A skill you have to have

There’s a ton of peeps out there that think they’re brilliant because they can point out a flaw. But there are few who undertake the true torment of knowing how to correct a flaw.

His head is too big.

So?

I fixed it.

His arm was too small.

And?

I fixed it.

One of THE most important skills you need to develop as an artist is the ability, not just to recognize when something is “wrong”, but also how to adjust that thing.

I get asked all the time, “How do you know how to (XYZ)?”

Example: I would draw a hand, know it didn’t look right, and try to figure out WHY it didn’t look right. Are the fingers too long? Is the proportion accurate? Where are the knuckles and where should they be? Did I put the line at the top of the knuckle when it should be at the bottom of the knuckle? Is there enough meat in the hand? Are the fingers too separated? Too close? Is it curved enough? Should I even be able to see that pinky from this angle?

And then I would adjust to the best of my ability and repeat the process.

Sometimes we’re lucky enough to have a teacher or mentor help us. But it’s critical to teach your eye the difference between what you’re thinking something looks like, vs what it actually looks like.

There is no getting around this. It’s a MUST to have this skill.

And the secret to developing this skill is a willingness to fail infinitely.

It’s hard. Very hard.

But the reward on the other side of that adversity is knowledge WITH applicable skill.

You can be an armchair quarterback, or you can be Tom Brady.

It’s way more fun laughing at armchair quarterbacks. 🤣

My cover for Twisted Turtle 3… coming soon from @lasttorchstudios

Colors by the amazing @sebastianchengcolor