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[.Potemkin.]

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Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 11:26 am

It's been quite a bit since I drew something that could really be called good...

Probably it's because my life has become quite busy lately and I have barely time to even rest.

Putting that aside, I have been facing problems or...quality dropping on all my recent drawings, so I want you guys to tell me what you think of them and confirm if my thoughts have a solid base.

By the way, I have been focusing more on the coloring side than the actual composition of the picture, but I'm afraid is afecting everything...

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Now I'm sad as I really believe that instead of improving, I'm going backwards crying

Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 12:41 pm

Looks to me you hit a roadblock in your artistic progression. Don't worry, it happens to every artist, newbs and pros alike.

What the professionals do when they get into this situation is relearn the basics all over again, starting with shading the cone, cube, and sphere. They do still life drawings (yes, the good ol' bowl of fruit) and take their sketchbooks outside and draw things they don't understand. It's also helpful to ask others what they are lacking in their artwork so you know exactly what to target and work with.

Another way to work around this block is to start drawing in a style you are completely unfamiliar with. Since you've been drawing mostly anime-influenced artwork, take the opposite road and draw some American cartoons! You'll learn some things that aren't as obvious in your current style, which may help work around some of the problems your work is facing.

Basically, challenge yourself, whether it's working with a new style or learning things all over again. As someone once said, if you keep practicing the same way you did before, you'll end up with the same results as before. Drawing only what's familiar will stagnate your artistic growth.

And of course, practice everyday, at least 15 minutes a day. 3nodding Hope it all helps!

Kupocake
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Shaos X

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Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 10:43 pm

Totally agree with Kupocake there, on all the basics, practice, and challenging yourself, but I like the American cartoon point the most. Drawing American cartoon styles can actually help quite a bit. I always love to tell people to try drawing a character like Hatsune Miku in a way John Kricfalusi would. Drawing a variety in the same situation with a degree of quality can be fun to try as well. "Drawn Together" is a good example of this. Every main character is done in a different style and all other characters are a derivative of the styles of the main characters or the generic style made by the creators. It's done in well enough quality to make all of them fit together, even though the show miiiiiiiight not be your cup of tea. I mean, not everyone might like a multi-personality-perverted-unstable parody of Superman.

I reacted the split second your Johnny Bravo drawing came up, basically because I love the show and just got a DVD of it sweatdrop . Why not try drawing some characters as if they were a part of the Johnny Bravo universe? The style has good old Johnny and his constant movement, as well as the way some of the women are drawn. Other cartoons like Chowder, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, anything by Craig McCracken, Ren and Stimpy, and even Futurama (at least Groening's having fun with it) are good cartoons to try and learn from. There's even manga styles that are quite original when compared to everything else. Shin Chan (super simple comic in the 90's, amidst all the pioneers of anime stereotypes) and FLCL (ink splatters EVERYWHERE) for one. Also, try looking at some work by Osamu Tezuka. Reading Astro Boy might give some inspiration (it better).

My advice for you is derived from that one episode of Futurama where Zoidberg's uncle Harold Zoid always had one thing to say to Calculon:

"You've got to EMOTE more!"

Not to say you don't already, but for example, when was the last time you drew a character literally rolling on the floor and laughing in tears of joy, or smashing through miscellanea, or telling his friend that he can dance if he wants to, then said friend leaves his friends behind, because if those guys don't dance, they're not friends of these two. Give it a go.

Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 12:29 pm

Thank you!
I followed some of your advices and instead of keep going the same way, I took some new options.

I just hope it all turns out for the best sweatdrop

[.Potemkin.]

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