#molding

Colour and design hold equal precedence in this dining room. A wall of cool dark blue contrasts with the cream of the insert panels and ceiling. The gold panel frames, with the tones of the wooden floor, table and cupboard offset the coolness of the blue and cream.

Everyone says NEVER TRACE!! THAT'S ART THEFT! Ok but we can do a little crime in the name of Learning.

Trace to learn, not to earn.

I like to take my own photos, but you can study whatever you want. Link back to original photos, and don't post copied artwork unless the artist is dead, cool with it, or both.

As always with learning, start every sketch with the intent to throw it away (trash for paper, quitting without saving for digital) This takes the pressure off and lets you make Bad Art, which is very important.

So let's make Bad Art of a Deer because I happen to have one handy

Start with a photo of your subject in a nice/neutral pose with all four feet visible. (so not like me)

Freehand copy it. Try not to stylize, focusing instead of matching proportions and pose. Don't get too detailed!

It's ok if your art looks terrible and has broken legs. I've drawn LOTS of deer so I have a leg up. Everyone's art sucks in their own eyes and here's where mine went wrong:

Either lasso-distort (recommended for beginners) or redraw a copy of your first sketch with your reference behind it (scaled to match the main body of your sketch)

Put the original and modified sketches together and compare the differences. Write it down if you want. This shows you where your eyes saw things the wrong size, so you can correct for that next time.

After learning about both deer and yourself, try freehand copying again.

Marvel at your newfound knowledge and skill!

but there's always room for improvement

You can stop here and move on to your real drawing, Or do another freehand-fix-compare cycle. I actually overcorrected my "draws heads too big" and veered into "heads too small."

Another note on tracing: Learning HOW to trace is more important than anything you could learn By tracing. Draw the Anatomy, not the outline. In real life, things don't have outlines, they have bones.

These are from the same shoot which is extra useful for consistency. The lines are minimal and follow where the animals joints are, and only important parts are drawn.

You won't know what Important Parts means right off the bat, which is where in-depth study comes in. You need to do learn the hard parts to do the easy parts right.

people I've met are always searching for a 'connection' that they call true love. I have always been searching for something more intense, a peer, a mirror or a soulmate.

I've never been in a traditional relationship before (or might as well say any relationship) all of them are morally plain and boring, so performative and unreal.

real love isn't wanting to soothe another's eyes, it isn't about feeding someone's ego nor performing for their validation. to me, it's about tearing down every hidden face until there's nothing left but raw intent and irreversible transformation.

it's the need to watch and wait, and consume, to strip away every mask, and to hold their truth as my own as we slowly become one. as you become my best masterpiece, with every flaw exposed that I can only lavish my eyes on.