Your art sucks, and that's OK 

Is anyone else at that stage where you've improved a lot faster in the past, but all of a sudden you just stop improving for a while or just improve really slowly?

Art is a painful depressing and a lovely journey

I literally spent 4-5 hours on my art.. and I'm proud of it.. until I go on Pinterest and I see ppl that are way better than me. That ARE THE SAME AGE AS ME....

“The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.” ― Stephen McCranie

Here's the thing though I feel proud of my art until I see someone else's.

The best art advice I've ever got was. "When you're not happy with your art. It's because you can see what you need to improve. And you know what you need to work on." Also "remember, to anyone with less skill than you, what you're doing, basically makes you a wizard. "

My friend once shared an art advice to me "if you think you're current drawing is ugly, look back on your oldest drawing and see how much you improved"

"stop obsessing over how good everyone else is and focus on yourself" - thank you so much i needed this!

I always feel like absolute trash when my art isnt good, but than i remember that everyone started somewhere. Every beginner should remember that and just keep going, it can only get better

what I've learned so far is that if you're comparing yourself to your favorite artists you're never going to get on the level you want. What really helped me personally was looking at artwork that I enjoy and actually thinking "why do I enjoy this?" then looking at my own art and asking "how can I make this better?" Instead of comparing get inspired

This reminded me of a funny image that cheered me up. a guy brings a cake to a table, and looks over at the other guy's cake. He thinks to himself, "man his cake is so much better than mine" then another person comes in after the first one left, knife and fork ready. He thinks to himself, "Oh boy! Two cakes!" I forget that art isn't a competition. We aren't jostling to get the viewers attention. There is always love to be shared, even if you think your work doesn't deserve it.

It's hard staying positive when you know that no matter how harr you try and how much you improve, your art doesn't get any recognition or love. Makes me want to give up posting for others to see and hoping I can make at least someone happy

I’m in an art university and tried my hardest and thought it was pretty good and then I got feed back saying “You sure you want to do art?” I felt like crap

My brain: *draw* My eyes: *draw* My hand: lol wuts a pen

As a kid I hid behind my art to escape problems. I love doing random sketches and doodles on whatever paper I could find. I didn't bother learning the basics of art like color theory, shading, anatomy or anything like that because I didn't take art seriously. As long as I have a pen or pencil to sketch with then I'm fine. Still, people around me would praise my work saying I'm so talented. So, for my entire life I considered myself an artist because people see me as an artist. Only when I reached my senior year of highschool did I struggle with my identity as an "artist". I joined an arts program in senior high because art is literally the only thing I'm good at. Putting myself in a class full of artists made me realize how much I lacked in terms of skill and knowledge in art. I felt ashamed to call myself an artist. My classmates would talk about these different types of pencils, brands, techniques, terminologies that I had no clue of. I didn't want to feel out of place with these kids so I practiced, I experimented other mediums, I studied the different brands, I tried new artstyles. In the end my art did get better and I felt proud of myself. Then the pandemic happened, I went through the longest art block I've ever been in. For almost a year I stopped drawing. I found myself unmotivated to draw anything. After things got a bit better I pushed myself to sketch something. After that I drew nonstop. This went on for about two months but then I got busy cause college entrance exams were coming up. Now, I'm an architecture student starting her 2nd year this august. We have this one class where we are taught to draw and render plants, interior and exterior facade of a house in pencil, watercolor, and colored pencil. I thought "Oh, this sounds pretty easy. I have past experience with art so I'll do just fine." None of the work I did satisfied me. I felt like I rushed those assignments just so I can reach the deadline which affected my work. I did not feel happy seeing the works I've done and the grades that disappointed me. I tried my best. I spent all-nighters just so I can pass something good, and yet, why do I feel like my work is still mediocre? I did a few commissions in my free time which gave me a break from all the stress of architecture. Ever since then I struggled again with my identity as an artist and as a person. Am I really an artist? Why does it feel like those years I spent learning art was all for nothing when I see my art next to someone's that's actually good. I thought I knew what I was doing when in fact I barely know anything. Art has been with me my whole life, so, If I'm not good at art then what am I? I'm not sure if I should continue architecture but I don't know what else to take. Plus my parents don't want me shifting cause tuition is expensive af and I don't want to put them through more burdens.

I hope this helps people. I stopped drawing completely because i never improved. I started drawing when i was a teen, tracing over a character and looking at it for hours. I wanted to make these myself, so i studied, and studied, and practiced...i never got good, i could never make an art that anyone, not even me liked. Of course my friends tried to cheer me up, saying "it will get better" and other nice things. But there i was, month ago. Drawing my line art, stroke after stroke i just ended up with a bunch of trash paper in my room. Nothing was good. One year of learning human anatomy, reading books and even taking a week off just to practice, or drawing for 24 hours. Nothing work. Piece after piece ended up in my trash bin, and the past month i bought a simple notebook with blank papers to just, fill it. And it wasn't just me not being able to fill it. There was no paper left. Nothing more to draw in. So i decided to stop, it took me 5 years worth of just...throwing papers out and buying tons of pencils to finally say that i can't, and will never be able to do it. And i'm sick that now youtube throws videos of people..."learning to draw anime in a week" or "draw xy in 10 minutes" i was never able to do those in 5 years. But i hope people will get inspired by this, and they will create beautiful artworks and paintings. Best of luck to everyone on this journey.

I really hate making art sometimes i feel like my art equals to my self worth it’s because it’s the one thing I committed my whole life and I feel horrible when I see how my art isn’t how I want to look

I've been drawing for 20 years at least, have a degree in visual arts, and I still feel like everything I do sucks. These videos always address beginner artists, but I wish there was more advice for people like me who still don't like anything they do. I searched everywhere for advice for people who are NOT beginners and google literally didn't have a result for me. The only link it had was for something unrelated to my question. I think I've just given up on ever liking my art and just do it anyway.

My biggest problem is i dont have motivation, it just feels like ill never be able to do anything that looks good

What’s not mentioned here is that progress isn’t linear. Just because you consistently practice doesnt mean youre just going to get better and better as time goes on. You will get better, then you will get worse, then you will get better again. Everytime you learn a new technique or aspect about a particular skill, you will get worse before you get better. If you expect nothing but constant, undeniable progress as you put more time in, you’re gonna have a bad time.

I’m 24, and from middle school up till high school, I used to draw pretty well. Then I stopped for a number of years, and now I just get so frustrated with how horrible my art has become due to me not practicing continuously. When I see other people on RU-vid who are my age and who have practiced continuously and their art looks amazing, I’m both filled with awe and regret for not continuing. Sometimes I feel like it’s too late, but this video helped me to realize that it’s never too late. I still get frustrated and throw away paintings the second it goes south, but I’m willing to work through this frustration for once.

I keep getting jealous from other artists and feel like I can't draw good enough.

To be honest I feel even more devastated when I see people younger than me draw better. I'm 19 and there are so many 15-17 year olds that I look up to so much but wish I had that skill at 17, even have that skill now

I'm stuck like this. Its just hard to keep going because "what's the point of drawing if it all looks bad?"

Her: If you've been drawing for a few years and your art still sucks- Me: *I've been drawing my whole life and my art sucks* Edit: I see this comment has gotten some likes so I want to say that my art doesn't actually suck, and yours probably doesn't either. As artists we are incredibly critical of our own work, and prone to self-deprecation, but that really isn't healthy. Art isn't about being The Best™, it's about expressing yourself and having fun. It isn't a competition. The only thing that matters is that you enjoy drawing and do it from the heart. Never lose that love and passion for creating, don't worry about how fast you're improving.

Aizawa once said: “take your frustration at failing and turn it into motivation to get better.” I know he’s fictional, but what he said is true. I like to think back to that when I want to quit art. I started drawing so I could make comics. I’m nowhere near the goal, but I’m gonna get there. After all, why quit when I’ve been trying for years?

i don’t feel sad or disappointed when someone who’s art is better than mine was practicing for a while but when i see a very skilled teenagers who have trained only for a few years i really wanna cry

Being critical of your art is a good mindset to have but you can also appreciate what you create too. I think theres a good balance to strike when it comes to drawing and illustrations. Strive to gain new skills but appreciate what you've created Theres a quote from a art tv host who was a big part of my childhood :) "Your art doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be yours" -Neil Buchanan

Bold of you to assume my anxiety ridden mind will accept that perfection is an impossible standard and failing is okay

My brain: (imagines amazing scenes and animations based on rps and DnD adventures) Me: Okay, now to draw it out! My hand: lolwut Edit: After two years, I've decided to edit this post as I've remembered this can be called Hyperphantasia.

last year, one of my drawings was found on an website that openly mocks people's drawings, and has gained a little bit of circulation since. i've learned from my mistakes, but i feel like i'm unable to apply that newfound knowledge into new drawings. between that and finding drawing is too mentally draining, i just don't have any motivation to do so these days. i want to stop thinking about the past and move on, but i just feel like i can't improve

I'm a young artist who struggles a lot with my self esteem so I wanted to thank you for making this video. I keep coming back to it every time I feel like my art is trash and I don't make any progress. It's hard to do something for fun when all you do is compare yourself to everybody else. I love drawing but at the same time it can be so depressing for me, so thank you for reminding me every time that it's okay to feel this way and that practicing is not pointless

Me: *spends 12 hours drawing one picture* Me: *posts it* Someone: lol thats stupid

I mean in my experience there are people who have natural talent towards particular aspects of art, like mixing colors and composition. In the painting class in art school a few people had considerably better paintings than the rest because they had interesting colors, correct tones, great composition and ideas. We were all about the same level of experience. Some people might have it easier due to natural inclination for art or the way they see the world, but I do agree that anyone can make good art with the right amount of practice :)

"YO LOOK AT THIS FAN ART I MADE, IT LOOKS SO GOO-" *sees someone else's art* _"..."_

Can we just appreciate her art style in this video? I love how you make the lines imperfect and how the color passes the lines. It breaks the boundaries for the usual art “rules” In my opinion, there are no rules to art, art is anything you want it to be. Though this is not an excuse for avoiding practice for your art. As a semi-beginner artist, I struggle a lot with anatomy. Everyone has they’re own art journey, everyone struggles with something different. You can’t always help someone. Don’t think about where you are now as an artist, think about how you can improve in the future. Keep going future Leonardo De Vinci 💗 (P.S. whenever I feel like my art is crappy, I think about it as abstract or surreal. Next time, when you think you made “bad art” (seriously it’s a masterpiece!) think about that and see how it changes your perspective and motivation. You got this, say it yourself)

i swear, i've been drawing for so long and there are maybe five pieces out of my ten or so sketchbooks that i like. i never have motivation, and when i do and i try to draw something good, i always feel so determined and proud. then, when i finish -- or usually when i get about halfway through -- i realize i hate it. lately, that's made me stop drawing, usually for weeks at a time. god, i freaking hate that feeling.

Everytime i draw: First attempt: trash Second attempt: trash Using old drawings for reference: cringe . . . . 30th attempt: finally *Noticed a little mistake that affected the whole thing 30th attempt: trash

"it's gonna suck for a while" homie it's been 8 almost 9 years

I always come back to this video whenever I get jealous of other artist (especially young skilled artist) or whenever I feel like giving up at art. The message and the way they are presented always make me want to keep going, even when I’m shedding tears it still keeps me going.

I've found that flipping the image really helps figuring out if there's flaws in your drawing.

I’m at the point where I made something that was really good and now everything else I do looks awful to me

I every time go back to this video when i feel bad about my drawing and wanna give up. Thank you for motivation

How dare you make me proud of my art and inspire me to make more... ok but seriously tysm and i love ur art

imagine creating masterpiece after masterpiece and never in your life finding a buyer for your work that happened to Van Gogh

7:18 "and thats the main reason im making this video, because you dont have to feel like that... *with skillshare..* " weirdly enough i was waiting for some kinda sponsor at this part xD

dude...the timing for this video is perfect. recently i've been struggling with drawing and jealousy because i find myself to be 'talentless' but this? this does give me a few reasons to keep going. thank you.

No it's not ok, it needs to be perfect

There's a huge difference between "critiquing my own art" and believing everything is trash. I love my art, and I love drawing. It's my passion, my lifeline, and what I'm constantly thinking about. I've been trying to seriously draw since the age of 12, when I got my first tablet - So about 7 years. By no means do I claim my art to be the best, or to be an expert -- but the notion that to be a good artist you must hate your work is completely wrong. You can love what you draw and love drawing a lot, but still be critical of everything you create. The reason I love my art despite it being flawed, despite people being better, despite it not being very good half of the time, is because I realized you don't have to make perfect art. Your art doesn't need to be perfect, and you should love everything you make. It's yours. Only you can create it. Saying "if you love you're art, you're probably doing something wrong" is so wrong on so many levels. Instead of promoting the idea that all artists need to be sad, need to hate everything that they do - Promote the idea that artists should stop comparing themselves to others and to enjoy the creative process. There's absolutely no benefit in telling people that they should feel terribly about their art. TL;DR: instead of assuring people that feeling terrible about their art constantly and to an awful degree, try to change the way people view the creative process as a whole. Feeling bad about your art is normal, but saying that it's healthy to completely hate everything you do isn't okay. You can still want to get better without being hypercritical. You're not required to feel terribly to learn further, if that makes sense.

I remember watching an interview with a professional Japanese manga artist who had been working in the field for over a decade. When asked how to improve one's art he quoted his former teacher: "You have to fill 1000 pages a year to improve." I really liked that. Now obviously filling 1000 pages won't gurantee improvement, but humans love set goals and things to work towards. So if you have trouble getting motivated, you can at least remember the 1000 pages goal. And I'm sure if you put genuine effort into each of those 1000 pages, you *will* improve.

I’ve honestly been drawing as a hobby for 30+ years & I admit I still draw badly several times a month but the urge to improve still remains after so many years. This video is pure genius. Thank you for sharing!!

For everyone coming here to vent, art is hard and life is too but please try to have fun, don't compare yourself to others , everyone is different , draw from the heart , love your drawings good or bad, don't banish them to the shadow realm , I am a person that suffers from escapism and every adventure I hold dearly to my heart be it good or bad , bad thoughts and feelings will only make everything worse try, to calm down, analyze the situation and overcome , cherish your first drawings and look back on them years later knowing very well that without them you wouldn't be where you are now. This applies to everything , your first poached egg, first story, first song,first workout, first fish caught, understand that without those ,without taking that first step you could not have progressed further , the first steps will always be hard, the road will be fuzzy ,but as you go on patterns will repeat themselves, the very action of walking that road in any profession will become something natural and the road that looked fuzzy, you will start to see more clearly , you will learn to read it almost instantly as you go on.

“If you’ve been drawing for a few years and your art still sucks” I’ve been drawing for about 15 years and my art still sucks.

My usual process: *Drew a wallpaper* "I'm content about this, this is good." 2 weeks later *looks at drawn wallpaper* "OMG I NEED TO RECREATE THIS, THIS IS SO BAD. *Recreates the wallpaper* *The cycle repeats.*

I needed this. I'm simultaneously guilty of both mindsets. I am often hyper critical of everything I make, it all feels like shit, but at the same time as soon as I have something I actually think I did half good on it becomes "oh yeah dude I'm a fucking prodigy". Honestly it's like most things I've tried, to get good you first have to acknowledge how shit you are at it. If I didn't go through a whole cycle of realizing how bad I was at fighting I never would have dropped everything and focused on training to get good, it also took a healthy respect for my opponents, overestimate what they can do and I usually have a better shot at winning. Looking at drawing like working out actually feels a bunch easier. I'm constantly wanting to draw something but having the issue of not being able to replicate it, but if instead I go "i want to draw this and I'm gonna keep drawing it until I get it" that feels more achievable. Like you can't expect to be able to deadlift 2x your bodyweight out the gate, you gotta start light and keep building your back muscles until you can tackle that heavy lift. Looking at it as a skill issue is disheartening and demoralizing, but looking at it as a muscle issue is 10 million times more treatable.

I really do like the art style you used in this video! It’s simple and a little messy, but it’s also cute, eye catching and effective! I’m really impressed how well you’ve managed to train your non dominant hand and its encouraged me to keep it up myself because I’m trying to do the same thing. All the points you made in this video are so true and I’m glad you decided to share them

Astri: "You might be wondering why the art process on the screen looks so different compared to my usual work" Me: This is the first video I've seen of this artist so I'm kinda excited to see what her other style is like *Looks at profile picture* What *Clicks channel* OHMYGO-

Every artists have to go through 'you cant do it, you are a trash, drawing is just a waste of time, you cant improve' which makes them even more superior. JUST DONT GIVE UP

I think we just all depressed af

to the artists who envy younger artists who seem to be greater at their work than they are: just a reminder that the age of a person or even how long they've been practicing doesn't always dictate how good their progress is. every person's progress is going to be different and just because you don't seem to be progressing as fast as others, doesn't make you less of an artist. be patient with yourself and just know that we as artists are always improving in some way so there's no point comparing yourself to each other

I absolutely love art. I've only been drawing more "professionally" for about 2-3 years, and it still kinda sucks. I'm getting better slowly, but I'm learning a lot as I continue drawing. I draw something everyday ^^ Art makes me so fucking happy

As someone who has struggled with trying to draw for years, this is a simple piece of advice that finally got me started rather than just doing one or two drawings then putting down the pencil for months at a time, try just drawing without looking at your art objectively for a while, fall back in love with creating just for creations sake. I'm 25 now, and always have been hypercritical of myself but without the foundational love for the medium you will drop it, learn to love the medium then focus on improving. Best of luck everyone!

Thank you! It helps to come back to videos like these when I feel like giving up on drawing sometimes

11:37 That is honestly one of the most inspiring comparison. It really made me actually realize that all of what you're saying is completely true.

What if you have a friend that’s never drawn before, just to realize that they are at a much higher level than you and all your hard work & effort seems meaningless?

And that's why I take hours upon hours, days upon days, even weeks, to cook my drawings, so they are at least, tasteful, weather it's bitter, too sweet, too salty, too bland, at *least* it has flavor. (Edit: oh my, thank you for the likes you guys, Is first time this happens. UwU :'3)

I love the fact that the drawings keep getting better and better during the video

I’m crying. This is incredible. Thank you for this. I have been so so hard on myself lately because I cannot draw like others. This helped so much and I’m very happy I saw this.

I littraly started crying in the middle of this video but like....in a good way Thank you for this

Drawing is like a RPG, you don't instantly start a god at first but then if you try hard enough, you'll be great in no time! :D and this is coming from a gamer artist :D

Thank you so much for this 😭 I needed hearing all of it

"trust the process, enjoy the journey" is genuinely good advice I will have to remember. Thanks!

My art reflects my life perfectly! *Its all trash.*

Please show us your really really old sketchbook. I want to believe that we don't need talent to be a good artist but , I need to see your tranformation as an evidence. please.

You’ve motivated me to keep on drawing art. Thank you for this video. It really helps

Thank you for making this video. Sometimes hearing these commonly known, more simple ideas being broken down is all somebody needs to keep going

I've been drawing my entire life I've always loved it. I think art is about expressing yourself and having fun I believe you can take it seriously but not extremely seriously to the point that it stresses you out. I feel like no matter what you choose to do in life art, cooking, hair, fashion your forever learning and becoming better I dont really believe in "masters" at something or becoming a "master" of something because even the masters are still learning & constantly improving. Do art because you enjoy it. If you take it too seriously you will never want to draw or improve.

just gonna copy paste this for myself what I've learned so far is that if you're comparing yourself to your favorite artists you're never going to get on the level you want. What really helped me personally was looking at artwork that I enjoy and actually thinking "why do I enjoy this?" then looking at my own art and asking "how can I make this better?" Instead of comparing get inspired

every time I feel bad about myself and my art I watch this video. I keep comparing myself with people that are far beyond my skill level, and it's very tough. This video always help me feel better. Take a deep breath and continue going foward. Thanks for your advice and wisdom :)

I come back to this video every few months or so. It always helps

You seem to spend a lot of time comparing yourself to others. I don’t think this is a healthy way to look at anything in life. Rather compare yourself to past self. Those great drawings you see online is only art that the artist wants you to see. You don’t see all the pain and struggle they also go thru. They have been in your position. Don’t compare yourself to art that isn’t yours. Some are lucky in life and live in creative enviroments, some are rich, some are lonely and desperate. There’s so many way a great artist can develop, but it’s always going to be different to person to person.

it's so nice how you paint so loosely and dirty to make us feel better :D

thank u for making this video yo, i always come back to it when im in an art rut,,, incredibly motivating!:)

I really needed this right now. I'm working on a new piece and when I took in the full picture, I wanted to rip it up and never see it again. I'm gonna go back and work on it again! 💕

Okay the drawing u just drew were hella cute

I always finish art even if it is bad because I know that if I dont finish it I'll never know what to fix in the next peace of art ^^

Thank you so much for this 💙 I keep getting burnt out from writing and this has helped me take a step back and calm down my spiralling thoughts 😅

My hardest obstacle is that I'm 20 and started drawing seriously a few months ago. I decided I wanted to pursue an art career and in my first day of one of my classes everyone had to introduce themselves. Everyone else had 5+ years of experience and big goals while I'm basically starting out new and it's honestly hard to not get demotivated somedays.

When I feel discouraged about my art, I like to redraw an old piece of art from years ago. The new piece that you make with inevitably be better than the old one, and make you realize how far you've come, and how much farther you can go with time and effort. It's very motivating.

I'm going through it and it's hell 😭i look at others art and i literally have an absolute URGE to say that my art sucks

This is just the slap I needed. Thank you

Your drawing style seems perfect to practice colouring (something I've never done) If I find my tablet, I'll try it out

I can find lots of mistakes in my art but what helps me in not giving up is the thought of enjoying the process and knowing that even if it turns out like crap it's just another step to create something awesome. I know that doesn't work for everyone but for me just trying to have fun with what I draw and enjoy it really works

When I decided to start a realistic drawing I didn't know what would be so painful and sad for me. What is wrong with me? I've been postponing the drawing for a couple of days and feeling like shit. I tend to compare myself unconsciously with artists that despite being 20 years older than me and now I really want to cry 🤩

my art is like crap because i see other people’s artwork and i literally get demotivated and depressed. i just think im not for art..

You are totally right!!! I never thought about my art this way!!!! Thank you so much you have inspired me ☺️

I've been drawing for 9 years, maybe longer. Even now I definitely feel like a beginner. I mean, I'm WAY better than I was before, but that doesn't mean I'm GOOD haha. But that's ok. It makes me feel sad sometimes, sometimes other people even make me feel sad about it (non-constructive criticism). But I keep drawing, because I like drawing. Hopefully, one day, I'll be commissioned for a great project, and more than that, be happy with the result. But until then, I have to keep drawing.

Im at that stage where im pretty alright right but not amazing, yet too scared to adventure out and try these risky techniques that i see in mangas and anime, because im too scared to ruin the artwork i just worked so hard on, so adding these little details that'd add so much to the final piece could ruin it given the fact i have no clue how to do it properly

I cannot even express how much i needed that, thank you.

this video made me seriously cry..i really feel more motivated about my art and cant wait for the future of it. thank you.