This is the first part of a new blog series I'm making about how I began doing my creative hobbies and how far I've come with them. Hope you enjoy! 
Part 1: Traditional Art
-Beginnings-
I made at least one drawing way back in late 1999-early 2000 when I was three years old. The oldest drawing I remember was supposed to be Pikachu and Jigglypuff from Pokemon, but they looked more like pink and yellow blobs!
However, it wasn't until the second half of 2000, when I was four years old, that I made traditional art one of my hobbies. It was probably my older brother (my only sibling) who got me into drawing in the first place. He was a big influence for me at that age, and when he did something a lot I wanted to try it too. He used to do a lot of traditional art back then, so I can imagine that I wanted to try drawing as well. I enjoyed it and kept at it!
One of the earliest drawings I still have, an attempt at Pikachu (2000)
-Progress-
Over the years, I worked on my traditional art often. I mainly drew animals and animal-like fantasy creatures, likely because I preferred to draw them. I began making my own characters as early as four years old, but of course they became more detailed and creative as I got older.
By the time I was eight years old, I was already beginning to experiment with the anatomy of my drawings, mainly with the bodies and legs of animals. I first attempted to add shadows at age nine, but I didn't try adding shading to my traditional drawings until 2009.
-Expanding-
In May 2010, Miku from Vocaloid became my favorite character, which inspired me to finally begin practicing at drawing humans (besides stick figures). My first attempts were based on a chibi drawing I saw of Miku and were not at all realistic.
Drawing of Miku (July 2010)
In February 2011, a month after Scooby-Doo became my favorite character, I tried drawing the human characters from the cartoon. I finally practiced at drawing more accurate humans.
Cover image for Scooby-Doo and the Shadow Guardian, a movie I imagined (March 2011)
-New Styles!-
Did you know that I drew everything freehand until age 15? For some reason I could never understand basic shapes, so I didn't use them. But then in February 2012, a kind and helpful person from another site taught me how to use basic shapes to help me improve my art. I tried them again and they worked!
My very first actual attempt at using basic shapes. The Pikachu on the left was drawn freehand and the one on the right was drawn with basic shapes (February 2012)
Once I began using basic shapes, my art improved dramatically for a time while I caught up with the technique I should have been using before. I worked both on drawing animals and on drawing humans.
Toon Link from The Legend of Zelda (May 2012)
-Where I Am Now-
Once I'd caught up, my improvement slowed down, but as time passed I still learned new techniques. When I first started using basic shapes I didn't outline my drawings with pen for fear of ruining them somehow. Then in January 2016 I finally decided to try it and was pleased with the results. I also experimented with coloring techniques and was happy with them also.
Drawing of Vulpix from Pokemon, my first attempt at outlining with pen and using different coloring techniques (January 2016)
Then, when Samus from Metroid became my favorite character in June 2016, I soon tried harder to draw more accurate anatomy and proportions on some characters to match the Metroid style (though I still retained some anime style, of course).
Second attempt at Samus and first attempt at Zero Suit Samus (July 2016)
Since then, I've been continuing to work on my digital art and to improve and learn. It's been quite a journey, but it's been a fun one!
This is how my traditional art looks now! Super Smash Bros. Brawl characters (June 2018)
Part 1: Traditional Art
-Beginnings-
I made at least one drawing way back in late 1999-early 2000 when I was three years old. The oldest drawing I remember was supposed to be Pikachu and Jigglypuff from Pokemon, but they looked more like pink and yellow blobs!
However, it wasn't until the second half of 2000, when I was four years old, that I made traditional art one of my hobbies. It was probably my older brother (my only sibling) who got me into drawing in the first place. He was a big influence for me at that age, and when he did something a lot I wanted to try it too. He used to do a lot of traditional art back then, so I can imagine that I wanted to try drawing as well. I enjoyed it and kept at it!
One of the earliest drawings I still have, an attempt at Pikachu (2000)
-Progress-
Over the years, I worked on my traditional art often. I mainly drew animals and animal-like fantasy creatures, likely because I preferred to draw them. I began making my own characters as early as four years old, but of course they became more detailed and creative as I got older.
By the time I was eight years old, I was already beginning to experiment with the anatomy of my drawings, mainly with the bodies and legs of animals. I first attempted to add shadows at age nine, but I didn't try adding shading to my traditional drawings until 2009.
-Expanding-
In May 2010, Miku from Vocaloid became my favorite character, which inspired me to finally begin practicing at drawing humans (besides stick figures). My first attempts were based on a chibi drawing I saw of Miku and were not at all realistic.
Drawing of Miku (July 2010)
In February 2011, a month after Scooby-Doo became my favorite character, I tried drawing the human characters from the cartoon. I finally practiced at drawing more accurate humans.
Cover image for Scooby-Doo and the Shadow Guardian, a movie I imagined (March 2011)
-New Styles!-
Did you know that I drew everything freehand until age 15? For some reason I could never understand basic shapes, so I didn't use them. But then in February 2012, a kind and helpful person from another site taught me how to use basic shapes to help me improve my art. I tried them again and they worked!
My very first actual attempt at using basic shapes. The Pikachu on the left was drawn freehand and the one on the right was drawn with basic shapes (February 2012)
Once I began using basic shapes, my art improved dramatically for a time while I caught up with the technique I should have been using before. I worked both on drawing animals and on drawing humans.
Toon Link from The Legend of Zelda (May 2012)
-Where I Am Now-
Once I'd caught up, my improvement slowed down, but as time passed I still learned new techniques. When I first started using basic shapes I didn't outline my drawings with pen for fear of ruining them somehow. Then in January 2016 I finally decided to try it and was pleased with the results. I also experimented with coloring techniques and was happy with them also.
Drawing of Vulpix from Pokemon, my first attempt at outlining with pen and using different coloring techniques (January 2016)
Then, when Samus from Metroid became my favorite character in June 2016, I soon tried harder to draw more accurate anatomy and proportions on some characters to match the Metroid style (though I still retained some anime style, of course).
Second attempt at Samus and first attempt at Zero Suit Samus (July 2016)
Since then, I've been continuing to work on my digital art and to improve and learn. It's been quite a journey, but it's been a fun one!
This is how my traditional art looks now! Super Smash Bros. Brawl characters (June 2018)
- Next entry in the series 'My Creative Journeys': My Creative Journeys Part 2: Digital Art
