You're not the only one that goes through this. I tend to look at my old art and despite the clear difference there is, I feel like the older ones always looked better and that I hadn't grown as an artist at all. With scrapping unfinished work, I am guilty of that crime as well. I feel like the best advice that has kept me going is to just keep going forward, and try to find the things you like in your art and strengthen them from there.

I INSTANTLY RECOGNIZED the character from the thumbnail! 😭 The way you digitally painted this character again is as though she gained more vitality and contentment as you have in your personal journey! It’s incredible to think that your characters and art have grown so much in conjunction with your own growth. I’m so grateful to have followed you for over 5 years now. Keep on thriving, Sara!

I just want to say, as an artist who used to be well-known in their small hole on the internet in their fandom, this video really resonates with me. I went through so much mentally last year and this year and now that I’m coming back to drawing again, I can’t help but feel discouraged with lack of interaction with my art. I can’t fight the thoughts like “you’re old news now” etc, but it does help to know I’m not alone with the struggle (especially because you’re such an incredible artist). Thank you for sharing and being vulnerable about it all.

sara, I know you may not see it, but the improvement you've made over the years is incredible. your pieces are so much more vibrant and your use of color has improved so much. you've been a really big inspiration of mine as I continue to develop my own style, and I hope you get out of this rut soon because I know how it feels. keep it up :)

I'll be honest, I've been following you for almost 6 years now. I think you're the first art channel I ever subscribed to, and I must say that I love the growth you've had as an artist! As an artist myself, I can see the subtle (or not so subtle) changes in anatomy, blending, and colours that you've done, and I enjoy every last bit! I still look up to you even now, and I love seeing your videos on my feed! ❤ The part that really resonated with me is how an artwork you deem as "not good enough" never sees the light of day. I also can't stand an artwork that I've made if it's not up to my standards.

Always so excited to see a new Sara Tepes upload! I've been following you for around six years now, and I'm more and more impressed with your art every single day you post. One of the few KZfaqrs that I click on the notification as soon as I see it. You're growing so much all of the time, and I know how it feels to not see that for yourself! Doing redraws of old favourites always feels very cathartic, and really helps to improve how I'm feeling about my art because whether it's a week or a decade old, I'm always practicing and improving, and I can always find things I do different. Annotating them to show where I think I've improved, and writing down these positive thoughts ON the drawing also helps me a lot. It's very nice to hear that someone I've looked up to for such a long time has similar thoughts in their head to me. Thank you so much for posting all these years, your videos have always been a massive inspiration, and hearing your worries and anxieties has always made me feel seen and heard, even if you can't see or hear me. Sending you so much love!

it looks so much more vibrant!!

I never learned to draw from greyscale but the technique seems to take longer since you basically draw things twice. Once you grasp color theory well you almost never need to actually paint with true black. Keep up the amazing work. It’s beautiful. 😊

It's beautiful! I love seeing the progress you've made over the years how you are so honest with your thoughts and feelings! Artists are their own worst enemies sometimes. Have a great week and thanksgiving!

im shocked! i strongly prefer your new work and it seems very clear to me youve made a ton of progress recently!! people are much more likely to speak up when they are complaining than when they like something

I love the vibrant colors you add in your paintings! Can’t wait to see your new video on color!

Progress happens gradually, so you can’t necessarily notice your growth, especially when you have really high expectations. I guess that’s a typical artist issue. Wen can't really enjoy our work, because we are the creators that are driven to evolve. We focus on our mistakes, while others see the beauty. Your artwork is amazing btw❤

This painting is so pretty Sara!! I love her cheekbones and eyes. She's so glowy ✨ There is something called "change blindness". When there are changes in visual cues but the change isn't perceived. I've heard it talked about in the context of weight loss/weight gain. Definitely not just a you problem, it's a thing 🙂

I love your new style! Its so lively with all the color you add.

I love the new piece! You can tell there’s so many different colours used and it really brings dimension and life to the artwork in comparison to the previous. Art is subjective and everyone likes different stuff, there will always be people that prefer different pieces of your art, but you’ve got to create what you enjoy 😊

I love the way you're branching out with color!! I think it brings so much life to your art and it really inspires me to branch out with color myself. You make it seem less scary and more like a fun way to experiment with art and the outcome feels so much more emotional and beautiful!! Thank you!

I believe that having goals for yourself is essential. I have enjoyed a 35+ year art career. I am in no way famous but I paid my bills and I am still trying to learn and improve. I sold fine artwork pieces throughout, working in several fields of endeavor. I know that social media pushes people to comparisons and feelings of not being good enough, you are not alone. You are truly inspiring and I believe that you have improved and are becoming a better artist and more importantly a better person. Now only you know how much you have shared online and what is your truth. I do feel that you have been honest and true to yourself and I hope you continue to create art and sharing your art with us. Please take care of yourself and remember that to be an Artist is to question everything! I wish you only the best journey for YOU!

I've been following your journey ever since I was in highschool. You were actually the first larger artist I found that is actually about my age. You're a massive inspiration for me, and I love how your art has evolved so far. Your use of color is beautiful and I can't wait to see how your art continues to change in the future. Your previous work was amazing, but I love your current style just as much!

The way you use color now is magical. Seeing those little hints of color always makes me happy.

I love how you and your art has grown and evolved over the years. Its really natural and I love the neon specs, they give the features so much life!

This is such a beautiful painting. I love your new style and how much you’ve improved! The growth is very apparent from the outside.

I completely understand about glorifying your old art, especially art that came from an unhappy place. I also spent a lot of time making art when I wasn’t in a good place, and now that I’m not in that place anymore, i often feel like my sketchbooks/art aren’t as good anymore. It’s a frustrating feeling! I would obviously rather feel GOOD and take care of myself, but it’s so hard to feel like I can’t make good art because of it!

I looooooove you're evolved style. The additon of bright colors adds so much life to the subject!

It looks amazing! I love the pops of bright colors you added in the end!

I absolutely understand what you mean, and I enjoyed hearing you talk about it. I also loved watching you do this redraw painting process, it's very relaxing to watch, and I think I might also try this "redraw to remind yourself how you've improved" trick sometime. Thanks for sharing, loved it

I love both, but the colors in the new one are just amazing! It really brings life to the character. I totally get what you mean. I have a really hard time trying to see the improvement in my new art

I love it!! It’s so beautiful to see your growth and how your style changes and grows with not just time but life. I feel like your new version looks so much happier and I hope that’s because you’re in a happier mental/emotional state now. Anywho, love seeing your work! Happy Thanksgiving 🤍

If it helps, seeing your videos always make my day. Your videos are relaxing and inspiring, even your decoration/discussion videos! I really look forward to watching them whenever you upload and I appreciate all that you do

personally, i like your current drawings so so much more than the old ones. i remember seeing that old grayscale picture back then and thinking it is so good and shows your skills and style well. but after watching your content for years now, i am just excited to see where your journey takes you. i love the way you develop your skills and try out different things, to me it always feels fresh.

Your current drawings look very magical! I love that sm!!!!!

My art process was highly inspired by your tutorials. I haven’t touched my tablet in years because of college and would love to go back when I’m financially and mentally stable. You inspire me to continue 💖

the hair looks a lot more stunning in the new image :)

I can't wait for the next video - what I always struggle is that my colors feel bland and can't choose them nicely in a more interesting way. I truly look up to you and the way you crate those shifts - they are always extremely eyecatching

new version looks stunning

hello was stalking your ig when the notification popped up but OMG get well soon

I love your style!

You're painting is beautiful. You did such a great job

Interesting perspective. I was just thinking the other day that your art since I have followed you has really improved. I think it's a normal phase to go through to value your old stuff and feel like you're stagnant. I would say the important thing to recognize in those times is that those are just feelings. They'll tell you something regardless of whether it is true or not. Trust the perspective of those close to you when you can't trust your own.

Thanks for talking about this. You’re not alone. I honestly don’t watch a lot of the art channels I follow because it reminds me that I don’t have time to make art.

Beautiful illustration!!

I must say, even if the progress is visible right away I still love both versions 🥰✨ I remember watching videos from that era when they were coming out, they were a great inspiration ✨ I'm still struggling with being as proficient/comfortable with digital as I am with traditional, but I guess, maybe I should just start trying as hard again to learn this new thing well, because that was when I started playing with digital a bit :)✨ Now I can use it, but not as well as I would like to. I don't have that much time or creative energy with uni but seeing you and so many people thrive in digital reminds me I want to develop this skill more ✨💕

I do like your new paintings more! But I miss the essence of the old videos because they explained your process in depth, like step - by - step, which is much more beneficial for beginers I feel. You used to have very structured explanations and you used to share what brushed you were using and stuff like that. I would love to see that, combines with your new style!!

Hi Sara! Suuuch a big fan of you and your work and I can't wait for you to post more videos! I'm a beginner so I'm still figuring a lot of stuff out but your art is so beautiful and Iove how you just go on a more personal level in your videos. If you release an art book in the future i'm def gonna get it!

i love you girly!!

As always, love your paintings. No shade on your current style (I like the colors and the textures more now) but I do see the appeal of the old method because the proportions give it more of a stylized look than the more normal proportions you’ve grown accustomed to lately. I’m curious how your old exaggerated proportion style would mesh with your new painting palette/flare. Keep up the amazing work!😊

I feel like when it comes to people who say they like your old art is because they prefer the style you had at that time but you’ve grown and prefer the style you have now. That’s completely fine! I miss my old styles too but I love the one i have now. You can even add things for your old style and see what you like.

I've always enjoyed your art and your videos, and thought they were worth waiting for, if there was a wait. Watching your art change over the years has been pleasant. It helps me to remember that my art is allowed to change and grow. I, who knows nothing about making this kind of content, was wondering: to get footage, could you 'just' capture when you work digitally, like, all the time? 'Just' because I am sure it's not as easy as all that. But, I was hoping that if you got ill, busy, or stressed, you would have them to fall back on. I save scenes like that, it pops into my head but would in no way work for the current project, and I stuff it in a Google doc so I can kick it around later. At any rate, I hope you feel better soon, Happy Thanksgiving, and thank you for all the lovely content over the years. You kept me company when my mother was dying. Your gentle voice, genuinely pretty art, and thoughtful content were an oasis in the sandstorm. Thank you.

its so beautiful

I struggle with the process as well, but I just keep moving forward to see if I can learn from “salvaging” my drawing. Granted my sketches are nothing in comparison, but I enjoy the process and it’s a nice mental break..

you have one of my favorite art styles.

If you're not expanding, challenging yourself, trying new techniques/styles/approaches, you stagnant and stop growing as an artist. Whether you or your audience prefer a different style/approach, I hope you continue to explore and push yourself and pursue what inspires and helps you grow even more. Best wishes Sara!

I do love your old work. But I can also see how much you've grown and how much more confident the brushstrokes and color is. I aspire to paint digitally like you. Actually no also in pencil I love your brush/line work. I don't think I love your old style more, it's more that I miss some of the Gothic or magical themes you added to your paintings. I think that's what I miss about them, even if I am also in awe of your current work. Maybe it has to do with you feeling uninspired and in an art rut, and as a fellow artist I can relate. I have also been feeling like I used to do such great work and now nothing. I hope you can find your inspiration and motivation again. Just keep going 🌟

I love your calming voice and this piece! BTW What is your favourite program for painting?

Yeah I recently saw you in my least interactions list. Which was weird. I don't think instagram is showing me your work anymore but you're among my favourite artists and I aspire a lot in my digital art to you :(

I think you technically improved a lot. I wonder if some people like your older work more because it seems to have "more" in it than just being a beautiful piece of art. For example in direct juxtaposition the old one seems so vulnerable and sad. Maybe also because of the colors but I feel like it has more of a message. The new one ist especially beautiful and seems much more confident and happy, not just because of the colors but also the pose of the character is totally different. I think they are hard to compare and both are great.

You're great and I love to see you

I feel pretty much the same way!

Hello. I pretty much just found your channel and I absolutely love this drawing. I'd love to be able to paint like that one day. May I ask what brush you are using and if it can be found on the CSP store?

The new painting is fantastic. Your skills have really improve Sarah, keep up the good work. You know Sarah, If it wasn't for the fact that you're at the other side of the world, I would have loved to meet you, both to learn form your art and share God's word with you(I'm a Nigerian who lives in Nigeria). Anyways just hold on to God's word, and never be discouraged. Get better for us ok.

i scrap a lot of paintings, either digitally or traditional, something just doesnt look right, but if I try to paint the image again, it often works the second time

I think the closest I can come to naming that feeling is dysmorphia maybe mixed with imposter syndrome? I’ve never seen how I truly look accurately, and I fail to recognise my own achievements. I agree with all the other comments - you definitely have made improvements to previous works in terms of anatomy and colour theory and skill. You are able to create in a lot less time that many others, and are successful as an artist in ways many others only dream of. I might suggest trying to praise your own work only? No criticism. Finish a piece, and stop, and say what you like about it. Just focus on what’s positive, as I think we all tend to criticise our creations and don’t stop to see what we do well. Treat yourself kindly, and I and others will always be waiting with open arms for you any time you need a break.

Ikwym when you say you dont recognize your growth, idk what its called but i can relate . But for me its with myself, i dont understand or remember past versions of me, i cant describe whats different now between then without an outside perspective . Like i know i was different but i cant recall my own energy clearly Maybe its bc we are there every step of the way... other people look from the outside in and see big changes, but all we ever see is incremental growth which can be invisible to us . Ultimately i think its ok, we dont have to stay ontop of the details of growth, we can just continue to go forward and be appreciative

can i aks you what kind of brush did you use for this artwork? I love it ❤❤

I have the same problem with not feeling like I was growing as an artist, feeling discouraged like I couldn't make anything good. Then when I was cleaning I found some of my old work from when I was just starting out and realized I have been growing as an artist this whole time without noticing very much because I focused too much on flaws and had a negative mindset.

😍😍

Damn this was too accurate of how I am w myself and my work.

I think fundamentally they are two very different paintings. If we look at art work historically, artists show clear process of evolution through their work. Their mindset and environment contributing to the end result. Your first piece is far more gothic whereas the new shows an attention to warmth and softness. The colours reflect that. The two are painted with the same hand, as in you are still encased in your work no matter how much time elapses. However, they show how you have adapted since then and where your focus is now. Your work has never been anything less than beautiful. I think those who feel nostalgic for your older pieces simply like those pieces, and they lack the lens to see how your new work still reflects that charming mind.

Early bird, gets the... Uhhh...

It's interesting because the first piece isn't bad,it just emotes a different mood. It's as if the two girls are before and after a life changing transformation.

Software name pliss

When you talk about not being able to recognise change in your own hair colour or artwork, do those happen to all be moments when you look at people's faces? I really enjoy your drawings of faces, so I know you have quite a few of those. Because I personally have a mild case of face blindness (prosopagnosia) due to being on the neurodivergent spectrum and that really messes with my ability to process the visual information. Might be completely unrelated to what you're experiencing but I thought I'd mention it at least.

Glory to God dear Sara Tepes. Sweet fríend 👍❤️I 'm saying "A profound Thank you that is Heart felt " . Yes I Love this one and can't wait till next week for you to make a new one on what you ,'ve learnt and the tricks and tips on colour , speaking as someone that love colour swatches I can't wait to see colour theory , colour palette and lighting from you .And how you ' ve evolved . You are well and it is well with you in Jesus name Amen. Praying you ve a beautiful week love . See you in the next video 👍 . Anyone reading this , I declare inJesus name that where you will be next week and progressively will be better than where you ' ve been , And where you are coming from has nothing to hold you back, And cannot stand in your way, in your pursuits of happiness,career,family, finance , Kingdom spouse , growth and Ministry, have faith in God , and trust His guide , most people Will say believe in your self . And now I say to you my Friend believe in your self and practice 1Corinthians 10:31. "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the Glory of God". Shalom. Peace of God be with you today tommorrow and Forever Amen ❤️ HalleluYAH Glory to YAH

Lmao I'm sitting on about 7 finished illustrations(commissions) that I didn't post yet xD...But personally I can't really get away from greyscale since it's a drug...But it takes a ton of my time along linework and all that. Oh well

are you related to Alucard?

I think it's awful when people say "I like your older art better." It's incredibly rude and discouraging, especially since artists already struggle with confidence in their work. If you're a fan of an artist, you should support their growth, and if you don't like their newer work, then fine. But I don't think you should verbalize that opinion because, again, it's incredibly rude.

Are you related to Vlad Tepes by chance?

I hate it a lot when people say they like an artists old work more. It’s actually so rude and it does nothing good for the artist. They made changes to their style to make their process more enjoyable or better looking from their perspective. Their art is for them and not you. It’s great to give critiques in a very nice way. But being judgmental, picky or making rude unhelpful comments is stupid. You do not need to like their new stuff but keep it to yourself and find someone else with the art style you like yo support. It’s not the artists job to conform to everyone’s taste of art. So kindly, stfu

Sounds a lot like imposter syndrome, but then someone probably already mentioned that back when this was posted. Your art is lovely and I hope at some point my art will look half as beautifully rendered as yours is.

i sill dont understand why people does grayscale before painting...

God i find digital art so boring

Big change is from Krita to Clip studio 😭 if only clip studio has one time payment for andriod 🥲