/ic/ - Artwork/Critique

>>4025840
How do you usually practice drawing? There could be something big in your routine that you're missing out on. I drew every day for years but didn't start actually seeing gains until I changed shit up, got out of my comfort zone, and started practicing what I knew I was lacking in. Also legitimately studying from other artists and trying to figure out how they achieved certain things I really liked.

>>4011124
Ideally, you should be doing all three.
You should grind out exercises and study from photos/reality to gain an idea of how the object works in reality, so you can get a strong sense of fundamentals.
You should study from artists you like so you can get an idea of how the object you want to draw can be exaggerated and abstracted.
And lastly, you should study by applying the knowledge you gained from your other studies to create your own works. This helps you solidify your understanding, and lets you develop your own style as well.
If you're a beginner, I'd recommend still doing head/body studies from your Loomis/Hampton/whatever. It never hurts to brush up on your fundies, especially when you're starting out. But concurrent to those academic studies, you should try using those techniques to try and draw the things you want to draw. Try using the anatomical techniques you learned from the books to draw your waifu/oc. Examine how your favorite artist used the same principles you learned in your books in their work, and try to copy how they did it. Approaching the knowledge from several different angles can help you improve faster and gain a stronger understanding.