What's wrong with my art?

[Shrike]

You guys know me.  I lurk around, often posting critique or edits.  And I rarely post topics of my own.  (Sorry in advance for pig-headed comment:) I often surprise myself with the quality of edits I give out.  I usually can spot what's wrong with something immediately.  But I suck at originals.

Whenever I draw something from scratch/reference, it turns out..  just....  wrong.  I don't even no what's wrong with it.  It's dead, lifeless.  Flat.  Boring.  I can post examples here if you like.  Open discussion; I just want to know some things:
Did this even happen to you, either at random times or is/was a consistent problem at any time?
How do you guys make this awesome stuff from scratch?  Where's the magic touch?  I know all about theory already, but when execution comes...  *shudder*
Anything else you have to say.

Thanks,
Shrike

[LODYblokady]

You guys know me.  I lurk around, often posting critique or edits.  And I rarely post topics of my own.  (Sorry in advance for pig-headed comment:) I often surprise myself with the quality of edits I give out.  I usually can spot what's wrong with something immediately.  But I suck at originals.

Whenever I draw something from scratch/reference, it turns out..  just....  wrong.  I don't even no what's wrong with it.  It's dead, lifeless.  Flat.  Boring.  I can post examples here if you like.  Open discussion; I just want to know some things:
Did this even happen to you, either at random times or is/was a consistent problem at any time?
How do you guys make this awesome stuff from scratch?  Where's the magic touch?  I know all about theory already, but when execution comes...  *shudder*
Anything else you have to say.

Thanks,
Shrike

Everything I make usually sucks unless I know exactly what I am spriting. I usually make concept art for things before I make them.

[Atnas]

I can relate, because my edits were better than my originals for a while. It's just getting past the initial creation stage that's the problem. Also, you say you know all the theory, but a lot of it is actual execution. If you know everything there is to know about art and seldom make art, you're going to suck at it. The magic touch comes with practice and trial and error.

I think a big issue is that with someone else's art, you can tell immediately what's wrong, but it's hard to analyze your own art when you've just been staring at it for hours and everything is already familiar and comfortable.

Just keep making original pixel art, and I assure you that it will improve.

Please, do post examples, maybe we can help you find out what you're missing concerning bringing life to your art.

[Helm]

This means you're better at rendering and refining than you are are conceptualizing and making a coherent structure for an original piece. What you have to do is apparent: work on your foundational skills with shapes and lights and construction of the figur but also, perhaps more importantly give a lot of thought to what you want to communicate when you make an original piece. That stuff is -hopefully- there when you edit someone else's art, they've got a concept going. Once you have finalized your own intention for the piece, likewise, you will begin to develop an internal language of construction to get your art to convey what you want it to convey. Getting critique on this level is imperative because you might create a lot of personal words and phrases that just don't seem to work for other people at all and you'd do well to weed the most incomprehensible ones out (though not all, a bit of incomprehension gives art a personal charm, I think)


Summing up: you probably are lacking in your fundamentals.
And you're lacking in setting up a clear intention before you start pixelling.


You can achieve these things with work and life experience.

[Ben2theEdge]

I'm curious what you mean by "draws from scratch"... artists are not creative vacuums, rather good artists have:

a) studied and practiced their technical proficiency to be able to render an image well
b) studied resources whether it is nature or architecture or history or other artists work that gives them ideas
c) taken all those techniques and ideas and mixing them with their own ideals or whimsy to make something new

When you see something created "from scratch" it is a sign that the artist has a good repertoire of images in his or her head that he or she draws from, or a good collection of references. To draw well you have to understand the makeup and mechanics of the thing you're drawing. This is different from simply copying a reference image - it's being able to look at the reference and really understand what it is made of. Once you learn to construct a car or a horse or a tree or a human face in your mind, you no longer need to look at a reference of it and you can invent new variations of those things "from scratch". This holistic approach to art is very important, especially to young artists who often just regurgitate superhero comics, anime or pop cinema (not that I'm accusing you of that - I'm just ranting at this point).

This is why my attitude during art slumps as always been to continue technical training, but also to engage in something else like reading a good book or taking a walk in the forest or building a model airplane. This is not only a source of that elusive concept "inspiration" but the more you learn about the mechanics of the things that interest you, the better you will be at drawing them.

[Shrike]

 
Lots of good advice here.
@LODYblokady: That's quite a good point.  I probably need to make some concepts with my Wacom.  Thank you.
@Atnas:  I can't agree with you more.  I guess I have trouble with designing clear and interesting things.  Execution is definitely where art is at; not solely, of course.  This problem of mine is also when drawing something- like copying a reference photograph or something of the like.  I guess editing and drawing with one strict reference are similar.
@Helm:  You've probably hit on it.  I've been studying art most, or at least half, of my life; though I'm only thirteen I think I've covered the basics well enough.  Though I guess I can't overstudy anything.  But I think the second point you said is more important, at least for me, for now.  I'll try some of that, and post some examples.  Thank you.
@Ben2theedge:  This is something I've not given real though to.  I guess you're right.  Well, no.  I know you're right.  I'm finding, as I continually take private art classes and practice 'traditional' art, that I nearly always either draw from one, strict reference, copying it, or use none.  I'm going to try finding several and make my own, without copying but learning.  Inspiration has been very elusive for me until now; I've spent Memorial Day weekend in the jungle basically; and I've been looking over some great art and music, which are usually my main points of inspiration.

I really appreciate all this advice and information, thanks to all of you again.  I've been realizing some/most of what's being said here on my own, but having fellow people that are talented, accessible, and admirable make it sink in much better.  I'd still be glad to hear from more of you, and in conclusion:
I'll practice as much as I can.  During this summer I will have much more time to paint, draw, pixel.  And find inspiration.  I'll try and get some work and build on either my physical or digital portfolios.  Though I doubt I'll get much actual drawing/painting work.   
I'll work refrencing, not copying.  I'll find several refs.  I'll explore different styles.
Also, I will try and plan out what I'm drawing better.  Decide, as Helm said, what I need to communicate, what the point of what I'm drawing means.  And I'll work to understand the mechanics of what I'm drawing, like Ben says.

Thanks, again.  More comments wholeheartedly welcome.
Shrike

[junkboy]

You're just 13 years old, so don't be too hard on yourself. If drawing, painting and pixeling becomes a chore for you, there's a chance you'll get turned off from it. The best way to get inspired is by going out, meeting new people and seeing new places. Afterwards, as your brain is processing all the new impressions, there's usually a little creative spark that goes off in your head. So don't sit in your room all summer.

[Shrike]

@JunkBoy:
   Yeah, I've always been really ambitious.  This is a good point.  I realize that some of the expertise I'm seeking will come with age, seeing as that's already happened a couple of times.  It was a chore until recently; I've been inspiried.  Good point, though.  I won't, then.  Thank you.