A technique for improving your art, and for most anything you do, is LB/NT – Like Best/Next Time.

Look at every sketch, especially the sketches that just don’t work out to your liking, and ask two questions.

What do I like best about how this turned out? (“Nothing” is not an option.)

What would I do different next time?

This way you reinforce the positive and identify something specific to change, without beating yourself up. Try this on the next five sketches you do, and see what happens, you might like the results.

I really was not happy with this sketch, but I did learn from it, so it was well worth the effort.