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how I try to improve in art: (emphasis on " I ". I doesnt mean you. I does not mean everyone).
warning: super long thread
improving in art for me is a mix of 3 things: drawing often, thoughtful observation when not drawing, & getting good criticism
warning: super long thread
improving in art for me is a mix of 3 things: drawing often, thoughtful observation when not drawing, & getting good criticism
1. drawing often: i draw the same character a lot. Orie, Minah. This repetition gives me lots of opportunities to focus on areas to improve. I drew Minah's bangs badly last time. Let's try to make that better this time. I messed up Orie's shoulder width last time, etc.
constant repetition made it very easy for me to see what i sucked at, what i was getting better at, what to study, etc.
i never got burned out because (contrary to some people's opinions) I draw what I love, I am always eager to draw some blue haired cute girls
i never got burned out because (contrary to some people's opinions) I draw what I love, I am always eager to draw some blue haired cute girls
drawing what is trendy, popular, etc. is fine but the momentary excitement of getting a lot of twitter hearts does not really compare to the therapeutic joy of drawing out an image of something you adore with your whole being. enjoyment is important. it's what prevents burnout
for you this may mean drawing a new character everyday. i might mean drawing a ninja robots, a handsome vampire with a goatee, making comics, etc. dont copy what someone else is doing because it works for them. find out what you love and incorporate that into your art life
2. thoughtful observation: i look at anime art a lot. i admire many artists. i support many artists, and i am always inspired on pixiv and twitter. however, i dont reference anime art for my own drawings.
this doesn't mean i dont study other anime artists. i do. i study the way Artist A drew the eyelashes to make that tsundere scoff so expressive. I study how Artist B uses hand gestures to convey the girl's elegance, etc. However, I dont take from these works when actively drawing
when I draw, I use photography, movie screenshots, fashion models, etc. Anime art is a stylistic interpretation of real life. Why use someone else's interpretation of real life when I can just make my own interpretation of real life? It helps with anatomy, lighting, shading, etc
When not drawing, I observe real life thoughtfully. When I am mindlessly washing the dishes, I look at how the metal faucet reflects light differently than the matte surface of the countertop. I look at my housemate's sleeve folds while listening to his story, etc
You can improve in art while not art-ing by studying real life, since most of us are taking from real life in our art. I then try to apply what I learned from staring at the sleeve folds when I draw Minah's jacket.
I also stare about peoples shoes a lot
I also stare about peoples shoes a lot
3. Getting good criticism: Good criticism is sometimes difficult to accept. I get my criticism from people I trust, who are artists themselves. A close friend of mine and my partner have taken apart my art for the past 2 years, which allowed me to see things I couldnt on my own.
Most of the time, I really appreciated their feedback. Sometimes, I got upset like an immature idiot. I wanted them to tell me it was the greatest thing they've ever seen, but instead, they said Orie's left arm was too long and was curving awkwardly.
I think learning to accept that you will never ever make perfect art (because it doesnt exist), and learning to appreciate constructive criticism is crucial in improving. Don't let Dunning Kruger set you back a decade because you're too stubborn to accept that youre not art jesus
Dunning Kruger is SOOOOO common in beginner artists (myself included), and it is incredibly cringey and harmful to your growth. It's okay to be proud of your work, but it is also helpful to accept that it can be better.
The third drawing I ever finished was Yuzuriha from UNI, and I was so proud of it. I posted on twitter, waiting to become the next Mika Pikazo, and then 7 hours later, got my first comment which said, "those legs are so long it's honestly disturbing"
that was the end of my dunning kruger. from that point on for about a year, I was "god, I suck so much" self-pity artist. but even if the self-pity was pretty cringey too, it still helped me to want to improve more than my previous "good lord, my art is perfect" mindset
anyway, I wrote this super long thing because i get asked how to improve in art a lot, and i usually say the same thing!
