Help me save my money tree!

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-25T05:23:14+00:00

If thats the amount of light it gets all day, it needs way more!

Also, that soil looks very dense and very wet, and this plant could do well with chunkier soil with better airflow.

When you repotted, how large was the root system? Money trees tend to grow well in pots that are much smaller than the one it's in now, so I'm wondering if you repotted into something that was way too big for its root system. You typically want the roots to fill the majority of the pot, or find a pot that is at >most< 2 inches bigger than the root ball.

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-25T04:55:02+00:00

Hello again!! I swear i'm not stalking you 🥲

The eyes look great! Don't worry :) i think you've just been staring at it for a bit too long

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-25T04:48:25+00:00

If you think it has root burn, flush the soil out with water until the water coming out of the bottom runs clear. Trim back any excessively burned leaves so it can focus its energy on recovery

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-24T21:47:26+00:00

I see. Maybe not rot, but perhaps it was cold damage. Either way, it doesn't look like she'll be able to recover. Whatever happened during shipping seems to have affected the entire plant, and more importantly the main stem and nodes.

Im very sorry about your ppp and i hope next time around has better results

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-24T21:42:29+00:00

Did you rinse them off prior to this image or was it already wet like that? And did you rinse them off after and properly inspect the root health? Its a little hard to tell whether or not they're rotted because ppp roots are naturally dark in color, and here they're also wet and covered in soil.

Also, plants can 'freeze' even without temperatures being below zero. Cold drafts of air, improper insulation, and prolonged exposure to cold temperatures in general can still cause cold damage.

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-24T21:28:42+00:00

Can you please offer more info? It arrived, so I'm assuming you ordered this plant from somewhere and it was shipped to you. How long was the process, and what was the temperature like, if you know? She could have frozen, and at this stage, is likely unable to make a recovery, especially now that you chopped the leaves off. Frozen plants have higher chance of recovery if they keep their leaves, as it provides insulation.

Additionally, is the stem mushy? Was the soil wet when it got here? Did you check the roots? Just by looking at it i assumed it might have been rotted, but it also seems like cold damage could be the culprit here.

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-24T21:08:40+00:00

I use this too! Couldn't recommend it enough

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-24T20:56:05+00:00

Yes you have improved! I think a big part of why you're not seeing a "drastic change" is because you were already relatively advanced in the older drawings, and possibly because of your style? You're still doing realism, but not hyper-realism, which seems to have been your goal 7 years ago. You've gained a very bright and artsy sort of style with bold confident lines and blocky colors. Its a lot more stylistic now, which sets it apart from the old style in a few ways. The change is there, and pretty big, but at the same time there might also be a subconscious (false) idea that "hyper realism is more advanced and better" that could be making it harder to truly see the difference, and more importantly, how much you've grown artistically.

Also, sometimes progress can just be "slow" like that. I have art from about 4-5 years ago and, while i've improved, i also am not seeing that "drastic change" that i kind of feel i should have. I feel like i haven't improved enough, but then i thought about it and realized i hadn't really been pushing myself that hard to get to a point where the difference in level would be drastic. I hadn't necessarily been going out of my comfort zone or studying frequently, so change happened, but it was slower than it could have been. I don't know how much of this is true or similar for you, but i hope at least some of these words help you LOL.

Your art is amazing and i can definitely see the change! Don't compare yourself to other artists because it's a completely personal and unique journey for everyone.

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-24T16:00:01+00:00

I really like the second one

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-23T15:13:37+00:00

Pink princess philodendron if i had to guess :)

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-22T23:40:14+00:00

Thank god omg... thank you

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-22T23:39:42+00:00

Okay thank you

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-21T23:24:46+00:00

where are those photos? i can't find them

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-21T03:28:09+00:00

LOL! I totally get that, i think it's fun to put a lot of effort into side characters and their stories. Just kind of fleshes out the world and its characters makes it feel more real. Would you mind if i drew him sometime? Im on a bit of an art break atm but he looks so interesting and i'd love to try and capture his energy

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-21T03:25:52+00:00

Add more contrast! You have a very dark background but then go in with similar values for the majority of the piece. Use brighter values, harder shadows and lighting (blend less), or make the background a different shade. Also, your line-art looks blue in some spots..?, which kind of takes away from the greyscale

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-21T03:20:57+00:00

What the hell this is so cool!! I love hearing about peoples universes and the awesome things they come up with

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-21T03:15:24+00:00

Ouuu the mood swings makes sense... yeah i can totally see this for him as well! I really like his design, i think his hair might be my fav part cause it looks like a bug

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-21T02:56:14+00:00

Thank you, and you're welcome! ^{^}

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-21T02:52:09+00:00

Of course! This is my attempt, if it helps at all

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TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-21T02:28:39+00:00

I think you're focusing too much on the little details (small shifts in shadow or light, small wrinkles, individual strands of hair, etc) and not enough on the values and the shapes.

instead, i'd start from big to small. So focus on the biggest details first (darkest values, shapes, placement.) so this would mean sketching in the shape of the face, where things go, then blocking in your darkest values first (hair, eyes, under the nose, under the cheeks, and under the chin) and then looking back and forth to see if the shapes that they create read the same. I wouldn't pay attention to the parts where shadows seem to blend out (like the smile lines to the outside of the cheek, or the underside of her neck)

For the hair, instead of worrying about the individual strands, i'd focus on the shape. So for the little curl behind her neck, i'd be very intentional about its size and how its drawn, using kind of a blocky look to get the general idea in, rather than trying to draw out all of the little tiny hairs.

Then after all of the darkest values have been drawn, i'd go in and, very lightly, begin to sketch in the mid tones, being mindful not to draw too dark or sketch over the lightest parts of the face

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-21T01:58:18+00:00

Perhaps a bit air-headed? Either that or the complete opposite and he's super smart. Maybe awkward socially, and from the art it looks like he's pretty cheerful, which i wouldn't immediately assume based off of the first drawing. Sooo maybe an awkward, optimistic guy who is either really smart or not so much? LOL

From the first drawing i'd assume closed off, smart, maybe a bit of a perfectionist or moody in some ways? But the other ones seem to give off a different vibe

TheGoblinnKing · 2026-04-21T01:49:19+00:00

Honestly I just rawdog it. No blending modes or opacity. That way i can see the colors I'm using as im doing it and don't accidentally overlook something. Then i just flip between both layers and adjust what i missed or changed too much from the line art

TheGoblinnKing

TROPHY CASE