Draw this again challenge; How to track growth

Artists are their own worse critiques. Sometimes it is hard to see your own progress or to like your own work. The only way to really get better, however, is to keep drawing and to stay motivated.  Tracking your growth can be a motivation to keep drawing

Digital drawing can feel like a whole new skill to learn. When you get started with digital art you will find yourself in a whole new position.  Even with a tablet, the software and the way things are build up can be entirely different than what you are used to.

Track growth;

Draw this again challenges can be an amazing way for you to see how far you have come. But when you try the same picture like once a year that picture can be a live tracking of your skills and style. I have seen some artist do this and I think it is one of the easiest ways track growth.

Why are “draw again” challenges great?

• shows of improvement
• make great content
• can make for a great study

Another great way is, of course, a sketchbook. This is something that if you are committed to it you could make into a personal archive.

The first Picture;

For this posts, I thought I would share some of my progress through a draw this again challenge. The picture I am repainting I remember being very proud of.

So the software this first one was painted in 5 years ago was free online software that is still available and while it isn’t terrible, they did make part of it paid which was when I really cut loose on it. Apart from that it also came with a great art community.

Currently, I am more active on Deviant Art but Sumopaint was my go-to place first.

When I was on Sumopaint I barely spoke English and my grammar was much worse than it was now.

But is was such a lovely place and everybody would make Christmas cards and gifts and fanart of each other and there were friendly competitions all the time. It was also the place where I learned a lot about digital art. I also was a great fan of the smudge brush (still are but I do hope it is less apparent now). Over the years, I have switched software and techniques and I thought we could all take a look at where I am now.

Being critical

Evaluating your own work can be a downer but it is also great to see what you want to improve. Like the analysis of my previous work, I learned a lot about what I need to improve on.

Every new drawing will be a step towards being a better artist. When you evaluate your own work (when you are feeling confident) You get a chance to see the things you need to work on.

This means not just making a list of things you don’t like but also looking at how you could improve it. Don’t just say; “I need to work on anatomy” but be specific about which part like; “I need to fid out how the neck connects to the head naturally. “

My points for this work were; 

• better light (more contrast)
• more details in the background
• More lively colours

The end result;

After adding the lightning;

By analyzing my work I know what I have improved on and what I am still working on. That way I track my growth with an easy comparison. 

I think this end result learned me that I need to work more on lighting. Even though this is not my best work I still feel like it is a big improvement from the last one.

My points for this work were; 

• better light (more contrast)
• more details in the background
• More lively colours

Recreating work and trying to draw out old ideas again is, in my opinion, a great way to see how far you have come and if you have improved. Trying to become better is again something I think most artists are trying to do. It is important to also acknowledge how far you have already come.

I would love to hear your thoughts! Do you track your progress?