Just some rambling about support

I was just looking back at some of the sketches I did a few years ago (Sketchdump folder, in case you were wondering). Call it nostalgia, or just me not knowing where those sketchbooks went after I moved. It's funny how at the time, I thought they were close to the best thing I could ever produce... or at least good enough to upload. Yet when I look back at them now, I see how much they lack, and why people didn't like 'em. They were bad. Honestly. 

The point is not that those sketches were awful. It took me a lot of blood, sweat and tears to even produce them. And although I might not have the physical drawings anymore, I do have the memory of how much time I spend on fiddling to at least try and get the anatomy right. They're part of a path. Part of a long journey that I'm still on nowadays. And truly hope that within another 4 or 5 years I look back on my stuff and think to myself; "Damn! That was awful. No wonder they didn't like it." 

The thing is, though, that when I go back in that gallery, those artworks come with a comment section and those comments are amazing.

4 to 5 years ago I didn't have so much of a following. To be honest; I barely had any. Most of the people commenting were friends of mine, maybe an occasional stranger. Yet, looking back that small comment section it's filled with of support and genuine interest in my art and project. That support and interest were a huge part of what kept me going. Sure, like every artist has an internal drive, but it's good to have some support from the outside world for the moments in which you aren't feeling all that motivated. 

Starting out with art is hard. Getting good criticism that allows you to grow as an artist is harder. And perhaps one of the hardest things is to spark the interest for characters that aren't part of any major fandom.

I'm grateful for the people that were there at that moment that told me they liked my ideas, and gave suggestions on how to improve my drawing skills. If it weren't for then, I'd had a much harder time motivating myself to just keep drawing. I figure it's even harder these days to start out, as critique is even more of a rarity to get. There's just too much content on the internet to comment on everything. Still I want to return the favor, even though for just a bit. From time to time I scroll through the newly submitted submitted page. I pick out some works that I like, from artists that don't have a shit ton of watchers, and leave a comment about what I like about their art or a suggestion on what to improve on. 

It's generally appreciated. And it's a great way to get into contact with other people too. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for some friends or artist-buddies to tag along on their journey. Because even though you have to do the improvement yourself, it's a lot easier when you've got a few buddies that can help you up when art-block strikes