Before You Say ‘It’s Not That Good’—Here’s What You Need to Know
There’s a strange thing that happens in art studios around the world, and yes—even here at Infinite Arts Studio. A student finishes a drawing, holds it up… and immediately apologizes for it.
“Oh, it’s not that good.”
“I’m not really happy with it.”
“I still need to fix this and that.”
Or the classic: “Don’t look too close!”
Sound familiar?
Here’s the problem with this: You’ve planted a negative seed in the viewer’s mind before they even had a chance to see your work for what it really is. You’ve given them a lens of doubt before they could form an opinion of their own.
And more often than not, the person looking at your drawing? They’re not seeing the flaws you see. They’re seeing the linework, the creativity, the effort, and often—something they could never do themselves. But now, thanks to your commentary, they’ve been told it’s “bad,” and that colours their whole experience.
Drawing is a Skill—Not a Gift
When you say “I’m not good at hands” or “I suck at shading,” it’s usually not because you’re incapable—it’s because you haven’t had enough practice or guidance yet.
Drawing is just like martial arts (and yes, I’ve taught both): it takes repetition, training, and good feedback. If you avoid drawing the things you’re “bad” at, then guess what? You’ll stay bad at them.
Your Viewer Might Know Less Than You
Here’s the kicker: the person you’re showing your work to might not know anything about art. They might look at your slightly-wonky anatomy and still think, “Wow! That looks amazing.” They’re not comparing it to the golden ratio of a Renaissance master—they’re seeing a cool creature, a fun idea, or something they could never do.
So let them be impressed.
Replace the Habit
Next time you show your work, try this instead:
✔ “I had fun drawing this.”
✔ “I’m working on improving my shading.”
✔ “This is a sketch I tried based on an idea I had.”
You’re still being honest, but you’re not dragging your art (or yourself) through the mud in the process.
Final Thoughts
At Infinite Arts Studio, we don’t expect perfection—we expect effort, growth, and a bit of creative chaos. Whether you’re sketching dragons, building characters, or just figuring out how to draw feet (ugh, the feet!)—every mark you make is part of the process.
So be kind to your work. Let it speak for itself.
And remember—someone else might think it’s exactly what amazing looks like.
Case in point. This dragon was created by one of my returning students. Who was saying all kinds of negative things before we even got started.
Things like, “I cant do this.” and “My anatomy work is terrible.” Etc. But… by the end of the session he had created this dragon…
Now..#1 How cool is that?! and #2.. Shut up… Let people make up their own minds. If they say something negative…so what. Just reply with… its a work in progress, Thank you for the feedback. I appreciate it as I am always learning and I will get better. :-)
