r/learntodraw • u/Cautious_Cut_4680 • 10h ago
Zero progress
I don’t know how to improve, and have considered quitting at times (or at least taking a break)
I’ve been drawing for around a year or two and I’ve made some progress since I started I think but I just feel like Im not yet good enough to make anything “good” or at least something I think is cool. Pretty much everything I’ve drawn has been these kinds of figure drawings and almost all of them are from reference. I feel like I know nothing bro.
Even if I am able to somewhat accurately copy a reference, I just feel like it doesn’t matter if I don’t know what I’m looking at and I’m just copying it line for line.
I feel like the only reason I’ve drawn for as long as I have is just the mindset of “be ok with being bad” which has been a pretty useful mindset for me most times, but sometimes improving feels impossible when I just know nothing. Especially when I see people who have been drawing for less time than I have and are literally three times better than me. Don’t get me wrong I love appreciating other people’s art, but there’s always the part of me inside that’s like “there’s literally no way I’d be able to draw something like that, how the frick do they do this.” And it’s so discouraging. I’m also just have such low motivation do draw a lot of times, and drawing for me recently really feels like kind of a burden.
If anybody has anything to say that might help with anything at all I’d really appreciate it, or if anyone just has similar experiences to share. Thank guys :]
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u/Promature 10h ago edited 10h ago
Work on drawing more confident lines. You have great construction and anatomy going on, but your sketches are hairy.
Also, a lot of progress can be made in a year or two, but that’s still very little time in learning to draw. There were a number of years where I didn’t feel like I was improving or making progress, but I kept working anyway and eventually it became apparent as drawing became easier and more swift.
Suddenly I could get an entire idea down in a few minutes then spend the rest of the time refining or I could easily construct something more complex then I ever have attempted when I started. Things I couldn’t figure out were muscle memory.
There’s a ton of time spent working out the kinks in your process and getting over your own expectations. When you get on the other side of that, you see that it’s more than just how the image looks.
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u/Swimming_Jaguar8068 3h ago
hey! do you have any good practices for line confidence?
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u/Promature 5m ago
Nope. An artist friend pointed it out to me when I was early in learning and I just stopped making hairy sketches. For me, it was just a matter of that being called out for me to make a conscious effort to stop drawing hairy sketches.
Try making an effort to draw lines instead of scratching along. They don't have to be perfect. You don't have to get a line right the first time. Draw lightly and don't darken until you find the right line.
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u/DisorderedArray 1m ago
Try doing sketches with ink or a dip pen. The lines are so strong you naturally have to avoid scribbly test lines.
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u/TheOtherFeynman 9h ago
Welcome to the club!! Art is hard :)
As for the "others improve faster"-- justignore that voice. 1) people lie all the time, especially online 2) if they arent lieing, they are stretching the truth 3) you have no idea how much time people spend on their work. That thing you think is awesome might have taken them 40+ hours and several tries. They might have traced, they might have had help. Any number of things
If you are really feeling stuck, hire a tutor. Personal feedback and critique is the most sure way to get past plateaus. Or, if you cant afford that, post here with examples of your work, examples of what you want your work to look like, and a list of specific things that you want to focus on first.
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u/DefiantStomach775 9h ago
As the other commenter said, you have good construction, so you really are not starting from scratch
In addition: is these figures all you draw? You have to challenge yourself to improve: try bringing one of these figures to completion, take it slow, all the time you need, have references (manuals, pictures, models) on hand and see what blocks you
Had problem drawing a head? That’s your next step. Shading? Study a bit, then next time you draw a figure take extra time to add shades
I myself had been stuck for a long time on basic gesture drawings, which in hindsight made a lot of sense because that was all I did.
Happy to help more if you need
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u/SilentStevedore 9h ago
Well, that’s the grind. The grind is useful, and kudos to you for sticking to it for a year! That’s a milestone you can be proud of.
But grinding skills doesn’t have to be your goal. You can take a break. Draw something for fun. An original character or some fan art.
Take a week or a month and just draw whatever you find interesting. Refresh yourself. The grind will always be waiting.
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u/OtutuPuo 9h ago
well drawing without reference is a completely different skill set.
you have to learn shape and have complete understanding of the shape youre trying to draw.
that involves memorizing.
and you picked a hard subject to do that.
so go back to the drawing board.
learn proportions and how to breakdown the body into basic shapes, do the same for anatomy.
memorize the muscles and slap them onto basic simplifications of the body.
a good starting point would be to pick a ref and move certain things.
for example, make that kneeling bodybuilder do a front double bicep pose.
its easier said than done because it requires you to know how the biceps work and how they look flexed.
as you get more comfortable and memorize more over time youll be able to make poses from scratch.
to quit or take a break would be the wrong move because your stuff is good.
you should clean up your lines but other than that you’re making great progress.
keep it up and try not to think negative thoughts because they will affect your behavior.
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u/pixelfuture8 9h ago
If you're serious about getting better, and it sounds like you have some drive, try this approach for 6 mo. It turbo charged my line quality, proportions and drawing skill.
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u/TosaGardener 9h ago
Drawing is also about mark making. You are using lots of little lines.
My breakthrough came the day I turned my piece of charcoal on its side and drew with the long, flat edge of it. Wide marks, twisty marks, swoopy marks.
You might surprise yourself.
And work as large as you can. Back of a paper grocery bag. Maybe a roll of contractor paper from the hardware store. More space will allow you to experiment.
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u/Commercial_Mix_5879 7h ago
honestly i was an idiot for not using references and videos to improve for 4 years only recently did i take it seriously to improve. I think practice with observation will really improve your art.
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u/Mr0neTwo34 6h ago
For me (obviously not the same for everyone) but I improved most when I was doodling nonsense just for the love of the game. Trying things so clinically didn't work for me. You have an amazing base to work from, start having fun with it. The best sketches are the ones where you got a little weird (like the one with the extra arms. Those are the ones I noticed)
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u/TLCD96 6h ago
From what I see it seems like you're trying to get good, but you aren't trying a lot of new things. Your way of making lines stays the same and I think that is probably one of the biggest hurdles here, since line confidence goes a long way. How you draw your lines is quite related to your process of observing and drawing from reference as well, so changing this up might lead to other changes as well, such as how you move your arm (and not just whether or not you're using the whole limb).
I would say to try and draw gesture figures in as few strokes as possible, and use short time limits. Not necessarily in the sense of forcing yourself to only use 10 strokes or less (though constraints like that can definitely be useful), but in the sense of asking yourself, "how can I draw or suggest this gesture in just a few swift lines?". Your time frame may also necessitate an adjustment to how you observe the figure and make deiciions. Sometimes you have to play with less thinking and a sort of spontaneous approach.
Think like how those zen artists draw the circle (enso). One single motion, "one breath". Or how Picasso/Matisse/John Lennon drew simple line portraits and figures. You may not be after that style, but lots can be learned from trying to emulate that approach.
That is different from what I think may be happening most of the time, which is identifying the posture and gradually sketching out the construction and silhouette with lots and lots of short strokes going over the same spot. There's nothing wrong with that, but it seems to be functioning as a comfortable rut to get stuck in here.
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u/Top_Membership7876 6h ago edited 6h ago
Can I just say, yes all these other comments are great advice. BUT, have you considered your practice is becoming somewhat one dimensional? Try something different! Try some architecture, some landscape, learn some hatching techniques, draw with pen! Practicing other facets of your artwork toolbox will instantly transfer to everything else. Working on perspective will instantly improve your figure drawings. Draw buildings, draw mountains, do things that are different from your usual. Draw from life, it will help you with your visual toolbox and ability to construct and understand objects. Bring a sketchbook with you everywhere and if you have time, take 10 minutes to sketch something in front of you. In order to draw from your brain with no reference you have to have a big visual vocab!!! Going back to what I mentioned before, drawing with pen. Drawing with pen with very little to no sketch beforehand will drastically improve your line confidence. It allows you to be fearless and decisive with your lines and composition. Also, 5 minutes of 30 second gestural drawings a day. Just don’t be afraid to get outside of your wheelhouse. Drawing something you are bad at or not used to is sometimes what opens new doors. Drawing should be fun, so let it be fun! It’s not about how much you are improving or how good you are at art, it’s about how it makes you feel to be inspired and creative. Also dont be afraid to use references for inspiration and kind of tweak them as you go. This can be a great way to shift towards being more creative in a non-reference drawing. Happy drawing!
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u/Cautious_Cut_4680 5h ago
Yes actually, I have considered this quite a bit, and I actually do carry a mini pocket sketchbook with me where I go, however I don’t use it nearly as much as I should. There have been times where I would just draw random stuff I see in front of my school like a flag or a trash can, but I usually just went straight back to my comfort zone. I’ll definitely try to expand what I do more, thank you very much :]
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