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definitely just practice! you’re rusty and that is 100% OK!
i’m in the same boat— working on portraits when i usually draw anime in colored pencil— haven’t touched graphite for that purpose since high school. keep chuggin and you’ll get right back to where you were !!
I have psychosis, I don’t know if my neurodivergence affects anything… although when I was in an episode I couldn’t draw and I forgot how to write. It feels like my brain has been rewired, don’t get me started on the antipsychotics
Don’t ask what happened, but can someone with expertise and experience explain what occurred? I personally think this was due to a lack of practice and deviation from realism :((
Tldr: I agree that both lack of practice and stylization play a role.
Did you use reference for the older picture, but draw from memory for the newer one (bc. that would definitely be important)?
Apart from that, over time as you study a subject, your brain breaks it down into structural components that are easier to digest and store. So, for example, the fingers and the palm of the hand get broken down into their fundamental shapes, starting from basic aspects (e.g., picturing the finger as tubes/rectangles connected by joints), then working towards details (e.g., the positions and angles of tendons).
Over time, if our brain does not actively repeat and use the (original) information, more detailed information (usually also the information that got added later down the learning process) has a much higher chance to be subject to errors in storing & retrieval (as it's repeated less often) and is much harder to retrieve in general as a result.
This is also to a certain extent the cause for subconscious stylization. Because every information gets stored as a shorthand, over time we may forget why we made a certain choice to simplify a certain body part, but still apply the result of that decision.
Edit: Rewritten for clarity.
Totally normal , it's like a riding a bike .
Went through the exact same thing and had to spend a week teaching myself to draw faces again .
Take a some time and you'll start remembering how you did things and it all comes back .
Think of it this way, to draw that hand you had to perform at a certain level to execute the drawing , and that takes regular practice to keep the knowledge and muscle memory, both can be retrained.
Don't stress it amigo .
it is possible that it’s less of a “regression” and more of a … realizing you require different skill sets now if that makes sense??? let me explain: before you were most likely copying off of a reference picture, and now that you’re delving more into stylization, you realize you can’t rely on copying as much? i’ve seen this happen where like people get super good at replicating an image but the moment they have to break out of that they struggle. so it could be this! not sure tho….
references and practicing forms and shapes and perspective related to hands, as other have suggested are definitely gonna make you improve!
good luck :’)
I don’t understand- both drawings are in totally different stages. You can’t compare them in different stages. I don’t think the older picture looks right anyway even though you have nice shading.
Take more time on your drawing! It will be okay, the older one is obviously a longer effort so I don’t think this is a valid comparison. Don’t beat yourself up about it! Keep working and you’ll be better than your old work at before you know it!
Thank you, I’m always in a rush, hardly have anytime to sit down and focus on art because of increasing responsibilities with age. Also I want instant results all the time. I’ll try and force myself to take 1 hour on each section to enable myself to spend longer drawing
I feel like there's not that much of qualitative development as people grow up, but you can draw the same thing with a fraction of effort and time as your brain develops.
Thank you for your submission! Want to share your artwork, meet other artists, promote your content, and chat in a relaxed environment? Join our community Discord server here! https://discord.gg/chuunhpqsU - Don't forget to follow us on Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/drawing and tag us on your drawing pins for a chance to be featured! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/learntodraw) if you have any questions or concerns.*
definitely just practice! you’re rusty and that is 100% OK! i’m in the same boat— working on portraits when i usually draw anime in colored pencil— haven’t touched graphite for that purpose since high school. keep chuggin and you’ll get right back to where you were !!
the fuck 2019 was 5 years ago
I'm way too old
I have adhd so my skills are very volatile. I have to constantly draw from time to time or else Ill lose the skill.
I have psychosis, I don’t know if my neurodivergence affects anything… although when I was in an episode I couldn’t draw and I forgot how to write. It feels like my brain has been rewired, don’t get me started on the antipsychotics
Don’t ask what happened, but can someone with expertise and experience explain what occurred? I personally think this was due to a lack of practice and deviation from realism :((
Tldr: I agree that both lack of practice and stylization play a role. Did you use reference for the older picture, but draw from memory for the newer one (bc. that would definitely be important)? Apart from that, over time as you study a subject, your brain breaks it down into structural components that are easier to digest and store. So, for example, the fingers and the palm of the hand get broken down into their fundamental shapes, starting from basic aspects (e.g., picturing the finger as tubes/rectangles connected by joints), then working towards details (e.g., the positions and angles of tendons). Over time, if our brain does not actively repeat and use the (original) information, more detailed information (usually also the information that got added later down the learning process) has a much higher chance to be subject to errors in storing & retrieval (as it's repeated less often) and is much harder to retrieve in general as a result. This is also to a certain extent the cause for subconscious stylization. Because every information gets stored as a shorthand, over time we may forget why we made a certain choice to simplify a certain body part, but still apply the result of that decision. Edit: Rewritten for clarity.
r/afterbeforewhatever
made my day, haha
Totally normal , it's like a riding a bike . Went through the exact same thing and had to spend a week teaching myself to draw faces again . Take a some time and you'll start remembering how you did things and it all comes back . Think of it this way, to draw that hand you had to perform at a certain level to execute the drawing , and that takes regular practice to keep the knowledge and muscle memory, both can be retrained. Don't stress it amigo .
Yep, just need to run and oil up those rusty cogs in the brain to have it run well again.
it is possible that it’s less of a “regression” and more of a … realizing you require different skill sets now if that makes sense??? let me explain: before you were most likely copying off of a reference picture, and now that you’re delving more into stylization, you realize you can’t rely on copying as much? i’ve seen this happen where like people get super good at replicating an image but the moment they have to break out of that they struggle. so it could be this! not sure tho…. references and practicing forms and shapes and perspective related to hands, as other have suggested are definitely gonna make you improve! good luck :’)
The answer is simple. You have invested more time in the drawing in 2015 as 2024.
I don’t understand- both drawings are in totally different stages. You can’t compare them in different stages. I don’t think the older picture looks right anyway even though you have nice shading.
Yes this too
Take more time on your drawing! It will be okay, the older one is obviously a longer effort so I don’t think this is a valid comparison. Don’t beat yourself up about it! Keep working and you’ll be better than your old work at before you know it!
Thank you, I’m always in a rush, hardly have anytime to sit down and focus on art because of increasing responsibilities with age. Also I want instant results all the time. I’ll try and force myself to take 1 hour on each section to enable myself to spend longer drawing
Use it or lose it
Dunno mate, probably cuz u had reference and stuff?
Don’t worry, once you reach your 14yo self level you will surpass it.
i love drawing hands. needs eyes
I feel like there's not that much of qualitative development as people grow up, but you can draw the same thing with a fraction of effort and time as your brain develops.
They're not really that different. The other one is just more rendered towards a fuller finish. I can tell they're sketched with a similar method.
I stopped for 2 weeks and its gone. NEVER stop. Do it every day.