Hey /ic/, I’m really stuck and need some advice. I’ve been drawing every day for a while now, but I’m not sure if I’m actually improving. I keep seeing progress in my work, but I’m starting to wonder if it’s just my brain tricking me into thinking I’m getting better.I’ve seen artists who’ve been stuck at the same skill level for years, and I’m terrified of ending up like that. The thought of it really stresses me out, and I just don’t know if I’m on the right track. I’m also worried that I’m slower than others, especially since I started drawing fairly late in life. I also have dysgraphia, which I think might be affecting my drawing process, but I don’t know how much of it is that vs just being inexperienced.is the "just keep drawing" advice actualy good or just cope?
You're probably improving. Make sure you date every drawing so you can track progress. I advise making sure you work on at least one thing every day that you can be 100% sure will lead to progress by the end of the day. For example, it might just be something as simple as making sure you include the hollow of the palm when you're drawing hands. Even if you're not a naturally fast learner, you will accumulate a lot of these little techniques over months and years; they seriously add up.
>>7738014I personally use a lot of references that are closer to the art style I'm going for and draw large detailed scenes, featuring different components and perspectives. This way I see how they interact with each other and am able to change whatever is out of place. I'm doing this digitally though so I don't know how well it could work on paper.
>>7738016thanks, but what are thing every day that you can be 100% sure will lead to progress?
>>7738014>is the "just keep drawing" advice actualy good or just cope?It's the best advice, because it's the most basic and obvious advice.You need to exercise to build muscles.You need to practice an instrument to learn to play.And you need to draw to get better at it.Of course, if you exercise poorly, you'll just hurt yourself.If you just play by ear, you'll likely only ever learn those imitated songs and nothing else.And if you draw with no plan or structure, you'll see marginal improvement at best.This is what's so irritating about people who deny the 'just draw' advice, they expect to be spoon fed the most basic and obvious advice - no shit if you just draw squiggles on a page is not going to suddenly turn you into da vinci. Likewise, not pushing yourself in the areas you need practice is going to cause you to stagnate; just drawing heads isn't going to improve your ability to draw hands, for example.So what are you doing to practice your drawing, exactly?Also, post a picture of your early work and current work side by side, and we can tell you if there's improvement or not.
>>7738023Specific knowledge that you either have or you don't. This is partly why anatomy is so popular: you can collect the knowledge bit by bit and become objectively better as a result.
>>7738027Here’s a comparison of my drawing progress from when I started to now. Currently, I’m aiming to complete 20 poses from reference each day, along with one full sketch that includes a background. I’m also trying to do 20 faces per day, though I’ll admit I’ve missed a few of them over the past few days.
>>7738038This style is not to my taste, but you've clearly improved. Better proportions, shapes, lineweight, and appeal over time. Wouldn't hurt to push yourself to practice construction. And hands. They've improved a lot, but they still read as a little flat.
>>7738045If by 'construction' you mean building basic shapes, then I'm already doing that. I know I should focus more on drawing hands, but I find them boring. Still, I know it's something I need to work on. Honestly, I feel like I've made a huge improvement between 2022 and 2023, but the rest has been pretty much the same, just with a gradual change in style over time. I've often felt like I'm too slow at learning how to draw
>>7738053I see improvements from 2023 on, but it's hard to make big gains unless you're consistently researching and practicing fundies, including master studies and lots of life drawing. If that seems boring, try to find ways to make it fun.
