Diana's Sketchbook

[nichirat]

Hi,

Looked over the last two pages and see you have some very nice studies and characters as well.  Looks like you have a pretty solid understanding of anatomy and the human face as evidenced by your original ideas (like the last one above!).  Good schtuff!

To weigh in on your discussion with Dark about 'having fun making art.' 

I think for most of us that is way over emphasized.  Master painter Frank Frazetta once said the best part of painting was in the beginning when he was just 'splashing paint around' and then the end when a piece was done.  All the in-between stuff was a lot of hard work.

Picture Michelangelo on a scaffolding on his back for years with his arms extended over his head with paint dropping into his eyes saying how much 'fun' he was having painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

Making art SHOULD be satisfying — but sometimes the process can only really be enjoyed when you look back on your body of work.

That isn't to say that there should never be any moments of joy as you work — and I've personally found that that's mostly come as I've felt improvement from sticking to it through the years.  Because it IS fun to conceive of something and then bring it to life — but sometimes getting to that point is W-O-R-K! 

Hope I'm not discouraging you — because I find making art one of the most satisfying things I do — but there is also a commitment and dedication required to see that IMHO.

You have some real talent — so I only mean to encourage you to continue and reap the rewards of your determination to become a better artist!

Please do so — and keep sharing your journey with us!

Hiya, it's been a couple of years since I last posted so thanks for checking out my sketchbook thread!

A lot has changed for me since 2022 when I last posted, with life and my art. I'll admit at the time I was pretty defensive when it came to receiving critiques and should have done a better job trying to understand the feedback I got. I was frustrated with my art and dissatisfied with everything I was making. I did earnestly try to practice the fundamentals and learn anatomy but I lacked patience (which I still struggle with). Plus I didn't even know what I wanted to be drawing in the first place.

From 2022 to 2023 I took a break from art (I still drew here and there in spurts) but it was hard and I didn't improve at all. I'll update this thread with what I've made over the years but it's pretty clear I hit some solid stagnation.

Since then I've started watching a lot of Michael Hampton's videos on anatomy and the construction of the head and I feel like I've noticed a bit of improvement! I still have a long way to go but Hampton is great at breaking things down in a way that's easy for me to understand. I think a lot of my resistance to studying the fundamentals on a regular basis came down to not finding the right teacher(s). I now find myself more satisfied and proud of how much I've improved because I did go back and put in the "work". If only I'd listened back in 2022!!

Back in July I suffered from pretty painful tendinitis in my dominant hand so I haven't been practicing art as much as I'd like (mostly recovered, I've since made a lot of ergonomic improvements in my day-to-day). Plus I got a lot of things going on and finding time for myself is a continued struggle! Really hoping this whole "life" thing gets easier soon!!

I really appreciate your words of encouragement. My art means a lot to me and I often forget to make it a priority. 

P.S. Apologies if my ramblings sound a bit all over the place, I'm in the midst of studying for exam and my brain is pretty fried this evening!