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how to get better at art very quickly: start looking at your work objectively instead of bashing it with "it looks bad"
if you can look at your art and pinpoint what is weak about it, you can slowly work on those weaknesses till you're comfortable with them. that's it
if you can look at your art and pinpoint what is weak about it, you can slowly work on those weaknesses till you're comfortable with them. that's it
don't see it as a negative trait about u as a person ("i'm just a bad artist" "i'm slow at making progress") and just as stuff that needs work because nobody is perfect. there will never be a point in time where you're going to feel like "this is it, i don't need to grow anymore"
also important: trying to define whether a piece/project is effective based on its creative INTENTION, not its technical skill. it may not be ur goal to improve on a technical lvl (as in, getting better at rendering certain subjects) but in smth subtle like storytelling
i.e.) pure technical skills can emphasize good storytelling but it is not a requirement. there's plenty of illustrated narratives out there that aren't actually well rendered but are very effective
composition can be viewed similarly..
composition can be viewed similarly..
set realistic goals for yourself. ex) if you want to get better at drawing backgrounds-- there's an entire world + fantasy worlds out there to render. start with something small like a bedroom and work towards a kitchen, house exterior... whole streets, grocery store, etc
as always: don't be afraid to use reference. but every artist relies on it differently. some need to stick closely to refs, others just want the general idea and then go off on their own, some have drawn real things enough that it's easy for them to rely on imagination
how to evaluate whether u need reference/more inspiration: do you feel like the objects / characters / scenery /etc are too generic, or do you keep repeating the same symbols/designs? if so, you might need to at least briefly research some of these subjects.
like, regardless if you need hard refs or just need a suggestion, i think a lot of people don't realize that part of making good art is putting time to research the subjects... for me that's maybe the most time consuming part and the rest comes easier
i.e.) you wanna draw a char sitting on the curb in a city? what do they wear? what sort of street is it? if it's in the US, many urban areas vary greatly in terms of architecture and design. just drop a pin down on google maps in the place you wanna reference
imo: don't learn how to draw shit that you're not going to draw @ least semi-regularly. no point in learning how to draw an airplane for the hell of it. our memories are quite bad and you have to either keep staring at ref photos or keep drawing to render a subject consistently
mb it's an unpopular opinion but im very much in the category of "if i need to learn it, i will learn it" but if i don't find a use for it, my knowledge and practice will fade away- making art relies on a combo of muscle memory+image memory
granted of course these days i feel like i'm trying to learn how to draw everything in existence. i.e.) designing vehicles requires a general knowledge of the functional anatomy of how these big machines work and u can only do that by studying a bunch of them LOL
