During this unit, I learned how a more practiced artist shades better than me, using an instructional video as a guide. At first, I didn't know how artists achieve the perfect look for whatever their (2D) art piece is, but now I do. I'm not good at hatching and cross-hatching at all (as shown below), but I have made considerable progress.
My father is a steel artist, and he gets most of his ideas from things he sees online. Given this, the concept that no art is original wasn't that new to me. Recently, though, after watching a TedED speech in class, it occurred to me that those references were also taken from someone else. This makes me wonder about the influences behind every art piece. (Below: My dad's Peace Frog.)
Deadlines are definitely one of the most limiting things in art. They keep me from thoroughly finishing things. This isn't bad, considering that my art always looks finished, but it causes me to do things like this:
I improved my accuracy when copying from sight this unit, because artists steal, and I stole.