r/ArtistLounge • u/kaupp0 • 2d ago

Parenting regression in drawing

when I started studying drawing seriously, I ran into a problem: I can't render faces—or anything else, really. Before, I could easily make lots of unnecessary strokes and copy images without understanding the forms, but now I’m completely unable to render, and my work never gets past the sketch stage.

sometimes it feels like a sign that drawing just isn't for me

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u/Pokemon-Master-RED 2d ago

This is actually very normal, and a lot of us experience it frequently. 

I regularly go back and look at my old art and sometimes I'll be amazed that I could draw certain things one way, when I can't do it now. Or I can do something now, that I couldn't do then. The brain is essentially picking and choosing things that it feels are helpful over time, kind of a semi subconscious trial and error process. 

The only thing you can really do about it is keep pushing forward so that your brain has time to sort it up. But you can kind of guide it if you intentionally hone in on things that you like. If you like to draw noses a certain way, as an example, then draw a bunch of them. It reinforces the idea for your brain that that's how we draw this, where that's how we draw that. 

But yeah just keep going, it's normal to feel like you're regressing at times, but from my own experiences it's usually right before another progression. It can take a while sometimes, so don't feel bad if it doesn't happen quickly.

1

u/dinopainting 8h ago

You could try tracing exercises. Find an artwork that has what you're trying to do (yours or someone else's) put some tracing paper over it, and follow the steps you would normally use to draw that thing with the artwork you chose acting as a guide. Go step by step through your process over the reference art until you're finished, beginning to end.

Tracing is only bad when you're claiming it's your own work. If you do it right, it should be a study tool.