How to Improve Drawing Drastically

So, after a couple months, I'm back. Welcome back, me.

Anyway, here's a little side-by-side comparison of my—as stated in the image—2016 art and 2018 art. And, honestly, I don't know what to feel. The drawing on the left—the older one—was drawn so quickly and effortlessly, while the more recent one took me DAYS to finish. Until I worked on this piece, my drawings on average took 3 hours to finish, so I guess I did go out of my comfort zone to make the artwork.

As you may have noticed, this is a redraw of the same character. Yet, these two artworks don't seem similar at all. In the former drawing, he looked tense and seemed to be waving his empty wine glass. On the other hand, the one on the right seemed to have a cold and calculating demeanor. And that is what I wanted to achieve, even in the older artwork. I don't mean to brag, but it was such a drastic improvement.

To summarize, I'm quite satisfied to see my progress.

I'd like to share some tips for you guys. I guarantee that it will help you improve.

How To Improve Your Art

Tip #1: USING REFERENCES

I'm sure that this tip is in similar articles. Yes, even the greatest artists once had to learn from someone else. This is nothing to be ashamed of. After all, man himself has observed from nature, and drew inspiration from her. When I look at a man, or a woman, or a child, I study their faces; I notice that, when the sun is shining above, their faces seemed to glow, and when they are shunned from the light, their eyes looked dark and seemed to have no light in them. I observe, and I learn. 

Tip #2: PERSISTENCE

Remember when I said that my artworks usually took 3 hours to finish? The reason for this is that they are always rushed and ergo, I do not take the time to improve my artwork. Instead, I stare at my half-finished project, and say, "Good enough." 

Perhaps the only way to avoid it, is to face it head-on. When don't want to finish a certain artwork anymore, you MUST persist. 

Tip #3: PATIENCE

Have you tried to copy a great artist's work, and failed miserably, telling yourself that you aren't good enough? Listen. You cannot force yourself to be a great artist in a snap. You must build your skills. It takes time to be good in something.

Anyway, those are the most effective tips I can think of. I hope you learned a couple things from me.

 That's all! Thank you for reading. Don't forget to upvote, comment, and follow me! Love u. No homo