#Long time art hobbyist — what level am I? How to best reteach myself?

31 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

limpid sandal
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Hello everyone,

I’ve been doing art since I was about 8, focusing on it off and on since then. I used to do way more traditional art, anything from oil to pastels to acrylics, but nowadays I mostly do digital because I have less space.

I kind of self taught by looking at anime tutorials and mainly drew in that style, but I did have “classical” art training too.

I feel like I’m missing some foundational elements from my art, and wonder what direction I should look in if I want to improve. Surely I’m not a beginner, but I’m definitely not a professional either.

Examples below.

Thank you!

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These are my most recent sketches, less than a week old.

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Some hand studies, also recent.

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Some things in a painting style, less than a month old

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Another recent drawing, clearly cartoony/stylised.

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This is a value study, done 2 months ago, and I struggled quite a bit and I’m unsatisfied with the result.

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In other words: I’m best at specific, stylised portraits, but I’m lacking in more foundational expressions of art.

hasty quartz
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i believe someone had posted this here before but i cant remember who so sorry i cant give credit where it is due, but this seems accurate

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portraits look great btw, love the style

grand summit
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not advice but i really like ur art

gilded vessel
limpid sandal
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Thank you everyone!

limpid sandal
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Would anyone’s analysis of my works differ?

hasty quartz
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i dont think of it as discouraging because its in the middle of the board. for me the beginning was the hardest part because i didnt have guidance but now that i do and im somewhat decent i understand what to practice to actively improve.

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my goal from the very beginning wasnt to improve fast, it was to enjoy the art, have fun and steadily and slowly improve

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im in it for the long run so even if i dont see any improvements for a while i dont get discouraged.

gilded vessel
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I think you can definitely improve though.

I would say fundamentally, maybe more Perspective and Volumetric studies will help get more volumes and make your drawings less “flat”.

And simply searching videos about foreshortening can help.

But if you want to draw in a certain style that may change what to study, or atleast the order

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And perspective is more than just 1,2,3 point. I think it’s really about depth, really making it feel like you can reach in and grab the object you drew

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Wheres the proko pyramid

limpid sandal
limpid sandal
# gilded vessel

I have aphantasia (or rather hypophantasia, which is incomplete), which means that I struggle to visualise or imagine things. As a result, spatial reasoning is often difficult for me, and nearly impossible in 3D.

SO, I naturally struggle with form and volumetric things. I am therefore not entirely surprised that this is my weak point, haha. Thank you for confirming it, though!

gilded vessel
limpid sandal
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Really? I don't know anyone who has aphantasia, haha. But I feel encouraged!

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Do you have any artists you could recommend?

gilded vessel
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For me though, I have a vivid imagination, but I’m not always using it. So I don’t think it’s really necessary.

I probably use it less when I’m actually drawing, making lines

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Because my hands usually make a different line and so I have to adapt to the line made