spazioaether

[spazioaether]

Tag Game

Tagged by: @feyna-v

Rules: tag 9 people with excellent taste 

....yeah....about that

Color(s) I’m currently wearing: black and penguin covered pants, and gray.

Last band t-shirt I bought: I don’t have any band t-shirt

Last band I saw live: Umm.....I’ve only ever been to like high school band concerts since I was in them. Does that count?

Last song I listened to: Don’t Think Twice by Utada Hikaru (the new KH3 theme)

Lipstick or chapstick: chapstick

Last movie I watched: Mune: Guardian of the Moon (If you haven’t watched it you really need to!!

Last 3 TV shows I watched: I hardly watch tv? I usually have youtube playing in the background honestly while I’m doing things like art or homework. But I’ve watched/listened to Criminal Minds, Planet Earth II, and Murdoch Mysteries (or Artful Detective depending on where you live).

Last 3 characters I identified with: Hmm.....Probably Germany in part. I can be kinda by the book and by the rules a lot of them, and I have difficulty showing emotions apparently, and I tend to be the rock for a lot of people like Germany does. It helps that I’m part German too I suppose. 

Definitely Canada as well. I tend to get overlooked at first and most people forget that I’m even there unless I really put myself out there, but that’s kinda hard for me to do. But between the friends I do have, I feel pretty visible and stuff. 

As for the last character, I would say, Tatsumi from Yami no Matsuei. I know most probably won’t know this anime, but Tatsumi is a secretary who is more than he seems, but he’s a total caffeine addicted workaholic which is pretty much me. Though he still manages to get sleep, how I don’t know, I wish I knew his secret. 

Book I’m currently reading: I’m rereading almost all the Tortall Universe books by Tamor Pierce.

Tagging: @spatziline @spectralmelon @purpurhedgehog @espiechen and anyone else who wants to do it. 

[spazioaether]

something I drew to relax

[spazioaether]

commission piece for @spazioaether !

commission me // buy me a coffee

[spazioaether]

Looking for Something? (Mobile)

Anatomy:

Arms

Breasts

Body Types

Feet

Female

Hands

Heads -Ears -Expressions -Eyes -Facial -Hair -Mouths and Lips -Noses -Tears

Humans

Legs

Male

Muscles

Pelvis

Proportions

Shoulders

Torso

Animals:

Anatomy

Antlers

Beaks

Behaviour

Ears

Facial

Feathers

Fur

Hooves

Horns

Insects

Legs

Paws

Talons

Teeth

Wings

Backgrounds:

Cityscape

Indoors

Organic

Perspective

Quick BGs

Simplistic

Brushes:

Photoshop

Paint tool SAI

Design:

Buildings

Character Design

Clothing

Environments

Folds

Heights

Maps

Names

Sketching

Skin Tones

Drawing and Colouring:

Canvas Size

Colour Palettes

Colour Theory

Comics

Composition

Lighting

Lineart

Painting

Quick Tricks

Shading

Traditional

Fantasy:

Armor

Archery

Horns

Mythical Animals

Mythology

Power Ups

Weapons

Wings

For the Artist:

Copyright

File Types

Exercises

Portfolio

Reminders

Tablets

Tips and Advice

Tools

Languages:

ASL

Ancient

French

German

Grammar

Italian

Japanese

Korean

Morse

Spanish

Misc:

Animation

Commissions

Cosplay

Crafts

Life

Master Lists

Psychological

Resources

School

Writing

Nature:

Blood

Clouds

Fire

Flowers

Grass

Landscapes

Lightning

Metal

Plants

Rocks

Space

Trees

Water

Wood

Poses:

Angles

Animals

Draw Your X

Humans

Movement

Multiple Persons

Programs:

Clip Studio Paint

Krita

Paint Tool SAI

Photoshop

Etc

World Building:

Buildings

Culture

History

Historical Clothing

Video

Links

[spazioaether]

do you ever feel victimized by fanfic authors when you make them fanart and then they give YOU compliments and you try to give THEM compliments and its a vicious cycle??? ♥♥ ft. @nicolareed

[spazioaether]

Me: *Posts Art*

What y’all think I posted:

[spazioaether]

Your Guide To Reviews

The Problem

Fic writers wonder why people don’t review. They honestly can’t understand the silence. Writers assume that readers:

usually have something to add/criticize/say

know how to articulate their own thoughts/feelings

withhold feedback because they’re lazy or apathetic

don’t appreciate how much time/effort/energy goes into writing

On the flip-side, readers assume that:

the writer already knows how ‘good’ their work is

someone else will review because this fic is ‘obviously’ awesome

if a fic is already ‘popular,’ their feedback won’t matter

if they comment, they ‘must’ leave an awesome, insightful, detailed comment that 100% reflects their love for a fic

since words aren’t adequate, it’s better to stfu and just click the kudos button/favotite/bookmark

None of these assumptions are accurate.

The reality is that:

there is no reason for a writer to post their work except to get feedback that validates their vision, helps them improve and/or gives them an outsider perspective/interpretation of their work (which can be absolutely mind-blowing)

like, you can and should write for yourself, but if that’s 100% the case, every good fic would be wasting away in a private word document

‘readers’ are not always ‘writers’

‘writers’ can naturally put their ideas and emotions into words

‘readers’ usually don’t know what to say, which words to use to express themselves, and belittle the importance of their perspective

many ‘readers’ don’t write, so they can’t empathize with the struggle of writing a fic for a silent but attentive audience

Basically, readers don’t understand writers and vice-versa. Both parties are wired differently. Readers who also write are more likely to review because they empathize with both sides of the equation.

The Solution

Writers

Be patient, understanding, and persistent

Appreciate those who do review

Don’t get bitter, discontinue a beloved story, or assume the worst of your readers

Realize that everyone is really trying their best

Readers

Be patient, supportive, honest, and empathetic

Realize that there’s no minimum! Even two words (like ‘good work!’) can have a huge impact

Review Templates

Things to say when you’re tongue-tied:

Verbs

I liked the part where/when…

I wonder why…

I smiled/laughed when…

I was confused when…

I think that…

I predict…

I was sad/happy/angry/[other emotion] when…

Nouns

[character] did/said/felt/will do [this thing]

because… (if applicable)

[insert plot point/event]

Example: I think that [this guy] ran away from [his friend] because he was trying to protect him.

And that’s it. You don’t have to say anything else. One sentence is more than enough, but you’ll notice that once you get started, you’ll have a lot to say- so say it!

Author’s style

Your writing is:

Detailed/descriptive

Vivid

Concise (to the point)

Funny

Serious

Surreal

Unique

Compelling

Provocative

Leaves me wondering about a lot of things, and I’m curious about what happens next

Confused me a little at times (talk about what confused you! The author will be more than happy to clear things up!)

Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t

Worry about grammar/typos in your review

Suggest a direction for the story (most writers know what they’re doing and you just gotta trust them)

Think that clicking the kudos button is all you can do! Your opinion is important!

Tell the author to do more of [this] and less of [that]

Ask them to update without leaving any other feedback

Do

Leave short comments if you can’t think of anything else to say (“I like this” is more than acceptable, seriously)

Inform the author of typos (be specific)- many fics are un-beta’d. The writer will appreciate your attention to detail.

Express your own perspective even if it isn’t ‘correct-’ I think [character] did this because she was jealous, which explains why…

Understand that your unique interpretation of motives/symbolism/foreshadowing/anything is extremely valuable

Be honest, but diplomatic 

Bookmark/rec works if you enjoy them, esp to help lesser-known writers 

You can copy/paste from this post into your reviews. It’s hard to find the right words sometimes, but for writers, anything is better than silence.

[spazioaether]

an ode to fanfiction writers, current and former; thank you for all your hard work, thank you for sharing your story, even if you did not finish. thank you for everything you do despite the fact you do not get paid and barely get appreciation. you deserve every review and kudos and favourite. to all former fanfiction writers: you can take that story down. you can keep those memories. it’s on you. remember that it’s your choice before anyone else’s. you owe nothing to no one. i used to write fanfic when i was…much younger and i left it because it was so toxic for me. i got so big, so fast, and it was nice for a while until people started to expect me to dance to their tune like my writing belonged to them. i left with a lot of views on my record, a lot of faves/follows, and i deleted…everything despite it all. some people know, most people don’t know where i went. it feels great, like a weight lifted off of me. i left most of the actual posting on fanfic forums behind and kept the stories to myself because they no longer felt like they were mine when i shared them. people were always demanding me to bend to their whim when it was my story, my ideas, my words. and i want to remind you; you, alone, started this journey and owe no one nothing. not an update. no explanations. nothing. you shared this with them generously. this story belongs to you and no one else because they’re not paying for it. and you’re doing great things, no matter the view count, reviews, faves, etc. as long as you write, have a little spark, it’s good. you do you.

to fanfic readers; i rarely read fanfic nowadays, but i always try to review if i have the time unless i’m re-reading, i always try to brighten the writer’s day because i was there once. i just want to say as someone who’s been on the other side; you guys are great but there are a few of you who are not and this is directed at them (if you review, if you leave kudos, if you talk with the author and everything is polite; you’re doing great sweetie). i left fanfic because of you, to be completely honest. people who always messaged me demanding an update right after i posted. people who left only a comment repeating the word ‘update’. people who didn’t review. people who demanded for things and gave nothing in return. these stories are not yours, these words never belonged to you. you’re always demanding for things but never see the side of the writer. so, i propose this to you….write your own damn story. why are you even bothering other writers to write what you want when you can clearly see your own vision? why are you criticizing these people working for free for not doing what you (a single reader out of many) want? these stories are out there for free but people like you don’t deserve to even touch them. the amount of entitlement with some of you remains unbelievable but unfortunately, i’ve witnessed it. i also just want to say; don’t like a fanfic? leave it. don’t review. don’t continue reading. don’t leave criticism unless it’s asked for. they’re literally writing for free, maybe for fun, and while i get it’s a public forum, you really should learn some proper manners. your advice was unsolicited and unwanted. you’re literally the reason why many people stop writing despite the fact it was a fun hobby or indulgence. i hope something similar happens to you one day so you understand what you did to another person who was only trying to find happiness in words.

tldr: fanfic writers, you have a good day and update that story whenever you feel like it because you’re not getting paid and that story is yours. good fanfic readers; keep doing you, you’re doing great. you’re the reason why people write in the first place. bad fanfic readers; i hope you learn how to be a good one because the way you act speaks volumes. 

[spazioaether]

Resources For Describing Physical Things

Setting

Abandoned Mine

Airplane

Airport Check-in

Alley

Amusement Park

Attic

Bakery

Bank

Basement

Bathroom (home)

Barn

*GE* Barn 2 (Dairy Focus)

Beach

Bedrooms

Birthday Party

Bonfire

Bowling Alley

Bridge

Bookstore

Cafeteria

Casino

*GE* Catacombs

Cave

Church

City Park

Classroom

Closet

Coffee House

Courtroom

Cruise Ship

*GE* Cryogenic Sleep Chamber

Daycare

Desert

Diner

Dragon’s Lair

Dungeon (Caution Graphic Description)

*GE* Egyptian Pyramids

Elevator

Farms

Forest

Frozen Tundra

Gallows

Garage

Garage Sale

Garden

Graveyard

*GE* GLOBAL WARMING (dystopian)

Grocery Store

Halloween Party

Haunted House

Herbalist Shop (fantasy)

High School Hallway

Hospital

Hotel Room

House Fire

House Party

Kitchen

*GE* Laboratory

*GE* Laboratory (secret genetic)

Lake

Library

Locker Room

Meadow

Medieval Castle Armory

Medieval Marketplace

Middle School Dance (informal)

*GE* Mindscape (Mind Magic)

Mountains

Movie Theatre

Night Club

Nursery

Ocean/Sea Bed

Old Pick-Up Truck

Pirate Ship

Playground

Pond

Pool Hall

Prison Cell

Pub

Public Pool (Outdoor)

Rainforest/Jungle

Ranch

Restaurant

River

School Bus

School Office

Shopping Mall

Sleep-Away Camp

*GE* Spaceport

*GE* Spaceship

Stands at a Sporting Event

Storm Sewer

Subway Station

Swamp

Taxi cab

Teacher’s Lounge

Toolshed

*GE* Trailer

Treehouse

*GE* Tropical Island City

Urban Street

Video Arcade

Waiting Room

Waterfall

Water Slide Park

Wedding Ceremony (Church)

Woods at Night

Zoo

Weather

Air Pollution

Avalanche

Blizzard

Breeze

Clouds

Dew

Drought

Dusk

Dust or Sand Storm

Earthquake

Eclipse

Fall

Falling Star

Flood

Forest Fire

Frost

Hailstorm

Heat Wave

Hurricane/Typhoon

Lightning

Mirage

Mist or Fog

Moonlight

Mudslide

Rain

Rainbow

Sky

Sleet

Snow

Spring

Summer

Sunrise

Sunshine

Sunset

Thunderstorm

Tornado

Vortex

Wind

Winter

Color, Texture, & Shape

Color

Black

Blue

Brown

Gray

Gold

Green

Orange

Pink

Purple

Red

Silver

Spotted

Striped

Transparent

White

Yellow

Texture

Bumpy

Barbed/Spined

Crackled

Crumbly

Crusty

Foamy/Spongy

Fuzzy

Gritty

Pitted

Powdery

Prickly

Saw-edged/Serrated

Slimy

Smooth

Sticky

Shape

Arch

Circular/Sphere

Crescent

Heart

Oval & Oval-like

Rectangle

Spiral

Star

Square

Triangular

Tube

Wavy

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[spazioaether]

I think all content creators can relate to this.

In my opinion, I don’t think followers really understand how much your requests/likes/reblogs/etc. and random asks mean to me. It’s just so refreshing and nice to know that people enjoy what I’m doing and support me.

People that go the extra mile and send an ask or message letting me know they liked my stuff honestly makes my day. I love reading tags and stuff…it’s honestly so cute….

And people who ask about how I’m doing or send me random questions or cute asks….I just want you guys to know it honestly makes my day. I just love all the interaction and such. It makes running a blog so much more enjoyable.

And Fanart/Fanwork? Honestly that’s one of the greatest things to receive. To everyone that draws or writes, please don’t feel too insecure to send it end! No one is going to criticize you over quality. It’s so sweet that you even thought about making something…I will always appreciate it no matter what, and I’m sure all other content creators feel the same.

So, in conclusion, don’t be afraid to talk to your favorite blogs and show them some love, guys! We always appreciate it! ☺️

[spazioaether]

LET YOUR ART BE UGLY!!! LET YOUR WRITING BE BAD!!! DANCE OFFBEAT!!! SING OFF KEY!!! LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO LET YOUR FEAR OF NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH PREVENT YOU FROM LEARNING AND ENJOYING NEW THINGS!!! 

[spazioaether]

reasons to reply to fic comments

readers can be shy, too. They worry about commenting the same way that writers worry about posting fic. Replying lets them know they “did it right”

readers feel as overjoyed when they get replies as writers feel when they get comments

you can have a lot of fun and maybe even make a new friend

you can’t give kudos to comments, and there are some comments that really deserve it

just to say “thanks” - because not all readers comment and you appreciate the ones who do

[spazioaether]

Outfit challenge by hoopla_art on Instagram!

“I made an outfit challenge! I’m not doing it atm, but you guys are welcomed to use it! You pretty much tell people to comment a letter+number+an OC and you have to draw them is said outfit.”

Please credit the creator @hoopla-art and link to their challenge if you use this!! I did not make it! Thanks!

[spazioaether]

If you’re an artist, then this is for you.

This year, I want you to be unapologetic when you create.

Don’t apologize for your writing, drawing, music, designs, films, sculptures, cosplays, knitting, sewing, cooking, and anything else I might’ve missed.

Don’t apologize for the quality.

Stop being afraid of what you can accomplish. You might think you can do so much better, well guess what? You will. You’re always improving. But if you start to apologize for the best you can do at this moment, then you might restrain yourself, stop yourself from taking risks that will help you.

I know this is a hard thing to stop. I do it all the time. When I submit art to people that I’m not so confident about, I’ll apologize in advance.

This year, I challenge you, and myself, to stop doing it.

[spazioaether]

click each image for full view of prices/examples!

NOTE: THE SIMPLE SHADING PRICE LISTED IS FOR FULL BODY. IF YOU WANT A SIMPLY SHADED BUST, IT WILL BE $12.

Hello! My name’s Maddie, I’m an unemployed, mentally ill 25-year-old living in an abusive household. Since my county has one of the top unemployment rates in the US, I’ve had a very hard time getting a job, and do not have financial aid for school, so everything is out of pocket. This means money has gotten tight for me. Since I need money to buy my textbooks and, you know, eat, I thought I’d finally start doing commissions.

I do sketches, simple/flat colors, and painted colors. You can find more examples in my art tag; preferably the more recent stuff, as my skill has grown a lot in the past year or so.

I will draw nsfw (nudity/sex) provided the customer is 18+. I will also draw gore/guro, though it would be in a slightly simplified style. I will also draw OCs provided they have references of some kind in regards to their appearance.

I WILL NOT DRAW:

in/cest

adult/minor ships (discuss with me if you aren’t sure)

furry

r/ape or nonconsensual sexual content of any kind

hate speech/slurs/bigoted stereotypes

Almost everything else is on the table, though I reserve the right to refuse a request for any reason.

If you need your product adjusted or refined, you may do so twice before I finish it. I will send you WIP drafts upon request so you can keep up with the process.

To commission me, please email me at compos.dementis@gmail.com. I take money through PayPal.

[spazioaether]

I may or may not finish this, but I really loved how the tiger came out. 

[spazioaether]

Notes on Character Design

Character design and drawing are tome-sized topics and even if I had all the answers (I don’t - I have a lot to learn), I’m not sure I could communicate them effectively. I’ve gathered some thoughts and ideas here, though, in case they’re helpful.

First, some general things:  - Relax and let some of that anxiety go. This isn’t a hard science. There’s no wrong way, no rigid process you must adhere to, no shoulds or shouldn’ts except those you designate for yourself. This is one of the fun parts of being an artist, really - have a heady good time with it.

 - Be patient. A design is something gradually arrived at. It takes time and iteration and revision. You’ll throw a lot of stuff away, and you’ll inevitably get frustrated, but bear in mind the process is both inductive and deductive. Drawing the wrong things is part of the path toward drawing the right thing.

- Learn to draw.  It might seem perfunctory to say, but I’m not sure everyone’s on the same page about what this means. Learning to draw isn’t a sort of rote memorization process in which, one by one, you learn a recipe for humans, horses, pokemon, cars, etc. It’s much more about learning to think like an artist, to develop the sort of spacial intelligence that lets you observe and effectively translate to paper, whatever the subject matter. When you’re really learning to draw, you’re learning to draw anything and everything. Observing and sketching trains you to understand dimension, form, gesture, mood, how anatomy works, economy of line; all of the foundational stuff you will also rely on to draw characters from your imagination. Spend some time honing your drawing ability. Hone it with observational sketching. Hone it good.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone do this sort of thing better than Claire Wendling. In fact, character designs emerge almost seamlessly from her gestural sketches. It’d be worth looking her up.

- Gather Inspiration like a crazed magpie. What will ultimately be your trademark style and technique is a sort of snowball accumulation of the various things you expose yourself to, learn and draw influence from. To that effect, Google images, tumblr, pinterest and stock photo sites are your friends. When something tingles your artsy senses - a style, a shape, a texture, an appealing palette, a composition, a pose, a cool looking animal, a unique piece of apparel, whatever - grab it. Looking at a lot of material through a creative lens will make you a better artist the same way reading a lot of material makes a better writer. It’ll also devour your hard drive and you will try and fail many times to organize it, but more importantly, it’ll give you a lovely library of ideas and motivational shinies to peruse as you’re conjuring characters.

- Imitation is a powerful learning tool. Probably for many of us, drawing popular cartoon characters was the gateway habit that lured us into the depraved world of character design to begin with. I wouldn’t suggest limiting yourself to one style or neglecting your own inventions to do this, but it’s an effective way to limber up, to get comfortable drawing characters in general, and to glean something from the thought processes of other artists.

- Use references. Don’t leave it all up to guessing. Whether you’re trying to design something with realistic anatomy or something rather profoundly abstracted from reality, it’s helpful in a multitude of ways to look at pictures. When designing characters, you can infer a lot personality from photos, too.

And despite what you might have heard, having eyeballs and using them to look at things doesn’t constitute cheating. There’s no shame in reference material. There’s at least a little shame in unintentional abstractions, though.

Concepts and Approach:

- Break it down. Sometimes you have the look of a character fleshed out in your mind before putting it to paper, but usually not. That doesn’t mean you have to blow your cortical fuses trying conceive multiple diverse designs all at the same time, though. You don’t even have to design the body shape, poses, face, and expressions of a single character all at once. Tackle it a little at a time.

The cartoony, googly eyed style was pre-established for this simple mobile game character, but I still broke it into phases. Start with concepts, filter out what you like until you arrive at a look, experiment with colors, gestures and expressions.

- Start with the general and work toward the specific. Scribbling out scads of little thumbnails and silhouettes to capture an overall character shape is an effective way begin - it’s like jotting down visual notes. When you’re working at a small scale without agonizing over precision and details, there’s no risk of having to toss out a bunch of hard work, so go nuts with it. Give yourself a lot of options.

Here’s are some sample silhouettes from an old cancelled project in which I was tasked with designing some kind of cyber monkey death bot. I scratched out some solid black shapes then refined some of them a step or two further.

Here’s an instructional video by Feng Zhu about doing much the same thing (only way better).

- Shapes are language. They come preloaded with all sorts of biological, cultural and personal connotations. They evoke certain things from us too. If you’re ever stuck about where to go with your design, employ a sort of anthroposcopy along these lines - make a visual free association game out of it. It’ll not only tend to result in a distinguished design, but a design that communicates something about the nature of the character.

Think about what you infer from different shapes. What do they remind you of? What personalities or attitudes come to mind? How does the mood of a soft curve differ from that of a sharp angle? With those attributes attached, how could they be used or incorporated into a body or facial feature shape? What happens when you combine shapes in complementary or contrasting ways? How does changing the weight distribution among a set of shapes affect look and feel? Experiment until a concept starts to resonate with the character you have in mind or until you stumble on something you like.

If you don’t have intent, take the opposite approach - draw some shapes and see where they go. (It’s stupid fun.)

You might also find it helpful to watch Bobby Chiu’s process videos in which he feels out his character designs as he paints.

- Cohesion and Style. As you move from thumbnails to more refined drawings, you can start extrapolating details from the general form. Look for defining shapes, emergent themes or patterns and tease them out further, repeat them, mirror them, alternate them. Make the character entirely out of boxy shapes, incorporate multiple elements of an architectural style, use rhythmically varying line weights - there are a million ways to do this

Here’s some of the simple shape repetition I’ve used for Lackadaisy characters.

- Expressions - let them emerge from your design. If your various characters have distinguishing features, the expressions they make with those features will distinguish them further. Allow personality to influence expressions too, or vice versa. Often, a bit of both happens as you continue drawing - physiognomy and personality converge somewhere in the middle.

For instance, Viktor’s head is proportioned a little like a big cat. Befitting his personality, his design lets him make rather bestial expressions. Rocky, with his flair for drama, has a bit more cartoon about him. His expressions are more elastic, his cheeks squish and deform and his big eyebrows push the boundaries of his forehead. Mitzi is gentler all around with altogether fewer lines on her face. The combination of her large sleepy eyes and pencil line brow looked a little sad and a little condescending to me when I began working out her design - ultimately those aspects became incorporated into her personality.

I discuss expression drawing in more detail here (click the image for the link):

- Pose rendering is another one of those things for which observational/gesture drawing comes in handy. Even if you’re essentially scribbling stick figures, you can get a handle on natural looking, communicative poses this way. Stick figure poses make excellent guidelines for plotting out full fledged character drawings too.

Look for the line of action. It’ll be easiest to identify in poses with motions, gestures and moods that are immediately decipherable. When you’ve learned to spot it, you can start reverse engineering your own poses around it.

- Additional resources - here are some related things about drawing poses and constructing characters (click the images for the links).

Lastly…

- Tortured rumination about lack of ability/style/progress is a near universal state of creative affairs. Every artist I have known and worked with falls somewhere on a spectrum between frustration in perpetuity and a shade of fierce contrition Arthur Dimmesdale would be proud of. So, next time you find yourself constructing a scourge out of all those crusty acrylic brushes you failed to clean properly, you loathsome, deluded hack, you, at least remember you’re not alone in feeling that way. When it’s not crushing the will to live out of you, the device does have its uses - it keeps you self-critical and locked in working to improve mode. If we were all quite satisfied with our output, I suppose we’d be out of reasons to try harder next time.

When you need some reassurance, compare old work to new. Evolution is gradual and difficult to perceive if you’re narrowed in on the nearest data point, but if you’ve been steadily working on characters for a few months or a year, you’ll likely see a favorable difference between points A and B.

Most of all, don’t dwell on achieving some sort of endgame in which you’re finally there as a character artist. There’s no such place - wherever you are, there is somewhere else. It’s a moving goal post. Your energy will be better spent just enjoying the process…and that much will show in the results.