NOVEMBER CHALLENGE 🖤
Bonjour my little demon, ready to collect gem #27?
Whether you just joined or have been here from the beginning, thank you so much for reading.
TODAY’S GEM
Yesterday, we talked about the No Fraud Mindset—the first step to becoming the portrait artist you dream of being.
I had everything set to move past that stage:
Removing distractions—done. ✅
Focusing on minimalist tools—done. ✅
Creating space to practice—done. ✅
But then what?
How was I supposed to teach myself something I didn’t even know how to learn?
And that, my little demon, is where things got complicated.
1- Stuck in a rabbit hole.
When I started, I knew exactly what I wanted to draw and it wasn’t manga, game art, realism, or any existing style with tutorials readily available. I wanted draw unique sytlized portraits.
But I couldn’t find a concrete plan that got straight to the point.
So, I had to figure it out myself, taking endless detours.
Like many of us, I started with YouTube tutorials, jumping from one creator to another. But the advice was inconsistent, often contradictory, and quickly became a rabbit hole pulling me further from my goal.
When I realized that YouTube wasn’t enough, I turned to courses and programs. But those didn’t help much either:
- Platforms like Domestika or 21 Draws felt too basic.
- Art schools, full programs, and heavy methods like Loomis? They focused on realism, perspective, and anatomy—valuable skills, yes. But after months of learning, I was still struggling to apply those heavy theories and couldn’t even create the stylized portraits I envisioned.
It took me three years of expensive, time-consuming detours to finally create stylized portraits I’m proud of.
But with a straightforward method tailored specifically for fantastical stylized portraits, it could have taken just 3 months.
2- When I finally figured it out.
It all clicked when I remembered the No Fraud Zone: the key was to keep it as simple as possible.
March 6, 2022—my birthday. I was lying on my bed, feeling a little defeated.
24 years old, 2 years of drawing practice, and still making ugly portraits. What am I doing wrong?
That’s when I decided to analyze all the fantastical portraits that represented my ultimate goal.
And I discovered something fascinating:
The magic recipe.
3- The magic recipe.
Let me explain the magic recipe.
When you look at a portrait like this:
Two things make it work:
1️⃣ Accuracy – The “reality” part
2️⃣ Storytelling – The “fantasy” part
Accuracy makes your portraits convincing. But my mistake was overcomplicating it, drowning in unnecessary complexity and overkill theories. For stylized portraits, I realized you only need:
- Good proportions
- Proper light and shadow placement
- An organic feel to the face
On the other side, storytelling adds depth and makes your work unforgettable. And it’s not about inspiration—it’s built through a clear, repeatable process.
As a birthday gift to myself, I created the perfect shortcut from reality to fantasy portraits.
My shortcut is built on 4 steps, which I’ll break down for you in tomorrow email. Exciting, right?
Voilà, that’s all for me today.
Bisou,
Léa
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