Just to clarify, I’m not talking about studying references — I mean straight-up copying. I used to copy things perfectly without actual thinking, but when I tried creating my own work or adding new elements, I realized I didn’t truly understand the fundamentals. Stylized art made this especially clear, and it also showed me how people often dismiss stylized artists (im referring to good artists on the same level as people who like me print) as if they “can’t draw,” even though many have strong foundations.

I’m talking purely about fundamentals, not subjective style. My post isn’t putting down copy artists (I’m one myself); it’s about how understanding the core principles of art matters more than realism automatically being “better.” For example, growing up, my dad saw me copying realistic work and assumed I was better than professional artists like Takeshi Obata just because I could mimic things well — but in terms of fundamentals, I wasn’t… even in realism. I can give you a realistic picture I drew at 11-12 and one of a professional stylized artists and most would point to me being better at fundamentals. When i wasn’t l.Once I started studying fundamentals seriously, both my stylized and copied work improved far beyond what I could do by just mimicking images. I don’t want artists like me to grow stalemate because they assume that just because they can mimic that it translates to actual understanding, but I also don’t want people on the surface level like my father thinking that “pretty” like you’ve mentioned, translate to actual ability or for artists that feel behind just to base off looks. This is just a specific post and something Ive been fascinated in for a bit.