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« on: May 03, 2012, 03:33:44 am »
Pixel art gets away with a lot, by virtue of both limitations and expectations, which is one of the reasons it has become quite mundane for me. Of course I haven't mastered it, but the normal reaction to people at this stage is to either embrace the limitations to the extreme or to try to break out of its original purpose at the opposite end. Kind of like microcosmic videogame-inspired Schopenhauer.
I think it would probably be good for you to continue trying to emulate a few artists, find out what their workflows are like (hopefully they're different so you can figure out what works for you) and give them a shot. Like individual artworks, art skills are developed step-by-step, there's usually no divine influence, and you shouldn't get overwhelmed when you're staring at a blank canvas/screen/frontal lobe and comparing your work to the finished product of a master.
The only way I know of to get better at any work from imagination or works that require imaginative reinterpretation (from limitations or otherwise) is to do a lot of life drawing. You should be discovering things that you might not have thought about left and right if you're doing it correctly, which gives your art depth and insight. That and being really honest with your self-critique (because the key to fixing any problem is first identifying it), which can be improved through critiquing others, are basically my key takeaways from Pixelation at this point. Oh and that last sentence of the last paragraph.
Also this same discussion has been had here many times (not that it isn't a worthwhile one), it's basically this forum's Godwin's Law.
e: I also commend Conceit for his restraint in choosing which of Konjak's digital artworks to display.