No, seriously. You really are sketching way too much! Accessories not included.
Part 6 of 9
It’s morning and you see that kid running down the street. Do they have some or all of the following?:
A backpack
Toast in their mouth
School uniform
The segmented snake sword from Soul Calibur
If you only picked #4, I’d argue that’s not a kid.
Point is, as you draw and you see your vision coming to life, you’ll get more ideas on how to “improve” it. This is normal, but you have to set limits. Character design should fit with what the character does, even on a daily basis. (I’ll save worldbuilding for a future post, but I’d be wary of the overweight, well-dressed guy walking about in the burning dystopia… If he hasn’t been there long enough, I bet his design would be pretty evil.)
He’s got the backpack, but he ran out of toast a long time ago.
For example, if you’re drawing a ninja, you’ll think about the weapons he/she uses, and since it’s you we’re talking about, that could be 57 different things. Despite the vast inventory slots, you shouldn't draw them all since I doubt your ninja can carry all that, and it can make your art unrealistic. Look at Street Pedal Black here; he’s got his two swords, something to carry them around in… and that’s it. You’d also fall into the trap of using all of your ideas at once and not saving some for the next sketch.
The same goes with other details: if you improve in one area of your sketch, you should have equal skill all over it. That can put on a lot of pressure when you’re just starting out, so for now, use simple subjects and techniques and steadily move up to the next level. You’ll improve with time.
No joke; I honestly believe that.
Adapted from DeForrest: Volume One, 2015