Lurch's Sketchbook

[JavierP]

Hi Lurch,
Thanks for the kind words in my sketchbook. To answer your question: 

edit - I've asked this in other sketchbooks too, I'm always curious how people develop their style, like - did you just keep drawing figures/faces traditionally and then make an effor to stylize once you felt confident with the forms?

Yes, it takes a lot of drawing (many different things) to develop a look that resonates the most with oneself. What's also important though, is that all that drawing helps you to create an approach to image-making that you can rely on to make successful images on a consistent basis. When you have YOUR system of drawing internalized, it allows you to focus more on the other aspects of what you are trying to create, i.e. design, story, mood etc. Not knowing how to actually draw something should never be a problem when you are creating an image. If it is a problem, then that means there is a need for development in your approach to drawing/painting in general.
The purpose of studying from life and photographs is to teach yourself how things look and behave in reality. When observing objects in either photos or reality, its important to make yourself imagine the forms as three-dimensional entities. Draw through the objects; imagine the sides that you can't see and how they occupy space. Think about how perspective and viewpoint affect ALL aspects of what we see in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Just copying details won't really teach you anything. In fact the photo already captured more accurate details than you probably could have anyway, so try to avoid replication as an end goal. Try to be accurate of course, but focus more on solid drawing with an understanding of form, perspective and value as the major emphases. 
Keep up your current pace of study and you will definitely see the benefits in no time. Hope this helped in some way.