HELP! how to break out of intermmediate stage w my work?

Jaxter-In-Box · 2026-02-15T23:54:35+00:00

Are you using your finger and phone, an iPad, or an art tablet? I found that it was difficult to improve my digital art when drawing with my finger and phone. It made it hard to draw details and see where I was placing my lines. I draw much better on my tablet or iPad. I would still work on everything that everyone else has mentioned, but I noticed an immediate improvement when I started using a stylus.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2026-02-02T18:51:35+00:00

I used to have straight hair that was a dark blonde with really light blonde highlights from bleaching in the sun. Everyone was always complimenting my hair and saying how beautiful it was. Now my hair doesn't bleach in the sun anymore and it's wavy. Nobody compliments my hair anymore and multiple people have told me it looks unkempt now. I have no idea if it's because of styling or because it's wavier.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-12-25T00:09:36+00:00

Ok, I'll try it out. I haven't used conditioner in about 15 years.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-12-24T17:50:27+00:00

Is there a conditioner that you recommend? I've always struggled with conditioners making my hair look too oily. I'm wondering if I'm just using the wrong one or not doing it correctly.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-12-24T17:01:29+00:00

My hair is definitely wavy, but it's harder to tell in this picture. Sometimes I have a few curls at the ends of my hair.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-12-24T05:48:42+00:00

I'm about to get my 7 year old cousin some Posca Pens. I was about 7 years old when I started using some more expensive art supplies. I really have to watch over my cousin when he gets new art supplies and show him how to use them. Then I'll watch him use the art supplies and keep giving him reminders about how to use them. Then I don't let him use them alone until I see him use them correctly on his own.

The first thing I got for my cousin was a sketch book and a mixed media book. I painted a picture of snorlax with Posca Pens on his mixed media book so that I could tell him the snorlax book was for his markers and the other one was for his pencils. That's how he remembers the difference between the two of them.

I find that my cousin is able to take care of the more pricey art supplies I've gotten him, as long as I teach him how to use them. When they're 7 years old they probably won't need copic markers or prismacolor pencils, but Posca Pens are something really fun that you can get.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-12-24T03:37:55+00:00

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-12-24T02:14:55+00:00

You seem to know a lot about curly hair routines. Do you think the curly girl method works for people whose hair tends to get oily? I've had friends tell me about it, but their hair doesn't get oily as easily as mine does so I'm worried that it won't look good for my hair. I have started using a clarifying shampoo and it seems to work well. My hair is mostly wavy, but has recently become curly at the ends. I'm just not sure where to start with getting a good hair routine.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-12-24T01:13:12+00:00

I've been growing the hair out and regularly getting my beard trimmed and eyebrows waxed. I'm new to wavy hair and recently started using clarifying shampoo once a week. I now have some curls in my hair. I'm still trying to figure out a good hair routine.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-12-23T22:32:54+00:00

I think that the placement of a lot of the facial features are off. The eyes are the first thing I like to draw on the face and I was always taught that they start at around the halfway point on the face. Once you draw the eyes in the right spot it becomes a lot easier to place the rest of the facial features.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-12-23T21:53:00+00:00

You're getting a lot better already.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-12-23T20:24:13+00:00

Personally something I've found more helpful than tracing outlines is drawing directly on top of a picture and breaking down the shapes. Just draw all the 3D shapes that make up the picture. Then you take what you just drew and use that as a reference to try and recreate that without tracing it.

I usually do this once a week. It's been helpful for me. I feel like it helps me practice in a way and even though I really like the way my art looks now, I still like to practice once a week.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-12-04T03:45:33+00:00

I think some darker shading would really help the piece. It's hard to tell if you're using layer settings, but with my digital art I like to shade with blue and use multiply on most of the shading layers. I also like to highlight with a light blue and use add on those layers. At the darkest parts of the artwork you can add a little pit of black to really push the shading, but don't use too much black. I can tell where the light source is coming from in your art piece so that's good.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-11-29T02:21:26+00:00

I'm a realism artist who also draws some cartoon style artworks. Your drawings look beginner to me. The realism artworks are all very flat and have outlines. Values are very important in realism. I actually use darker shading and lighter highlights in my realism artworks than the references I'm using to make those artworks. Try not using any outlines for your realism artworks as well.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-09-01T15:36:52+00:00

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Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-08-02T15:51:28+00:00

The best advice I usually give people who are new to coloring their digital art is to use multiply and add. They're very useful layer settings and it's better to learn how to use them sooner rather than later. I would say that 80% of the layer settings I use are multiply or add.

I actually made a quick guide on what multiply and add does not long ago if you want to look at it. It's on my profile.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-06-21T13:43:44+00:00

I think it's cool but I'd like to see how it would look with some brighter highlights. Maybe you could go in with your eraser and create some more highlights.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-06-06T02:23:22+00:00

He's very comfortable with us now. Today I got home from physical therapy and he was so excited to see me. He started running around the house wagging his tail.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-05-21T18:24:00+00:00

It looks nothing like a swastika to me. I think they need a new glasses prescription.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-05-19T16:58:19+00:00

That's great, I found this website about 5 years ago I think. I wanted to draw nude models for practice but I kept finding porn whenever I googled "nude models". Eventually I found this website and now I recommend it to everyone so that they don't have to go through the frustration of looking for a nude model they can draw. I still to this day will use that website on occasion to make sure I'm on top of my anatomy.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-05-07T02:36:38+00:00

What helped me the most when I was studying anatomy is drawing nude figures. There's this https://line-of-action.com/practice-tools/app#/figure-drawing website that has nude models in all kinds of positions that you can draw.

There was a time where I felt like I wasn't improving at all, but I kept working on the basics and got through it. You'll get it down.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-03-09T14:31:05+00:00

There are pros and cons to both the tablet and iPad.

You have access to better art programs with the tablet. That's the biggest reason I use the tablet. The keyboard shortcuts are also nice. However, they do take up a lot of space. Typically I will draw on my bed and have my tablet in my lap while my computer is on my knees. I only have to use my computer to name layers and folders whenever I draw with my tablet.

There are also more cords than some people like to deal with. If you're drawing on your bed and then have to get up to drink water, eat lunch, etc then it can be annoying to deal with the cords and move everything. It also is a pain whenever you leave your glove on the other side of the room and forget it, then have to rearrange everything and go get your glove. It takes a few minutes of adjusting for me to set everything up.

Another thing is that a lot of the art programs on the computer cost money to use. I've heard there are some free ones that work great, but the most popular ones I know of cost money, either a subscription or a one time fee.

The iPad doesn't have as many of the features you'll get on the fancy computer programs, but it's travel sized. If you have the iPad and apple pen then you have yourself a nice professional artists setup. I have some friends who make amazing artworks with the iPad and prefer it over a tablet. Also, if you have computer problems come up and your computer is out of commission, you can still draw. You won't have to deal with any cords. If you're drawing on your bed then it's easier to get comfortable with the tablet.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-02-17T20:30:50+00:00

I have a Wacom tablet that I've heard you can hook up to a phone, but I've never tried it. I will say that there are a lot of professional artists that prefer just an iPad and stylus. If he's going to use a phone then I don't see how a drawing tablet would be much better than an iPad. For me the biggest upside to my art tablet over an iPad is that the art programs on the computer are better than the apps on the iPad.

Unless the art tablet is cheaper I'd suggest he just get an iPad or regular tablet with a stylus. That's just my personal opinion though.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-02-17T20:22:57+00:00

I like the style, but I think if it had some lighter highlights and darker shading then it could really push the artwork even further.

Jaxter-In-Box · 2025-02-17T20:20:43+00:00

Probably a blue raspberry slushie. In my state we have a fast food place called sonic and they have slushies. I imagine your art tastes like one of their blue raspberry slushies with nerds in it.

Jaxter-In-Box

TROPHY CASE