully self-sufficient, however, you may also want a single point in Herbalism, to craft the three cloth dyes required for the painter's palette, as well as a point in Tailoring to make cloth
it's worth noting that one of the latter three trade skills is likely covered by whichever race you are playing

of course, writing paper is also a perfectly valid option – and likely more suited to what you're aiming for – which could then be stored in a notebook or pinned onto a message board

other than that, it all comes down to writing evocative descriptions; look to the countless paintings already in the module for examples, but otherwise go with your heart

hope this helps, Arelith needs more artistically-inclined characters!

[c0dfish]

My character is also a very amateur artist! I really love getting to describe all the ways in which his paintings are... not very good. Heartfelt, but not very good. He also keeps a notebook full of his sketches (just regular note paper put into a regular notebook). Painter's Palettes are made using Carpentry, so I would make sure to have at least a little carpentry experience, or find a good friend to help you make them!