Umm yeah

[Artist4Jesus89]

Okay well idk if i should post this somewhere else but ill post it here... ok well tonight i was drawing and i just cant draw that great i mean every single one of my friends say i can draw really really well (mainly because they cant lol) i mean yes i can draw but i loko around at other peoples art and i feel like ill never be good enought to publish a manga i mean i know its my calling but idk <_< sometimes i wish it wasnt i have been drawing for so long and yes i have gotten better but still i just get discouraged i have tired the sites, books, wooden models (which only confuse me more), and then the looking at real people.
so yeah idk i am just in a rut i guess idk... any advice?

[img=http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/7017/awwrh7.th.jpg]

[img=http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/8664/lillyhk8.th.jpg]

[Evangeline-San]

Honestly those are very good!!! I'm sure better than some of mine. ^_^
http://ic1.deviantart.com/fs9/i/2006/055/a/c/Umi__Hikaru_Shido__and_Fuu_by_FreshwaterMermaid.jpg
http://ic1.deviantart.com/fs10/i/2006/093/4/f/Mustang_Sallie_by_FreshwaterMermaid.jpg first time posting links *crossed fingers*
I always wonder if I'm good enough at my age and whether I should start getting better. And I neer seem to improve. But it happens, I guess I just can't see it. lol
But yesw I know the feeling exactally.
I'm gonna be going to college soon and I'm looking for a major in Art... dead scared that I won't make it. But I do think God will lead me the way I should go. ^_^

[Esoteric]

Hey, those aren't half bad, seriously! The best way to discourage yourself is to look at artists who are better than you. Every time I think, "hey, I'm a pretty good artist," I'll go browse Devart and my confidence get's smashed to bits. There will always be someone better than you, but that's not the point of drawing. You draw because you want to and you get enjoyment out of it. If you are presistent with practicing, you will get better, it's guaranteed. Frankly, art classes are the best way to learn new techniques. You've got natural talent and a good eye. If you pursue art, your abilities will increase over the years.

[Ratrace]

Very good. If you want to get better you practice, and to stay encouraged date your work so you can see improvement. that usualy works. If you look on peoples personal sites a lot of good artists show there early work and yours is better than some of those.

[Radical Dreamer]

Hey, those aren't half bad, seriously! The best way to discourage yourself is to look at artists who are better than you. Every time I think, "hey, I'm a pretty good artist," I'll go browse Devart and my confidence get's smashed to bits.

Wow, I feel that way all the time. XD But yes, you have to remember that there are always going to be people who are better than you, and there are always going to be people who are not as good as you. But your pictures are great! I especially like the second one, it's really cool~! Anyways, you'll continue to get better with practice. If you keep on practicing now, when you're 20, your artistic abilities will be soaring! So just keep it up! We're cheering you along!

[dyzzispell]

Half the reason I watch so much anime is for ideas on how to create my own drawing style. ^_^ I used to be really good at freehand copying pictures, but never anything that was my own creation. Over time, with lots of practice, and lots of material to pull from (all the anime/manga, and manga drawing books), it started to become a little more second nature to me. It's taken me more than a few years.
I know what you mean about being called to do a manga. I myself know God has called me to the same thing. It's coming along REALLY slow, but I'm drawing things I never knew I could draw. Point is, if He's called you to it, then go to Him every day, hand it to Him and tell Him it's HIS work, not yours. Ask Him to use you how He feels best, and suddenly you'll be doing things you never thought you could. I know that without His grace and His ability, I'd never be able to draw anything. My work is His alone. I do it solely for Him, and let Him handle all the details (ie, whatever the target audience is).
Someday, I'll take the time to post my old work on my DeviantART site, so people can see where I was when I started, and how I've progressed. Maybe it will help someone like yourself not give up because you think you can't draw well and want to do it perfectly this instant. (Personally, I think your work is really good!)
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." Colossians 3:23 NIV