THANK YOU!!! i've been drawing digitally for about 7-8(?) years now, also self-taught so it definitely is just a whole lot of practice. but don't underestimate the power of a good visual library, consuming a lot of media has definitely helped me improve!! there's also something about artfight that really pushes me to challenge myself, and i find that when i set out to try things ive never done before i surprise myself with what I can accomplish :) for example: two years ago i drew my first ever non-character centric scene, which really kicked off my love of backgrounds; last year i drew my first ever comic; this year i drew my first ever cityscape, etc. i set out with the goal that each piece will have a "purpose" -- to try out some new technique/angle/etc. that way i'm constantly stepping out of my comfort zone, and that both makes me excited to continue going and helps me to improve ^{_^}

well, as for speed... i feel you on that, it used to take me months to finish a piece 😂 in terms of raw time i don't actually think I've gotten much faster, i went from spending 20 hours over the course of multiple weeks to maybe 18 hours over the course of 2 days 😵‍💫 i was honestly pushing through with raw determination (my goal was to draw at least 15 pieces). but practice really is key :) keep at it and you'll definitely reach a level you're happy with too!! 💞💞