Need advice on focusing on details

[Artistic_Engineer]

I've noticed this with a lot of pieces of mine...I'll have a general idea or concept down, and once I get the gist of it, I struggle with what else I think my work needs. I look at a piece and say, "It needs more detail, but how?" So I add something that could add that would make it more dynamic, and it doesn't seem to make a difference. Or, I'm working on something with a lot of detail, like right now, I'm drawing the backyard near my house, which has woods with a lot of leaves, and in trying to draw out every single leaf, I get frustrated, and think "Isn't there an easier way to do this?", or "Why can't I get the shape right of all these leaves?!"

Maybe It's just impatience, maybe dissatisfaction in skill. I'm not sure why.

[Musselfarmstudios]

It sounds like your trying to do to much to fast . . . I looked at some of your work from your sketch book and your off to a good start . . . only thing is I think its time you buy some charcoal or pastels and start drawing with the side as opposed to the end of the stick with the point. This will solve your detail problem in that you will be forced to think in masses and it will simplify the drawing greatly.

"I'm drawing the backyard near my house, which has woods with a lot of leaves, and in trying to draw out every single leaf, I get frustrated"

Just try this and the frustration may go away . . . also remember drawings to don't always need to be hyper detailed it should be about what is important only to that image . . . its about staging and setting up the viewing area like a movie director. You've seen a movie where there is a gun that's important later on in the movie and they make special note to bring it up some how in an earlier scene Shaun of the Dead, for instance, just think of yourself like a movie director when choosing what needs to be detailed in your drawings and that should also help to take care of the detail issue

[SoufMeng]

Need advice on focusing on details

OMG do never say that!
Even when everything is ok with a piece except the details u still got to remain aware of the image as a whole while adding details!

I've checked ur S.B and trust me, the most important thing for u to focus on right now is drawing!
Ur linework and shading are inacurrate, so make studies of things u enjoy looking at and of things u dont too,
almost everything is worth a little study!

Try shading simple objects, use ur 3D skills to set scenes with different lightings and try to understand how light works in the software and in ur everyday life!

Details arent ur problem!

Imagine Jessica Alba wearing a trashbag and a pig wearing a 6OOO$ YSL dress!

Wich one would u enjoy the most?

[Artistic_Engineer]

Heh. Thank you both. I'll try not to be so perfectionistic with the details and work on those things.

But...could you tell me how to improve on my linework? I know my shading is screwy.

[Musselfarmstudios]

start with simple objects . . . everything could be broken down in to simple shapes . . . houses, trees, people, even spray bottles . . . once you start figuring out how things break down it will be easier to draw . . . after you start to get the hang of simple objects . . . find a little light that you can adjust and hang at different angles . . . one of those lights that mechanics use, that has a clamp . . . and start lighting the objects and start studying how the light affects the objects.

Again think in masses and work down from there . . . larger to smaller, and I still recomend charcoal sticks as a drawing medium to help you practice this . . . it will help you learn mass and you'll have to draw a little bit bigger than you may be use to work with the sticks.