[oat milk]

if you look at someone's art, you can tell whether what they're drawing is their mind's idea of what something looks like (e.g. anatomically incorrect, awkward shape etc) or if it's a render that was done with a proper look at what they've drawn (i.e. they used references). it's important to use references in your art, because if you don't, your mind will keep tricking you into believing that what you're drawing is completely accurate, when it is devolving into something too stylized to look nice. the best way to pull off very stylized art is to have a solid knowledge of basic anatomy and other art skills, so that you know how to bend realism into something that is visually appealing. learn the rules before you break them