I agree

Same(ish). Started at 16, but gave up fairly quickly. I then kept periodically getting really into drawing again, but those phases kept being less and less common over the years. 29 now and I just got back into it again. Almost going a month strong now and I bought a pen display tablet which I freaking love.

How did you find it when you first started drawing again? I stopped for around 7-8 years and when I started again it was like riding a bike, but I hear other people say all the time that if they stop drawing for a week or two they feel like they forget how to draw.

@@vitriolicAmaranth I worried about that from my last "hiatus"... BUT I've had to change the way I look at that question... It's going to depend on the individual person and their life. Did they REALLY quit drawing or just quit employing specific advanced techniques? Did they have a long period of study AND PRACTICE before quitting or was it more passively or hobbyist "once in a while" kinds of indulgence before they quit??? I'll take lengthy breaks from the "hard study" kinds of drawing and art work... no longer build inventory or add to my portfolio "specifically"... BUT at work, I'm constantly scratching out floor plans or sketching a mock-up of a mechanical or rigging solution to some problem so there's a decent visual aid for everyone else concerned in the plan... It's not "technically" art, and I'm certainly not doing it to have fun or anything... BUT it's STILL sketch, and the techniques for perspective or isometric or gestural freehand are ALL still being applied... maybe no more than "roughly" to get the jist on paper, BUT it's still doing the motions... SO when I get back into an interest in a certain subject and stock together the pack or whatever and go... It's like riding a bike. I know what I know, and I'm slower on the stuff I'm not so familiar with... BUT if I can see it, I can figure out how to get it on paper. I think a lot of people get more practice in than they realize when they doodle or scribble almost mindlessly. They just think it doesn't count because it's not a specific 2B pencil or Micro-liner in their hands... I was in the Navy, and had to improvise art supplies from time to time, so I'll sit down with a friggin old Bic Ballpoint and sketch a tree or canyon or whatever... It's still an instrument to make marks and strokes. The TECHNIQUES are in me, so the name or lack thereof on the pen makes no real difference... at least to me. On the other hand, if someone truly gets away from art... doesn't sketch or doodle... no making signs or decorative expression... just nothing for months... AND then tries to get back into it. Yeah, some of their technique will be rusty. Similarly, if they only had an advanced tutorial that one time and were like two weeks into study and building on it, and then quit... a year later, they'll probably be VERY well advised to sit through the tutorial again and consider it "starting that all over"... We only really get better at what we PRACTICE. ;o)

@@gnarthdarkanen7464 Legitimately the only drawing I did for those 7-8 years was a few sloppy mouse doodles of RPG characters (and by a few I mean 3). Otherwise no doodling, no scribbling, nothing. I hardly even wrote anything by hand, because I typed everything during that period. It was a period of deep depression and creative drought for me, not just a period where I took art less seriously or something. But like I said, it was like riding a bike; The first two or three quick little drawings were kind of rough but then I hit the ground running.

That is so insightful. Thank you

Great point.

Wow! This comment was so beautiful. I’m able to appreciate growth most of the time, but I sometimes get caught up in discouragement because I’m not creating something as great as someone else is or as effortlessly as they do it, especially if they’re around my age or younger. Thank you for an additional reminder that my art journey is mine alone to grow on regardless of how my art compares to others’!

For sure, I also think this applies to most types of learning, as a focus on results can cripple your growth in most fields. It’s like getting an A by cheating on a test or getting a C because you studied, you get much more out of the C and it feels a lot better to get the A later down the line.

I had the same thought the moment I heard "growth". Words of the wise.

Damn as a self taught artist the only problem i face is #1 i am improving but i feel like i can do it faster.

These are like the main issues for any kind of autodidact tbh, not just artists.

@@abu8314 Everyone grows at their own rates, and some people have bigger drives than others. I'm a hobbyist, so I don't do this for money or anything. If i were doing this for money, I'd probably be inclined to draw more frequently and speed up my growth.

@@four-en-tee same....it's just one of my winter hobbies. In the summer I'm hunting insects to study 🐝

Yea dude same

I haven’t drawn since I graduated high school in 2018. I’ve stagnated so hard it makes me recoil in disgust

@@Ebola-Kun go draw.

Love it!!

Reroute

thats the same with me sometimes, also i lack structure and im always jumping around on what im drawing and learning not being able to focus, also im inconsistent in the way that i can draw a lot for a few weeks or even months and not draw at all or barely draw for also weeks or months

Same here

Yep, I'm my own WORST ENEMY... hell, forget about "critic"... haha... Just build the habit to draw something every day... Doesn't have to be extravagant. As far as it goes, just take 5 minutes to sit down and play with your own signature... just screw around with it... Make SOMETHING of it. Elaborate the letters into characters... add some swirls to the Capitals... even gesturally DRAW your initials... Make your signature expand to express something about YOU more than just a name, more than a label that could be typed out... or a miserable little squiggle that might as well be an X... That's still art and still counts... Take smaller projects or exercises to study and focus on what you WANT to improve. Just study those elements in your 5 minute sessions... BUT sit down around the same time every day, and get SOMETHING on paper... Then you can look it over and compare it to your visual reference (yes, just because it's an exercise is no excuse to stop using references)... Instead of critically looking at "what sucks"... Look for two basic points about it. "What works?" and "What doesn't work?"... Then figure out "Why doesn't that work?" NOW, If you drew the exercise in pencil, get a pen and point out what you think is the problem, and why it doesn't work... what would fix it?... If you drew it in pen, get a pencil to make the marks and either demonstrably show the adjustment, or write out the pointer and notes... If you're just not sure what's wrong, do your best to make that note, and then put it down, so you can maybe get some research help online... OR you might only need to come back with fresh eyes (like after a lengthy break doing ANYTHING else)... OR you may even need a friend to look at it, see if they can figure out what's not working for you... That's IT... That's the daily ritual... Obviously, if you have a "big project" you're going to do, then the dailies can't "take a back burner" while you're up and going... You may or may not find some pre-project exercises useful to "warm up"... BUT that's not what the "daily ritual" is about. The daily ritual is to KEEP you accountable to yourself... to BUILD that habit of drawing or whatever artistic thing EVERY DAY... Keep doing something, and you'll notice when life gets in the way, and you'll WANT to make it up. DO THAT... Yes, make it up to you... Once you've got the discipline just to get into it, KEEP IT. It's worth fighting for or you wouldn't be HERE... It's still okay to miss a day... Maybe do two sessions on another day... like on your day off... instead of binging whatever show from quite so early or until quite so late... We can ONLY EVER get better at the things we PRACTICE... SO practice and then examine the results... and then repeat that process... It gets easier as you go. You CAN learn to loosen up on yourself and focus on WHAT is not working or WHAT needs more engagement... AND NOT who is still not drawing like Rembrandt... or whomever. ;o)

😂

That’s the right attitude to have

Good idea!

Start simple. Try to master the fundamentals. It is the best place to start. It wont seem like much but, trust me, it will be well worth it. My Third book is designed to address this very issue…releasing soon

On the topic of self critic, it's a split on you personality as to whether you will be to harsh on yourself or to lenient. To harsh and you will hate everything you create only seeing the flaws. To lenient and you will overlook critical flaws and be ignorant to your own failings. Be introspective and honest. Oh and don't try to learn from one source. The person your learning from studied hundreds if not thousands of other artist. Be that the old masters or some rando online. Alphonso Dunn is right though, learn the fundamentals. If you see art that breaks the rules understand that to break the fundamentals first you must understand them. As Picasso said "It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child." You cannot become a good artist without them; Even if, like me, you are self taught. Don't get me wrong, I'm no expert. I'm not even sure such a thing exists. I've only been doing this for around four years. I just remember how hard those early days were, and how fun they were too. So I want you to know that despite the fact that everything you create might seem to awful, you will get better if you persevere. If you push yourself to hard, you will resent the process. if you don't push hard enough, you will make none at all. Both are detrimental. Part of learning is to understand that balance. If anyone else reads this and has insight, please do. TSVH isn't the only beginner here. I also want to improve.

Thanks so much for your nice words about the book. I would suggest slowing down your pace, if you havent already. Then, adjust the elements of pen control to see what adjustments help to give you more control to make those lines

dont do too much lessons exclusively or itll get boring fast , draw your own sma things in between

Yes, he's very generous with his insights and suggestions.

Thanks much and that’s really awesome!

@@alphonsodunn thanks so much!Your sincere encouragement on this channel is meaningful 🙂 I'm watching interviews with the Collective Trauma Summit online this week, and a lot of the people are artists of various kinds. It's cool to hear so many people talking about how powerful and healing it is to participate in and facilitate art to happen, in all kinds of intense spaces where folks need to recover. Which is ultimately part of what you're doing by helping all of us here. It's really important work.

Thanks so much! Yes, we all wonder off at times lol

"Simple but easily forgotten" is a perfect way to sum up that reality.

True

That’s a wonderful way to be by default. Lucky you 🙂👍

🙂🙏

Thanks so much

🙏🙏🙏

I completely understand. I felt the same when I was much younger and had only a few books then

🙂🙏🙏🙏

Thanks. Definitely will, dont worry

🙏

Thanks much🙏

@@alphonsodunn I just ordered your book earlier

@@skilledhands8198 you won't regret it. He's one of the best teachers I've seen (in any subject), he has a gift of explaining the mental and physical processes, in addition to being a phenomenal artist.

That’s it! Finding that middle

Yes you can!

🙏🙏🙂

That is the plan

@@alphonsodunn Thank you!

Thanks. Yea, they’re just not necessary for sketches.

🙂🙂🙂🙏

I have a video on why I sharpen my pencil the way I do.

Thanks much🙂🙏

Thats ok for now, you do what you can until you can do what you want. Just use you down time to commit to mastering fundamentals. Tthat’s your foundation

😔🙏🙏🙏

Lol We all do it in some way

Thanks so much! Glad to know they’re helpful! 🙂🙏

🙂🙏🙏🙏

Just a few I plan to remake

one of the best curriculums in my book is keeping a sketchbook and draw what you see. Draw your eyes one day, using a mirror. Draw a shrimp the next day (if you have one), whatever your road passes, draw it. So you make coincidence set your curriculum and it frees a lot of energy. Also, draw the human figure and animals, especially if you can draw them in real life, this is where you get most practice. Hope it's useful tip!

In today's world of so many accessible how-to vids & advice that are very helpful, it's been hard for me to say I'm self-taught.

Glad it helpful, in some way🙂🙏

I’m sorry to know you feel this way, but you can always improve. And the fun is in challenging yourself to find a way.

Working on it🙏

I aswell feel like this is one of the biggest challenges for self-taught artist. I imagine sometimes few tips from a teacher/professional would save tons of time than just grinding it out by yourself.