I know exactly how you feel. Seeing people just being able to be far more productive and make beautiful stuff easier/faster then you can. It's frustrating, it takes me really to be 'in the zone' to do anything productive.

Hopefully you can get back into things, sometimes it takes awhile but, you'll get it. :)

Sounds like you're bored with your technique and you need some sort of experimental phase to get you back into drawing, maybe trying doing something new? :O work on areas you don't normally work with, sometimes it can be frustrating, but other times it can be refreshing, learning unfamiliar areas and applying them to what you is how one grows :3

AH WELL, hopefully you'll work out your dryspell soon enough, don't get too discouraged with your methods, there are plenty of people out there that love to see your work, but if you're not having fun with it, then there isn't much worth to it, don't get too distracted with the professional mindset if it's just going to hurt your drive to create D:

"What pisses me off the most about myself is that i will never ever be that type of person who can just sit down and draw something fucking amazing without any effort."

This is exactly what you shouldn't be worrying about, plus it's not even true.

It takes time to be good at something, for others it may be less, but all in all when you do feel you are good, wouldn't it be more satisfying knowing your hard work paid off?

Yes, but it sucks when your hard work doesn't pay off. And lately mine hasn't been for a good while now.

If I were you, I wouldn't let it get to me.

Take a break, stick to small sketches for a while, or try something new. Don't worry about the outcome.

Eventually when you are inspired to create again, the hard work will pay off.

if it helps you any, I've gone through the same thing you're going through quite a bit over the past 10 years, just being simply PISSED that it takes me so agonizingly long to draw anything that's eye-catching. it makes you feel like this whole art thing will never be something you can do professionally, only as a hobby.

but it's all in your head, sometimes the art world can feel like a big rat race, especially when you're working your ass off and not making any profit ;___;

you're amazing at what you do, but a watched pot takes for ever to boil. Stop 'trying' and relax, play some video games or read or something and don't feel guilty about not doing art, it's the only way you'll ease back into art mode. you'll find your artistic inspiration creeping up on you when you're not sitting around waiting for it.

Count me in on that- gotta bust my ass to make anything look decent, and I have lots of friends who can whip out amazing looking sketches in mere minutes. Frustrating.

I really can't draw anything, the last drawing I did, (for my girlfriend.), took like two weeks.

Michelangelo probably felt the same way. He had to put in far more effort than his colleagues to achieve similar results. Don't be discouraged by having to put in more effort than others. What matters is the end result.

My god I know that feeling. I haven't really drawn anything in forever because of it. I was hoping finishing commissions would get me back into the drawing mood, but it's just turned into a hiatus. D8

I think everyone thinks people they admire just make a few quick strokes and spin magic with little or no effort. But I also think these same people can look at you and feel the exact same way x3

You can only do your best and take what you can from each piece and build from there. And don't let the tension get to you. If there is an ongoing situation causing you distress, find how to resolve it. Don't let yourself be complacent at least x3; Myself as an example, letting things like these build up and up and up while only trying to push my stressors 'off to the side' to work around them... well, it's caused me a world of pain, heartache, and a rash of nervous breakdowns. And all has taken such a toll on my mental AND physical health that I cannot draw, at all. There's plenty of will and desire and drive and ideas... but between my mind and body exhausting way too quickly I simply cannot perform. Trying to force it caused things to get even worse.

Mine went to the extreme though, but it is still a fair warning x.o If your resources can afford it don't feel too bad taking breaks/vacations/sabbaticals. Fix what you need to, relax, find your perspective again. Don't let you destroy yourself over it x3;

aww wow thanks. That is very good advice. And i will take what you said to great heart. ::hugs::

*hugs back* I really hope so. This has been one exceedingly painful lesson I've learned. But if at least one person can benefit from its perspective... it'll make it at least a tad worthwhile ^_^

... just a teensy bit x3 There's not much worse than having fatigue make you stircrazy. It's a vicious cycle x.o

ug.. yeah school does that sometimes. It IS annoying.

I wouldn't let things like that bother me. As I see it I'm a terrible artist and will never amount to anything but it's not reason enough to discourage me from drawing and do better. :P

yeah, this is exactly how I feel about my entire god damn life.

you are not alone *hugs*

I think this happens to everyone. Even artists that can church out a picture a day. Though their situation is more called "artist block".

Fortunately for you this is something everyone goes through. I am never really satisfied with my work, but that is because I want to get better. ANY artist who stops being unhappy with their work in general is an artist who will become stagnant in no time at all. Just keep in mind what I do, this picture I am working on is going to be better than the last. So every time you push yourself more and more, even if you feel it is not that great. Or even better, draw something you are not comfortable with, and by that I mean designs or some such. And after you draw it a bit you will notice how much easier it is to draw your usual stuff.

I absolutely agree with what Faint is saying here. I'll add my note at the bottom for my thoughts though.

If I had a dollar for every time I heard an artist say that about struggling with their own work/productivity levels, I could buy a new car. And not just here on FA; I've been in art studios/schools since I was 12, and a constant over the last 11 years was this general determination to be in that kind of rut.

So, while I'm not out of it myself, I do know how to get out: you grind. You force and grind your head against the art you do, constantly (like every 10 minutes) looking towards inspiration in styles, subject matter, colours, music, etc. while you work. It takes a long time, and yeah, it's frustrating. But out of the hundreds of people Ive met and personally asked how they got over that rut it's been the same: you just stick to it, mostly because you don't know how to give up.

What I mean by that is, I'm almost positive that if you tried giving up art, it might work for a little while, maybe several months at best, but eventually you get an indescribable urge to explode with...well, art. And it really is indescribable. The frustrating part about art as a whole is that it has no definite answer. You're a bucket of talent and have a head start. Just plowing away at the block is going to be aggravating, but I'm telling you, there is no easy way out that lasts. Starting by traveling out of anthro art, into film or game concept work and such, is a good step. But, for all I know you could be doing that already. But its about what Faint said, experiment, etc.

TL;DR: Keep at it, it works. Experiment. Maybe?

And who says others, like myself, don't feel the same way about yer art? I thought ya just drew amazing stuff in 2 seconds!

Perhaps you just need a change of pace. Try to do something new or that you've been wanting to work on for a while. Bring the fun back in to your art so it's something you feel enthusiastic about working on.

You really should not feel that your work is no good. No matter how good an artist is, they can always be better, but that doesn't mean the current state of their work is bad. You should be proud of all that you've accomplished, as your art is very good, IMO. Just keep working at it and don't get frustrated. Every drawing you do makes you better, even if you don't actively see it happening.

Keep drawing! :)

If I can relate skill at art to skill in gaming (and I shall), 2 weeks may not be enough downtime. The whole reason I take time out from (competitive) games is to allow myself to lose the bad habits I had created. I've found a month or two months may work out. I never come back any better of course, but most of the things I do wrong will have gone away and I get to regrow for the better.

Welcome back!!! *hugs and noms* I was wondering where you had drifted off to, I was gonna write you a note and see how you've been! Don't you ever get down on yourself about your artwork, some of my favorite pieces are yours! (your Rio in the Miu tribute with the Nero plushie is one of them), and venting is always a good thing, feel free to tug on my ears when you need 'em, Kayiko!!

Ugh, gawd, me too.

It's just like that for me too when I want something to even come out decent. I have to be LUCKY. D;

I've come to notice that I do a lot better when I try to draw when I'm upset or have absolutely nothing better to do. Otherwise I'm just forcing myself, and when I do that it comes out a lot worse. x.x

Hi Kayiko,

There's nothing useful or appropriate I could say about art talent or art learning. I pretty much suck hard at that and well... that's another matter.

The only thing I can tell with real motion is this advice: do it because you like it, not because of the results.

My thing is IT (computer programming and such). And I love it. It was my hobby as a kid. It was my experimenting area. It was the career I chose. It is my job now and what brings food on the table. But still, I love it, because I keep always trying to be close to the part I enjoy.

That's all, plain simple and stupid. But it worked for me. If you think it could work for you, then I'm really glad I could gave you a hand in any way.

See ya!

Just keep at it and don't give up or quit out of disgust or frustration. There will ALWAYS be someone better than you out there, whether they are better overall or better at a certain thing. :)

As Faint pointed out above, struggle is essential to art, for an artist to grow. That we keep pushing ourselves to be better with each piece.

We evolve as artists and become masters of captured emotion, I believe. Strype has a journal out right now, titled "Tin Man" and he's in the same rut, but in that he can't seem to capture emotion in his art anymore.

I guess find comfort in the fact that each artist goes through these tough times and they seem to fall in line with some sort of cosmic universal frump. Those weeks where all the great artists suffer and can't pump out the art they usually do and the fans are itching for the next piece.

I, for one, admire your art. The smoothness of your lines and the energy of the skill you put into it. You may take longer than some to do a single piece, but it radiates with thrice the energy, because for that much more time, that art has your full attention. Your life energy pours into it. Just know, with a warmth in heart, that this energy doesn't go unnoticed.

We all care about you, and the art world wouldn't be the same if your artistic light left its grace.^ v^)/