Cactologist wrote:Ooo this is so nice and I love this idea!
My question is on figuring out anatomy and your style. I know it just takes time and practice, but do you have any tips along the way to make it easier/smoother/more efficient?
style and anatomy are definitely a big part of art for most people, so good question!
years ago, i started out copying others' styles. i was young and really wanted my art to look cool, and didn't know better. from my standpoint now i don't think that really helped my style much, as now i think style is more of something you develop and grow than something you slap down and call your own.
what has helped me (and still helps me now!) is the 'learn the rules before you break them' saying. it may be super easy to make a drawing with lots of unintentional anatomical mistakes and call it 'stylistic choices (we all do it sometimes), but it won't really help much in the long run. i found that looking at references and doodling skeletons and more realistic drawings was super helpful when learning to draw, and helps to make even heavily stylized drawings better.
as for style, i'd say don't force it on yourself! even if something looks super nice to others, if you don't feel comfortable/are not happy drawing it it's not going to feel as personalized and you as you'd like it. your style is usually something that grows with you and will take time to develop! heck, i've been going at this for years, and my style changes slightly every day. think of it as a plant. you plant the seed, water it, and put it in the sun. it will grow slowly and changes usually won't be very sudden! *this doesn't mean don't experiment with your style, but understand that it's a very gradual sort of thing that will change over time, just like you.
usually, your art style will slowly but steadily emerge as you practice art, and you can embrace it for what it is as it comes!
i hope this helps! <3
