Forward Bias

I quite like the texture you added to the mane.

That's actually a very interesting article. The depth the author's creating is done by way of using increasing levels of detail and intermediate sketch cycles. I know already that I tend to be too impatient with my paintings and I'm not doing enough glazing layers to really hit the mark. Sometimes I get it right (heads up, anthro if you'd rather avoid that) but this artist makes a good argument for being a bit more lively with the colors, rather than using a single tone glaze repeatedly. I'll have to sink a bit of time and practice into that and see if I can pull a bit of that in to the next one. Thanks for sharing the article!

I find that the best approach for me has been a combination of discipline, proper breaks, and review. Setting up a time and a space for art really helps me find my groove when it comes time to draw, but moreover, forces me to work on a regular interval. The other thing I've found helpful for the issue of "my art looks terrible" is doing something about it. Not in the "get over it" sense, but in the sense of self-critique and red-lining. If I draw something that I look at and go "That's awful!" my next step is to ask myself "why?" I then sit down and do a full critique and red-line of my work, asking what worked, what didn't, and tracing in what I think might have made it better. Equally important is that you need to treat self-critique just like you would when critiquing someone else's work. You wouldn't (I hope) write "It's horrible and you're horrible and you should never draw again" when critiquing someone else's work because it would hurt their feelings and provide no useful feedback. Turns out, you can hurt your own feelings and make the problem worse. Instead, put a genuine eye to the work and try and apply everything you know about both art and critique to the process. Write in things like "This arc seems a bit ragged" and "I like the way the muzzle is shaped here". When you finish, you'll not only know what's wrong with the work, but also what's right. And moreover, you'll have some insight into what makes the parts that are wrong... well... wrong, rather than just a vague feeling that you've done a terrible job. With a tangible sense of why you feel that, it's a lot easier to see what the next step is, and get pumped about doing it differently in the next one.

Thanks Quarts Ageis and ooBrony! I really appreciate it. My current inking focus is the painterly style and better line width modulation, so hearing that the outline is at least noticeable is a good indicator that I'm working in the right direction.

Okay, so I'm SUPER new here (I'm still not allowed to have a signature yet,) but I figured I'd introduce myself and show off a little bit of my most recent art to provide some basis of who I am. The vast majority of my work these days is watercolors on ATC cards (2.5"x3.5") since I weave my painting into the tiny corners of free time I find in the typical day and those tools were really easy to keep around, though in the past I did a lot of digital painting and drawing, and I still do a little bit. That said, art is a process of continual review and improvement. As such, I'm always excited to hear comments and feedback regarding your impressions of the work; what worked, what didn't, what stood out (good or bad.) In any case, hopefully you'll see me around a bit, perusing your amazing art, and maybe learning/teaching a little as the opportunity arises over in the Visual Art forum.

I've been playing this song on and off for the last several days. Excellent work!

I'm still working through the history of the various forums and subforums in hopes of getting a better handle on the culture of each, but I'm definitely excited to see everyone's work and maybe even share a little of my own where it's appropriate!

Thanks a lot guys for the warm and inviting welcome! I look forward to seeing what communities and activities I can find.

My Favourite Mane 6 Pony: Pinkie Pie How did you find MLP Forums?: I was looking to find a good source for a pre-mixed podcast of pony music for my drive to/from work. I ended up talking with some of my friends that indicated that the forums had at least the right resources for finding them, or possibly publishing one myself if it turned out there wasn't one. How you became a fan of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: Back during season one, a friend of mine suggested that I check out MLP. After about 6 months of waffling, I took the chance to check out "Party of One" on the Hub website since that was the episode that was available. At that point I was interested, but wouldn't have bothered till he told me to check out Equestria Daily. I found the Artist's Training Ground and the huge collection of content creators there and was immediately hooked! I'm an electrical engineer, programmer, artist thing. I do a lot of various stuff to keep myself entertained such as making blinky lights, doing cosplay photography, drawing a lot of ponies, and generally tinkering. Beyond my initial interest in locating music, I'm not quite sure how to participate here, so I plan to dabble a bit and see what suits my fancy. Maybe see if there's some cool art/programming stuff going on that I can participate in. Orrrrr I might completely chicken out of and end up lurking instead. We'll see what happens as time goes on.