Melistry

There was this really great graph going around tumblr a while ago that really nicely summed up why, as an artist, you may feel like you aren’t improving as fast as you would expect.

Here’s a link to the graph Shattered-Earth made on Deviantart:

LINK

Basically it boils down to the idea that you ARE moving forward, you’re learning anatomy and learning to see what feels right versus what feels off, and that’s an incredibly valuable skill. The process of informed self-critique is the first step in being able to improve, even though right now you may be feeling kinda stuck! I've definitely had periods where I felt stagnate in my art and it was not fun.

But, I placed too much importance on every drawing being good, or perfect or correct that I would get frustrated that I couldn't draw what my brain wanted me to. It's okay to experiment, try new methods, make mistakes and fill up sketchbooks full of drawings that you never want to look at again because I've made ten times more art that's anatomically incorrect or bad than I've made art that I'm proud of XD That's just how we learn, I think! And also I think you improve quicker and easier when you are enjoying the art you make!