Sometimes the art I create is too stiff to formal; I prefer a looser expressive style of art, with marks that move across the page.
The art you see here is, therefore, a failure. It’s good in some aspects, proportions, and form, but the marks don’t feel expressive; I get no feeling or emotion from the form; they look like cutouts.
I overworked the art, spending too much time on each pose, making it less of a sketch and more of a study. I became too caught up in making it look right and accurate rather than a statement or personal interpretation.
It’s one more learning lesson on the road to success; I have difficulty relaxing, so these images will remind me to loosen up. Try a ritual to begin with, so I can tap into that expressive side of me and find a style that suits me more.
This self-critical approach is essential in any art career, knowing yourself enough to why the kind of art you want to make.
It’s also accepting that our aspirations don’t always show up on the canvas, showing we need more practice.
Recognising those times is what drives artists to move up the learning curve.