[lmayfield]

So for a while now I have been practicing in my sketchbook, trying to improve my skills. But Im wondering if I should also be putting alot more more into trying to finish pieces. I know they wont look that great, but all Im doing now is sketching. Im not sure if Im pushing myself to get any better.

Thoughts?

[Nicolay]

Hello.

Yeah, I would say you should try to do some finished pieces as well as continuously sketching. Colour and value will teach you some things about sketching, and the other way round, too. Choose pieces of which you have a clear image in your head about how they will look when finished, then dive into it.

When you do ... please remember that adding colour & lighting is / can be a time-intensive process and your image will probably pass into a stage which looks really shoddy. Don't give up hope and stick with it!

Hopefully then you can change your avatar to a smiley

[FearNoGods]

Yes do both as they are both good for your artistic health. Make sure some of your "finished" pieces are studies too. Do lots of studies actually Art is just about doing a lot of it, right?

[Baxter]

Originally Posted by FearNoGods

Yes do both as they are both good for your artistic health. Make sure some of your "finished" pieces are studies too.

This is a good way to aproach it. That way you kill two birds with one stone; you have a sketchbook practice piece but you also get to practice spending time on a piece observing it and making it as close to the original as possible. Thay way you really get to know what you are drawing. it pays to mix it up a bit and do bits of both.

[DarkSpectrum]

Don't worry, pal. I'm going through the same thing. Just to add to the other advice out there, I think it would be a good thing to practice in your sketchbook a lot and once you feel you have grasped a certain element, especially something that has been bothering you in terms of skill, test it out in a more finished piece to see how far you've come. ^^

[amileduan]

Of course you should finish them,it's a good custom for making thing.You maybe think they are not good right now,but after months or years,you would know how to improve them,or just re-do to make them better.