Still getting worse. Extremely stressed out.

I have tried the exercises from that book, and they didn't help! I actually ended up with worse results than when I draw normally. And yes, there is a time crunch - I'm trying to find a job.

Also, I'm really looking for more of an understanding as to why it feels like I'm going in circles and how to actually, technically improve my work, as any time I fix a bad habit I seem to develop new ones. I really am not open to the idea of journaling, and I don't think it will fix the base issue with my work. I can't just magically change this with positive thinking; that isn't to say it's bad advice or that it doesn't work for some people, but I have tried and it really hasn't helped, I just end up back where I started, similar to my actual art.

And I am working on specifics. The core of the frustration is that despite working on those specifics, my work doesn't seem to improve, and in some ways it seems to have gotten worse. I spend hours correcting, I used this website daily for months (nearly a year) on end, I study artists I like, I study fundamentals - and none of it translates to my personal work.

More experience really hasn't made art easier for me - it feels like it's become harder.

• Icouldntthinkofaname edited this post on September 27, 2024 5:56pm.

So, what is it you want from us? 😊

Specifik feedback on your drawings? Or what? Because it seems like you have tried all the great advice that has been given in here and it hasnt helped you.

So do you need someone to give specifik feedback on drawings, or maybe draw over.

I would recommend sharing your stuff in your sketchbook, so we can see and help in that way.

Or is this simply to get frustration out, wich is also okay.

See but that's why I recommend taking time to parse your art! Because if exercises don't work, it's not because no exercise ever will work - It's because you aren't taking the time to sit back and figure out what there is for you to learn in them. Things aren't clicking.

Right now you're clearly going in circles. And your solution ISN'T the one magic exercise that will fix all this. The solution is to get out of that circular thinking, and into something more conducive to actually leveling up your art. And unfortunately that all happens in our brains instead of on paper. ):

(p.s. That advice was absolutely not me going "you should think more positively" bc yeah that's not a useful take for this at all - What I just meant is that if you did follow the advice of writing notes next to your art, not to get into a pitfall to just write how much your art sucks, because that isn't helpful criticism. It's fine to point out stuff you don't like/mistakes, but it's useless to wallow in self pity when the goal of an exercise is to voluntarily getting better at a skill, is all I mean.)