If it wasn’t clear already, I lack a steady hand in drawing. I tried this alarm clock I found a photo reference of on Pexels. I guessed the proportions, and guess what? They were off. Other than that, the lines are just too wobbly. Luckily, it resembles an alarm clock. So that’s good.

It is said that one has to wade through a lot of bad drawings to get one descent result. I comfort myself with that wisdom, drawing from reference. It’s a bit better, though.

The next step is probably to develop a better feel for shapes, by drawing lots of simpler subjects. Improve by attrition.

Sometimes I have no idea what I’m doing, only to realize that most people don’t.

So I really shouldn’t fear mistakes. It is part of the creation process. It’s a flow of subconscious actions, consequences be damned. Still, stopping and thinking about what to do next seems apt. Me: scrap this!

Earlier yesterday I bought a year subscription for Ibispaint, and made a quick rough sketch. I thought this was roughly my current skill level.

However, after doing some pencil sketching, I knew I could do better. Today I did just that. Of course, there’s always room for improvement.

I asked myself, am I really that bad at portraits? I remember being better at it than I currently seem, doing those portraits of kids. So I checked. It isn’t bad, but the proportions are a bit off. That’s to be expected after so many months of not drawing portaits.

I knew Ibispaint on iPad can do pixel art, sort of. However, its pixel brushes give more an impression of pixel art, than actual pixel art, more as an art meme rather than something to be displayed on a cathode ray tube. That isn’t a bad choice, especially since it allows art forms to be mixed.
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I must say that once I’ve identified the flaws in my portrait drawings and started correcting them in many attempts, the results are quite good. One thing I’m still not confident with is “presence.” Drawing from photos can make one’s art uninspired and flat.

I’m trying to improve my portrait drawing skills in order to draw better drawings for Catober. Since cats resemble young children somewhat, it makes sense (to me) to focus on those. As my models I use photos from Reddit Gets Drawn. Of course, I’ll give back as soon as I feel comfortable sharing full drawings, not just quick sketches.

I can see many technical problems with the sketch. The overall shape, the relative sizes of parts of the person, the shading, and much more. It all seems to me still a bit of trial and error, which explains its “amateurish” look and feel. There’s no clear sign of intent, no authoritative look, showing that I’ve done my homework by doing a lot of practice. It could also be that I’m prone to the art student’s dilemma, which is that in order to draw better, one has to see better, which includes any flaws in the drawing. This is why art from years ago looks so stiff and uninspired (read: bad). Of course, this is all irrelevant if the student doesn’t correct the flaws, and keeps repeating them.

I’m already a day behind on Catober, but since I’m not drawing in competition, I can proceed however I want. Being able to draw with intent is more important to me than completing a challenge. The challenge is more of an excuse/motivation to draw every day.

To be continued, no doubt.

For the month of September 2023 micro∙blog organized a photo blogging challenge with daily prompts, and I adopted it for pixel art. 👾 Abstract Buildup Precious Orange Forest Well Panorama Yonder Language Cycle Retrospect Panic Glowing Statue Red Oof! Intense Fabric Edge Disruption Fall Road Day in … read more

I was wondering if I could improve my drawing process. I tend to copy what I see, which is fine for studying. Drawing from imagination gives another dimension to one’s self-expression. Of course, to make any sense to an outsider, it has to be based somewhat in reality. So, drawing from … read more

SepPixel for September 30, 2023, prompt: “Treasure."
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SepPixel for September 29, 2023, prompt: “Contrast."
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So, I took more time, and it’s only marginally better. I know it’s a difficult subject matter, requiring patience and subtlety. Nevertheless, I assumed I was beyond this skill level. It isn’t bad, nor good, but somewhere in between 😔

SepPixel for September 28, 2023, prompt: “Workout."
👾 ʎʇʇᴉʞ ‘sǝʇnlƃ ǝsoɥʇ uɹnq

If one’s goal is to get better, it’s not enough to claim you suck at it, because that’s true for anyone to some extent, even experts. You should inquire what makes you state that. In this case, I think it’s impatience. I need to slow down, take my time.

SepPixel for September 27, 2023, prompt: “Embrace."
👾 xɐɯ oɹd ϛƖ ǝuoɥdᴉ ʍǝu ɹnoʎ ʎoɾuǝ

SepPixel for September 26, 2023, prompt: “Beverage."
👾 ǝɯ ɯoɹɟ ɟɟnp ou ʇɔǝdxǝ

Tried how my drawing skills of cute(ish) cats are. Let’s say it’s still a “learning experience.” Not much days left until October 1.

When tracing is used to understand what one sees. The goal is to be able to draw hands from imagination, using photos only to add realism, not to copy. This then becomes stylized instead of a literal copy. Still, there’s always room for artistic liberties, or one could better take a photo instead.

SepPixel for September 25, 2023, prompt: “Flare."
👾 spl ǝɥʇ uo ʎsɐǝ