Progress Over Perfection

Ok. Confession time: I am a recovering perfectionist.

What I mean is, I am very much still in the process of learning that even though something may not turn out exactly the way I originally envisioned, that does not mean that it is somehow not worthwhile.

Admittedly, very few of the pieces that I draw actually turn out the way I planned them. And that probably isn’t a bad thing. Sometimes it might be that a color combination I had in mind didn’t quite look how I imagined. Other times it might be that the brush I thought would give me the effect I was looking for didn’t work the way I thought. Or to be honest, it might just be that I haven’t learned the technique I need to make something possible quite yet.

And all of those are okay.

In fact, one thing I love about posting my artwork is being able to track the changes over time. A constantly changing portfolio of learning and growth. From new shading techniques to using layers/settings in a different way. Or even learning about some feature that was available in the app all along, I just didn’t know it yet.

One of my favorites so far has been my work with planets and space art.

I love space. I love learning about Earth of course, but there is something almost magical about the wider universe. I have followed NASA on social media for years and will watch any livestream I can. I also love finding opportunities to talk with others about it. So unsurprisingly, some of my favorite designs capture these other worlds in some way. Which leads me to a few specific examples.

Example 1: (Jan. 2019)

This is the very first thing I drew on my iPad Pro using Procreate (honestly one of the best things I’ve ever spent money on). I had used the app before on a work device, but hadn’t done much digital art in years. And honestly I had created nicer things in a high school computer graphics class. But I am trying out so many new brushes and techniques. I was learning to play with the design. And recognizing that even if it doesn’t look like I want yet, there is a lot of potential to learn something new.

Example 2: (Early Mar. 2021)

Two years (and LOTS of practice) later, I have a clearer sense of how to do certain effects. Youtube and Google are resources that can be really helpful when trying to learn how to do something. Like how to use liquify in a way that looked more like what I had originally intended. There are also many more layers, including the planet itself. Studying lots of reference photos taken my spacecraft, I started getting a sense of how a planet would appear shaded. About perspective. But there is still more to learn.

Example 3: (Late March 2021)

During March 2021, I decided to challenge myself to draw every day. Some days I had more energy and brain space than others, but I found that I was much more willing to try new things. I had played a lot more with liquify. And layer masks to allow the rings to curve correctly. Light glowing and sparkling in different spots and at different levels.

Like many things, practice helps us grow and learn. Sometimes we find ourselves challenged. Other times we might run into a lack of new inspiration (I draw a certain mountain quite a bit since it is easy for me to see in different light throughout the day and year). There are new areas to progress in. And it is okay if it’s not what I hope yet because I know every doodle gets me a little bit closer to capturing the drawings I imagine. And sometimes I end up learning something new I never expected along the way.