~extra stuff: old art~

Oh man. I keep having people on the internet comment that they'll "never be as good as me." I don't care who you are, that's so, so, SO not true. I really believe I have no natural talent- I don't think you have to have it. I'm not sure anyone has it.. .well, maybe a few people I've seen do- but mostly, I don't think it's anything but hard work, observation, and maybe sprinkled with a little bit of taste.. I also don't think I'm good, (I never, ever, have) - but who couldn't feel that way after looking through their favorites list on DeviantART.

Just so you know, I'm not just saying it, I'll embarrass myself to prove it. I now present my really old work. I'll also show this stuff off to encourage people, and show them how easy it would be to surpass (what I know to be) my meager little skill. We'll start at the beginning. I drew my first real picture when I was 2, it was of my dad and a week later I wanted to rip it up because I hated it. I had forgotten pupils or something- but, obviously, I'm still the same girl. After that I pretty much just drew animals...

[I drew this sometime before sixth grade]

So I got a bit better at animals, pretty progressively over the years, (I'll scan some of my 7th-8th grade animal work when I get around to fishing the box out from under my bed.) But... I never drew people. So... when I was 13-ish I finally decided I needed to learn to how too. Wow, wow, I was bad...

This is the best of the worst- I probably did it when I was around 14, I could have even been 15 or 16. I still can't bring myself to show the other stuff. I'm sure I'll brave it out, but this really is the best from that whole time.

Over another year or so I feel like I improved a little, but the people I was drawing were still so bad. It's why I couldn't ever believe my family when they told me I was a good artist. The next few pictures, I'm guessing, are probably between the ages of 16 and 19.

These are my two main characters :)

Now, keeping this in mind, go on DeviantART and look at the ages of people. This is some of the best stuff I did- I hardly compare. If you feel you can't draw that well, chances are, you just have to get a teenie bit more practice in. Its frustrating and you probably wont realize how much you've grown, but you really will improve quite a bit if you keep it up.

I got better around the time I was 21-22. By the time I was 23, I was drawing more like this one below. Better, yeah, but not great. I'm no Loish (20yrs), BlackCat (31?), Klar (23), Michelle (20), just about anyone on my watchlist or yours. I can't be, it doesn't make sense for me to stack up to those people. But it also doesn't matter. I love what I do, I love looking at what others do, I just don't feel like I'll ever be there- So when people tell me they'll never be where I am, I know how they feel, I just can't believe that. -Regardless though, please just keep drawing! We need more artists!

You can find more of my old art in my sketchbooks, which are posted in the "real art" section.