The author shares their frustration with their art and how it can be a source of frustration for artists and followers. They mention that inconsistent light sources, mismatched background lighting, and a lack of eye awareness can all contribute to the appearance of unnatural or unbalanced art.
To improve an artist’s art, they suggest checking proportions, considering the color and type of environment light when coloring, and balancing gestures like light to dark, thin to thick, and straight or curved lines. They also mention that their rendering skills are not bad, but their characters often look stiff and unnatural.
The author acknowledges that the left brain may be interfering with their right brain while drawing, as seen in the thin or short limbs on figures, small hands and feet, and a leveling of drawing skill before eye skill. This can result in the appearance of unbalanced art.
The author suggests that the only way to get better is by imitating other artists and exploring their own style and voice over time. They suggest creating 100 small pieces of art in the same medium and experimenting with different styles to find the best fit. They also suggest that trying to use one style for something else can lead to inferior results.
The author believes that their art style is child-like but has an elegance that gives it an appealing charm. They suggest working on shading and texturing to add depth to their backgrounds and focusing more on the characters in the foreground. Overall, the author emphasizes the importance of improving one’s art to achieve a more polished and appealing final product.
| Article | Description | Site |
|---|---|---|
| Why does my art look so bad to me, but everyone else says … | Any feelings about your artwork are almost always due to more to your insecurities than any accurate view of your art. And you are 13 years old. | quora.com |
| Forums: Why does my art look like shit? | Unfortunately, as artists, we tend to overanalyze our own art. We pick out the details in the pieces that we make while the casual observers just see the … | deviantart.com |
📹 Fix Your Flat Drawings
Every part of the body can be simplified with spheres, cubes and cylinders! Whether drawing from reference or imagination, …
How Can I Get Better At Drawing My Whole Body?
To improve your skills in drawing bodies and hair, it’s crucial to study anatomy and practice with reference images. Start by breaking down the body into simple shapes and focus on each part individually. For hair, try different techniques and pay attention to how light and shadow create texture. Consistent practice is key—daily exercises can enhance your abilities significantly. Initially, drawing the entire body may feel overwhelming without a solid foundation.
Emphasizing anatomy is essential, so don’t hesitate to use references for inspiration if you're uncomfortable with them. Collect a diverse range of poses and observe the emotions they convey, which will enrich your artistic repertoire.
Key takeaways for improvement include understanding human anatomy for accuracy. Instead of simplistic shapes, utilize more appropriate forms like egg shapes for the ribcage or cylinders for the limbs. Body sketches serve as simplified representations of human proportions, allowing anyone to enhance their skills with dedication to fundamentals. Recognizing body types can also contribute to realistic portrayals, like noting the differences in pelvic and contour shapes between genders. Life drawing classes can further develop your skills.
Create an ideal workspace free from distractions to optimize your drawing sessions. Before diving into intricate details, practice by squinting at your subjects, which aids in visualizing larger shapes. Investigating skeletons and muscle structures from medical resources can also be beneficial. In summary, focus on mastering core elements such as posture and flow, utilizing quick, sweeping curves while simplifying your subjects. Finally, understanding how bones and muscles interconnect will elevate your character illustrations, making significant strides in your figure drawing journey.
What To Do If You Hate Your Art Style?
All artists experience doubts about their artwork. It’s unrealistic to expect to love all your pieces. Taking a break from social media can be beneficial in preventing comparisons with other artists. To improve, first identify your weakest skills and create a plan to enhance them. It's crucial to give your work a fair chance; don't give up too easily. Embrace your unique style by investing time in it, drawing from your imagination rather than copying others.
Finding a style you're happy with requires reflection on your goals and what you want to achieve through your art. Don’t let negative feelings overwhelm you; instead, pinpoint the aspects of your work you dislike and use them for improvement. Avoid labeling your work as "bad" and focus on striving to produce better pieces.
Engaging with your artwork positively is essential. Discuss your work regularly, set boundaries when sharing it, and handle criticism with grace. Use your senses to connect with your surroundings—find four things you see, three you feel, two you hear, and one you smell, acknowledging these without judgment. This practice encourages mindfulness and a deeper connection to your creativity.
Persist despite any negativity from others. Develop an instinct to trust your critique of your work more than external opinions. Embrace the imperfections in your pieces; allow your art to be "ugly" at times and evaluate your work based on the joy it brings you.
When feelings of hate arise towards your art, ask how you can embrace what you perceive as mistakes. Shift your mindset from "I hate my art" to understanding that struggling is part of the creative process. Seek out resources and learn from them; applying this knowledge can help refine your style.
If dissatisfied with your current art style, experiment with new techniques. Explore various artists and styles that intrigue you, and introspect on your own work to identify the reasons for your dissatisfaction. Challenge yourself by using different tools or limiting your usual methods, which can spark creativity and foster improvement.
Ultimately, track your progress, appreciate your achievements, and remind yourself that your self-worth should not hinge on your artistic output. Embrace experimentation and challenge yourself outside of your comfort zone to foster growth as an artist.
Is Copying An Art Style Illegal?
Copying another artist's work without permission and selling it as one's own infringes on copyright law, making it illegal. While it is not illegal to copy art—for instance, adopting a style—it is unlawful to claim such work as original. Attribution to the original artist is crucial when using their work as inspiration. Copyright does not protect artistic styles but rather individual artworks, meaning that using a style does not constitute a copyright violation unless it leads to confusion regarding the artist's identity, which can invoke copyright issues.
There are numerous nuances in these legalities. While direct copying of an artwork for profit is prohibited, artists often draw inspiration from others. However, labeling such inspiration as original work can lead to accusations of plagiarism or copyright infringement. The conversation around art copying is complex, particularly in the age of social media where imitation is rampant. Artists borrow and blend styles, creating new forms of expression.
Critics of art style copying argue that those who steal styles lack creativity. Nonetheless, it is widely acceptable to get inspired by existing art styles—a practice rooted deep in artistic tradition. Appropriating an entire style for commercial gain while omitting credit is frowned upon and can lead to litigation for copyright infringement. In the art community, it's understood that while creating work influenced by others is permissible, claiming it as entirely one’s own is dishonest—a breach of ethical standards.
In summary, it is illegal to present copied work as original, but legal to adopt styles and take inspiration. Style and technique cannot be copyrighted; copyright only protects actual art pieces. Any resemblance in an artist's work to that of another’s—if distinctly similar to the original—could be deemed plagiarism. Ultimately, while copying for inspiration is an essential part of artistic development, it is imperative to acknowledge original creators and not misrepresent borrowed ideas as one’s own.
How To Draw An Easy Girl?
In this step-by-step guide, we'll learn how to draw a beautiful girl, perfect for beginners. Firstly, draw a straight vertical line down the center of your page to ensure your drawing is symmetrical. At the upper end of this line, sketch a circle for the head. Following this, draw the ears and then the hair, which is crucial for defining the character. Afterward, outline the neck, and then proceed with the facial features and body proportions. This process is designed to be simple, making it accessible for those just starting to explore drawing.
Using minimalistic techniques, we can create an adorable representation of a girl. The tutorial offers detailed illustrated examples, ensuring that you grasp the proportions and necessary steps without feeling overwhelmed. For those who enjoy a playful style, we can experiment with drawing various hairstyles, such as braids, or even adding accessories like an umbrella.
Throughout this journey, remember that drawing is a relaxing activity that can greatly enhance your artistic skills. This guide is aimed at helping you draw in a cartoon style that brings out the charm and cuteness of your subject. So grab your pencil and let’s create some lovely drawings step by step! Don't forget to subscribe for more tutorials and ideas.
Why Does My Art Look Better Flipped?
Flipping your canvas horizontally is an effective technique for identifying flaws and inconsistencies in your artwork, addressing issues of symmetry and perception that may not be visible in the original orientation. It is essential to apply this method throughout every stage of the drawing process. The primary objective of flipping your artwork is to confront any motor or perceptual biases that may cloud your judgment. Delaying this technique until late in your process can lead to entrenched mistakes that are harder to rectify.
When you flip an image, you may find that certain elements appear off or unbalanced. This happens because, while creating a piece, your brain becomes accustomed to the composition and may overlook areas that are not harmonious. By flipping the drawing, you’re forced to view it with fresh eyes, allowing you to spot faults that you might otherwise neglect. The mirror image technique, for instance, can significantly highlight flaws; placing a mirror behind your easel can instantly showcase problematic areas in your painting.
Visualizing your artwork from a different angle can also stimulate a new perspective that changes your focus to new elements of the piece. For example, when observing an artwork upside down, your eye is drawn toward different components, making it easier to spot consistency issues or mistakes. This shift in viewing clears your brain’s natural bias toward symmetry, enabling a more objective evaluation. One can even take pictures of their artwork and flip the digital image to achieve similar results.
The common tendency is to avoid this method out of fear of revealing inadequacies in your drawing skills. However, embracing the practice can significantly improve your work. By consciously seeking out and rectifying mistakes, you cultivate a deeper understanding of your artistic process. You may notice that when viewing your art upside down, it appears to stand out better—you achieve this because the subject matter is no longer instantly recognizable.
Flipping the canvas is not just for correcting mistakes; it enhances your overall artistic intuition. As you engage with your artwork in this reversed state, more of your anatomical perception engages, allowing you to identify proportions that may have been inaccurately rendered. Engaging with your art in this manner fosters an environment where continuous improvement flourishes, ultimately resulting in better composition, balance, and artistic execution. Thus, flipping your canvas is a crucial practice that should not be overlooked in any artistic endeavor.
What Is The Too Much Art Syndrome?
Stendhal syndrome, also known as Stendhal's syndrome or Florence syndrome, is a rare psychosomatic condition that manifests with symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, fainting, confusion, dizziness, and even hallucinations. This phenomenon occurs when individuals are exposed to objects or artworks of extraordinary beauty, overwhelming their emotional and physical states. The term is derived from the 19th-century author Stendhal, who described such intense reactions to art during his visit to Florence.
This syndrome can be triggered by an overwhelming experience of art, often referred to as an "art attack," resulting in anxiety or panic. Stendhal syndrome is noted for its complex interplay of emotional responses, which can include sensations of dizziness, sweating, and disorientation, particularly when one encounters multiple stunning pieces of art in succession, such as in galleries or historical sites.
Many believe that the condition underscores how art can evoke profound feelings, not limited to joy but also encompassing sadness and anger. The severity of the symptoms may vary from person to person, but the common thread is the intense reaction to beauty in art. Some reports highlight extreme cases where individuals have suffered serious health issues, including heart attacks, while experiencing this phenomena.
Psychologists speculate that those affected by Stendhal syndrome may have underlying mental health predispositions that become exacerbated in response to the emotional weight of art. This condition, also referred to as hyperkulturemia, represents an interesting aspect of human psychology, emphasizing the powerful impact that aesthetics and cultural abundance can have on sensitive individuals.
In summary, Stendhal syndrome reflects the body's potential reactions to overwhelming artistic stimuli, encapsulating a blend of physical and psychological experiences triggered by the beauty of art. It highlights the vulnerability and depth of human emotional capacity when faced with the overwhelming splendor of artistic creations.
Is Drawing A Bad Thing?
Having an eye for art that surpasses your current drawing abilities is not detrimental; instead, it reveals an opportunity for growth. Identify what aspects of your drawing you dislike and focus on improving those specific areas. This process of self-improvement is essential because being content with your work while overlooking mistakes can hinder your artistic development. Drawing, despite challenges, offers numerous benefits for mental health and overall well-being.
A perceived lack of inherent talent may lead to feelings of inadequacy, so instead of labeling yourself as "bad" at drawing, concentrate on making progress and acquiring new skills. Understand that the mental barriers you create can make the drawing process more difficult.
To master drawing, it's crucial to grasp fundamental principles; without them, the task can become overwhelmingly complex. Drawing serves as a foundational tool in visual arts but should not confine your creative expression. Focus not solely on drawing, but also explore other forms of artistic endeavors. After years of drawing, it is beneficial to revisit the fundamentals, recognizing and correcting any bad habits developed along the way.
When your expectations for your artwork exceed your current skill level, it can lead to negative emotions and frustration. However, engaging in challenges that encourage growth can help overcome this hurdle. Embrace the notion that no drawing is inherently "bad"; every piece contributes to your journey toward becoming a more skilled and creative artist. Recognizing and avoiding common drawing mistakes will facilitate improvement.
The difficulty in drawing arises from the way our brains interpret images and the challenges posed by translating what we see into a two-dimensional form. Each drawing session can evoke frustration, especially when results feel disappointing. It’s essential to shift your focus from achieving perfect results to valuing the learning process. Drawing, regardless of perceived skill, fosters creative thinking, empathy, and fine motor skills, enhancing your ability to process life visually.
While you may feel stuck at times, remember that this is a part of the journey. Be patient with yourself, and practice consistently, as even tracing can be a valuable learning exercise.
Why Do Artists Draw Stiff Drawings?
One prevalent reason behind stiff drawings among artists is the excessive concern over each stroke. This worry leads to slow line creation, inhibiting fluidity, while too firm a grip on the pencil hinders subtlety. Art serves as a reflection of the artist's inner thoughts and emotions, necessitating confident lines. Many artists, including myself, experience creative bursts followed by periods of hiatus, only to find improvement upon returning to drawing.
To mitigate stiffness in drawings, it is crucial to adopt a looser sketching approach, utilizing arm movements rather than wrist or finger motions. Consider references as guides, not strict templates, and don’t shy away from altering positions or proportions to enhance expressiveness. Often, exaggerating a pose adds vitality and dynamic quality, preventing the stiffness associated with overly rigid representations.
Before initiating a drawing, predetermined poses contribute to more fluid outcomes, including actions or interactions between characters. It's essential to recognize and correct common pitfalls that lead to stiffness. To achieve fluidity, one must first understand the characteristics of stiff drawings; practice and shift focus to the arm for motion delivery. Important angles within figure drawings illustrate the model’s posture, weight distribution, and motion range, contributing to an overall lively depiction.
Improving drawing fluency can be accomplished through warming up with gesture drawings, setting short time limits to encourage brisk, loose sketches. Stiffness in artworks often indicates a lack of confidence and fluidity in stroke application. Experimenting with varied, dynamic line strokes can yield a more engaging and polished appearance. Digital mediums can sometimes exacerbate stiffness, so aiming to maintain versatility in sketching by consistently using a notebook for practice can be beneficial for artistic development. Ultimately, focus on the quality of lines used can transform rigid styles into more engaging, cohesive artworks.
Are Artists Getting Worse At Drawing?
Artists often feel like their drawing skills are deteriorating, primarily due to their enhanced ability to critique their own work as they grow. With maturation comes a keener eye for detail, making it easier to identify mistakes, leading to the feeling that their art is declining. Burnout is another factor; during such times, artwork may appear less appealing. To combat this, trying a different medium or taking a break can be beneficial.
A 15-year-old artist expresses feelings of discouragement and a decline in creativity, particularly when comparing themselves to others, which is a common experience among artists. Many discuss experiencing slumps where inspiration wanes, resulting in perceived deterioration in drawing skills.
It’s important to recognize that perception of decline often stems from better self-awareness rather than a genuine loss in ability. As artists improve, they tend to focus more on their mistakes, which can create the illusion of worsening skills. Various reasons can contribute to this feeling, such as a lack of practice or experimenting with new techniques that may not yield immediate satisfaction. However, it’s beneficial to understand drawing fundamentals and practice exercises that bolster confidence and creativity.
Artists might find themselves feeling stagnant after a break, and returning to art can reveal both the highs and lows of their skills. Overcoming challenges involves identifying reasons behind perceived stagnation and finding strategies for improvement. It's normal for artists to have "off" days; every artist experiences this feeling at some point. Learning from master artists and understanding that consistent practice fosters growth can help alleviate these feelings.
In conclusion, it's typical for artists to experience fluctuations in their perceived skill level, influenced by psychological factors, practice habits, and self-critique. Taking breaks, trying new approaches, and focusing on enjoying the process rather than solely on results can assist in navigating these common artistic struggles.
Why Do I Mess Up My Art?
Creating art primarily for oneself, rather than for an audience, is crucial, as it enhances concentration and allows for genuine expression. Many artists lose their way when they focus on how their work will be perceived, often leading to mistakes. Exhibition in this context doesn't solely refer to galleries; it can apply to any situation where art is displayed. To improve artistry, one should focus on broader strokes and directions, such as using multiple lines to capture movement like a swooshing skirt. In digital art, utilize layers, drawing sketches beneath more refined work.
When encountering issues in your artwork, whether it's a painting or any artistic project, the first step is to stop and objectively identify the problem instead of guessing, which can create further complications. Discontent with one's art often stems from the lack of instant gratification that one might receive from viewing established art. To address mistakes, ask critical questions to identify what went wrong in your work.
Frustration is common in the artistic process; many artists mistakenly believe they are regressing. Embrace the "messes" in art, as they are part of the journey and contribute depth to your pieces. Viewing art from different distances can reveal unique details, while emphasizing the optical illusion aspect of art can help in creating a sense of space.
In considering the consequences of making mistakes, it's essential to separate personal identity from artistic output; your artwork does not define your self-worth. For those who struggle with perfectionism, overcoming this mindset is key to growth and improvement. Artists often critique their work overly harshly, focusing on perceived flaws that might escape casual observers. Acknowledging that it’s okay to make mistakes can liberate creativity.
Even seasoned artists like Richard Schmid advise stepping back before considering a piece finished, as sometimes it may be complete before we realize. Overall, navigating the ups and downs of artistic expression requires patience, resilience, and a willingness to learn from imperfections.
📹 How to find your art style
This is made a little different, but its a topic im very passionate about ;;v;; its something i struggled alot with, so i hope my advice will …
Correction for the little young artists who may not know… “Your style” is also the way you draw that’s unique to you, so don’t be sad if you copy from references and it looks nothing like the reference… That’s your style shining through, this is how creativity is supposed to be! Hope I enjoy ur adventure of art!!
I have a tip for some people, if you like alot of art youtubers styles you can pick the 2 of them that you like the style of. Practice and then you will find your style. I found my style doing that, i mixed kooleen’s style and SamDoesArts (when i say mix, i mean for example do the lips and colors in koolen’s style and do the hair and eyes in SamDoesArts’s style)
I created two styles for me: an anime-like style and a chibi style; I still struggle with the some parts of the anime style. But, remember, Art styles never come all pre-package and ready to go. No! It’s okay if you still struggle to draw your own Art style, it just shows how much room you have to improve upon your Art style.
One thing that I like about having two or three styles, is that it actually pops up a lot in animations. If u watch certain animes, you’ll notice when characters make weird faces, sometimes the style of their face changes. Sometimes in the transitions there’s like a mini interruption with a chibi style or other style than the main style of the anime.
I read a handful of comments, and I totally agree with them! This article is definitely helpful, and I was afraid to use references for my drawings. I hopped from one style to the next.. I finally settled with a much simpler style, and now I’m practicing it. I’m going to find a detailed style for my characters next! Again, tysm for this article! Edit 1: I have now found my detailed art style (Small, sketchy faces), and I’m working out the body sketches right now. Edit 2: It’s been a while and I changed my art style once again. Not drawing as much today, but things are still going great 😌. As of right now, I’ll post some of my drawings on TikTok. EDIT 3: i draw even less now, but i’m getting back in the loop 🙏🏾🙏🏾
i personally love lavendertowne’s cartoony artstyle and have taken a lot of inspo from her but i’ve definitely taken other aspects from other artists too. drawfee and drawingwiffwaffles have also had an effect on my art but i do seem to keep a more simplistic style unless it’s only a face up. when i draw a close up of a face i tend to add more details than i do to full body drawings. that’s one of my favorite things about drawing, i can choose how i draw whenever i feel like it.
At this point I’m literally stealing the head style of one artist, the eyes of another, and then another artist’s body… Oh no! I drew a chibi, but I meant to draw normal anime… quick! Make their legs longer! Oh no, they look uneven… quick! Stretch the rest of them. Now their eyes are too big… smaller it is! Hmm ears are too real, lets make them rounder. Hmm, looks completely different now lol. And that’s my entire process of drawing lately.
I’ve been drawing for seven years and in those seven years I could never find my art style, so I started perusal articles on how to find your art style and they all said, “You need to learn how to draw realistically it will help a lot.” well i hate drawing realistically its just boring to me so it made me really sad that I basically had to start all over in art to actually be good at it. But when I saw you say that I don’t have to draw realistically really helped me and made me feel a lot better, thank you :’) -sorry Its so long lol
Reminder: Sometimes styles you feel connected to or like, may not always be your art style trying to show you what it is, it may just be because you like it. If you happen to find an art style you like I recommend taking a little piece of it and trying to form it into an art style you like if your struggling!
I’ll just say it right now, looking at your art is what made me keep going, as in, i got a TRUCKLOAD of motivation for drawing just as I saw a glance of your art. In other words, you can say i was and still am, HEAVILY inspired by you. So seeing as your making tutorials just made it easier and I want to thank you. 😃
for me, invader zim was one of the main things that made me want to make a comic, i just absolutley love the jagged, weird, unique, art, and zim’s distaste for things in general. i love how vasquez (i probably spelled that wrong) put a lot of himself into that character, and how when he began on a kids show, he acctually managed to bring a bit of his original morbid style with him. because i love that grim yet loveable character, we all know and love, zim.
I’m so over finding an art style. People you need to know that your art style is how you draw it takes years to go to a complete style and keep it. Just draw normally then see what you want to change or improve on.👌 worked for me. Great article👍. *giving this advice and my art still looks a bit off*😳
I just wanted to say as an intermediate adult artist your articles are genuinely really nice to watch. I know some of your articles are targeted towsrds younger artists but they’ve helped me too. Whenever I get stuck I watch one of your articles and I feel a bit better. Thank you so much for these, and I hope you have a nice day
Another thing that has helped is doing art styles challenge, kinda going off of what she said in her article, but people that I’ve seen do a 10 art style art challenge, I would recommend that you do less if your starting out so you won’t be burned out, but people that have done it have said that they took what they learned from drawing in different styles and combine it to their current art style. It’s another thing that you can do, if you really want to.
Hello there! I recommend taking a break from trying to find your style and just drawing people in general. Draw objects, places, learn new methods, draw animals, and a while after you’ve got the hang of that, go back to drawing people and your style will come more naturally! Don’t forget that tracing and heavily referencing is not bad as long as you don’t claim it’s yours/ original! Good luck on your art journey and have fun!
I’m 17 and just got my very first graphics tablet which I’ve been practicing on for a few days now. I never really practiced drawing traditionally beforehand which makes me a bit insecure because I feel like I’m so late into trying to learn to draw, but perusal articles like this helps me feel encouraged to pursue learning anyway! 😀
I had an issue with this because what pushed me to realize I loved art was honestly passive aggressive (don’t know if this is the correct term) peer pressure so my drawings try to be what they aren’t they try to be better in the eyes of others not in the eyes of myself it’s like a sensory over load of styles combined for the sole purpose of other people liking it and under that buried somewhere is what it once was and should have evolved from in a more natural way. This was helpful, thank you.
What really helped me is asking: what can I improve now? For example, I used to draw dot eyes but oh no! I can’t draw them in different directions. Well, I started drawing the outside part of the eye too then 🙂 or I drew really small fingers but oh no! My oc’s can’t pick up things so I practice hands more often. And yeah that’s basically it, also seeing reference and kinda coping it(? (Obviously just for practice) really helps in finding what you like 🙂 (Also I draw more in a cartoon-ish way, but I practice realism sometimes. Just not too often because art is just a hobby for me so yeah 🙂
Everyone has an art style, also. You may not see it yet, but I guarantee. You can’t escape it. It’ll evolve, be molded like clay, and stay with you to your death bed unless you extensively train yourself to break out of it to copy another style. You just have those fundamental aspects as an artist. It is your companion.Even if you don’t see it yet, you’re doing great!
I really think your style changes as your skills continue to grow. Go outside of your comfort zone and try different media and styles such as, if you’re comfortable with one type of anime, try different types of that and then try to make them look more realistic and detailed. If you draw realistic art, and you’re pretty confident with your abilities, maybe try doing making it more surrealistic. (I just as writing this came to the point where she says don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone). You can also do abstract, or different genres and movements. Don’t hesitate to look up the movements within art. It really helps to gain an appreciation. That’s the TL;DR – as much as I a an give. The rest of this is for those who plan to study art, or who are considering it. If you can’t really absorb it, take art knowledge quizzes. The kind that explain the differences between styles and give you feedback when you answer incorrectly – you’re not learning anything by simply recognizing a work and already knowing “oh, it’s Van Gogh’s Starry Night, so that’s post-impressionistic” but you still can’t say what really makes it post impressionist or anything about the movement. Or you can look at a painting and guess what movement it’s from pretty well, but you can’t thoroughly say why. You LEARN from getting the answers wrong, and then reading and quizzing yourself, rereading and quizzing about the periods and genres until you WILL be able to see so much that’s as invisible before – read all the fine print!
This really helped me. I’ve been trying to draw like anime forever but could never get to the style I like. I have been recently trying chibi art out and its been really fun. thank you so much for this article. I hope you have a very fruitful carrier here on youtube! have a nice day! Also i LOVE your art style. Its so cute.
I had a very cartoonish style for a while (and still do), but I felt inferior in drawing to people who drew realistic or clean doodles in anime or real life style. My drawings were very sloppy and unrealistic, so I just assumed I didn’t draw as much as these people. Having 3 journals loaded with drawings proved myself wrong however. I was considering just calling it a day and saying that these people were simply naturally gifted as better artist than me, but then my classmates saw me drawing and said it was really good. I wouldn’t have thought a landscape picture of a stick man standing on a mountain with his cape whipping in the wind was that great in other peoples eyes, even though I loved it, but people really seemed to see my drawings as charming. It was a style that I worked really hard on, and I hope it can continue to grow as I keep drawing.
For some reason I’d rather focus on the fundamentals than my style because I don’t know how to stylize something unless I know about the realistic aspect first (it feels awkward to be among a lot of art students who are searching for their style whereas I’m just trying to figure out the anatomy of a cat, it’s nothing wrong with anyone just me being smooth brained)
Great article! I also feel, that everyone should be able to draw freely. That being said, it is also good to know on how to be able to draw realistically as a foundation, because when you know and understand the rules, it is easier to bend and break them to your advantage. Mangaka such as Eiichiro Oda, the author of One piece can also draw realistically.
I love many different art styles, for example I love Torriku Sotaru’s style because they make everything look just a m a z i n g. But I also like ChefGatsby’s and Alpha Lyr’s art styles. (can you guess what fandom I’m in just from those three artists?? xD ) but I love so many art pieces but i don’t know who made them :,)
I’m highly inconsistent with my art style, is it okey as a beginner? Like I post something, then after 2 weeks I post another work with totally new style, does it annoys the audience? I’m just trying to improve, whenever I feel like this style is now boring and there’s no fun left in it, I just switch.
I always have these days where I feel like I’m not putting out my full potential with my art. I feel like I can do better, and my brain would look at my drawing and go “What can I improve?”. But I don’t know what to improve on. Sometimes I look at my art and ask myself if this is really what my artstyle looks like. However, I’m grateful to have stumble upon this article. You really cleared stuff up for me and I thank you.
The reason people tell you not to draw anime or cartoons at the start (at the start,of what is assumed to be a serious career in art ) is because those are already stylized, and ESPECIALLY stylize anatomy to a point of being anatomically incorrect. If you only draw reference from already stylized forms, you won’t gain a good grasp on ACTUAL anatomy, which will make it harder to form your own style. Anatomy doesn’t just mean “what bones go where” or “these are how muscles form shapes on limbs”, it mostly means PROPORTION. Which is what you play around with when developing a style. A style is often a diversion from realism in a way, and if you start stylized, and ever want to go into anything more realistically proportioned, you’ll have a much harder time to learn that. The idea of starting off with a more realistic or correctly proportioned style before going into something more stylized is basically “know the rules before you break them” so that WHEN (not if, when) you break them, you do it well That being said, the actual tips in the article are very good, especially if you don’t outright plan to make art into a serious career or want to stress out over it. Take your time, and most importantly: like what you make. Doesn’t have to be perfect, or turn out the way you planned it, it just matters that you like it. A healthy relationship with your art means you’ll keep MAKING art
Oh my gosh, this helped me so much, while it’s helpful, it’s also very encouraging to me. I have been practicing a tutorial saw online for a body, and I wasn’t a fan of how the head and legs were done but I kept practicing them. Although, this article helped me realize all of what she said. So, in the end, thank you so much 🙂
That bit about people saying to draw realistic art is so true. Like, when I was doing my O levels, I took art and design. And whenever I drew something how I like to draw, that is from my imagination and in a cartoon style, the teacher would scold me tell me to draw realistic art, or even copy from other artists. I used to get so angry, like he was basically insulting me. We got in to so many arguments about that. He was saying that I’ll probably fail if I don’t do art how he tells me to do. In the end I got so tired of it that I just gave up and did what he said. And guess what, I failed. I got annoyed of art for months. It was almost a year later that I got back to it and experimented with different styles. I finally found something that fits.
I first started to draw powerpuff girls all the time when i was in kindergarden, i dont know what happened but i think the same thing happened me that happened to you. Got bored of drawing powerpuffgirls and i eventually changed. The year that was my biggest drawing area where i actually changed art style mightve been 2021, then from that i changed and changed a lot. Still struggling on atonomy and stuff and some days i feel not good enough but i enjoy drawing and im proud of my art style! I may havent drawn a person in a while though so i might do it later on (in a drawing phase right now). Thank you for all of these beautiful messages, really makes my day!!!!
I have two, maybe three styles, one is just like hard lines, no shading or color, very simple and smooth-looking (not my best art). One is also very simple, but more cartoony and bright and rounded, and the final one is basically like rough-sketch art where not all of the lines are connected, the strokes are very light and imprecise, there’s not much shading, but it looks more detailed somehow. The last one is my favorite so far, but I’ve also been dipping my toe in super realistic, high-shading and kind of menacing-looking styles. 😀
I been having a hard time finding my own art style for myself but failed and really was thinking of giving up but when i saw this article,it really brighten me up and it did give me hope to become a good at drawing and animator,thank u so much for making this article this really helps alot even some artists out there like me.❤😊
I was in second grade when I started drawing (I’m not junior high) I started of trying realistic drawings as best as I could and that developed into my anime style that I have now. The BIGGEST issue I have is anatomy and because of it I’ve been struggling to draw because of the lack of confidence in anatomy (without tracing over digital templates) and being in art block in general. I’m going to definitely take a first step in doing either semi-realistic or chibi and work my way. Thank you. I’ve been trying to see what things I can do to not only regain my confidence but be able to bring back what I used to love and do. This will definitely help! ❤ I’m also definitely going to subscribe because of how grateful this advice is
This is helpful! I actually was inspired by paw patrol when I first started drawing and it developed into cat girls and manga. I’m currently still trying to master anime and manga,but it isn’t working,I’m quite aesthetic to say the least and I like drawing Hello kitty characters but in meantime I tried digital art. This helped me realize and see more art style’s I can choose from,and to always search references and inspiration,but my tip for beginners is drawing something your love and I’m starting to enjoy drawing plants and eyes.I will make sure to share this article with my art group!Thank you so much,Blue!
When you talked about how your art style is so bland or not unique, I thought it was very unique but also had a remembrance of old coffee brown or card board colored news papers. Some reason I thought it’d be cool to give it a name like Coffee-box or Coffee-paper, reminds me of when you spill coffee on a price of white paper.
this helped at lot when finding my style because I start off just re drawing art ( I did write down the original artist) however at first i was bad at drawing people then I found fnaf and then drew that until now where I wanna draw people but its hard so I’ve been trying to find my own style thanks 🥰
One of the ways I found my style is I traced it may sound counter productive but if you find art that you like trace it learn how they draw and take the things you like about that style and many others and combine them! I change my style a lot and one of the style I had before I went to my most recent style was inspired by jaden animations I had the circle head (which I still use) with no nose of ears and I had a similar style of draw the torso (not sure how to explain it) and then I had some simple feet and arms but the way I did my art was similar to jadens which is what I’m talking about find styles you like and combine them in a way that looks good then eventually you’ll start changing things and it will turn into your own special art style the way I draw now is very different from my inspiration and that’s because I found what I like and changed it to look unique so don’t worry if your art looks very similar to someone else’s art because really every style is just a combination of others
It’s gonna be long but here is my tips= (I didn’t watch the article yet lol) First the face is the most important part of artsyle so. Get a paper and draw the face parts(without a head) with your recent “changes everyday” artsyle(?). Eyes, nose, cheeks, eyebrows, lips etc. Like draw 10 types of different eyes. And than 10 types of nose. Like a character design game. Then. You sleep(if your artstyle changes every second you can do it in same day lol). You wake up :D. Then you did that thing again. It’s most likely have something similar both of them. Maybe they are same. You can look at them and get what you liked. The head base is important but first you have to know the shapes of the face. Second: When I see a art I try to draw in their artsyle. Ofc I don’t show anyone saying this is my artsyle, but its really useful. Last tip= lol think the artsyle should be beautiful everyone’s dream was drawing beautiful guys but you forget that when you draw. And if you go out from your comfort sm you can be bored of drawing like me. I mean… probably it’s not useful but it can help ig
I want to add onto some of the points mentioned; just taking from someone’s style won’t be productive- do a study of their art, trace if you need, to just get an understanding of what you like about their art and why. Yes you like the way they draw eyes, but why do you like it? Try to under the fundamental aspects of the style you like, and then take those aspects and try to fit it in to your own. I’d VERY MUCH SO recommend checking out Ethan Becker on YouTube, he’s very sarcastic, but is an amazing teacher when it comes to getting someone’s style and breaking it down! Also, and maybe more importantly: there is absolutely no rush to find a style! Art is a long journey, maybe a lifelong one if you take it seriously, and as you change, your art style will. Art is fundamentally about understanding; understanding the things around us and drawing them so the more you understand, the more your style will develop. There’s no point in rushing it, because it’s a natural process.
I’ve been drawing ever since I started the middle school and I’m going into high school and I stopped drawing for 4 months because honestly whenever I draw it’s only because I force myself to and I’m not even happy when I do it anymore and I hate it because I was always known for drawing and now that I don’t draw as much even though I really want to it doesn’t click anymore 😭
I love the advice, this is great cause my future career is gonna be animation so I need an art style I feel like I can stick to and that shows ME! And I’ve been having a hard time finding styles. I have a few friends in school that are great at drawing but I just cannot find the time to ask for lessons from them, and I’d love to call or meet with them some day so I can get the lessons and help I need from them.
My friend showed me one of his guides to draw in an FNF style, and all of a sudden I got a burst of artistic energy. I had already started drawing before then, but it was kinda bad and I didn’t like it very much. Once I had that artist energy, I went through loads of Touhou drawings and started to recreate them in my own way to get the hang of using guidelines and anatomy. I can’t express my thanks to the friend who showed me how to draw, our friendship has gone so far and I could practically draw exactly like him. I have a few main artstyles, some learned by my friend; cartoony, semi-realistic, and FNF style. Now after perusal this article, I’ll keep improving my art and having fun at the same time!
If I can make parallels with what I know most, which is music creation, I would say that, if you want to develop your own style, CREATE MORE. Eventually, you will start noticing some patterns in the way you make things and how you approach certain subjects. You can even force that by trying other people’s styles, because then, most likely, if you notice differences between the art you’ve been trying to replicate and your attempt at it, the differences should be the small details that are actually part of your own style, your way of making things.
Thank you. You are a great artist and a therapist just by personality and I think tha’s a cool fact about you. I just always made myself feel bad about my own art and gave up years ago but i’ll try again and maybe it was all because I had to high standards of myself because I was only perusal professionals and my..”friend” draw. I will probably buy 10 notebooks soon and try it all out. I am only saying this not for pity but so you know that you are a help just by existing and it’s not good to throw that away and others reading you are important all of us are flawed but flaws can make you more special and if it’s bad like gacha heat or just a horrible person don’t hide away and hate yourself for it and keep do it you don’t deserve to feel forced to be that yes habits are hard to change but they will.
My father, a (once) experienced artist, always said that I should learn how to draw real things (e.g. Sketch a real life person with correct proportions and everything), and here I am, drawing extremely cartoonish doodles, and still have no clue about realism whatsoever. Don’t let anyone force you into a style “kids”! Some people may even think “Oh everyone popular is doing anime and cartoons, I should probably do that to, even if I’m better at abstract art”. NO, focus on what you like, even copy somebody else’ style/styles until you develop your own, even if it is very similar!! Good luck 🙂
I’m definitely one of the artists that was very heavily inspired by Sonic… but over time I’ve developed a very unique style. It still takes a lot from the Sonic style, but I think it’s taken on a very unique identity. I do still draw very round heads, very big eyes, and very small bodies, but it’s definitely… a style.
I was inspired to become a digital artist cause of all the animation memes on the internet. So I thought to myself “huh, you know what! I’m gonna learn how to animate and one day I’ll be as good as them!” And after 3 years of animating I’m almost there. But not quite 😉 my brother keeps telling me I won’t be able to get anywhere with my art ‘cause it’s to cartoony you need to draw realistic’ and that really lets me down. But honestly I haven’t seen a artstyle like mine ever. I’ve seen some like mine, but none a replica of mine. Thank you for helping me. Btw the main artist I was inspired by is… drum roll SKETHY!
i used to copy artworks and say its mine now I’ve developed a OC style and a realistic style some people want me to draw hands, legs etc. i help them but they tell others it’s theirs i have a paper of sketches and a sketchbook of nothing yet but i plan to draw characters of my style so i thank all of you who gave me a push to create my art styles
a few years ago i started to get into drawing. and my drawings were horrible. i started tracing drawings and trying to copy other peoples styles. and my art got better, but eventually it became boring. so i stopped doing that and now after all this time i have my own art style, but it was formed by trying other art styles, it became and still is becoming more unique to me as i improve tho
Uhum-I watch does articles for to find my style but I don’t think I have a style. As a person that draw for 8 years, I think that everyone DON’T have a style. Believe me I draw anime, cartoon, classic art, realistic and every style. I think I love them all and I think I’am good at it. So if your looking for your style for so long, just draw every style! It’s my opinion of course. Don’t go so hard to yourselves. And have a good day/morning/night or whatever!
I always put too much pressure on myself when drawing bcuz i always see others being better then me and it makes me so mad that i couldnt just draw good and whenever i drew i would always get annoyed by little things like my hair is touching my shoulders, sitting uncomfortably and etc. But when i just watched ur article rn it make me try to understand that art doesnt need to be perfect..its just needs to however u like. (Ill prob still put pressure on myself! >-<)
I recommend having a few styles because most animated shows have multiple styles in them. 1. The main style. this style is how they look most of the time. It is a simple version of them, but also there is effort you can tell. 2. A chibi version. 3. A meme version. Not to be mistaken with the chibi version. This is when the features are weirdly exaggerated to make the scene be more funny. 4. A semi realistic version. Like when you zoom in on them and they have a serious moment, but the scene is still meant to be funny. 5. This is optional, but you could have an extra style that you use when another character is looking at someone through their own eyes. If they think they are more ugly or beautiful than others, you can make them look different according to how they see them. 6. This is usually used in cartoons rather than anime: but the close up shot of the character looking really gross and a bit too much detail on the grossness. The most important thing about the characters to make sure your characters and styles are solidified as yours are the silhouette of the characters, the line art style, their face, and how you choose to shade. Because there are millions of anime girls with long hair, but now it’s your turn to make your version of her. You don’t want your version of the girl to look so very unrecognizable from other girls with that same hair style that everyone has to ask “what show/comic is that from?” you want people to see their face and automatically know “ah… it’s (your) work.
Yea the thing is: when I draw in my “artstyle” at school (my school is filled with talented artists, digital and traditional) I show them my drawing and I ask “what do you think? Do you have any critiques?” and I would always feel down because majority of the time they say something like “oh it’s good, but why does (insert part) look so… weird? And the thing is supposed to be longer this is supposed to blah blah blah” I just- don’t know how to separate like the good and bad critiques
i’ve been drawing for 5 years, my art style went from kinda a Minecraft look to it, but more curved and not all that detailed. I’ve never really been that good at details though ;-; . i then started drawing my art style in a similar form of SonaDrawStuff’s art. I tried drawing one of her thumbnails, and then started getting better at it, then slowly transformed it into my own art style, that i still work on today.
The problem I end up having is that I draw thumbnails for my stream VODS and with how my go-to style was getting more and more complex, drawing became more stressful. (Drawing hair alone started taking 3 days) I actually just went through all my characters and simplified the designs to make it easier to transfer to a simpiler version of my style. (Which I hope will become another style I’m able to use entirely)
I always thought I drew really bad but I finally knew how to draw a chibi bodice and head but I started to feel like it isn’t enough well my friend helped me and found a like thick bodice and a blob style and I drew pretty good I guess but I feel like it still isn’t enough so I’m just like feeling I still don’t draw good enough I need to get a glow up with my drawing u draw bad your bad at drawing why do u draw like then all of that just goes in my head and I start to and then when I saw your article u really helped me thank u so much !
Ive been criticized on my works a lot. It makes me depressed and not like art. It’s been 7 years now. Last January 3, I saw this beautiful art that stuck with me for weeks. I want to try again, but it’s hard because I can’t finish one drawing. I don’t know how to handle this kind of feeling. I want to draw.
My dad is a art teacher and he told me im to young to have a art style or clothing style and that annoyed me bc he had the same style his whole life and never changed it he is a realism artist and he is a painter so he wanted me to be a painter and realism artist and im a cartoon and chibi artist and he told me I draw my body’s wrong but long story short my brother is a clothing maker and told me when I draw realistic I have great body proportions and I could go one another 3 lines but I feel bad for the bad readers so byby😀
Hey, I’m now gonna start to do art digitally. Me drawing isn’t the best, but I do have some things here are there, even though it’s at a low skill. Right now, I’m aspiring to become a game developer, maybe indie. I want to learn art, programming and music. Music might be easy, but I’m limited, since my PC doesn’t work, and I REALLY should ask my brother if I could install some music things in “our” laptop. This was encouraging, and I’ll try to draw on ibispaint X!