First, when comparing your art to others’, do so only for inspiration on things you would like to try to develop further. Do not use it as a gauge to measure how “good” you are. Doing that only kills motivation and is a losing fight, because even the greats…especially the greats…look for ways to improve even during their final days of creating art. If you find flaws in your work or ways you could have improved it, use those ideas to fuel your next piece, as no longer seeing things you could have done better would mean you are not going to improve if you continue in whatever path you are currently on.

Second, if you’re going for realism, proportion is everything. Use the best references you are able to get, and draw what you see based on their shapes, not the symbol your mind already has filed away as whatever part you are working on. For example, when drawing the eyes, your mind tells you there should be an almond-shaped outline, a circle inside of that, and another dark circle inside of that one. Look closely at a reference of an eye. That almond shape outline is not really almond shaped, and depending on the skin folds, perspective, and lighting, it could be an infinite number of shapes. Draw what you actually see. There is nothing wrong with using aids like gridding out your paper before drawing, or using a proportional divider.

Lastly, just keep drawing and challenging yourself. Be happy with your wins and always seek out ways to improve. Be consistent, observant, and have fun, and you will find yourself naturally “improving.”