How do I figure out exactly what I need to study, and what questions to ask myself?

[John]

Hello!

What are fundamentals?

I try to actively think about what I 'need to focus' and 'learn' on from a study piece

Instead of asking what to study, maybe the question you have to ask yourself is why you study in the first place. To learn something, you must be aware that something is wrong. At the very least, wrong to a degree that it is quantifiable. Eg. Problem: Anatomy doesn't look right; Hypothesis: Maybe the proportions are off; Solution: Brush up on figures and anatomy, observe ratios of head to torso, etc..

Basically, I have no idea of the type of questions I should be actively asking myself when I'm doing a study so that I can actually learn from it and improve.

This might do it for you. Try to give yourself work, as if somebody already hired you to do your dream job. Then do it the best you can and troubleshoot along the way. I think studies are meant to work out the kinks.

Could this just be a matter of mileage?

Totally! But I'd like to think 'studies' don't count as much as 'finished illustrations', just because 'studies' don't sound like they have much of a real stake to them. Like how people do 'studies' as if it gives them a pass for it to look terrible.

But then again, there are times I'd like to think studies and finished pieces are all the same!

Are these questions I should be asking myself during studies something I'd pick up on and learn along the way, after maybe a couple hundred hours of doing them?

This might be contrary to popular belief, but I don't think a hundred hours of doing work will always convert to improvement. You could be spinning your wheels for all we know!

If there's any kind of vagueness to my post, just post back and I'll try to clarify things. That said, good luck!