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[Indiana-Jonas]

So I've been thinking a lot lately about what is holding artists back. I find that often you don't need to improve your technical ability, like drawing or sculpting to make more appealing art. It boils down very much to things like picking better colors and learning about composition.

Are you an artist feeling stuck or a programmer that want to be able to make art for your own projects?

I would be really curious to hear what you have found hard. What you did to improve. Or what you're still struggling with. What is it that you want to achieve?

[michaelplzno]

Just FYI, the idea that art must somehow be "better" by choosing better colors or improving technical ability is antithetical to my approach to the medium.

In order to become "good" at art the trick is to enjoy making it and to make it every day. The technique will come eventually. And if you get bogged down in worrying about competing with some ideal that other people have put in your head you will never have a single bit of fun making art.

[Feenicks]

Wait, improving your color choices and ability to compose pictures isn't considered improving your technical skills?

As for needing to draw every day in order to improve, I'd agree with a caveat attached. It's very easy to get yourself stuck in a rut when doing things daily, and sometimes you need to step back and figure out exactly where you want to improve before you start enjoying drawing certain things again.

[michaelplzno]

you're missing the big picture:

if all you want to do is "improve" you will not have fun.

if you are not having fun, you will not improve.

[Indiana-Jonas]

you're missing the big picture:

if all you want to do is "improve" you will not have fun.

if you are not having fun, you will not improve.

Thank you for pointing this out. You helped me see a flaw in my logic.

Although, you're more likely to have fun if you're in that sweet spot of challenge and knowledge. Which puts you in a situation where you might improve. Probably not very encouraging for most people to do something with the sole-purpose of improving though. Myself included.

[michaelplzno]

My way is not the only way, there are phenomenal artists who will make something and think its very bad even though everyone loves it. Van Gogh said that Stary Night was a failure and he made it in a mental institute because he was so disturbed by his own artistic process. He is considered one of the greatest artists though. Lots of times the biggest art awards go to people who suffered for their art and if you had fun making the project its considered a lesser work.

However, form my way of thinking, most humans live for 70 or so years, if it takes you 10 years to master drawing is that so bad? Only if the 10 years was a miserable self loathing experience where you think your technique sucks and you aren't enjoying what you make. Art is fun, to me at least.

[sophieER]

My struggle with art is that I seem to have stopped generating new ideas. Everything I create is somehow very similar to one another. Maybe it's the tiredness and I need to go on vacation.

[Indiana-Jonas]

My struggle with art is that I seem to have stopped generating new ideas. Everything I create is somehow very similar to one another. Maybe it's the tiredness and I need to go on vacation.

What is the similarity?

Maybe there's something to it, doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing.

[michaelplzno]

To a large extent almost all creative works are derivative in some way, the art we tend to love the most wields a lot of great art's innovations correctly to express a combination of logic and emotion that is greater than the sum of the parts involved.