Aspiring artists are motivated, diligent people! They learn new drawing techniques, they invent original characters, and they work to master existing characters. But at the top of the priority list should be “seeing.” What do I mean by that? It’s the ability to identify when something looks wrong in your drawing. If you can spot the error, you can fix it.
This is a skill that can be developed over time. Here’s an example, let’s say that an artist is trying to draw a viking. The beard doesn’t look right to him. So he draws it one way, then another, and so forth, but it still doesn’t look right. But the artist who can notice the correctness of his drawing takes a step back and says to himself, “Oh, the beard is fine. The mouth is too low on the face.”
Practice and a willingness to consider the problem before you try to fix it, are the keys. It’s a little like a chess game. First look at the board, then see the possibilities, then make your move.
I hope that’s helpful!
Christopher Hart