Art Struggles

[Not_A_Symphony]

So today I was chatting with a friend and he asked me how I felt when I was drawing art. I told him I was always frustrated because I imagined the art in a certain way but then when I finished the work it would become way different than what I had imagined due to my lack of skill.
And so... I created a meme that portraits my struggles!
And you? What do you struggle most as an artist?
I thought it would be fun for my fellow artists to create some memes related to their struggles if they wanted to as well! [just a suggestion ]
(yes I know it is "the drawing" and not " the draw", I wrote it wrong )
#ComeToTheArtSide

 

[LinXueLian]

What do you struggle most as an artist?

Nearly everything I draw ends up becoming a fashion sketch then I proceed to waste a heap of time thinking how to create patterns based on them and turn them into a collection

It'd be pretty interesting if I could actually make garments based on the stories I read. Like Xu Lingxiu's purple clothes, I might want to make that... Or those stories with great world-building, so good you can literally "see" the people living in it with your mind's eye

 

[Motsu]

I'll write down a bunch of obstacles/mistakes when it comes to illustrating (feel free to claim your own here):

"Inaccurately drawing a straight line."
"Imprecise width and height when duplicating an illustration."
"Lack of talent due to excessive thinking instead of learning how to properly write."
"Unable to draw concise details."
"Covering line mistakes by harshly brushing them."
"Immediately illustrating figures instead of learning line arts."
"Uses only one pen when illustrating."
"Doesn't have any proper color other than some crayons."
"Weighed by expectations leading to being unable to properly draw."
"Illustrating doodles and weird-looking monsters in your notebook."
"Unable to create a background."
"Can't properly brush or shade shadows."
"Don't know where to put shadows."
"Can only illustrate the front of a figure."
"Forgets to save test illustrations."
"Can't visualize well."
"Stops halfway through illustrating."
"Can only illustrate the side of a figure."
"Relies on chibi because of being unable to draw realistic figures."
"Doesn't have a good workplace to draw."
"Draws in a crowded workplace."
"Doesn't have the right paper to use for illustrations."
"Uses normal pens instead of drawing pens."
"Doesn't have any tablet to write in a computer."
"Can't draw boobs and clothes."
"Can only draw weird-looking furries."
"Doubting my ability."
"Always not in a mood."
"Too much mandatory work."
"Procrastinating too much."
"Can't draw hands properly."
"Can't draw eyes properly."
"Can't draw mouth and nose properly."
"Can't draw the hair properly."
"The faces of the illustrated figure are always monotone and distorted."
"They don't love drawing that much."
"Not passionate enough."
"Finger problems."
"Draws poorly, says you did your best, and then attain pitiful attention and praises."

 

[Not_A_Symphony]

Nearly everything I draw ends up becoming a fashion sketch then I proceed to waste a heap of time thinking how to create patterns based on them and turn them into a collection

It'd be pretty interesting if I could actually make garments based on the stories I read. Like Xu Lingxiu's purple clothes, I might want to make that... Or those stories with great world-building, so good you can literally "see" the people living in it with your mind's eye

Ahaha I can actually imagine that! I mean some artists are great with patterns and fashion, maybe that's your jam. Me for example, I can't draw realistic things, objects, or even persons.
And that is actually something you can do, if you are reading a story you can always try to sketch the dresses/attire you are reading about, it is always a great way to practice!

I'll write down a bunch of obstacles/mistakes when it comes to illustrating (feel free to claim your own here):

Oof I can relate to a lot of these! I usually have to redo my lines 10x times, if not more but ever since I began using the stabilizer it improved a lot! I actually do something you didn't add on the list: Saves Art Tutorials on Social Media and then Forgets to Apply/ Review them!

 

[EternalSunset0]

And you? What do you struggle most as an artist?

Visualizing. I cannot think of designs off the top of my head for attire, hairstyles, etc. My characters seemingly end up lookin pretty generic, so I just compensate with some weird tuffs of hair, asymetry somewhere, props, etc.

And while my anatomy on the standing "guide body" is fine, when I start posing people and trying different angles, the proportions start feeling a bit wonkier. That, and stiff poses.

 

[Not_A_Symphony]

And while my anatomy on the standing "guide body" is fine, when I start posing people and trying different angles, the proportions start feeling a bit wonkier. That, and stiff poses.

I so get you! Poses are always so hard, even with references. I dare to say they might be as hard as drawing hands for me!
One time I drew a girl but I made her arm super short so she looked like one of those final bosses in videogames with a ginormous arm and then a T-rex arm

 

[EternalSunset0]

I so get you! Poses are always so hard, even with references. I dare to say they might be as hard as drawing hands for me!
One time I drew a girl but I made her arm super short so she looked like one of those final bosses in videogames with a ginormous arm and then a T-rex arm

Yeah. I guess it has to do with me thinking straight lines and numbers/measurements all the time.

So when things start changing perspective or when angles start coming in, I can't visualize anything.

I'd like to think I'm slowly improving though (?) Haha. Here's my art thread and I'd like to think I'm getting better at it, very slowly.

Sunset's Art Thread?

Figured it's about as good of a time to share my art here. Been drawing on and off for quite some time, but the quarantine at the midpoint of the year got me into trying to learn drawing seriously. That and writing my own story and getting inspiration from wanting to draw my own characters out...

forum.scribblehub.com

 

[tiaf]

starting
thinking
actually have an idea that's not trash
getting past the point of taking out pen and paper/open program
not losing the motivation after 5 minutes
you never finish learning anatomy
making hands not too small
getting out of my comfort zone and not accidentally falling back to it
not falling asleep because I started at 1am
severe neck-shoulder pain
boobs
somehow ending in semi-realism
spending too much time testing out my quadrillion brushes because my lazy ass can't rename the japanese/korean names into english
actually finishing all my wips
stiff poses when I draw digitally
for the love of god, still hasn't a set coloring style
cringing at old art
hating my artworks after finishing them

 

[Not_A_Symphony]

I'd like to think I'm slowly improving though (?) Haha. Here's my art thread and I'd like to think I'm getting better at it, very slowly.

I saw your thread and I can see the improvement but you need to practice more in order to improve your poses and watching tutorials as well! For example, in the hair you can add strands, that way it has more texture! And something that helps me in poses is drawing simple shapes before.

Something like this always saves me a lot of work, maybe it will work for you as well! And your problem with visualizing the art happens due to the fact that you are not used to it, once you become more comfortable it will get better. Just be sure to always use references! It is harder to make crucial mistakes that way!

hating my artworks after finishing them

Your whole answer was a mood (except the semi-realism, I really can't draw that!). I always begin and then I get unmotivated since it never seems to turn out well
I have decided, let's create the Pity Artist Club: the club where we pity ourselves due to thinking our work sucks Will you be our first member Tiaf?

 

[EternalSunset0]

I saw your thread and I can see the improvement but you need to practice more in order to improve your poses and watching tutorials as well! For example, in the hair you can add strands, that way it has more texture! And something that helps me in poses is drawing simple shapes before.
View attachment 7961View attachment 7962
Something like this always saves me a lot of work, maybe it will work for you as well! And your problem with visualizing the art happens due to the fact that you are not used to it, once you become more comfortable it will get better. Just be sure to always use references! It is harder to make crucial mistakes that way!

Yeah, references is something that I've been using more and more these days. And yes, I do use those no-detail simple shapes, but getting to that point can get hard when not using refs. This is where the visualization comes in because I find it hard to visualize poses or where the body parts should go in a certain angle despite knowing about it when it's the "standing with hands on the side" pose.

I guess it basically boils down to using more refs. Before, I have been trying to not use too much refs because it might be seen as plagiarized when I post it. Looking back, I think that's a dumb mindset hahahaha

Should be something that will come in due time.

Thanks for the tips and the encouraging words.

 

[Not_A_Symphony]

I guess it basically boils down to using more refs. Before, I have been trying to not use too much refs because it might be seen as plagiarized when I post it. Looking back, I think that's a dumb mindset hahahaha

Actually, I saw a tutorial where basically the artist said that for beginners you should do "tracing", in other words, you place the basic shapes on top of the reference you are using (it is easier to understand the body itself) and then, on another sheet, you try to copy as precise as you can. If you do it like this it isn't tracing because you were just using it to understand the shapes of the body itself. Of course, you will draw your own character and so on, so don't worry too much about it!
Practice makes perfect

Thanks for the tips and the encouraging words.

Yes! Please do continue to work hard and become the next Picasso! [but hey, when you become famous don't forget me alright? *wink wink*]

 

[tiaf]

Your whole answer was a mood (except the semi-realism, I really can't draw that!). I always begin and then I get unmotivated since it never seems to turn out well
I have decided, let's create the Pity Artist Club: the club where we pity ourselves due to thinking our work sucks Will you be our first member Tiaf?

I think I annoyed a lot of people with my self-pity already

 

[LuoirM]

What struggle me as an artist is the fact that my best drawing took 2 days and more sweat than at the gym. And the result is this... thing, the profile picture you're looking at.

 

[BenJepheneT]

I don't actually have a lot of grievances towards my art, since I don't put much effort into those, but like I said, I don't actually have a lot but I got a few:

• I draw on paper, so we can start from there

• feeling inept between expected result and actual result

• there are times where I can just BELT OUT good shit day after day and times where I can't even get a finger right for weeks

• my hips are ASS, like genuine shit

• still can't nail female anatomy sometimes, male anatomy is fine, since that's what I've been doing for years

That's really all there is. One advice I can give is to not be so hard on yourself. There'll come a time where your standards exceed your skillset. It's like a cycle of wavelengths. Keep that pen on the tablet and you'll be fine.

 

[Not_A_Symphony]

I think I annoyed a lot of people with my self-pity already

Same, so same All my friends are like this >

What struggle me as an artist is the fact that my best drawing took 2 days and more sweat than at the gym. And the result is this... thing, the profile picture you're looking at.

Your main problem looks like it is anatomy, the poses don't look very natural. If you try drawing your characters in sketches several times, it will help tremendously! Trust me, if you would see my first drawings and now it is completely night and day (even though I am still not satisfied with them! )

That's really all there is. One advice I can give is to not be so hard on yourself. There'll come a time where your standards exceed your skillset. It's like a cycle of wavelengths. Keep that pen on the tablet and you'll be fine.

In my case, I usually struggle with male anatomy since I am more used to draw girls and not boys but I can relate!! Yeah I know, I am just a typical perfectionist, having to have everything pretty and perfect like I imagine and then I am way too hard on myself for not being the way I imagined it *self pats out of pity*

 

[LinXueLian]

Ahaha I can actually imagine that! I mean some artists are great with patterns and fashion, maybe that's your jam. Me for example, I can't draw realistic things, objects, or even persons.
And that is actually something you can do, if you are reading a story you can always try to sketch the dresses/attire you are reading about, it is always a great way to practice!

Ahhh what about anime? I totes support anime art for everything~~~ I love that style!

Riiight? It does give the whole story some immersion too. Like if you lived in that world, had your own boutique there, and the MC buys your clothes...

 

[RaidenInfinity]

Shading. Light seems to work in a different way in my artworks. Or, well, coloring in general.

 

[Not_A_Symphony]

Ahhh what about anime? I totes support anime art for everything~~~ I love that style!

Riiight? It does give the whole story some immersion too. Like if you lived in that world, had your own boutique there, and the MC buys your clothes...

Anime style is actually my favorite! I've been trying so hard to learn it, you have no idea!
And yes! Definitely!! I feel like clothing, especially in ancient cultures is so important! (like Kingdoms/Empires and stuff)

Shading. Light seems to work in a different way in my artworks. Or, well, coloring in general.

That is something quite easy to solve! When I began I also struggled with shading/highlights but ever since a friend told me this, it became easier to understand where to apply them!
Try drawing a circle where you want your sun and then highlight the parts that are being hit by the rays and shade the ones that aren't! Hope this little tip helps you with your struggle dear friend!

 

[LinXueLian]

Anime style is actually my favorite! I've been trying so hard to learn it, you have no idea!
And yes! Definitely!! I feel like clothing, especially in ancient cultures is so important! (like Kingdoms/Empires and stuff)

Right? It's the cutest thing to learn! Ganbatte~~

You're so right on that one. Fashion's a bit like a time capsule - you can see what people were like and how they fit into the environment they're in. We probably don't realize it, but a few thousand years in the future, people will be gawking at us and going, "wow. I can't believe people wore shirts shaped like T's back then how did they feel in those??"

And something that helps me in poses is drawing simple shapes before.

I'm learning plenty from this thread!! I always start with stick figures... it looks like a lolipop

 

[Not_A_Symphony]

Right? It's the cutest thing to learn! Ganbatte~~

You're so right on that one. Fashion's a bit like a time capsule - you can see what people were like and how they fit into the environment they're in. We probably don't realize it, but a few thousand years in the future, people will be gawking at us and going, "wow. I can't believe people wore shirts shaped like T's back then how did they feel in those??"

It's a struggle though! It takes me hours to have something decent done

Ohh, tell me about it! You know back when I was younger my mom used to shower me with pink everywhere and then I grew so sick of it I only wore black for years! Now I'm a bit better when accepting more colorful colors but I'm sure that this happens with everything. In some years it will be weird to not see a girl with cleavage or a boy with a tank top and stuff like that. I'm betting on it! *smug*

I'm learning plenty from this thread!! I always start with stick figures... it looks like a lolipop

This is usually my process! I start with a reference (1st pic) then I divide the body so I can get a better idea of how to make it work, then I try to "copy it" as accurately as I can. Afterward I do every part with a certain color (it is easier to distinguish when you wish to erase overlapping layers) and then I just make it all black and boom, sketch done. Of course, after that would be the lineart and all of that but yeah
I'm not a Picasso but hey, I try my best #wantingtohelp