Tips to take your work from Novice to Pro

John Mervin writes:

If you could give your younger artist self one piece of advice, what would it be?
I was thinking of this recently and decided to remaster a shot from one of my early animations in blender and figure out what I would do differently knowing what I know now.

Of course simply becoming familiar with where the buttons are at in blender and better understanding 3D techniques goes a long way, but beyond that, there’s more to it that makes a good shot. these are some of the biggest insights I’ve learned in the last decade.

1. It’s ok to do something “the wrong way” don’t something like perfect topology keep you from making art.
2. It’s ok to use assets. Learning technique is good, but assets can make your life a whole lot easier.
3. It’s ok to use 2D compositing in post (a.k.a. It’s ok to cheat! it’s a normal part of making animated works)
4. Try to actually understand what makes a good image. Don’t just do something compositionally because everyone does it.

That’s my advice. what’s yours? Comment below what your one piece of advice would be.