I don't really know what I'm doing

I don’t really know what I’m doing.

I know how this sounds. And looking at a finished piece like this one, which is shockingly badass even to me, I can see understand how that’s hard to believe.

And to clarify, I know plenty at this stage. My anatomy and posing is something I’m pretty confident in. My expressions and composition are also pretty good.

But trust me, there will ALWAYS be areas in which to grow our skills and move forward despite a total lack of confidence and/or comprehension.

I’m still very much learning how to ink. Using black as my primary rendering tool is disconcerting every time. The only reason I’m able to move forward is my confidence in my ability to hide my mistakes (which has only come from making a shi+ ton of them).

But on this piece I had this amazing pose, super clean lines, and it was time to dig in to those detailed inks which ultimately create volume to the form. And I was scared I would mess it up. (Not at all unusual btw)

But I just started and trusted myself. Remember the forms. Remember how shadows work. Remember not to over do it. Remember to let it breathe. Remember to take your time. Etc etc.

This thing we do, no matter what stage of growth you’re in, is amazing. Once there was a blank page, and now there is this image that is created with only a tool used for writing. That’s amazing. You’re amazing.

I know how easy it is to beat ourselves up for the skills we don’t yet have and so desperately want. But PLEASE remember to give yourself credit for what you CAN do, and then just work on the rest.