5 Reasons You May Not be Making Progress 1:03 Not spending enough time with our own work/practice 2:25 Unfairly comparing. yourself to others 3:48 Not being honest with yourself (assess your strengths & weaknesses) 5:03 Giving up before your breakthrough 6:21 Setting unfair and unreasonable expectations Thanks Alphonso
Joe Wigfall I constantly compare myself to many artists who upload their work on Pixiv, Deviantart, Pinterest, and Twitter and ended feeling inferior and insecure
Wise words from a wise man. They remind me of a quote by Michelangelo: “If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all.”
It's so much more challenging to learn as an artist in the digital age, there's sooooooo much content and noise its easy to get completely sandblasted. This is why videos like this are needed.
I had watched this video before sometimes back and i didn't understand it as clear as it was. Watching it again today I realize how long it has taken me to finally have this truth wired into my core by experience when I could have just helped myself when I first saw the video. All these reasons are the truth... But the truest of all was what he said at the beginning..."you must be willing to help yourself" There is no shortcut to excellence in any field... You must put in the amount of work it demands and don't overwhelm yourself before you have hit your goal.
Unlike some other skilled artists on TH-cam, you do a much better job at teaching people how to improve at art. There are lots of other good artists on TH-cam, but most of them arent very good at teaching other people the skills necessary to get better at drawing.
I had a teacher once tell me that we all only have about a thousand bad drawings within us. So if we start now and get those out of the way we can get on with our craft. A fun wayt to think about the process
I found your advice to be very sound, and insightful. The point that you made about social media really got my attention the most because I have noticed that since I started on Instagram about 5 months ago, I started to doubt my artwork simply because of a follower status, and how it fluctuates. It really can be disheartening to have 200 followers one day, and lose 5-10 the next. You start to think that you aren't good enough to keep them. The truth is, those social media outlets are a fleeting muse, and an artificial environment. Not to mention that you can overload yourself with other people's work, just as you said. If you spend thirteen hours a day of browsing other artwork, means you are not using that time to improve your own. There is no way to improve, because you burned all that time comparing yourself to everyone. Thanks for this video..
this is the exact same thing happening to me I've deleted so many art accounts I've made because of this (I've also meet some toxic people online that made me feel bad about myself and my art) the thing is that when I was younger these types things didn't bother me all I cared about was my art that's all I focused on . These days I find myself doing less and less art and it scares me. I feel better now but I still find it's a struggle to start back drawing as consistent as I did when I was younger. So I started by learning the basics (things I'm bad at drawing)
I’ve done that ... unrealistic expectation and I was so frustrated and unable to do anything . It overwhelming. Doesn’t help at all lol. So I had to be patient and work step by step even though it took longer.
I can paint but I can't draw, I'm 76 and your videos really help. I am painting a large painting of the Brooklyn Bridge with a view of both Brooklyn and Manhattan with people as well. You make it look easy. So here I go. Thank you.
I needed this. I've been thinking about giving up on drawing after two years but these tips showed me that I need to do a self examination and keep going. Thank you so much, seriously, thank you!
You know your the first youtuber with these types of tip videos that have actually helped me and not made me more frustrated I'm an aspiring tattoo artist and when i showed my portfolios to a few shops i got rejected and rejected and gave up on art completely for over a year and i came back and it's like all my art skills have vanished and I'm rebuilding myself back up and just accepting I need to start from the bottom again
This is SO useful. I've had some hard chats with myself and I've gone from selling my art to practicing lines in your workbook and really looking at the world around me and how it really fits together.
Thanks Alphonso. Your videos are always so encouraging and helpful. I drew as I always did for 28 years, cute little childish symbolic drawings. Since September last year I really decided to make drawing a hobby, because I wanted something to do at the end of programming all day that was away from a screen but still felt creative. I will sometimes feel my first stab at something is really impressive, and then be disappointed I fall short of that in other attempts. But when I look through the pages of my sketchbooks, I see how far I've really come and how much more consistent my ability is, with how much more clarity I understand subjects, or at least understand where the gaps in my knowledge about a drawing subject is. I don't have a goal to do this professionally, so I'm not under the same pressure a younger artist might be. I remember the tremendous pressure I felt when I wanted to write fiction for a living, how much time and energy I put into that and I can still look back on things I wrote and think "this is good," where at the time I would have always thought it was not good enough because I didn't have income to show for it. I don't think we all need to fully master drawing, but just starting on that journey teaches you so many things and makes you look not just at other people's drawings with new appreciation, but at the whole world around you. Your tutorials have been a wonderful asset to my drawing journey.
Thank you Alphonso for your kind encouragement with this video and others you have done in the past. Keep up the great work on TH-cam. I have your book and I encourage everyone to get a copy....it is outstanding.
That's exactly my problem! I look at other artist's work and take screenshots because they look so amazing. I study those pictures, and then try creating something of my own, but it never looks as good to me.
I related so much with these advice, thank you so much! These apply to all artists and to different areas of life. It’s like the saying “ don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle”. Awesome video!
thanks for this video i finally i understand i was not making progress especially when you said " not spending enough time with own work or practice", "Setting unfair and unreasonable expectations",Not being honest with yourself (assess your strengths & weaknesses)
Dol _ You could practice self reflection to help the bigger picture of your drawing situation. It will also help your relationships. No body wants to be around a person with no self awareness. A daily meditation practice?
I really needed this video. I'm 36 and been drawing on and off since I was a kid. I wish I would've stuck to it. Now I feel like I'm playing catch up. I want to actually stay with it now. I just feel like I'm almost to old. I realize how much I still need to learn. Just figuring out where to start is super overwhelming. You just helped me realize I'm beating myself up to much. Along with other things I'm doing that you put some light to. Ty for the inspiration. Saving this video for when I need a confidence boost. Again ty so much!
I really appreciate this video. Today I had to show all my drawings for the the assessment. And when I saw others' drawings and mine I really felt overwhelmed. But now I got some idea how can I move on a little more.
This posting was so inspirational - Thanks Alphonso Dunn. I keep comparing myself with others - then I tell myself that I'm rubbish because I'm not at their level. I'm off work sick at the moment, so I'm going to sit and draw.
Great advice Alphonso. Ive always loved to draw but ive never really disciplined myself and focused on reaching as high a skill level as I can until recently. Now my aim is to become as great of an artist as i can and I'm glad ive recently discovered you because you've already taught me a lot and I have no doubt I'll learn a lot more from you in the times to come. In addition to the wonderful tips you've given in this video I would also suggest to the other budding artists out there not to let yourself be an obsessive perfectionist about your work. That's something that I struggled with for a loooong time. I can remember becoming so frustrated when i was younger when my work didnt turn out exactly how I envisioned it in my head. That obsessive perfectionism , that holding myself to unrealistically high expectations and not accepting "messing up" or "failure" caused me many times to put my practice away out of shame and disappointment. As artists we should be ok with messing up. It is only through constant failure that we eventually succeed. Recently I've embraced not being perfect right away and ive been drawing more consistently than I have in years. And it's the consistency and practice which helps us advance. Thanks again my friend! And good luck to all the artists out there! Cheers
Woah, your tips strikes directly in my heart. I figured out most of the tips myself even before watching this video, and it is true especially the first tip. I had to shut down my social media accounts because I have found myself insecure on other people's drawings. And it was the best decision I have ever done. Whenever I feel bad on my drawing, I always go back to basics. And now I have no troubles drawing everyday.
Love this video - just what I needed to hear. Esp the part about comparing yourself to others. Although the part about setting unfair and unreasonable expectations really hit home. I have a low tolerance for frustration, and when things don't turn out the way I expect after copying something, I get bummed. Lately though, have realized that I'm not going to have great results when i don't practice often enough or just try to "wing it" without reading instructions first. These days, I congratulate myself for just drawing something, anything. It means that it's important enough to me to dedicate time to it. Thanks, Alphonso! You're a triple threat - a good teacher, a great artist, and an inspiration to others.
Not trying to bust anyone's balls or anything... BUT if you want to get better at drawing things, it's a much better exercise to find something to look at, and just draw it... If you practice or exercise by copying, then you'll only REALLY get better at copying... AND there's nothing wrong with copying and tracing... BUT when I draw, I'm not just a Xerox machine that walks around... I use my medium of colored ink, LINES, and paper... Them's the rules... I look at something, figure the angles with my fingers or a pen or just some reasonably straight stick, sighting it to the subject and then matching that angle sighted to my paper, and make the line(s)... BUT a lot of what I draw is "just winging it" as it were... or "eyeballing it" with a fair splash of "ish" to fudge the details I need and want into place, but more build the impression of details than precisely put every blade of grass and tree leaf in its place. I don't have the time to do all that... SO I make an impression of the subject, and THAT is what the art is about... If precision copies are all you need, I might suggest getting a camera... It's a lot easier and not terribly expensive. ;o)
Thank you so much! I was currently going through a period of not feeling any of my art was better. It felt stagnate, but you helped me out so much. Great vid!
That was very helpful, thank you. Being honest and fair to oneself could really be the key to unlock creative blockings. I will try out your suggestions!
Alphonso, you hit the nail on the head for me with every thing you said in this video. I (unfortunately) have been doing these things and it’s no wonder I feel the way I do with my art. I’ll spend hours watching videos or going on Pinterest or Instagram and while I am finding inspiration, the other big chunk of time spent is comparing myself and then feeling very inadequate and down on myself. I will definitely be actively trying to change and tweak things and I’m sure I’ll feel much better. Thanks for another great video! Take care
Very happy I found this video. I definitely needed to hear all these things. I've been struggling a lot lately with "I am not good enough" or "I am not as good as they are". These tips really helped. thank you!
These steps are very helpful. I realized a lot. No wonder I would give up, it was easier yes but it’s not worth it. Gotta keep going forward! Thanks Alfonso
Thanks for this video, Alphonso. About a month ago I was involved in an online project and they kept encouraging everyone to join the Facebook group. When I looked at everyone's work there, I realized that it would only make me feel inadequate, so I didn't go back to their Facebook page. I appreciate you saying this, because it seemed kind of like sour grapes to me at the time to not want to see the work of people who were more advanced than I. I was wondering if you have a patreon channel. Your videos are so helpful to so many people! I did buy your book, but would like to do more. Thank you again!
Thanks so much! It is ok to feel a bit intimidated by other’s work. We just have to find a way to let our walk be our walk and let its own merit define its standards. Use others for inspiration and celebrate your small steps. I am thinking about creating a patreon page. I’ll see
These 5 reasons has held me back so many times in life. I even stopped drawing completely for 2 years straight because of discouragement. All from looking at my favorite artists latest work.
turning this video off to take the advice! don't overdo it, don't spend too much time on social media and take some more time with yourself and your art...thank you! i needed that pep talk!
Alphonso, that was a wake up call for me. SO wise! Everything is true and made me think about my moments of frustration and confusion when trying to emulate too many artists and styles. Thank you.
Currently working on a course of just drawing every day. Hopefully it will encourage more drawing and enjoyment, so improvement will come much easier. That said I CANT WAIT FOR THE NEW WORKBOOK! I WANT IT!!
These tips made my day, really. I'm self-learning 3D game art for a while, it tooks me almost everything to prepare my portfolio, but I still got rejected everytime, these days are really hard, I literally losing all energy and adoubt myself everyday.....but your words are so powerful, kinda like wake me up, I realize I'm making some of mistakes that you have metioned in video.....btw your drawings are fantastic, I love how you build these lines like dancing on the paper!
I am a writer as well, and I've been guilty of all these in my both my writting and artwork carreer, and now I can see how to "fix it", this advice applies to all artist out there of every field. Thank you.
Excellent pep talk! I can see a lot of similarities between this and what I tell my students who are learning English. I should listen to my own advice!
I love that he said... If you don't it is fine to go watch something else. Lol The honesty. You have been one of my greatest influences to being honest in my work. You have always made me be in love with my own work. Being in love with my organicness.
I can vouch for the tip of not comparing your art to other peoples and looking at other art too much... one day i just sat down drew an eye how i wanted and slowly kept improving it everytime i drew it and now I’m better (still not where i want to be) but its all about taking the time to learn and practice it... you can watch tutorials all day but if you don’t try to understand it for yourself you’ll be stuck... thats why experimenting is key like with color and shading and you’ll find what you like.
I'm crying while watching this.. the major reason i'm not progressing as i should is myself.. i stop myself from doing things because i think i'm not good enough.. i avoid doing areas that i am not good at or areas i am afraid to make mistakes at.. thank you so much for this.. SUBSCRIBED.
Being a self taught artist certainly has it challenges but I think I'm making progress slowly but surely. Thanks for the advice and the encouragement. #strivingtogetbetter
Thank you so much!! You really inspired me, I get really sad when I don't do this right. But you are really an inspiring person!! Thank you Mr.Alonso. I will do more effort. thank you
Practice!!! Practice!!! Practice!!!! Learn from your mistakes. Such as in life and bingo it starts to happen. Having had a fabulous mentor who said leave the wrong line and keep drawing next to it to compare where you need to go. Carving with your eye and you literally see the process.Happy drawing.
This video hit so close to home for me. I know these are exactly the reasons why I don't see improvement...or what I believe to be non-improvement. If I compare my drawings now to my older ones yes I have improved, but it's still so hard not to compare myself to others. I think my feelings go deeper than the simple act of stop comparing myself to others, but my main issue is how to just stop.
If you compare, do it in a constructive way. Ask, what can I do to be like that? Or qualities about that artist would I like to work on? How can I do it? How did he/she do it
"Setting unfair & unreasonable expectations for yourself" this one hit right on the spot for me. when i read the name of this section,i took a heavy breath. it felt weird.
Yea I just discovered this channel, great motivational tutorials. I'm just about to try what I saw in the Blocking In vid, see if it can get me back in the swing of figure drawing again and help me imagine more interesting poses which is where I always had trouble.
you are incredible at simplifying fast. Nicely done Alphonso, thumbs up, with a pen at that. I need to get more comfortable with these things. Also thank you for the great motivational words of wisdom you've given us. Great video.
Excellent video Alphonso. It's a fight to learn to draw (good) that's for sure. You gotta love stepping through the ropes and taking a few shots to get better.
thanks for the advice. i stop drawing like i dont know how long and now i cant do even a simple drawing, but with your advice and also other videos i hope i can get myself back 😊. thank you ☺
Thank you Mr.Alphonso.....thank you for everything....you are inspiring person...honestly,you added to my humble experience in drawing a huge materials and knowledge where i advanced over 20 days to very higher level and much important in very easy and doable ways..again thank you so much for your kind efforts.
You are a very excellent teacher. I love the way you get to the heart of it. Thanks for your videos. I have your first book but I am going to get the workbook too.
just after this video i was drawing gestures again and realised that i can easier show heads position, this is so awesome - it's the first time when i really see the progress, without doubting it) thank you very much=))))
Thank you, this why I stopped looking at instagram so much, I think it has corrupted me and I’m having a hard time doing my own art and I’m good! I’m just getting back to myself.😊
Hi ,I am from Ukraine , and I cannot translate all that you talk about , but the main wave I able to catch)) I absolutely adore your videos , and completely agree with your words in this one. It's hard to overestimate your advise .Thanks a lot
5 Reasons You May Not be Making Progress
1:03 Not spending enough time with our own work/practice
2:25 Unfairly comparing. yourself to others
3:48 Not being honest with yourself (assess your strengths & weaknesses)
5:03 Giving up before your breakthrough
6:21 Setting unfair and unreasonable expectations
Thanks Alphonso
👍
Joe Wigfall I constantly compare myself to many artists who upload their work on Pixiv, Deviantart, Pinterest, and Twitter and ended feeling inferior and insecure
Loard Maitreya Same here
Thanks Joe
How do you spend time with yourself/craft? Idk what it means lol
Wise words from a wise man. They remind me of a quote by Michelangelo: “If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all.”
Indeed
It's so much more challenging to learn as an artist in the digital age, there's sooooooo much content and noise its easy to get completely sandblasted.
This is why videos like this are needed.
I agree, it definitely is
heh thats me. sitting and watching youtube drawings whole day instead of spent some time on drawing.
Lol go draw something! 🤨
I spend 8 hours watching and 8 minutes drawing. 😂
I can admit to the same thing mangaka.
Story of my life.
bro can u do 3/4 view of lips tutorial
I had watched this video before sometimes back and i didn't understand it as clear as it was.
Watching it again today I realize how long it has taken me to finally have this truth wired into my core by experience when I could have just helped myself when I first saw the video.
All these reasons are the truth... But the truest of all was what he said at the beginning..."you must be willing to help yourself"
There is no shortcut to excellence in any field...
You must put in the amount of work it demands and don't overwhelm yourself before you have hit your goal.
Unlike some other skilled artists on TH-cam, you do a much better job at teaching people how to improve at art. There are lots of other good artists on TH-cam, but most of them arent very good at teaching other people the skills necessary to get better at drawing.
I had a teacher once tell me that we all only have about a thousand bad drawings within us. So if we start now and get those out of the way we can get on with our craft. A fun wayt to think about the process
I found your advice to be very sound, and insightful. The point that you made about social media really got my attention the most because I have noticed that since I started on Instagram about 5 months ago, I started to doubt my artwork simply because of a follower status, and how it fluctuates. It really can be disheartening to have 200 followers one day, and lose 5-10 the next. You start to think that you aren't good enough to keep them. The truth is, those social media outlets are a fleeting muse, and an artificial environment. Not to mention that you can overload yourself with other people's work, just as you said. If you spend thirteen hours a day of browsing other artwork, means you are not using that time to improve your own. There is no way to improve, because you burned all that time comparing yourself to everyone. Thanks for this video..
I couldn’t of said that better myself 👍👍👍
this is the exact same thing happening to me I've deleted so many art accounts I've made because of this (I've also meet some toxic people online that made me feel bad about myself and my art) the thing is that when I was younger these types things didn't bother me all I cared about was my art that's all I focused on . These days I find myself doing less and less art and it scares me. I feel better now but I still find it's a struggle to start back drawing as consistent as I did when I was younger. So I started by learning the basics (things I'm bad at drawing)
I’ve done that ... unrealistic expectation and I was so frustrated and unable to do anything . It overwhelming. Doesn’t help at all lol. So I had to be patient and work step by step even though it took longer.
Youre so right
It didn't take longer. Learning takes as long as it takes. There are no shortcuts apart form committing plenty of time to it.
Pallavi RoyC it took longer than what? Your idea of how it was supposed to happen? Physics doesn’t care about your erroneous idea.
I can paint but I can't draw, I'm 76 and your videos really help. I am painting a large painting of the Brooklyn Bridge with a view of both Brooklyn and Manhattan with people as well. You make it look easy. So here I go. Thank you.
I needed this. I've been thinking about giving up on drawing after two years but these tips showed me that I need to do a self examination and keep going. Thank you so much, seriously, thank you!
Youre very welcome. Dont give up, focus on smaller goals and little strides
Never give up, but practice !!👍
Best of luck to you! :)
You know your the first youtuber with these types of tip videos that have actually helped me and not made me more frustrated I'm an aspiring tattoo artist and when i showed my portfolios to a few shops i got rejected and rejected and gave up on art completely for over a year and i came back and it's like all my art skills have vanished and I'm rebuilding myself back up and just accepting I need to start from the bottom again
Dont stop
This is SO useful. I've had some hard chats with myself and I've gone from selling my art to practicing lines in your workbook and really looking at the world around me and how it really fits together.
Thanks Alphonso. Your videos are always so encouraging and helpful. I drew as I always did for 28 years, cute little childish symbolic drawings. Since September last year I really decided to make drawing a hobby, because I wanted something to do at the end of programming all day that was away from a screen but still felt creative. I will sometimes feel my first stab at something is really impressive, and then be disappointed I fall short of that in other attempts. But when I look through the pages of my sketchbooks, I see how far I've really come and how much more consistent my ability is, with how much more clarity I understand subjects, or at least understand where the gaps in my knowledge about a drawing subject is. I don't have a goal to do this professionally, so I'm not under the same pressure a younger artist might be. I remember the tremendous pressure I felt when I wanted to write fiction for a living, how much time and energy I put into that and I can still look back on things I wrote and think "this is good," where at the time I would have always thought it was not good enough because I didn't have income to show for it. I don't think we all need to fully master drawing, but just starting on that journey teaches you so many things and makes you look not just at other people's drawings with new appreciation, but at the whole world around you. Your tutorials have been a wonderful asset to my drawing journey.
Are you still drawing?
Thank you Alphonso for your kind encouragement with this video and others you have done in the past. Keep up the great work on TH-cam. I have your book and I encourage everyone to get a copy....it is outstanding.
Thanks so much!
That's exactly my problem! I look at other artist's work and take screenshots because they look so amazing. I study those pictures, and then try creating something of my own, but it never looks as good to me.
What I like about these tips and advices is that it's applicable anywhere. Man you're the best Alphonso Dunn!
I related so much with these advice, thank you so much! These apply to all artists and to different areas of life. It’s like the saying “ don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle”. Awesome video!
thanks for this video i finally i understand i was not making progress
especially when you said " not spending enough time with own work or practice", "Setting unfair and unreasonable expectations",Not being honest with yourself (assess your strengths & weaknesses)
Thank you, I’ve been doing all of these without realizing it. No wonder why I felt burned out by drawing for 5 months.
Yea, it happens. Take a step back, reevaluate things, and have another go at it 💪
Dol _ You could practice self reflection to help the bigger picture of your drawing situation. It will also help your relationships. No body wants to be around a person with no self awareness. A daily meditation practice?
Bought your book off Amazon this morning! Have a great day!
Thats awesome! Thanks so much
Thank you so much for always being so encouraging, Mr. Dunn.
It inspires me to inspire you all
I really needed this video. I'm 36 and been drawing on and off since I was a kid. I wish I would've stuck to it. Now I feel like I'm playing catch up. I want to actually stay with it now. I just feel like I'm almost to old. I realize how much I still need to learn. Just figuring out where to start is super overwhelming. You just helped me realize I'm beating myself up to much. Along with other things I'm doing that you put some light to. Ty for the inspiration. Saving this video for when I need a confidence boost. Again ty so much!
💪💪💪
I feel this rings true for learning any skill that I care about. Solid advice.
You are a true artist. Very few people would give out this truth and wisdom
I really appreciate this video. Today I had to show all my drawings for the the assessment. And when I saw others' drawings and mine I really felt overwhelmed. But now I got some idea how can I move on a little more.
This posting was so inspirational - Thanks Alphonso Dunn. I keep comparing myself with others - then I tell myself that I'm rubbish because I'm not at their level. I'm off work sick at the moment, so I'm going to sit and draw.
Get to it! And do your best to be consistent
This is helpful information for all forms of artists out there. I can apply this wisdom to music as well as drawings
: ) glad you find it useful
Jebstone ,thats very true...
I did the same with learning piano
I wanted to advance faster overlooking the basics
Great advice Alphonso. Ive always loved to draw but ive never really disciplined myself and focused on reaching as high a skill level as I can until recently. Now my aim is to become as great of an artist as i can and I'm glad ive recently discovered you because you've already taught me a lot and I have no doubt I'll learn a lot more from you in the times to come. In addition to the wonderful tips you've given in this video I would also suggest to the other budding artists out there not to let yourself be an obsessive perfectionist about your work. That's something that I struggled with for a loooong time. I can remember becoming so frustrated when i was younger when my work didnt turn out exactly how I envisioned it in my head. That obsessive perfectionism , that holding myself to unrealistically high expectations and not accepting "messing up" or "failure" caused me many times to put my practice away out of shame and disappointment. As artists we should be ok with messing up. It is only through constant failure that we eventually succeed. Recently I've embraced not being perfect right away and ive been drawing more consistently than I have in years. And it's the consistency and practice which helps us advance. Thanks again my friend! And good luck to all the artists out there! Cheers
Thank you for such wise and kind words. You’re amazing! I love your artwork. And your passion and compassion for other artists. So wonderful. ❤
Thank you, I really needed to hear that.
Woah, your tips strikes directly in my heart. I figured out most of the tips myself even before watching this video, and it is true especially the first tip. I had to shut down my social media accounts because I have found myself insecure on other people's drawings. And it was the best decision I have ever done. Whenever I feel bad on my drawing, I always go back to basics. And now I have no troubles drawing everyday.
Yayyyyy thats awesome!
Great practical and compassionate advice. Just what I needed to hear at this moment. Thanks for sharing your talent and wisdom.
Thank you so much i really needed that because i do all those mistakes especially compring myself to others
Love this video - just what I needed to hear. Esp the part about comparing yourself to others. Although the part about setting unfair and unreasonable expectations really hit home.
I have a low tolerance for frustration, and when things don't turn out the way I expect after copying something, I get bummed.
Lately though, have realized that I'm not going to have great results when i don't practice often enough or just try to "wing it" without reading instructions first. These days, I congratulate myself for just drawing something, anything.
It means that it's important enough to me to dedicate time to it.
Thanks, Alphonso! You're a triple threat - a good teacher, a great artist, and an inspiration to others.
Not trying to bust anyone's balls or anything... BUT if you want to get better at drawing things, it's a much better exercise to find something to look at, and just draw it... If you practice or exercise by copying, then you'll only REALLY get better at copying...
AND there's nothing wrong with copying and tracing... BUT when I draw, I'm not just a Xerox machine that walks around... I use my medium of colored ink, LINES, and paper... Them's the rules... I look at something, figure the angles with my fingers or a pen or just some reasonably straight stick, sighting it to the subject and then matching that angle sighted to my paper, and make the line(s)... BUT a lot of what I draw is "just winging it" as it were... or "eyeballing it" with a fair splash of "ish" to fudge the details I need and want into place, but more build the impression of details than precisely put every blade of grass and tree leaf in its place. I don't have the time to do all that... SO I make an impression of the subject, and THAT is what the art is about...
If precision copies are all you need, I might suggest getting a camera... It's a lot easier and not terribly expensive. ;o)
Thank you so much! I was currently going through a period of not feeling any of my art was better. It felt stagnate, but you helped me out so much. Great vid!
: ) glad I could help
thank you for this. ive been feeling a bit overwhelmed recently. Have a good day. I can't wait to purchase your pen and ink book soon!
Thank you so much for your encouragement !
very welcome. The pleasure is mine : )
This is some of the most helpful advice I have ever received. Number one really spoke to me. Thank you so much.
no worries. Glad they helped
I miss your new videos. Hope you are doing well. I did purchase your book and hoping to illustrate my own children’s book someday.
That was very helpful, thank you. Being honest and fair to oneself could really be the key to unlock creative blockings. I will try out your suggestions!
Alphonso, you hit the nail on the head for me with every thing you said in this video. I (unfortunately) have been doing these things and it’s no wonder I feel the way I do with my art. I’ll spend hours watching videos or going on Pinterest or Instagram and while I am finding inspiration, the other big chunk of time spent is comparing myself and then feeling very inadequate and down on myself. I will definitely be actively trying to change and tweak things and I’m sure I’ll feel much better. Thanks for another great video! Take care
Very happy I found this video. I definitely needed to hear all these things. I've been struggling a lot lately with "I am not good enough" or "I am not as good as they are". These tips really helped. thank you!
Glad it helped : )
These steps are very helpful. I realized a lot. No wonder I would give up, it was easier yes but it’s not worth it. Gotta keep going forward! Thanks Alfonso
: ) very welcome
Thanks for this video, Alphonso. About a month ago I was involved in an online project and they kept encouraging everyone to join the Facebook group. When I looked at everyone's work there, I realized that it would only make me feel inadequate, so I didn't go back to their Facebook page. I appreciate you saying this, because it seemed kind of like sour grapes to me at the time to not want to see the work of people who were more advanced than I. I was wondering if you have a patreon channel. Your videos are so helpful to so many people! I did buy your book, but would like to do more. Thank you again!
Thanks so much! It is ok to feel a bit intimidated by other’s work. We just have to find a way to let our walk be our walk and let its own merit define its standards. Use others for inspiration and celebrate your small steps.
I am thinking about creating a patreon page. I’ll see
Alphonso I wish you had a podcast!! you're always so helpful. a lot of what you said rings so many bells in my head about my own progress!
Glad I can help : )
These 5 reasons has held me back so many times in life. I even stopped drawing completely for 2 years straight because of discouragement. All from looking at my favorite artists latest work.
Stop! Stop! Stop! Draw for you and no one else
Thanks Alphonso for your great book! Greetings from Sofia, Bulgaria!
Thanks much for supporting it : )
You're a great teacher. Thank you for posting this plainspoken truth.
I got an inspiring push from this video, thank you sir! 🙏🏾
I just got your book and I cant wait to start studying! Thanks for sharing all your knowledge with us.
Yayyyy hope you will find it super useful
I needed this . Still drawing every day but its frustrating at times. Great advice. thank you.
I know the feeling. Push through it
Incredibly on point Mr Dunn. I've gone through every one of these stages.Thank you for being my biggest inspiration.
Just glad I can help : )
turning this video off to take the advice! don't overdo it, don't spend too much time on social media and take some more time with yourself and your art...thank you! i needed that pep talk!
Alphonso, that was a wake up call for me. SO wise! Everything is true and made me think about my moments of frustration and confusion when trying to emulate too many artists and styles. Thank you.
Glad I can help
Currently working on a course of just drawing every day. Hopefully it will encourage more drawing and enjoyment, so improvement will come much easier. That said I CANT WAIT FOR THE NEW WORKBOOK! I WANT IT!!
Stick with it!💪
ياخي انتا والله خطر خطرررررر ..ظريف ...زول فاهم ما زي المغرورين التانيين اللي بحطمونا
These tips made my day, really. I'm self-learning 3D game art for a while, it tooks me almost everything to prepare my portfolio, but I still got rejected everytime, these days are really hard, I literally losing all energy and adoubt myself everyday.....but your words are so powerful, kinda like wake me up, I realize I'm making some of mistakes that you have metioned in video.....btw your drawings are fantastic, I love how you build these lines like dancing on the paper!
Thank you ,your class have been helped and encouraged us so much
Omg you are cutting me so deep, sir. This is everything I needed to hear right now. Thank you.
🙂
I am a writer as well, and I've been guilty of all these in my both my writting and artwork carreer, and now I can see how to "fix it", this advice applies to all artist out there of every field. Thank you.
Thats awesome. Thanks : )
Excellent pep talk! I can see a lot of similarities between this and what I tell my students who are learning English. I should listen to my own advice!
Bro that first thing is exactly what I’m going through... I don’t even draw too much anymore, but I’m getting back into it!
I love that he said... If you don't it is fine to go watch something else. Lol The honesty. You have been one of my greatest influences to being honest in my work. You have always made me be in love with my own work. Being in love with my organicness.
I can vouch for the tip of not comparing your art to other peoples and looking at other art too much... one day i just sat down drew an eye how i wanted and slowly kept improving it everytime i drew it and now I’m better (still not where i want to be) but its all about taking the time to learn and practice it... you can watch tutorials all day but if you don’t try to understand it for yourself you’ll be stuck... thats why experimenting is key like with color and shading and you’ll find what you like.
I'm crying while watching this.. the major reason i'm not progressing as i should is myself.. i stop myself from doing things because i think i'm not good enough.. i avoid doing areas that i am not good at or areas i am afraid to make mistakes at.. thank you so much for this.. SUBSCRIBED.
Push yourself, push yourself. Do what youre uncomfortable doing and tell yourself, its ok. The world is not going to end
Alphonso Dunn thank you soooo much.. you're very inspiring. Continue to inspire people, sir. 💕
Being a self taught artist certainly has it challenges but I think I'm making progress slowly but surely. Thanks for the advice and the encouragement. #strivingtogetbetter
Slow and steady wins the race
Thank you so much!! You really inspired me, I get really sad when I don't do this right. But you are really an inspiring person!! Thank you Mr.Alonso. I will do more effort. thank you
Keep going! 💪
You are the best art coach on the interweb thank you! 🔥✏
This video is exactly what I needed to hear! Thank you! Greetings from South Africa
Glad I could offer some inspiration
Thank you very much for these simple and true tips and advice!
Very welcome
Practice!!! Practice!!! Practice!!!! Learn from your mistakes. Such as in life and bingo it starts to happen. Having had a fabulous mentor who said leave the wrong line and keep drawing next to it to compare where you need to go. Carving with your eye and you literally see the process.Happy drawing.
this is true for so much more than drawing! thanks man, this helped a lot!
This video hit so close to home for me. I know these are exactly the reasons why I don't see improvement...or what I believe to be non-improvement. If I compare my drawings now to my older ones yes I have improved, but it's still so hard not to compare myself to others. I think my feelings go deeper than the simple act of stop comparing myself to others, but my main issue is how to just stop.
If you compare, do it in a constructive way. Ask, what can I do to be like that? Or qualities about that artist would I like to work on? How can I do it? How did he/she do it
Alphonso Dunn thanks for the tip. I will try to do that more often 😊
Wisdom! Delivered with humility and encouragement....Thanks so much!
Very welcome
Ok I certainly didn't expect to feel so called out when clicking that video but it was a great one! Thanks a lot!
lol sorry, but glad it helped : )
"Setting unfair & unreasonable expectations for yourself" this one hit right on the spot for me. when i read the name of this section,i took a heavy breath. it felt weird.
Thanks for the help. I came hear to try to get rid of this artist block and it worked. Keep doing what you're doing Alphonso, because it works
Yea I just discovered this channel, great motivational tutorials. I'm just about to try what I saw in the Blocking In vid, see if it can get me back in the swing of figure drawing again and help me imagine more interesting poses which is where I always had trouble.
Thank you for the tips and videos. All teachers need to watch your videos to see the way you approach teaching others. Thank you.
Thanks
you are incredible at simplifying fast. Nicely done Alphonso, thumbs up, with a pen at that. I need to get more comfortable with these things. Also thank you for the great motivational words of wisdom you've given us. Great video.
🙂 my pleasure
thank you so much! the video was amazing and you I totally right! This is what I needed to hear. Thank you so much!
glad I could help : )
Thank you for this. I needed this reminder today. You are not only a great artist but a wise one too.
Thanks much
These reasons can be related to others aspects in life
Like 👌
Excellent video Alphonso. It's a fight to learn to draw (good) that's for sure. You gotta love stepping through the ropes and taking a few shots to get better.
Yup! love that analogy 😀
Very good points. Not bad to be reminded now and again. I should take that first one especially at heart....
🙏
thanks for the advice.
i stop drawing like i dont know how long and now i cant do even a simple drawing, but with your advice and also other videos i hope i can get myself back 😊.
thank you ☺
Glad I could help to get you going again : )
Watching all your videos mate ! Trying to learn so basics, and videos help a lot... Thank you so much great content. Greetings from France
Thank you Mr.Alphonso.....thank you for everything....you are inspiring person...honestly,you added to my humble experience in drawing a huge materials and knowledge where i advanced over 20 days to very higher level and much important in very easy and doable ways..again thank you so much for your kind efforts.
You are a very excellent teacher. I love the way you get to the heart of it. Thanks for your videos. I have your first book but I am going to get the workbook too.
Thanks much 🙂
just after this video i was drawing gestures again and realised that i can easier show heads position, this is so awesome - it's the first time when i really see the progress, without doubting it) thank you very much=))))
Very welcome. Glad I can help : )
Thank you, this why I stopped looking at instagram so much, I think it has corrupted me and I’m having a hard time doing my own art and I’m good! I’m just getting back to myself.😊
Love your videos and you give good, sound advice; not only for drawing but they are good principles of life. Thanks for posting!
Glad I can help : )
Oh look. It's all the flaws I've been struggling with for years.
I definitely need to listen to this every single day.
Keep at it
Came here to find some tips to improve my art, but I found great life lessons!
Thank you so much!!!
you said is truth. we have that reasons, thats what is stopping us from progressing but thnx for the advice....
: )
We all need to watch this video. Incredibly wise words.
New to your channel! Great video!! This is some of the stuff I struggle with! Looking forward to watching more!
thank you.. i learn alot from every video on your channel.. especially the hatching and cross hatching video
Hi ,I am from Ukraine , and I cannot translate all that you talk about , but the main wave I able to catch)) I absolutely adore your videos , and completely agree with your words in this one. It's hard to overestimate your advise .Thanks a lot
Thanks, and youre very welcome