Critical Self-Examination

We all draw stuff we don't like. I mean, we don't intend to. But it happens. I have a shitload of doodles and even finished works that I can only look back on and cringe. Sometimes I'll take an old drawing and mark it up with notes about what not to do.

As you can see, I'm not a fan of the fade. Not the digital fade. And by digital I mean the gradient fill tool in Photoshop and other software. If you're going to do a fade, maybe do it "by hand". Because when you let the software do that work it really very much looks like you let the software do that work.

Remember that old adage from art class? The viewer should never see your strokes. What that means is the art should speak to the viewer on its own terms. I should not look at your drawing and immediately think "they used a cheap filter for that". Or "they just dry brushed it randomly". I should instead say "that really looks fucking cool".