Conquering Shading

This is something I have AVOIDED ever since I started drawing. I am not sure why it scares me so much! I have been working hard to level up my illustration skills the past few years and I think I have succeeded. Something I have wanted to move beyond is just drawing characters standing up doing nothing. I want to take my odd characters and do full page pieces with them. Combining ink and marker to fill the page in and help that main subject POP from the page. Creating some crazy instances of depth and weight on the page to help the viewers eyes move around the page and really soak in everything. I grew up flipping through Marvel and DC books trying to replicate what those artists do. I know my illustration journey has been a slow one, but I love the progress I have been making recently.

I think the best approach to conquering this fear is stop overthinking it and just do it. The nice thing about the art world is there are no rules, I am not trying to go for realistic here. I find that boring. The goal is to give my work depth! I am posting this to hold myself accountable. Feel free to yell at me in a year.

Something else I have been working on is creating my own world of places and characters. I love making up stories and situations for all of the odd characters I come up with.