07-28-2016, 05:25 PM
Woah, woah, I think you're being a little hard on yourself there. I agree that fundamental skills in any field have their most basics and a very good understanding of the most basic fundamentals allow you to build upon your craft much easier than fumbling around in the darkness. You haven't been drawing for a long time; do not rush the process, try to enjoy it as much as possible. Making the process of getting better enjoyable will make it much easier to stick, and when that love for the craft is built then your ability to stick to studying the driest of fundamentals will be much easier. Just take the time right now to enjoy the process, and don't sweat it too much. Unless you have robotic discipline, of course. A great way to find where your problems lie is primarily in application.
Pick something you want to learn, develop a method that will allow you to practice that skill as exclusively as possible, then practice. For something like accuracy the solution is rather obvious, via focusing solely on some sort of increasing difficulty grid method focusing solely on copying the contour of subjects of increasing difficulty before moving to life and doing the same accordingly. Those fundamentals that can be easily studied like above should keep you occupied for a long while. These would be (off the top of my head) accuracy, value, form intersection (you can check using 3d software), perspective, construction (to an extent) and form (to an extent, as cross contours can be applied to a still life on your desk with a pen or marker but this would be much harder with other subjects such as environments). I'm sure there's much more than my newbie mind is forgetting. The most important thing is to find fun within the process, and study things that you wouldn't mind looking at for a long time. If you do not it'll be very easy to burn out, and that's no fun for anyone.
Especially if this is not a life or death career move, take your time and enjoy the process. Give yourself projects or goals and try your best to follow up on them. Also, try not to associate yourself mentally with your work. The way I like to think about it is that you do not lack anything, but the work you're producing does. When you fail, the shortcomings are not tied to your character but almost an alternate persona that you associate with your work, and nothing more. To satisfy that part of your brain that wants the satisfaction of progress, increment your practice pass/fail check so that you can achieve it enough to be happy and encouraged to continue.
This is just my two cents, the ramblings of another beginner. If anyone sees anything wrong with this, please correct.
Good luck and don't stop!
Pick something you want to learn, develop a method that will allow you to practice that skill as exclusively as possible, then practice. For something like accuracy the solution is rather obvious, via focusing solely on some sort of increasing difficulty grid method focusing solely on copying the contour of subjects of increasing difficulty before moving to life and doing the same accordingly. Those fundamentals that can be easily studied like above should keep you occupied for a long while. These would be (off the top of my head) accuracy, value, form intersection (you can check using 3d software), perspective, construction (to an extent) and form (to an extent, as cross contours can be applied to a still life on your desk with a pen or marker but this would be much harder with other subjects such as environments). I'm sure there's much more than my newbie mind is forgetting. The most important thing is to find fun within the process, and study things that you wouldn't mind looking at for a long time. If you do not it'll be very easy to burn out, and that's no fun for anyone.
Especially if this is not a life or death career move, take your time and enjoy the process. Give yourself projects or goals and try your best to follow up on them. Also, try not to associate yourself mentally with your work. The way I like to think about it is that you do not lack anything, but the work you're producing does. When you fail, the shortcomings are not tied to your character but almost an alternate persona that you associate with your work, and nothing more. To satisfy that part of your brain that wants the satisfaction of progress, increment your practice pass/fail check so that you can achieve it enough to be happy and encouraged to continue.
This is just my two cents, the ramblings of another beginner. If anyone sees anything wrong with this, please correct.
Good luck and don't stop!