How not to get frustrated?

[DelRio1991]

This is kind of an odd question, but I've been having this issue for a few months now.

I'm trying to get better at showing dimension in my drawings (using shading to show more life, ect).

For some odd reason, I can't seem to stay on task, mainly because I'm not very good and get angry at myself. I know that you can't just sit down and automatically become good at something, but for some reason, I can't stay on task, because I get frustrated with myself and slow progress.

I just get frustrated and can't stand it. Has anyone else dealt with this sort of frustration?

Yeah, this is a really stupid question. But, I'm getting desperate.

[VanDiablo]

At 6/14/13 02:05 PM, DelRio1991 wrote:

For some odd reason, I can't seem to stay on task, mainly because I'm not very good and get angry at myself. I know that you can't just sit down and automatically become good at something, but for some reason, I can't stay on task, because I get frustrated with myself and slow progress.

I just get frustrated and can't stand it. Has anyone else dealt with this sort of frustration?

Yes, the best way to get over it is to understand that its going to happen and keep going. I get frustrated daily with my work.

[Nempatriarch]

I like to think of this like i do for, say, dark souls or another difficult game: It's a challenge, i go on until i "die", and when i die, i try to pick up from where i left and start over until i get so frustrated that i cannot play anymore. At that point i call it a day and close the game with that "i'm never going to play this again" feeling.
Then, i let some time pass by, i focus on other activities. It helps to clear your mind, and soon i am eager to try again and challenge myself.

With drawing it happens just like that. When i find something that requires much more skill than what i currently have, i just try and fail. Continuous fail, together with guides and tutorials (knowledge) will make me eventually overcome the challenge, and move to the next one.

Getting frustrated and failing is an essential part of the learning progress.

[DelRio1991]

At 6/14/13 05:16 PM, Nempatriarch wrote: I like to think of this like i do for, say, dark souls or another difficult game: It's a challenge.....

The game analogy works perfectly for me.
Like some of the really difficult parts in sam and max, I just had to keep trying until I eventually solved the puzzle (and figured out how to get max out of that dunk tank).

I'll just go back to the drawing board.

Pun intended.

[Aigis]

When I get frustrated, I try and just focus on my own micro-successes.

You can think "my work sucks it doesn't look anything like what Cameron Stewart (or whoever) can do" and you'll get insanely frustrated at your own inability. But if you look at your work and think "Well, this picture looks pretty bad but the colour is just a little more expressive than my last picture" or "the line art is just a little more interesting" or "the pose feels just a little more dynamic" etc. etc. then you can see in your own personal journey that you're getting better, even it is only on the micro level.

It doesn't get rid of all frustration, and it's inevitably going to be frustrating every time you have something in your head that you just can't seem to get down on the page. But it does help, I think.

[DelRio1991]

At 6/14/13 10:21 PM, Aigis wrote: When I get frustrated, I try and just focus on my own micro-successes.

You can think "my work sucks it doesn't look anything like what Cameron Stewart (or whoever) can do" and you'll get insanely frustrated at your own inability. But if you look at your work and think "Well, this picture looks pretty bad but the colour is just a little more expressive than my last picture" or "the line art is just a little more interesting" or "the pose feels just a little more dynamic" etc. etc. then you can see in your own personal journey that you're getting better, even it is only on the micro level.

It doesn't get rid of all frustration, and it's inevitably going to be frustrating every time you have something in your head that you just can't seem to get down on the page. But it does help, I think.

Interesting.
So, instead of just rejecting what I do, I should just see how I improved from last time. That is really helpful!

I guess my main problem is, I compare everything I do with Alex Ross....

I mean, just LOOK AT THIS.

[J-qb]

At 6/14/13 02:05 PM, DelRio1991 wrote: I'm trying to get better at showing dimension in my drawings
I guess my main problem is, I compare everything I do with Alex Ross....

I mean, just LOOK AT THIS.

yeah that there's a lot of dimension in that... A couple too many dimensions actually if you ask me. I hope that Alex Ross guy didn't put them together like that himself or you really shouldn't be taking him as an example.

[Aigis]

At 6/15/13 03:22 AM, J-qb wrote: yeah that there's a lot of dimension in that... A couple too many dimensions actually if you ask me. I hope that Alex Ross guy didn't put them together like that himself or you really shouldn't be taking him as an example.

I assume Alex Ross knows better than to have Superman standing on Batman's feet.

[Nempatriarch]

2 things

1- Even Alex Ross started with sucking.
2- As you get better, you will start to notice flaws in the art of people you admire, thus you will start to see that is not unreachable and that it's not perfect at all.
I am of the belief that getting better in a certain discipline sort of ruins it for you in the sense that you will enjoy the pieces you come across in a different way, but most of the ones you thought were great are going to look ugly for you in various ways.

[BPremo]

I met Alex Ross back in 2009, he was an alumni of the school I attended at the time and they would sell the school almost entirely on the fact that he attended. Alex Ross uses real life models as references very heavily. Draw from life and draw from life frequently and understand why things look and work the way they do.

If you feel burnt out on drawing refuel your brain and motivation with pure knowledge. Read about lighting, read about shadows, read about anatomy. Read about animals and shit. Then go to sleep, your brain will be replenished when you awake with the hunger, the hunger to shit anything out of your brain through your artistry hands to the tip of your preferred tool.

Murder a canvas my friend.

[DelRio1991]

1- Even Alex Ross started with sucking.
2- As you get better, you will start to notice flaws in the art of people you admire, thus you will start to see that is not unreachable and that it's not perfect at all.
I am of the belief that getting better in a certain discipline sort of ruins it for you in the sense that you will enjoy the pieces you come across in a different way, but most of the ones you thought were great are going to look ugly for you in various ways.

I always forget that everyone had to start somewhere. I look at something great and just assume they were born with the ability to create light and shadow perfectly, like this. Puts thing in perspective, really.

[DelRio1991]

At 6/15/13 07:49 AM, BPremo wrote: I met Alex Ross back in 2009...
Murder a canvas my friend.

I certainly wasn't expecting to get a response from someone who actually met ALEX FREAKING ROSS, that must have been kinda awesome.

I actually have a few books on art and an instructional DVD. That's actually why I posted this question, I was getting irritated that I couldn't shade like the instructor in the video.

I'll go stab a canvas, FOR ART AND SHIT