I Feel Like a Fraud
I Feel Like a Fraud
“Often, when members join my academy, they say the same thing: I feel like a fraud.”
They usually explain it like this.
They’ve completed countless tutorials. Each one comes neatly packaged with line art, a specific colour list, and a stroke-by-stroke video to follow along with. On the surface, everything looks productive. They’ve learned how to apply pencil, layer colours, and recreate what they see on the screen.
And yet… something feels off.
When following tutorials stops feeling fulfilling
At first, these tutorials can be incredibly helpful. They build confidence with pencil handling, introduce colour combinations, and remove the fear of the blank page. There is nothing wrong with starting this way.
But many artists reach a point where they realise they are only copying, not creating.
They begin to question themselves:
“Whose artwork is this really?”
“Why can’t I start a piece without instructions?”
“What happens when there’s no line art or colour list?”
That’s when the feeling creeps in, I’m not a real artist. I’m just copying someone else’s work.
The real issue isn’t copying, it’s missing foundations.
Here’s the reason: the problem isn’t that you followed tutorials. The problem is that tutorials alone don’t teach the fundamentals of art.
Without foundations such as:
Understanding form and structure
Observing proportions and anatomy
Controlling values and edges
Making informed colour choices
Developing an artistic mindset
Designing a composition carefully
Considering light and shadow deeply
…it becomes very difficult to move beyond step-by-step guidance.
You’re left relying on someone else’s vision, decisions, and process, and that can feel deeply uncomfortable for artists who want to express something of their own.
Why does this lead to impostor feelings
When artists don’t understand why they’re doing something, only how, confidence becomes fragile.
You may finish a piece that looks good, but inside you’re thinking:
“Could I do this again on my own?”
“Would I know what to fix if something went wrong?”
“Do I actually understand what I just did?”
That uncertainty is what creates the “fraud” feeling, not a lack of talent.
Building confidence through understanding, not imitation
This is exactly where a different approach becomes essential.
In my academy, the focus shifts from copying outcomes to understanding process. Members learn:
How to observe and analyse their subject
How to make decisions instead of following instructions
How to work from references with confidence
How to troubleshoot their own artwork
How to reflect, assess, and grow independently
Rather than being told what pencil to use and where to put it, artists learn why a choice works and how to adapt it to their own work.
Finding your style and artistic vision
Style isn’t something you copy.
It’s something that emerges naturally when you:
Understand the fundamentals
Practise consistently
Reflect on your work (self-assessment)
Make mistakes and learn from them
Give yourself permission to explore
With the right foundation and supportive guidance, artists stop asking, “Am I doing this right?”
They start asking, “What do I want to express here?”
That shift is powerful.
You are not a fraud, you’re an artist in transition
If you’ve ever felt like a fraud because you’ve relied on tutorials, know this: you are not alone, and you are not doing anything wrong.
You’re simply at the point where your growth requires deeper understanding, not more instructions.
With the right foundations, support, and a self-guided approach to learning, confidence replaces doubt, and your own artistic voice begins to emerge.
And that’s when art becomes truly yours.
