Why Do Some Drawings Turn Out Bad?

Jeff Watts shares wisdom for beginner artists in this lesson from my Drawing Basics course!
Right now, the course is 20% off with code "KANGAROO" during our Summer sale!
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#art #drawing #howtodraw

[@norielbeato6102]

this is why exactly I take so long when drawing. I hate deadlines, I hate rushed things. You can't rush creativity.

[@poober8826]

You gotta swallow that gut hate to finish work, especially if it's for someone else

[@norielbeato6102]

@@poober8826 i do commissions and i can submit whenever i can without being pressured.

[@poober8826]

@@norielbeato6102 that's cool

[@vialle7851]

Not applicable when you do it for a job or for a living

[@vialle7851]

You can rush creativity with enough skill and expansion of your visual library Taking longer to create can yield better result, but not being able to draw within a set amount of time can also be simply a lack of skill

[@plucas1]

And sometimes, you just get a bad drawing, no matter how hard you try or how skillful you try to be. It's something you have to get used to, and you have to know when to cut your losses and move on to the next one..

[@dud3655]

It's like riding a bike, at first, you can't even get the damn thing to stay upright, then you can ride it around for a bit, then you become a pro and do ultra marathons, you just have to keep doing it over and over, fall and fall and fall until you learn how to ride it, but remember, even pro cyclists can fall off their bikes.

[@mrcoold]

@@dud3655 Dude! Well said

[@TheRevelationTheRevolution]

Sometimes an idea doesn’t turn out so great ! So we scrap it and move to the next ! It’s all part of the process of becoming an artist !

[@victorjun2421]

I had to redo an entire drawing 3 times because i didn't want to give up on it. Surely enough it's been 2 months and i'm still working on it (i actually managed to make it work on the 3rd one)

[@houndgirl7365]

I had this moment yesterday! I salvaged the head, but then was stuck on fixing the body! Over and over I drew trying to get a pose to work. It wasn't until was was like screw it and I went back to the original body to rework the back half after getting the front half where I liked it. Once I got the back half in an acceptable spot where I could flip the canvas and it not look absolutely wrong is where I called it successful. Yes sometimes deleting your art I'd the best solution and letting go. I was just unfortunate to be stuck in a commission with a crouching cat that had unique proportions ^^;. With that said I didn't want to do a side profile I wanted to do quarter and push my abilities (which I did) but sometimes stepping away is the answer and not obsessing over it I just loved the face profile I drew so I grew a connection of sorts 😂

[@moonpeter150]

“Because you don’t know much yet, that’s not an insult that’s just a fact” I know you don’t mean to insult.. but there goes single teardrop over my cheek 😂

[@catsozen]

Each teardrop is weakness leaving your body. You can do it!

[@aeoligarlic4024]

He also said "YET", you'll get there eventually, buddy 🎉

[@Kokose]

i mean, you wouldn't expect anyone to read entire library full of thousands if not milions of books to read them all in one day, why expect an artist whether yourself or others to have all the fundamentals figured out in one day? People who paint for 40, 50 years of their life make lots of mistakes, but because they made so many mistakes they also learned how to fix the problems they made or how to move on.

[@crancat3495]

My art improved a thousand fold by taking art classes, I would draw purely off observation and barely make anything unique. Now I have forced perspective, texture, value, realistic shading, some color theory, soft edges, blending techniques, not always drawing outlines, different mediums, etc. It's helped SO much with knowing how to draw stuff im just thinking about and make my own design without a direct visual reference.

[@zoefolarin3986]

Did you take classes local to yourself, or are there any online you recommend?

[@aspwned]

I've always wanted to take art classes but i don't have a job. my mom would rather spend her money on buying AI programs than to fund my art career 😭

[@crancat3495]

@@aspwned there are a LOT of free resources and you don't need anything more than a pencil to make gorgeous art. that said, you would probably want to do more, but you can get started and practicing! you can look online for guides about how to practice value, shape, and form. Learning about art in general and the theory behind it is important because comprehension is just as, if not more, important than raw skill

[@bleu9730]

@@crancat3495 is there anyway we can see some of your art

[@blackflame3765]

Thats my exact situation. I have trouble drawing or not drawing from observation at all and understanding how to draw from imagination. So I would not understand what to do or how to draw the thing without a reference. Now I understand 3d forms a bit more but am missing quite a few fundamentals. So I don’t usually construct anything from reference unless its complex and just use basic shapes and outlines to make things work.

[@nosferattusx2]

Strangely, my best drawings were made in a "trance" of sorts. Every time i stop to think, I keep overthinking and tire myself out before I can even finish the sketch. I find it best to just "let the art make itself".

[@eylon1967]

You would probably like the channel "steven Zapata"

[@maryianna912]

Same for me. I really crave that 'art trance' experience, but, to be truthful for a second, that's not a time for especially GOOD drawings. Good work is coming from trance only when i do something I'm significantly more experienced at and have done a lot

[@kingnightmarevin]

Within my "art trance", I forget to eat and sleep so I try not to let it take over too much

[@nuttynoah5342]

It's called flow, happens when your doing a task that is both stimulating and when the task requires a lot of skill, and you have that skill.

[@NahNoWayy]

Cool to know other people have experienced that as well.

[@LegacyNesferatu]

I love how this guy iterates that not knowing yet is not an insult. I have to explain to people all the time that ignorance and stupidity are not the aame thing, and being called ignorant on a subject isn't necessarily always an insult. It just means you haven't learned it yet.

[@PiggyandMoose]

Best explanation I’ve heard

[@necrago]

Most insults aren't unfactual. That's why they hurt.

[@Zer-ei4co]

Compliments too can be factual or unfactual, but yet still feel good. Truth exists independent of emotions.

[@pingpong5877]

"Facts don't care about your feelings."

[@Hibernial]

@@pingpong5877 Facts don’t care about your facts. They only care about you being right. But that’s just my opinion.

[@mentemilionaria3579]

​@@meinkanal7438 Truth is more important than feelings. We can lie to ourselves or face the problem and look for solutions or how to deal with it

[@ecksdee9768]

@@meinkanal7438please have a civil discussion

[@justinpowell3058]

I've learned that drawing a live candid subject really helps with this. Because the subject is constantly moving, it forces you to fill in the blanks and draw more than what you see.

[@lisacrooks6281]

Putting icing on a bad cake doesn’t make it good. You still have a bad cake. In other words, great detail won’t correct bad form. If your perspective is off, if your form is wrong, then all that wonderful detail will just waste your time and make bad art”. Thank you Professor Walter Rutkowski, PhD. RIP. ❤

[@jrm6872]

this could have prevented the kangaroo incident

[@peachiee1]

lmfaooo

[@niusmatthias5339]

This is EXACTLY what I needed to hear. I’ve been struggling with deadlines in my creative work and so I rush and wonder why I’m not happy with the results. I should take my time.

[@Hidinginyourcupboard]

Amazing drawings 👍🏼

[@FreedomEscapismASMR]

Great teacher, beautiful art, great advice. Thank you Proko, best art KZbin channel ever ❤️

[@itsmaxey4597]

I can definitely see how this holds me back, I have trouble focusing so most of the decisions I make aren't really conscious. I think part of this is also related to the expectations I have for my own drawings which are sometimes unrealistic.

[@romulusbuta9318]

That pirate drawing is an idealistic self portrait......? 😊

[@ABlueManLivingLife]

i just make a blob and see where that goes

[@chukukaogude5894]

rofl pretty much what I do lol.

[@therealajzaini]

I've never heard anybody explained my struggles so good.

[@mino5509]

where can we see the full video of this? this really hits hard for me and I'd love to watch the rest

[@ProkoTV]

This is from a lesson that exclusive to my Drawing Basics course. It's currently 20% in our summer sale. You can check it out here: www.proko.com/drawing

[@mino5509]

@@ProkoTV THANK YOU! i'll be checking it out!!

[@KibumGaming]

bro drew a whole art and called it "why does it not look that great"

[@ProkoTV]

The pieces featured in the drawing are fantastic pieces by Jeff. In the full video, he discusses the line quality in them and what makes them work well. This is just one pulled bit of advice for newer artists from that longer video.

[@VintageBalderdash]

It makes sense, I remember playing music constantly, expecting it to generate experience and skill, and it didn't really work that way.

[@rogerith7905]

Sketch as much as you need till you capture what you like in your concept design that you formed inside your mind

[@SnailHatan]

He’s like a cleaner version of my blacksmith uncle lmao

[@analogies]

There’s many approaches to drawing. To draw like him, follow what he says. To draw like yourself, trust your own intuition.

[@bigbuba5212]

"That's not an insult, that's just a fact" Damn ouch

[@bsigns1935]

thinking is the hardest part of drawing

[@ProkoTV]

It really can be! That's why that early practice is so important. If you get through that, you internalize so much a lot of that hard thinking becomes like muscle memory and you don't have to do it so consciously anymore.

[@midnightdew]

I never thought like that. So inspiring. Thank you, master!

[@chukukaogude5894]

This man is on point.

[@drax7022]

I have been looking for a channel like this for ages

[@ProkoTV]

Welcome!

[@MikealAlex]

Now realised I’ve never think before I draw I don’t even have an image in mind it hurts my brain so no matter the outcome I’m still happy with it because I’ve never had an image in mind

[@breadpirateoverhere]

Wow, this info really hit me. He phrased it just right to hit my brain.

[@DazzlingAction]

I wish we could get a whole video with this guy.

[@josuedlys]

Thinking left me on the couch, imagining blending colors and rarely getting back to it

[@3u-n3ma_r1-c0]

if I think too hard about what im drawing, it turns out worse tbh. pure creativity makes my best pieces.

[@ChrismisHere]

That makes so much sense, thanks 🌟

[@alwynjaegar1778]

Literally know a guy who doesnt think at all and draws like a pro, depends on the person because stopping and interpreting works but my friend just draws and boom! Masterpiece

[@Wolfie_Chip]

I’m always drawing and thinking mostly from references, but a little bit from my mind(very big little). It’s also why I take such a long time to just get the sketch done.

[@TomatoBreadOrgasm]

What separates an artist from an aspiring artist is knowing when to add detail.

[@eleanor8365]

Hm I don’t know I always like to go with the flaw because it’s easier for me to draw in this way then follow some plan. If I have any imperfections or the piece looks horrible, I just turn on my imagination to its maximum to try and save the piece. Buts it’s my personal preference. Maybe it is easier to some the other way. But I don’t I am a beginner so I maybe wrong 😂

[@harrietjameson]

thats also important, living with your mistakes is a VERY important thing in art (which is why digital art is so hard to get right. Everyone cares too much about perfection) using imgination to save a peice IS thinking and analyzing. It is exactly as he said, seeing something you dont like and reworking it

[@DND_Annette]

I can rush my stuff sometimes and it still looks good

[@pillzhere10]

I can’t recall how many mistakes I make during drawing and the picture doesn’t turn out that good, however for every mistake is a new opportunity to add more and turn the drawing into something else entirely.

[@Alpaska]

I’ve been drawing for years however I never took the time to actually understand what I’m putting on the paper. In the last year, I have been thinking pretty deeply about my art and observing it. However, I still keep my doodles pretty mindless since it’s mostly just entertaining to mindlessly doodle and see what happens. Even my doodles have improved a lot honestly!!

[@beans9288]

Huh, that’s a nice explanation. I like the triad you explained, heard something vaguely similar but never put like that. Nice!

[@juanconeo]

That's accurate! (Also ppl that teach with contempt come off as abrasive and they wonder why they kill the vibe, As they know more they need to stop, think, grow, and learn how to be less salty)

[@Cakemstr]

I actually got isulted at the fact that you sir thought I was insulted.

[@mrchristian8782]

This really helps me, Now when I draw, I pay attention on the lines/mark that I make Unlike before, I just draw blindly, without even thinking

[@grounded4845]

❤thank you sir

[@joesmith2266]

Interpret what you Seymour. Got it gracias

[@FirstNameLastName-gh9iw]

Thing is my head is blank there isn’t an image in there to think about

[@joshuasandoval4825]

This is so insightful.

[@artishzone]

thanks a lot

[@silashellebrand462]

"Because you don't know that much yet." "We know, but hey."

[@wickedhunt6154]

I go into a state when drawing sometimes where I don’t think anymore it’s only me the drawing and my headphones playing music and that’s when I make my best drawings

[@dee6561]

Damn... This is so true.

[@JBUTTHEAD1299]

💯% FACTS.

[@codymay4101]

I’m an artist and I was always told draw what you see not what you know

[@jazzypants8188]

Ill take breaks in 30 minute intervals so its like I see it with new eyes works great

[@ComicBro173]

people who draw perfectly without making big mistakes are sometimes gifted.Drawing perfectly is given and i think my talent was just given.

[@lillowh6126]

I get it. Learn the basics , and then use the basics to design . I like to say that drawing isn’t copying but translating.

[@scarecrowhobo]

a thought that worried me since i got back into drawing was that i couldnt envision what it was that i wanted to draw, it was just blank and uninspiried. Hopefully i can work it out soon.

[@harrietjameson]

this is due to a small visual library, i had this problem as well and fixed it by looking at other artists and finding cool art on the internet (and using what i saw as reference)

[@monastery4090]

Great video

[@j2kneon300]

Nahhh, I think I’m just ass at drawing 😭

[@oioioioioi777]

I feel attacked... However, I really don't think when I am drawing, that's why I'm usually dissatisfied with the result. Now I am working at it, but it is still hard not to lose concentration and analyze all my steps. This actually proves that art is not a "talent", like some people say, but a skill)

[@theuglypotato7017]

I have a book i use whenever i have a great idea for a pose our just some cool colours. So i write them down and then look at them a few days/weeks later. And maybe. I change thinfs or i never even paint them but its helpfull for when i have no idea what to draw

[@xalovaid3693]

Exactly, took me 2 years to finally realize what this guy said.

[@exceedxatu]

you have changed my life in 30 seconds

[@ProkoTV]

Welcome to your new life!

[@johannleo1282]

I agree with it all. However I think pure observation drawing is a killer exercise ✏️

[@OmnipotentO]

Makes sense

[@pilgrim00]

So on point..

[@LoveBystroem]

I wonder how many hes said that part what you see thing. I really agree with it but its just funny how often he brings it up

[@RoseLord]

Dang this guy knows his stuff!

[@itsiwhatitsi]

Drawing is like living

[@Jounin8]

im guilty of it, drawing without thinking, just putting lines down lol

[@-Simo-]

My mind goes blank when drawing thus it looks bad.This helps a lot thx

[@ucantgetuson]

the more advices i hear the more complicated it seems, i think we should feel it first instead of thinking (sometimes its really better than that)

[@FelixGalvanArt]

I can't speak for "most" but drawing is very cathartic and a time of focus for me. It's part of the reason I've always strived to better my drafting skills. It's the concentration that I enjoy in my work

[@OfficialTomCruise123]

"Thats not an insult, thats a fact". Im about to start so much shit with this saying

[@chubbycakes6145]

True😢

[@yasonchomkososnovska852]

Cool tip

[@JC-zj4zb]

This is how my dad talks to me lol

[@VTubershostage]

Yeah this is why I take 6 hours (not lying) to draw a head to torso drawing without perspective nor shadows

[@nyxxx7376]

Love when illustrators forget that many forms of art movements in history value the ability to create art without obsessing over the process and create via expirimentation or spontaneity

[@harrietjameson]

experimentation still requires thought though, think about it

[@TheCrimsonCat89]

That all still requires the fundamentals of which is rooted in what he is saying. Process requires one to stop and think. Experimentation requires one to stop and think. Spontaneity requires to stop and think. That's not an insult, that's just a fact.

[@loki350]

The way y'all placed that image made it seem like it was an example of a bad drawing

[@mahaphoublue7644]

I keep getting pause for 20 minutes whenever I stop to think while drawing and resume back I just forget entirely what I was about to act next, this is the main problem for me

[@123-yoyo3]

My brain doesn't help me to think sometimes 😅😢

[@rd-jj2bv]

Facts

[@FallingStary]

I just had a bad drawing I didn't necessarily have a plan, but I knew I wanted the circular window It ended up being an ugly window medallion on a robed ribcage creature and even though there was no planning as I laid down new ideas it inspired me I hated it and painted it over it with gouache But now that I had "brainstormed" the concept, I intend to redo it with intent The original felt like a collage building ideas as if I pulled together clippings out a magazine of things I wanted but didn't know how to put together

[@Disciplin]

Tbh I find thinking while you draw too much can be taking away from the fun you may be having If it’s something more important yes but if it’s just a simple piece no need to stress

[@ez_is_bloo]

We're always relying on intuition way too early.

[@littlewigglemonster7691]

Bruh I draw to stop thinking, like the only time my minds silent

[@AnnisAdventures]

My best drawings are the things I just drew without worrying too much/not allowing myself to erase or undo. To be fair I've been drawing for nearly 2 decades.

[@shuvoDhar.5537]

❤❤❤❤

[@yaricoo]

yeah, i realized this after 10 + years of drawing. i think why i didn’t think much when i’m drawing is because i started to draw to distracted myself from boring school class. drawing was my stress reliever, rather than serious job career. and after all that years, it still kinda is lol

[@extremelynormalperson]

Could never have said it better myself.

[@BuffaloWill]

Most people draw and don’t stop and don’t think about anything and then go “that was fun!”

[@ProkoTV]

That's a plenty fine way to work! As he states in here, this is about a person who looks at their work and doesn't like how it's turned out. For those people, they want to see a change or improvement towards their envisioned goal. People who are just diving in and enjoy their process and the result don't need any tips and are getting exactly what they're looking for.

[@amenx1143]

What’s the full version of this clip?

[@Tkeqen]

I spent months to draw 6 pages of fan-comic. Yes, it was because I didn’t have in mind what I wanted to draw, I had to search it up, piled up all the references little by little because my brain didn’t remember any images, I need to look at photos, adapt them to my intention for each panel, it’s exhausting ngl. But what can I do? I’m not gifted and haven’t build any skills yet😅

[@encodedyt]

i envision and then draw

[@ventilatedairconditioner4375]

when I draw its head empty hours

[@RawazJabbar]

Master Watts roasting us again, love it 🔥