08-29-2015, 10:19 AM
Hey hey!
I'm stuck in a similar position, I feel your pain. Finishing things is tough for sure, especially if they are personal pieces/done for a portfolio.
First of all, if you are already drawing every day you have developed better habits that will help you continue growing. Second, more good news -- when you are feeling frustrated by your work, when the stuff you produce doesn't seem to live up to what you were intending, it means you are on the cusp of even bigger improvement!
I feel like you've hit the nail on the head already: you need to give yourself smaller bites so you can chew them properly. So if you are struggling with anatomy, go back to learning figure structure. Michael Hampton, Loomis, and Proko all offer methods for visualizing the figure that are vital for building believable poses. If you have trouble with structure, go even further back: do you know how to translate simple forms in space? Do you understand basic perspective? Gesture?
All study is good study, but studies are only as useful as your focus, and will only be as successful as your previous knowledge allows.
You need to start allowing yourself time for "fun" pieces if you aren't already, and not go into anything with the mindset that it needs to be perfect. It will never be perfect, no matter how much you study, you will always be growing like a beautiful artistic amoeba. If finishing pieces and painting makes you happy you need to keep doing it or studies will be rendered* useless!
I hope this helps, and I really hope you find some way out of the plateau-- because that's where you are right now, and you see a wall ahead, but I am confident that you will make your way over it :D
*pun not intended
I'm stuck in a similar position, I feel your pain. Finishing things is tough for sure, especially if they are personal pieces/done for a portfolio.
First of all, if you are already drawing every day you have developed better habits that will help you continue growing. Second, more good news -- when you are feeling frustrated by your work, when the stuff you produce doesn't seem to live up to what you were intending, it means you are on the cusp of even bigger improvement!
I feel like you've hit the nail on the head already: you need to give yourself smaller bites so you can chew them properly. So if you are struggling with anatomy, go back to learning figure structure. Michael Hampton, Loomis, and Proko all offer methods for visualizing the figure that are vital for building believable poses. If you have trouble with structure, go even further back: do you know how to translate simple forms in space? Do you understand basic perspective? Gesture?
All study is good study, but studies are only as useful as your focus, and will only be as successful as your previous knowledge allows.
You need to start allowing yourself time for "fun" pieces if you aren't already, and not go into anything with the mindset that it needs to be perfect. It will never be perfect, no matter how much you study, you will always be growing like a beautiful artistic amoeba. If finishing pieces and painting makes you happy you need to keep doing it or studies will be rendered* useless!
I hope this helps, and I really hope you find some way out of the plateau-- because that's where you are right now, and you see a wall ahead, but I am confident that you will make your way over it :D
*pun not intended