Hey there,

I’ve been fantasizing about opening commissions for months.

What I’d charge. What I’d offer. Imagining the clients rolling in.

Last week I finally sat down and wrote out everything I actually need to do. Portfolio pieces to finish. Pricing structure to figure out. Terms of service to write. Payment system to set up.

Seventeen tasks total.

Here’s what happened: the fuzzy dream became a concrete list. It’s sitting on my desk right now. Still haven’t touched it, but at least now I know exactly what “opening commissions” actually means.

That’s the first step. Going from abstract to concrete.

Today I’m going to show you why your art goals stay stuck in your head, and the simple framework that’s helped me make real progress on the things I actually commit to.

Let’s break it down.

Most artists connect two dots instead of three

Here’s what kills progress:

Two dots: “My art isn’t getting attention” → “The algorithm hates me”

Three dots: “My art isn’t getting attention” → “Maybe I need to study what gets engagement” → “I’ll screenshot 20 successful posts in my niche and list what they have in common by Friday”

The third dot is the action step. Without it, you’re just complaining.

Some other two-dot traps I hear all the time:

  • “Everyone else just draws everything perfectly”
  • “Their rendering is so clean, I wonder what brushes they use”
  • “I’m just not talented enough”

None of these lead anywhere. They’re dead ends that feel like thinking but keep you spinning in place.

The real issue is precision. “I want to improve” is too vague to act on. You need to pick one specific skill area, gauge where you’re actually at, and focus there.

Here’s what changed when I finally got concrete about anatomy

About a year ago, I had the fuzzy goal of “get better at anatomy.” I kept thinking about it but never did anything.

Then I found a comprehensive anatomy course online. I went through it slowly, took a couple breaks from it, but eventually finished it over several months.

It was pretty good for my skill level.

But here’s where it got interesting: I started applying what I learned by doing anatomy studies. Not occasionally. Consistently. Starting October 1st, I committed to posting studies regularly.

My first post got 33,000 likes.

Now, before you think “oh that’s just luck” – yeah, maybe. But I kept posting study after study. And I went from around 500 followers to ~3,500 in a month.

The lesson isn’t about follower counts though. The lesson is about what happened when I stopped fantasizing about “getting better at anatomy” and started doing specific, concrete things:

Abstract: “I want to get better at anatomy”

Concrete: “I’m going to watch this anatomy course and do 3 studies per week minimum”

That’s the difference that matters.

Think of yourself as an RPG character with limited skill points

Every hour you spend is a skill point investment.

I wasted tons of skill points early on. I specced into rendering, visual effects, and Photoshop tricks. I was polishing weak fundamentals instead of fixing them.

Where are you wasting skill points right now?

Here’s the hard truth: the skills that matter most are “important but not urgent.” Nobody’s forcing you to learn fundamentals. You can avoid them for years. But eventually you hit a ceiling and realize how much time you lost.

Meanwhile, urgent tasks eat your time. They feel productive, but don’t build your foundation.

Here’s how to identify your actual skill priorities

I’m a character artist. My core skills are:

  1. Anatomy (focused here currently)
  2. Gesture and flow
  3. Costume design
  4. Color theory
  5. Light and form
  6. Perspective
  7. Backgrounds

Your list will be different based on what you’re building toward.

 

Here’s the framework I use. Copy this into a doc and fill it out:

SKILL: [Pick one skill that’s critical but underdeveloped]

Why it matters: [How does this connect to the art career you’re building?]

3 ways to practice:

  • [Option 1: Course, book, or structured learning]
  • [Option 2: Daily/weekly practice routine]
  • [Option 3: Learning by analyzing or copying masters]

Starting today: [Which option can you do THIS WEEK with what you have?]

Success metric: [How will you know you’re improving in 3 months?]

 

Example for a beginner focusing on fundamentals:

SKILL: Understanding value and light

Why it matters: Everything I draw looks flat. I need to understand light to make my art look three-dimensional.

3 ways to practice:

  • Watch a lighting fundamentals course on YouTube
  • Do 10-minute sphere studies focusing only on values
  • Copy master drawings in grayscale to study their value choices

Starting today: I’ll watch the first 3 videos of a lighting course and follow along.

Success metric: In 3 months, I can draw a simple object that looks 3D without reference.

 

Example for someone wanting to make money:

SKILL: Character design variation

Why it matters: I want to sell character adopts but all my designs look similar. I need more variety to make sales.

3 ways to practice:

  • Study 50 successful adopt designs and note what makes them unique
  • Do 20 random character generator challenges
  • Take a character design course focused on silhouette and shape language

Starting today: This week I’ll design 5 characters using only different silhouettes, no details yet.

Success metric: In 3 months, I’ll create 10 adoptable designs that each feel completely different from each other.

 

Do this for your top priority skill. Just one. Pick the skill that’s both important for your goals and noticeably holding you back.

Don’t try to fix everything. You’ll spread your skill points too thin.

When you have the plan but still don’t do it

Here’s where most people actually get stuck.

You make the list. You know what to do. But weeks later, you’ve done nothing.

I’ve been there with plenty of things. That commission to-do list on my desk? Still sitting there. My website I wanted to build? I’ve been putting it off for weeks before I finally started.

But here’s what worked for me with anatomy studies: I didn’t commit forever. I committed to trying it for a specific period and seeing what happened.

If you have a plan but can’t start, try this:

  • Cut your commitment to 30-90 days (not forever)
  • Make it smaller (not “master anatomy” but “do 3 studies per week”)
  • Tell one person who will check in on you
  • Put the first session in your calendar with an alarm

You’re removing friction.

Your action step for this week

Pick one concrete action related to your biggest skill gap.

Not “practice more.” Not “get better.”

Something like:

  • “Tuesday 7pm: Do 3 gesture studies, 2 minutes each”
  • “By Friday: Find and watch first 3 videos of [specific skill] course”
  • “Daily after breakfast: 10-minute value study from simple objects”

Write it down. Calendar it. Tell someone.

Most important: give yourself a 30-90 day checkpoint. Commit to that timeframe. Then decide if you keep going or try something else.

You’re not looking for passion. You’re looking for something you can tolerate long enough to see progress.

Make it concrete. Start small. Build from there.

That’s how fuzzy dreams become real skills.

Now I just need to apply this to that commission list staring at me from my desk…