When I first came to BZP, I wanted to be able to sprite stuff that people would end up using. It took a lot of practice, but over the course of the next two years or so I managed to build up some spriting skills and heavily contributed to the Chimoru Omega kit. And apparently that translated into other art skills too; I actually enjoyed my Art 2 class (didn't really like Art 1), I've made some pretty good looking vectors now, and I seem to just be generally a whole lot better than before.

Anyway, what I'm basically saying there is that you should make sure to practice a lot. And challenge yourself, too; don't tell yourself you can't draw something.

The main concept to understanding how to be good at art, I've learned, is visualization. You have to have a pretty good idea of what you're trying to make, or understandably it's not going to turn out close enough to what you wanted. So either you make a bunch of concept art and sketches until you think you've got it, you have a clear picture in your mind, or you're looking at something in front of you that you're trying to duplicate as exactly as possible.

Another thing is to break things down into shapes. It makes everything simpler. And make sure you know how to draw perspective (if you don't know what that is, learn it); it's really important.

And don't forget to try different mediums, too. I built up my art skills on the computer; I've always been a bit annoyed at doing pencil art because there's no undo button or layers or ways to move stuff around and things like that. It just might be that there's something different about an alternate medium that makes things easier for you.

I've wanted to be a good artist for a long time now, and I've improved some. The main thing is to draw habitually.

- 55555

I like to draw cartoons and doodles and whatnot, but I've all-around come to the conclusion that I am not a good artist.

Or a good MOCist. Or...

Stop trying to draw in a style. That'll be a good first step.

Stop trying to draw in a style. That'll be a good first step.

Motion seconded.

- 55555

Stop trying to draw in a style. That'll be a good first step.

Motion seconded.- 55555

Not exactly. It can be difficult to draw in a style you're not familiar with, but it also can be easier to draw in a simple, cartoon style. Anime, for example, is actually a relatively easy style for arists, due to the simplified face; the body can be much more detailed and realistic than the face in a number of degrees, making it a very "changable" style from artist to artist.

But like Tavakai said, simplify things into shapes (you can see how I did that in my blog entry "Pony Process"). Artists call that breaking your drawing down into basic shapes. It really does make it easier to place and arrange things before you finish them. I always change my sketches before I finish them. That's where concept art comes from.

Another thing that helps hone your skills is to draw from real life. It really gives you a better understanding of what your drawing much, much faster than if you tried to draw it just from memory. I'm speaking from experience. Whenever I draw something I've never drawn before, I always look at several pictures (average for me is at least 3), even to draw just one thing. I even look at pictures when I draw things I'm familiar with. It always helps the outcome look more realistic that what I could have done on my own.

And if you ever wanted to "officially" better your skills, there's an art school I went to called the Art Instruction Schools (AIS). Charles Schultz (spelling?), the artist of Snoopy and the Peantus gang, graduated from there, and they hold an annual cartoon contest in his honor.

The school sends you lessons and instructions through the mail, and the average time it takes from enrollment to graduation is about two years.

It's just a thought if you ever wanted to get a good artist's perspecitve of the world.