What is refinement in Art?

[SeraphicMayin]

For me, Refinement means you've got a grasp of the essential basics and its a matter of improving specific skills.

In the case of the drawing you've shared above, it's got solid line work and the rendering (light and shadow) is also serviceable. It does the job and I know what I'm looking at, which is really good! You're at a stage where now "refinement" is needed before the art evolved again as you grow. For me refinement has more to do with technical skill more than personal style.

I once saw a good critique that put into words what I see here. Essentially the rendering doesn't fully match the linework. Sometimes the way in which lines are shaded take away from the lines themselves and muddies up the clarity of the art. A lot of early in their journey artists go through this, I did as well. And even now I'm in a new process of refining my own line work to better suit the way I'm rendering now.

The best way for me to explain this is to show you. Could you share a jpeg of just the linework? Then I can show you what I mean.

Example of my work:(sorry for the low res; it's a screenshot, but hopefully you can see here like how I have less line work in the hair so I can do more rendering on panel 2; but in panel 1 the girl has a lot of lines in her hair, so I don't have to shade it as much to give it definition.)

[p.s. This is two panels from an upcoming comic]

[GesuGesu]

I think they meant "everything is good but something very minor is throwing me off but I can't tell what"

I think it's just that your heads are very round, when heads could be more egg-shaped. Excuse my insolence of having edited your artwork.

[kritsu60]

Oooh! Lol! but hey, seeing artworks and comparing them from then to now- it helps me understand a little more! So- I thank you guys for the help! Also-good edit! I had a good laugh.

[inkycharland]

As usual, I'm late to the party and a lot of people covered what I would have said. I can only add that it's good that your asking questions and willing to take the hits.

I view refinement as learning the nuance of art. Like not having tangents in your illustrations. Or having a confident line. Leaning how to effectively use asymmetry in your work. How to use negative space. Etc. That is refinement, to me. But that's after you know the fundamentals by heart. If you work on refining before have the fundamentals, you're literally polishing a turd. (In more pleasant terms, putting the cart before the horse.) But that's how I see it. I think others have provided good definitions as well.

Again, you're already better off by asking and learning. I wish I had asked these things way sooner than I did.

[kritsu60]

Indeed. As I say before and numerous times, I accept/respect anyone’s opinions, thoughts and ideas. As well as suggestions. So I thank you guys for helping me (as well as others) out.