Happy new year i wish u all immense success and happiness in 2023

1. Set goal, divide it in smaller steps 2.Dont do waay too many things at once 3. Use references 4. Not perfectionist mindset 5. Prevent yourself from using waay too many brushes, find your favs 6. Dont compare yourself to others 7. Beware of what you pay attention tho

Happy new year to everyone reading this i hope we all get good at drawing this year

I'm a 29 year old woman who just decided to start to learn art. I didn't really know what I want to do for years, but I'm aware of my interest in arts. But I felt really insecure seeing other people younger than me has such incredible talent than I am. But I realise each time I compare myself to others, I just bring myself down and not making any progress. And I tell myself it's never too late to learn anything. Wish me luck ♡

I'm 16 and have always been told that my art was nice and that i should pursue a career in it. I love art and actually do want to pursue it, but I've compared myself so much to other artists that I just have felt so unmotivated and kinda just think my art is bad. But after watching this video I feel better abt myself and I want to start making an effort again. Thank you for this and good luck to any artists that have art block or to new artists!

Can I just say, it's crazy how good Sam has gotten at landscapes and backgrounds. I remember watching some of his videos a year ago and the progress is insane!

Watching Sam just slapping colors onto his canvas being like "where is he going with this" to the picture becoming a masterpiece five seconds later never ceases to amaze me.

I've rewatched this video today and honestly, it saved me from going down that "Ugh, I'll never..." path. I'm 40 now, coming from a (difficult) childhood with an art teacher who made it her mission to mock, ridicule and bully me in front of the class every time, so that even in my adulthood I couldn't even doodle without bursting into tears. About two years ago I began to (very cautiously) dabble in art and realized that I *want to* do this as a hobby and that I *want to* improve - and it's rough when you see all these young, successful and very ambitious people crank out quality content like there's no tomorrow while you're still struggling with perspective and shapes... BUT even I can see my own progress and that's why I'll keep going. Thank you for being an inspiration 🙏

1:47 "it could be FEET" that had me XD

Ive been creating art for decades, and the most important thing Ive found you need as an artist is to FALL IN LOVE with creating art. If you LOVE to create art it will flow organically from you: you'll forget outside pressures, let go of negative comparisons, it wont feel like a chore or burden or something to accomplish, or a failure if you dont... instead you'll naturally develop because you genuinely and passionately desire to engage in this curious and creative process you LOVE 💖

Perfectionism has made me burnout from art for multiple years. Everytime I'd see a pencil or marker I'd be reminded of the constant struggle I put myself through trying to create the perfect drawing. And everytime I look back at the drawings I used to make or show them to people, the imperfections or the things I thought I could have done better are never what they notice. Even knowing this, I still struggle hard trying to not only draw something I love but also interesting compositions or perspectives. Thanks for reminding me to take it easy on myself and for the other helpful tips :)

I’m also learning to draw/paint digitally and something I have to constantly remind myself about is the time it takes to finish a piece. I like watching speed paints to see the process but its valuable to realize just how sped up this process is. Go at your own pace and have fun! 😊

How does this guy manage to end my months long artblocks within 10 freaking minutes?! I just watched this and I alredy feel like grabbing a pen and drawing:D

As a pro artist, I know human anatomy pretty well, both male and female, but unless it’s a comic book character doing action poses, I always, always, always! use reference. It’s arrogant to think one can draw better than actual nature in front of your eyes. Never be scared to ‘cheat’ . Have an amazing new years everyone, and especially you!

38 here. I used to draw constantly then going to school for Graphic design killed my drive. 10 years later I finally decided to get my first tablet and man..the struggle is real. I've been working on my skills starting with little comics but artists like you inspired me to start doing a bit more illustrative works. It's so hard not to feel discouraged because there are so many free resources that I didn't have as a kid and teen and I had very little support. So thank you for making these videos. They really help a lot.

7:25 - thank you so much for saying this. I’m starting art at the age of 19 and even though I’m still “young”, it feels like I’m so behind and that I’ll never make it. That idea really stopped me from doing much last year. I would get super motivated and confident and then next thing I know, I watch a short where it is revealed an artist I like is only 14 and I’m like dang I’ll never be that good and I’m already old. Motivation gone. So thank you for giving me this motivation to keep practicing!

Sam has helped me modivate me to draw more with just his videos. Without your videos, I wouldn’t be where I am today!❤❤❤

Perfectionist mindset really hinders me in every area of my life (not just art). Thanks Sam for talking about it, and resparking the motivation of this humble art baby.

Using reference also helps build your visual library, and you'll find in subsequent pieces you'll retain that knowledge and be able to reference your own visual library in your head! Always always use references!

For someone who has only been self taught when it comes to digital art, it has been a very difficult journey for me but I feel like once I’ve finally fount my style and just been improving on it, I got better, and these tips are 100% accurate, I just wish I saw this video sooner

I feel like the perfectionist mindset is one I really wish I’d known earlier. I’m actively battling that one too, and it’s so bad that I can’t even start a piece without telling myself not to care about how it looks exactly and to just do it. And the funniest thing is when I push past and just do it, the product often looks amazing and just needs tweaking later on. Artistic perfectionism is truly a thorn in our side. Just focus on creating above all else everyone :)

#7 is so important. It took me 2 years to learn it, only after realizing I'd wasted 75% of the time I spent on my art. Please, PLEASE, very clearly figure out what it is that YOU want to do. It's okay to like something and not want to do it in your work, and it's okay the opposite way.

Comparing my art to my art is always fun. Thank you for mentioning this here too because honestly, it's what helped me a lot. I only really got into getting better at art and actually learning how to draw people in 2015, I'm 34 now and chronic depressions and executive dysfunction make it hard to draw sometimes. (The pandemic didn't help with this.) However, looking at my own art from the past vs now helps me a lot to see that actually I constantly improve. All in all, art is fun and as a hobbyist that's the most important thing to me.

The 'Set small goals' is a HUGE help for mental health too and it even applies when you're getting more advanced. I'm really digging into projects and just being like, alright, next goal is to do this one frame or one segment. And the dopamine of hitting even that small goal keeps me going. I used to have a problem cause I wasn't finishing pieces, but when I set small goals like that I'm doing much more because the encouragement keeps me focused and going for longer

References completely changed my art. Before I started using references my art looked like a bunch of blobs of colour, now it actually looks like something 😂

0:35 it’s the start and you already got me I didn’t have goals before for three in digital years and six in traditional I just wanted to draw until one day I saw ayami kojimas’s art and I wanted to be like her moral of the story having a goal or goals are going to help you a lot

I've been drawing for over 13 years and outside of anatomy, my growth has always felt stagnated, sloppy, and indirect. I'm not a goal-oriented person in general (I kinda just complete responsibilities and then do what I want), so this video was EXTREMELY helpful! I've /seen/ other artists set goals for themselves but never thought of doing it for myself. Thanks so much, Sam!!!

I used to draw in highschool, just little sketches. I wanna get back into it now after 5 years. I’m starting from absolut beginner and man everything he said in this video is what I’m doing. Im trying to tackle everything because I feel ”pressured” when I see other beautiful art and think ”I wanna do that too now”. I wanna animate, since it been one of my big dreams. My new plan will be to start learning about faces. Thanks alot Sam!

Sam you're not a failure, You're the true artist which we all need most

For the past 10 years Ive been doing art, I would question why I would never grow. But since I have become an adult, and have discovered my goal I have never been more driven to achieve it. I draw everyday now, practicing, studying, sketching in my free time. And I finally see myself getting BETTER. Its such a rewarding feeling! This next year I plan on honing in those skills and not shying away when things inevitably get tough. I cant wait to see what 2023 brings!

1. Your art is extremely cute, I love it 2. I'm not a visual artist (I'm a writer) but all od these pieces of advice are just as true with writing as they are wit visual art. Focusing on one aspect at a time, towards a goal, and with references (both from observing the world around you and reading published, polished works as well as the passionate fan made works) is the kind of advice that I both hear and give out to so many people. And yet, it gets brushed aside so much. It's so refreshing to find someone who outlines all of these things without letting their preference skew the advice. Thank you for this!

Something that makes using reference more fun is looking at it putting it away then drawing it instead of drawing right along side of it

Here's to another year of procrastination--I mean.. productivity :)

I want to thank you very much for being with us. I watch you from Uzbekistan, and at the same time I do not know English, but I understand how you explain and get the point. Sam, we LYSM💖

This video helps me so much! I've always wanted to draw semi realistic with my OC's, but I always get discouraged when I start struggling and my art becomes more of a burden then a form of creative expression. Now I know that that's a long-term goal and that I should keep sharpening my skills!

Re: too many brushes, “… an extension of your hand rather than a tool you’re trying to fight with.” That’s the perfect outlook. Thank you!

You’ve honestly completely changed my mindset with art, my mentality is like you and Ethan Becker at war. I’ve made so much improvement this year and I’m starting to love what I’m creating.

The perfectionist mindset is like... the top struggle I have been dealing when it comes to art... And happy new year to everyone. Hope this year will give us treats as many as possible.

My goodness, I've seen your art for years. Finally, the algorithm decides to send me here! I'm so glad to find your channel...

I'm not the kind to leave comments on videos. But YOU, you very much inspire me to draw more, you make me learn things I couldn't even think about, you manage to give me ideas, to make my days better with the warmth and passion you hold with words. Big shoutout to what you provide with good vibes, good humour and over all good intents. Have a good new year's eve and may 2023 be rich in art

I’m someone that is constantly throwing away my art when it isn’t good enough. Hearing all of this advice definitely helps, and I’m gonna give it a go! I suppose this could even be one of my resolutions. Sam has helped so much, with so many things, I can’t thank him enough! Happy new year! ❤

Best part of this guy is that he of funny but also gets to the point and makes good content

The sun light is perfect on that illustration

Happpy new year! I am definitely doing to much right now like I’m trying to learn how to use 10 art supplies at once, also trying to learn anatomy and trying find my art style while being a perfectionist. I’m so overwhelmed and that’s making me not wanting to learn or draw. But this motivated me ton!! Thank you Sam!❤

As an artist I've been lost for months! Now that the fact that im starting to relearn how to draw tbh i was lost but thanks to you i was able to find myself on the right track again so thank you

Off-topic but sam is such a great artist. Not only does his drawings look like a masterpiece, but he knows what hes doing. He inspires so many people with his art and teaches us about his ways. He keeps things simple and always strays away from the perfectionist mindset and its what makes me motivated to draw, he doesnt judge us (maybe a little bit..) but instead he tells us what we should do to make our art better. Sam is such a great artist and a person :)

One thing I had to learn while struggling with comparing my art to other peoples' is just... not to think my art isn't good because it looks like I made it. It's so easy to think "I want to do lines like them! I want to color like them!" But in the end, you aren't them. You do colors and lines your own unique way and that's totally okay!

Omg your video is so amazing and refreshing As someone who is in art school and is constantly comparing art work it is SOO refreshing to hear good advice telling people how to improve without as much burn out

ngl a lot of this appeals to me as an independent musical artist and 3d designer. It's beautiful how similar creative applications are to each other and how they complement each other. Thank you for making the video!

wait.. i just noticed the amount of POWER that we have as artists

Thanks for always encouraging me to keep trying to become a better artist, Sam! Have a great 2023 💙

One more thing I'd like to add, sometimes you might have a vision for what you want to draw in mind, but are afraid of actually starting it. It may seem too difficult or may take too long, but doing a big project once in a while is a good way to train your brain to "work with what you have", meaning if you make a mistake, you'll need to find a way to easily fix it instead of focusing on it for too long. In the end, the result may not turn out how you wanted to, but you know it was a great learning experience because you got to be creative and step out of your comfort zone for while. Remember, these things take a lot of time and practice, it's okay to take things slowly.

Been drawing since 6th self taught and did improve drastically, I’m going into the graphic design field. Your videos are very useful. I really appreciate your input on the topic of art as a whole.

So so helpful! Especially the reference one held me back for so long. I actually recommend to even create a folder with references you find in your day to day life so you can straight jump into drawing something when sitting down instead of needing to research a picture you want to take as reference.

I’m not an artist but i do sketch for storyboards…. This advice can also be applied in many other careers as well!!

Hi Sam, this comment is not about this video, but I just wanted to let you know. My lovely grandma passed away today, once I showed her your drawings and she started following you on instagram, she loved your art so much . I just wanted to thank you for your art Because it makes people happy. I am an artist, I want to become an illustrator, and I’m trying to reach my dreams I’ve been chasing since I was young, you are one of those who inspire me a lot. Thank you so much Sam 💙

I’d love to study the anatomy of feet, but for some reason, nobody is willing to give me theirs

I feel like i've gotten better at drawing over the years and you have helped me a lot the past few months, you've helped me understand the body better which has made me comfortable to use referances. You have given me confidence and bravery to try new angles and try new head angles, i've been feeling uninspirared and watching your "rating tiktok art tips" have made me learn so much more of what to do and what to avoid doing which has helped me a bunch. Thanks for helping me with my art and i hope you've had a great 2023 so far. (sorry for misspeling, english is not my first language)

I have goals but it's not like I'm committed to them, I'm just going with the flow. But I'll tell you what; lately I'm obsessed with drawing and honestly this is great. I can learn a lot of things every single day and improving with time

As one of those guys diving headfirst into art and running into some of the problems stated in the video, I cannot thank you enough for helping me set things straight! Can’t wait to continue binging your videos for wisdom!

The way you have mastered color and lighting is just amazing

Thank you for inspiring me to draw. I started social networks, but did not receive enough support, which is why I decided to start the journey again. When I'm in a bad mood, I just watch your videos. they inspire. and you're too cute. Thank you.

I have improved so much this year and I can accredit most of that to you Sam, your tutorials and videos have not only inspired me to keep drawing after i almost quit in the pandemic but they have made me feel like i can actually improve and make something that I'm very proud of. Thank you for everything you do

i hope we all get good at drawing this year

I don't know what happened to me. but just seeing these things makes me very happy: Sam, the Skull of the enemy and Berb who name is Peter.

As someone who's been drawing for years and consider herself not talented on the craft. I was super down some months ago but with the Deviantart's IA thing, I went back to save all my works I liked before editing to a black square and then delete and noticed the great progress I've had. This year I want to be better at backgrounds and seeing your timelapse with such a beautiful ambience just inspires me! Thanks for the tips!

3:09-5:00 As a fellow fictional/real life animal artist I can assure you I always use referances. I always try to use real life referances even though I am drawing in my own style or even just realism. I love your art style and lighting teqneaches, it is just 'perfect' in it's own way. Thank you for making this video.

as a 19 year old who just started art some of these did hit close to home. Thank u. I really appreciate the tips and I now have a better plan moving onward.

This is prob gonna help me with my art block. I’ve been struggling to find my style and comparing myself to others . Thank you Sam for this. ❤️❤️and happy new year everyone!

Thank you so much Sam for making this video, it really has helped me to figure out how to carry on with my art journey. ❤️ Anyone whose reading this, I hope you have a happy new year and make the best of 2023 💞

Hey Sam, I just wanna say how grateful I am for you. I'm happy to say that after at least 3 years of digital art, I guess I finally found my style, but I have yet to nourish it. This video has been very helpful. I love your art and you inspire me so much. Happy New Year! I hope this year treats you well 🥹🫶

Hey, I'm in a really weird place in my life right now where I've felt directionless and I've been struggling with myself and finding motivation for a while now and I wanted you to know that your video helped me. I came here looking for art tips and the way that you talk and explain things helped ground me in reality and has helped me decide how I should pursue moving forward both in my art and my future. Thank you for the content you make and the help you extend to others, your art is lovely by the way. :)

Everything you said hit home so much!!! Thank you so much for putting this into a bite size package easy to understand, nicely broken down, and entertaining! Happy New Year!

Watching you helped me with skin and hair a lot! I remember back in 2020 i saw a ton of your drawings without knowing who was the artist, it was awesome once i found you.

Usually I don't like these types of videos because they often the come off quite patronising or repeat quite obvious "tips"... Despite turning this on for background noise, this video has been the first art advice video in a long time that actually caught my attention. Really good advice for all artist levels!

I’ve actually been drawing for a while and I’ve actually set these goals myself

BEST NEW YEAR GIFT YALL, A VID FROM SAM

Happy new year everyone! Hope u all achieve your art goals this year 🤍 Also ty Sam for motivating me and helping me through this year on my art journey 🤍

This is my favorite motivational video! Every time I catch myself lacking motivation, it reminds me to go in the direction I want and not to give up. Thank you for this Sam.

Dude you are PREACHING here. I have always used references and was told i was just "copying" but while i didnt know WHY i needed to use them i knew that i did need to because my art was terrible when i tried to draw from my extremely shallow pool of knowledge. Im 28 now, and after a long time of not seeing much improvement i decided you know what? For the next however long i can keep it up im gonna come home from work (i got off at about 2-3am) jump on my pc and grab a couple references and just finish each of them (usually about 3-4 portraits) to the best of my ability then post them to IG before i went to bed at 6am lmao. I told myself I wouldnt care what they looked like, the only rules i had was that i draw for the time that i was at home and that i finished at least one of them and posted it. I did this every night for about 3-5 months. I improved SO much its crazy, it was so fast and that improvement made me want to do more of it. Now I can comfortably do a sketch, refine, flip, refine, paint and post. I can do that so easily now where as before it would take so long and be legit scary because i was SO attached to the outcome but detaching from it and not caring how it came out was the solution for me, it gave me room to grow because i wasnt filled with anxiety about it being terrible.

Sam you are such a blessing ✨ You are the art daddy everyone needs in their art journey!

Happy new year Sam. It has been an answer for the things we couldn't find the answer to or the things we didn't know what the problem was. You really inspire me. Thank you for this video. 💕

Sam idk how to put this.. but I enjoy your art style so much I wish it’s what reality looked like. Everything is so beautiful.

I've been going through so many of these negative experiences, and this was SPOT ON! I'm now inspired! Thank you

It's like Sam knows my problems, he come out with solution everytime I'm stucked in a point! Happy new year guys💓

this doesn't have to do with the video but I really like all the recent water themed drawings of yours Sam

I remember there was a time in my life when I was convinced that I wasn’t improving and that I wasn’t good BECAUSE I used reference. I’m past that now, still use reference all the time, and my art has improved so much just this year alone.

Hi Sam, I just found you after watching Ross Draws' video from the last Lightbox. I have been an artist for 50 years. Actually went to college for commercial art. The 80's were not friendly to artists and I went the makeup and artistic nail route. I had to close my business during the start up after covid. Art had remained a hobby and gift thing but now with my business gone I went back to what I love! I am 54 and trying to learn the digital art world for my book cover business. Your words are so helpful! I do feel old in this art world. My husband encourages me often, which I appreciate, but sometimes I feel so lost and frustrated at "having to learn something else" just to create something. I tried some schooling and put what I had left into it just to have the instructor decide to close the online school without refunds. So, I appreciate your videos and looking forward to this new adventure. Thanks for listening.

I’ve just been sort of all over the place with my art the past couple years, but I’ve improved little by little and now I’m hoping to get into digital art more (long term goal). This video is great advice and I’ll definitely be applying it, thanks!

I really needed this so much- I've been winging it and had no goals for ages. Thank you so much Sam and Happy New Year!

wow, i felt so thankful having to come across this video, while yes i do enjoy drawing, trying out digital form of it, these problems very much applies to my main hobby right now-writing, i've suddenly come to my probably longest writer's block ever after regularly writing, uploading, and enjyoying that process-i've stopped for a year and 4 months now, the cause of this was i think bc i was struggling with my first year at uni 2 years ago i was drained in all ways, i was in so much pressure, that i felt like i have been studying just to be graded and not even to learn, but i got to shift courses last year and i got that desire to want to write again bc a lot have been checking on me and are worried bc i haven't updated, I really wish I cpuld write again as i enjoyed uni more now and got to at least balance my time for myself and for my acads. And you explained here just what I could do to get back to my art, tho my art is not specifically drawing/painting, these mistakes are what I am currently battling with. This is so helpful, thank you so much 😭

8:47 Not Sam talking about Kooleen 🥲

"Good enough that when I flip my canvas I am not horrified." Big goals. Big goals.

I have learned so much from you ever since I found this channel keep up the good work and continue helping others! 🥳 happy new year.

this was super useful as an ap art student who’s struggling to find their spark lol, i would always gets overwhelmed by my classmates artworks bc I would compare myself even though they have more experience. im excited to learn more in 2023, thank you sam

Your point about using only a few digital brushes is spot on. When I first got an iPad Pro and tried out procreate, I was all over the place and my gallery really lacks cohesion. Now, with my upgrade, I feel like everything matured… my device, my knowledge of it and applications’ capabilities, and my art… wow, a vast improvement. Feels like a worthwhile 5 year learning curve.

Comparing ur art to the art you made before is actually so helpful. I may not be as skilled as other artists yet but I can already see how much my art improved since I started and knowing that I will be able to look back at the art I do right now in a few years and be like „yeah, I am much better now!“ is really motivating! Thank you so much!

Happy new year! And thank you Sam for making me to be more happy with my own art and modivate to it! Thank you Sam!:D

Thank you so much Sam!! Your videos always encourage me to pick up a pencil and believe in my abilities! Happy New Year 🎉 💜

thank you for this video!! I've been drawing for ten years, and i've never really been able to improve in the ways that i want to, but hearing this has put a new perspective on everything! thank you so much for your hard work!