Comparing the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

[Garamonde]

WOPPEDIT:
This is a new thread split from the comics resource thread which was drifting off topic. This thread is for posting your old artwork and comparing it to your new artwork. That and giving people tips. Just carry on as it was before the split.

Nevermind.

I didn't get finished because I suck at art and shading and everything and I didn't know how to draw what I wanted how I wanted or what to do and I lose it really easily because of that.

It's awful when you envision this amazing thing in your head like I do often and don't have the ability to make it real. I'm too much of a perfectionist for my own skill.

[Chutzpar]

Nevermind.

I didn't get finished because I suck at art and shading and everything and I didn't know how to draw what I wanted how I wanted or what to do and I lose it really easily because of that.

It's awful when you envision this amazing thing in your head like I do often and don't have the ability to make it real. I'm too much of a perfectionist for my own skill.

When you first started out drawing you probably had enthusiasm all the time, and you might look back on stuff now and think: How on earth did I think this was good?

Because your taste, and your sense of what makes good drawings will improve a lot faster than your actual skill. So everyone gets that "Why am I so terrible? " feeling. Even really accomplished artists struggle with it!

You basically just have to learn to ignore the Asshole Critic in your head and make stuff anyway. I'm not saying stop trying to improve, but don't let your failings stop you from drawing. It's better to draw a million things that you're not happy with than it is to stop drawing altogether.

I know I'm not the best artist, but check this out. Here's what I was drawing when I was the same age as you:

And here's what I draw now:


Maybe I haven't improved as fast as I could have, and there's definitely still lots for me to learn
but I wouldn't have even got as far as I am now if I just gave up because my earlier stuff was as bad as it was.

[Yo-Yo Boy]

Why is there 2 sets of spikes on one of his bracelets and only 1 set on the other?

[Garamonde]

Thanks a lot, I needed that. Though that blue drawing looks better than half the stuff I draw. x:

It's also when I start to draw love for people, I want to make it super nice, but when I can't figure out how to make it as great as I want, I lose inspiration. I'm glad my problem's not a unique case though! I'll keep all this in mind when drawing (as well as spriting!) and keep trying, because I DO want to get better.

(That second drawing's beautiful, BTW)

[Chutzpar]

Why is there 2 sets of spikes on one of his bracelets and only 1 set on the other?

Because symmetry is boring!

[Woppet*]

That's really cool Zeemorf.
When i see things like that it makes me wish I specialized in pen and paper drawing and not graphic design and digital artwork.

[megaMasquerain]

Seconding Stabsinthe's post, as well as saying - you can improve a LOT in a few years if you really put your mind to it.

->
(Two years ago - I was your age) -> (A few months ago)

I still have a long ways to go before I can be truly happy with my art, but I'm happy with how much I've improved, and for now, that's enough for me.

[Garamonde]

Again I thank you for your encouragement. I keep telling myself to never give up, but my loss of motivation always has a way of steering me the other way. Most members here sprite and draw way better than me, so I'll use your advice to push me more in the direction I want to go. And maybe, if I can get my act together, I'll change my mind and join Secret Santa! C:

[Rosencrantz]

I like drawing and stuff on my free time, but my main problem is I lack any decent pencils to do anything substantial. All my drawings end up with sloppy eraser marks, not-entirely-erased pencil marks, and pencil indents. The sloppiness murders my desire to finish anything I'm working on. Any tips on this, while we're on this subject?

[Woppet*]

Don't erase stuff. It'll look better in the end.
(unless you're gonna redraw a whole thing, in that case start over)
But skeleton lines can look pretty cool left in.
Do that or buy some decent pencils.

To be fair i don't know that much about pencil drawing.

[tsr moderation staff]

well since EVERYONE's doing this shit here now

__2006_________2011___

[Garamonde]

I thought that red guy was Magnet Man at first.

[Devicho]

Man I need to find some of my old stuff. I doubt any of my old sprites still exist but I can probably dig up art.
EDIT:

2007

Taken with phone camera or something.

2011

Probably a slightly awkward example though I do like how it looked in the end. (´・ω・｀)

私は変質者になりました。

[Woppet*]

2007

2010

[spoiler]

We really should make another thread for this.

[Previous]

2006

Oldest thing on my old ImageShack account. Anyone remember that time?

2011

 

Uh-huh.