Why Every Artist Makes "Bad" Art (And Why It Helps You Improve)
Every artist has moments when they look at a finished drawing or painting and think, "Why do I hate my art?" Whether you're a beginner or a professional illustrator, feeling disappointed with your artwork is completely normal. In this blog, I'll share why artists (primarily me) often dislike their own work and how you can use those moments to improve instead of giving up.
In any case, I hate to start my blogging journey on a negative note, but this has been a BIG part of my journey of becoming an illustrator.
It’s something I’m sure all artists can relate to. You’ve come up with a concept you are excited about, did a rough draft and loved it, but when it came to finishing the final design it’s…………let’s say……..disappointing…..
Have you ever worked hard on an illustration or painting and then felt frustrated because it looked nothing like the vision you had for it in the beginning?
This is something that happened to me recently, an idea lived in my head for a piece of work but when I finished the illustration, I felt it wasn’t up to my usual standard. This can happen for multiple reasons, you may be tired, had distractions while working, or simply the idea or topic wasn’t right for your portfolio.
This can be where a lot of artists give up, but it’s important to remember that making mistakes are ESSENTIAL to your professional growth!
What matters most is that you keep going, keep learning, and keep trying new things as an artist. I spent hours on a piece of work and I was so disappointed that it wouldn’t contribute to my current body of work, it wasn’t even Instagram worthy. But in the end, it was thanks to that piece of work that I came up with the idea of what to write for this, my very first blog.
It’s also important to remember not to be too self-critical and reflect on why you don’t like the artwork, this can be due to a number of reasons:
Not Your Art Style?
Maybe you saw another artists work and thought “I’d love to make something like that”. Although it’s valuable to look for inspiration in others work. It’s can be a thin line between taking inspiration & replicating. Remember trying to replicate another artists work will only end in disappointment because it didn’t come from you and at the end of the day people will love your art because it’s authentically you and your style.
And remember, never draw what you think you should draw, or what you think will sell, draw what you love! There doesn’t need to be a reason behind it. (Just look at my butter illustration 😄)
Are You Being Too Critical of Your Artwork?
Maybe you’re being too self critical? Or judging your work in what I like to call ‘The Ugly Phase’, a lovely little purgatory for art when it’s not quite finished but almost. If you’re not sure why you don’t like something take a break, don’t look at it for a while and when you’re ready come back to it with fresh eyes.
As someone who is early on in my art journey, some of the best adviced I received was from the book ‘Find Your Creative Voice’ by Lisa Congdon who says the most important thing is to just start! Sometimes I wish I had started years earlier, or studied art in university, but I know that’s energy wasted that could be spent on improving my skills.
No matter the reason why you don’t like a drawing or painting, it’s important to remember that time making art is never time wasted. Every illustration teaches you something, even the ones you never share. The artwork you're disappointed with today could be the reason your next piece is your best yet. So don't let one drawing convince you you're not improving. Keep experimenting, keep making mistakes, and keep creating—the only artists who never improve are the ones who stop.