Am I getting better or worse?

[Catz95]

Or in other words, why do I hate my art so much?

To be quite honest, I'm autistic and I have a more 'verbal' brain than a visual one- I have a hard time visualizing and rotating objects mentally.

Anyway here's a 'progression' of my art, I feel like I'm not getting any better. (I do a lot of practicing offline too, but I always feel like I'm drawing the same thing over and over if that makes sense.)

2007:

2011:

2012:

2013:

I dunno, I just feel like something is universally off about everything I make, and its not a style thing. Sorry I don't have anything newer uploaded, but basically nothing has changed since the 2013 one... what should i be working on? Should I just give up the dream and stick to writing?

[Parasana]

To be brutally honest, no, you haven't improved all that much for the time you've put in. On the bright side, you certainly haven't gotten any worse, it's just that your ability to see flaws in your work has improved.

The reason you feel like you're drawing the same thing over and over, is because you are, sort of. You need to break out of your comfort zone. Draw portraits, landscapes, still lifes, experiment with different mediums and techniques, different compositions and poses.

If you really want to improve your art, you're going to have to study, not just practice. Glen Vilppu's video tutorials are a good place to start.

Above all, don't be discouraged. Even the best artists will look at some of their work and think "Wow that looks awful, what was I THINKING?" It's just a matter of hard work and striving to improve.

[Teacup Creations]

I don't think you've improved but I don't think you've gotten worse either.

By 'practising',what exactly do you do? Because it could just be that it's ineffective since some people learn in a different way to others. Just drawing a lot doesn't necessarily make you improve quickly but working on learning through tutorials, critiques etc. does help...

I would personally suggest just focussing on one aspect of drawing and doing that every day and also ask for other people's opinions on how you could improve since sometimes you might not see it yourself ^^.

[Static Sludge]

interesting, I fall on the autistic spectrum myself and cant verbalize well at all, its really hard especially speaking to people in person. but I can almost always get across what I want in the form of pictures.

now I wouldn't say you've gotten worse, not too much better either but you have improved. do you hate your art because your not skilled at it, or do you hate your art because you love drawing and you haven't improved?

the real question : do you really want to draw, or are you just frustrated others are ahead??


ive noticed some people frustrated at their art skill level, but don't actually want to do anything bout their art. that's like me getting depressed cause I cant ice skate O_o but I don't care to ice skate

/rant

[Catz95]

Static Sludge

interesting, I fall on the autistic spectrum myself and cant verbalize well at all, its really hard especially speaking to people in person. but I can almost always get across what I want in the form of pictures.

now I wouldn't say you've gotten worse, not too much better either but you have improved. do you hate your art because your not skilled at it, or do you hate your art because you love drawing and you haven't improved?

the real question : do you really want to draw, or are you just frustrated others are ahead??


ive noticed some people frustrated at their art skill level, but don't actually want to do anything bout their art. that's like me getting depressed cause I cant ice skate O_o but I don't care to ice skate

/rant

Ahh yeah its because I also have non-verbal learning disability ontop top the autism. Because of that I've learned to excel when it comes to writing and learning reading intensive material. It's when it's visual or needs to be applied in a clinical setting I have a problem.

I think its frustrating to me that I don't seem to improve yes. Like with other people they'll post stuff from three years ago and then post something recent and it'll be completely different, but to me all my drawings look the same. I have a very hard time with gesture especially, I tried practicing that for a while but never 'got' it.

I want to draw, I'd love to make a comic one day even, but I feel like I could never express anything correctly if I did do that.

[Catz95]

Teacup Creations

I don't think you've improved but I don't think you've gotten worse either.

By 'practising',what exactly do you do? Because it could just be that it's ineffective since some people learn in a different way to others. Just drawing a lot doesn't necessarily make you improve quickly but working on learning through tutorials, critiques etc. does help...

I would personally suggest just focussing on one aspect of drawing and doing that every day and also ask for other people's opinions on how you could improve since sometimes you might not see it yourself ^^.

By practicing I usually mean trying to draw whats in my head... I got the tablet in 2012 thinking maybe it would help me get better but I've almost never use it. Instead I have sketch books everywhere, filled with people devoid of expressions and all facing the same direction heh. I suppose I really do need to read more tutorials, because I have only read ones for digital art because I so wanted to use my tablet for something, but I do that often- I don't work on the basics and try to skip to the more advanced stuff.

[Catz95]

Parasana

To be brutally honest, no, you haven't improved all that much for the time you've put in. On the bright side, you certainly haven't gotten any worse, it's just that your ability to see flaws in your work has improved.

The reason you feel like you're drawing the same thing over and over, is because you are, sort of. You need to break out of your comfort zone. Draw portraits, landscapes, still lifes, experiment with different mediums and techniques, different compositions and poses.

If you really want to improve your art, you're going to have to study, not just practice. Glen Vilppu's video tutorials are a good place to start.

Above all, don't be discouraged. Even the best artists will look at some of their work and think "Wow that looks awful, what was I THINKING?" It's just a matter of hard work and striving to improve.

Thank you for the honesty, I really need it because I want to get better so badly but it doesn't seem to happen.

I looked up Glen Vilppu, he's a genius! Thank you for recommending him. I am just so awed by how characteristic and emotional his basic sketches are, something all of my drawings lack. I think that is what bothers me most, none of my figures look 'alive'. Landscapes are something I've never practiced with, except for once or twice. I made a picture of a cherry blossom tree next to a lake with oil pastels. But again, nothing looked 'real' or alive, if that makes any sense.

[Static Sludge]

Catz95

Static Sludge

interesting, I fall on the autistic spectrum myself and cant verbalize well at all, its really hard especially speaking to people in person. but I can almost always get across what I want in the form of pictures.

now I wouldn't say you've gotten worse, not too much better either but you have improved. do you hate your art because your not skilled at it, or do you hate your art because you love drawing and you haven't improved?

the real question : do you really want to draw, or are you just frustrated others are ahead??


ive noticed some people frustrated at their art skill level, but don't actually want to do anything bout their art. that's like me getting depressed cause I cant ice skate O_o but I don't care to ice skate

/rant

Ahh yeah its because I also have non-verbal learning disability ontop top the autism. Because of that I've learned to excel when it comes to writing and learning reading intensive material. It's when it's visual or needs to be applied in a clinical setting I have a problem.

I think its frustrating to me that I don't seem to improve yes. Like with other people they'll post stuff from three years ago and then post something recent and it'll be completely different, but to me all my drawings look the same. I have a very hard time with gesture especially, I tried practicing that for a while but never 'got' it.

I want to draw, I'd love to make a comic one day even, but I feel like I could never express anything correctly if I did do that.

if you really want a career in art, you'll tirelessly practice. ive been drawing since as long as I can remember, at least once a day (I would draw all through middle school highschool elementary school and im sure once my classes start this semester too) but I still draw everyday at home too. I still have a long ways to go, but most of my problems had to be drawn out continuously.
my suggestion is, use real life models/examples. if youre having problems seeing it visually (like 3d kinda thing) then have a real life example to rotate in your hand. for me, once an image clicks, its cause I can almost feel it in my hands as a physical object. and I think having that physical object can really help especially if you can't quite "feel" it yet. (for me Ive always struggled with the word part of it lol , I can read and write really well, but ive also got a small case of dyslexia and a jumbled brain, its just confusing sometimes)
im sure you can tell how weird I speak lol D:
mind if I ask how old you are and how long you've been drawing? also are you self taught?

[Catz95]

Static Sludge

if you really want a career in art, you'll tirelessly practice. ive been drawing since as long as I can remember, at least once a day (I would draw all through middle school highschool elementary school and im sure once my classes start this semester too) but I still draw everyday at home too. I still have a long ways to go, but most of my problems had to be drawn out continuously.
my suggestion is, use real life models/examples. if youre having problems seeing it visually (like 3d kinda thing) then have a real life example to rotate in your hand. for me, once an image clicks, its cause I can almost feel it in my hands as a physical object. and I think having that physical object can really help especially if you can't quite "feel" it yet. (for me Ive always struggled with the word part of it lol , I can read and write really well, but ive also got a small case of dyslexia and a jumbled brain, its just confusing sometimes)
im sure you can tell how weird I speak lol D:
mind if I ask how old you are and how long you've been drawing? also are you self taught?

Oh man I use to draw all the time in class instead of pay attention haha, it was all rubbish of course, but it was fun, but I didn't like it when people tried to snoop in my books, did that ever happen to you?

Yeah maybe I need to draw concrete things first before doing things that 'don't exist'. Cuz at least with still life you can touch it and rotate it and see how the light is reflecting off it. I just want to stop drawing like a little kid I guess. And what I was saying in another post is it really bothers me how dead and devoid of emotion everything looks because I already have a dead pan face and speak with a monotone (though I don't notice it, other people do). I'd like it if at least my drawings were expressive!

I'm 25 smile i'm currently disabled so I have plenty of time on my hands which is a big reason why I want to draw, to fill up time and to sharpen a skill. I have a 6 year old son, and he's like 1000 times more creative than me x] I love it cuz he gives me his art work to hang in my bedroom.

Edit: The only stuff I've done with drawing would be the art classes I had in middle school, other than that I've learned the little I know through the internet, and I had a book called 'drawing with the right side of the brain' that I tried to learn from... didn't do me much good though.

Ohh and you speak/write fine!!!

[Static Sludge]

Catz95

Static Sludge

if you really want a career in art, you'll tirelessly practice. ive been drawing since as long as I can remember, at least once a day (I would draw all through middle school highschool elementary school and im sure once my classes start this semester too) but I still draw everyday at home too. I still have a long ways to go, but most of my problems had to be drawn out continuously.
my suggestion is, use real life models/examples. if youre having problems seeing it visually (like 3d kinda thing) then have a real life example to rotate in your hand. for me, once an image clicks, its cause I can almost feel it in my hands as a physical object. and I think having that physical object can really help especially if you can't quite "feel" it yet. (for me Ive always struggled with the word part of it lol , I can read and write really well, but ive also got a small case of dyslexia and a jumbled brain, its just confusing sometimes)
im sure you can tell how weird I speak lol D:
mind if I ask how old you are and how long you've been drawing? also are you self taught?

Oh man I use to draw all the time in class instead of pay attention haha, it was all rubbish of course, but it was fun, but I didn't like it when people tried to snoop in my books, did that ever happen to you?

Yeah maybe I need to draw concrete things first before doing things that 'don't exist'. Cuz at least with still life you can touch it and rotate it and see how the light is reflecting off it. I just want to stop drawing like a little kid I guess. And what I was saying in another post is it really bothers me how dead and devoid of emotion everything looks because I already have a dead pan face and speak with a monotone (though I don't notice it, other people do). I'd like it if at least my drawings were expressive!

I'm 25 smile i'm currently disabled so I have plenty of time on my hands which is a big reason why I want to draw, to fill up time and to sharpen a skill. I have a 6 year old son, and he's like 1000 times more creative than me x] I love it cuz he gives me his art work to hang in my bedroom.

Edit: The only stuff I've done with drawing would be the art classes I had in middle school, other than that I've learned the little I know through the internet, and I had a book called 'drawing with the right side of the brain' that I tried to learn from... didn't do me much good though.

Ohh and you speak/write fine!!!

yeeeeeeees I hated that, and no one ever understood why it was so bothersome. I find it disrespectful Dx if I want to show you, ill show you yknow!?
well, that might be how you relate to your drawings , apparently I usually have a scowl or a spacey expression loool and that's usually what I draw XD but I find it helps when im drawing other expressions (well I do it subconsciously) that I make the face the drawing is making.
yeah It helps me to hold toy models of cars and stuff just gives me a better understanding
I recommend (especially if you wanna do comics) go to your library first(save some money) and rent all the comics you can XD see who inspires you and what kind of art you really emulate.

also I recommend painting and crafts, when im having a drawing art block I turn to another medium, sometimes I can express myself better in those.
and you could draw with your son, find some books/models you both could draw from, learning with him might be easier and less scary . since youd have to go slower and simpler to start with with him. I have some books that have helped me (especially on the realistic proportions side of things) if youd like I could give you the names.

hahah! glad to see someone thinks so ; )

[Teacup Creations]

Catz95

Ah, there's a problem >//<
Getting a tablet does nothing to make you better- in my experience, it made me worse xD

How about you try doing different things each time, working on things that you'r not used to like facing different directions or... smiling/crying/scared etc. Try working on facial structure and anatomy first, though.

'course I am definitely not a pro so idk xD

[The Awesomator]

I would say that you've definitely improved - and you certainly have some interesting ideas.

Your two main problems are quite clear; the lines you draw are shaky and inelegant, and you need to brush up on proportion. The portrait of the man in the collar, for instance - although you have the eye/nose/mouth ratio down well, his eyes actually start in the middle of what should be the forehead.

I really quite like the last one you've drawn - it's complete, which makes the hesitant lines seem like a style choice rather than lack of skill.


The shaky lines: these look as though you've drawn each section in one hesitant movement - I would suggest perhaps becoming comfortable with sketching light pencil lines and building up the image. Then, once you're more confident, with a steadier hand, you can come back to this method. Also check how hard you're pressing the pencil to the paper (or on a tablet, how tightly you're gripping the pen) - this can make a serious difference in the fluidity of the line.

Proportion: this one's a no-brainer. There are a billion different tutorials and proportion scales on the internet. Become more familiar with these and keep practising.

Hope this helps!

[thatpinktee]

You've definitely improved on colouring, but you do need more practice on the anatomy side of things smile

I don't think you have any trouble expressing your thoughts through art; your comic made me laugh, and I can relate to that too!

Your art from 2012-2013 doesn't look as flat as before; I think you are starting to develop a sense of 3-dimensionality in your work.

Keep on drawing!

[Zetsubou no Taiyou]

For a really long time I had a mental block that stopped me from getting any better at art. I was friends with an artist that was always boasting about her art style being so special and unique. It gave me the impression that real artists didn't pick up their art style from others. .

Not emulating the work of professional artists, there was no way for me to get better. I eventually realized that if you want your picture to look professional, you need to learn from the professionals. Steal traits from the artists you love. How they draw their eyes, their mouths, the face shapes they use. Emulate it. Pick up their style. If your drawing something, and you're stumped, go google what your trying to draw. See how other people draw it.

The reason that I tell you this is because your art looks quite a bit like mine did during that time. The noes, eyes, mouth, hair, they don't lean toward any real style. Not Anime, or Disney, nicktoons, or comic strips. In my experience, you need to aim for a style before you can study it and improve. That is where I wold start. After that you can work on more difficult things like anatomy, summitry, and 3-dimensionality . Right now you just need to pick a style to emulate and study.

[Itchy the Hatter]

If you're really interested in improving, start drawing from life. Draw really simple things - cubes, cylinders, etc. It's actually hard to jump right into drawing figures and faces well despite how many people want to or try to.