I don't know about you lot but when I run into these mental brick walls it pisses me off like crazy.

Here's my dilemma, I can picture animals, mechanicals, robots, environments in my head with all the details to the point that they look real and when I draw they look reasonable enough, but when it comes to drawing something like a humanoid character I run into one of those irritating mental brick walls that I'm sure you've experienced and I've been trying to bloody figure out why this is happening because I'm sure you saw the last anime character I drew, it was a much better composition than the others I had drawn so it showed I was actually improving.

When it comes to imagining up the anatomy of a character is when this happens and I can't get round why everything keeps going balls up when I start drawing. 

Anyone else experience this with other stuff they draw? I'm just wondering if it's lack of knowledge or simply that my mind isn't built for characters or hell even that I might not be practicing enough.

 

Such frustration is usually the result of the unfamiliarity of human anatomy and the lack of practice. Study anatomy and practice a lot, and use reference when in doubt, and slowly but surely you will improve and find yourself less often in this situation.

try using human anatomy to start the basics off lethn, then you can elaborate the mechanical bits?

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Lethn:

I'm just wondering if it's lack of knowledge or simply that my mind isn't built for characters or hell even that I might not be practicing enough.

I'd say it's a lack of understanding of what you are drawing that is the problem. I said something similar on your abandoned spaceship project, and I might have repeated it on your recent walker project. The same thing applies to creating characters, you need to understand a little about the basics of how they are put together, and how they work.

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Probably is the case, I'm currently drawing a wolf now for the hell of it and I'm doing far better with it than the other stuff >_< mental brick walls suxorz

Post you images here, too, so we can give you more specific advices.

Here's what I've done so far with the wolf pic I'm drawing, very beginning stages obviously, but frankly I think it puts the other work I've done to complete shame.

If this piece is your best work, then you obviously still have a very, very long way to go. But it will happen faster than you think, if you keep drawing.

Do you do sketches and lay out the structures of the things you are trying to draw, or do you just start with an outline and work your way around the shape? To become better at drawing, you need to know how to plan out the shapes and basic forms.

 

I start with an outline and I just keep editing and changing until it looks right to me, I've found that I just can't do the skeleton drawing method because I end up focusing too much on the skeleton itself rather than sketching out the rough shape and moving on from there.

Well, your outline method probably won't get you very far. If you end up focusing too much on the sketches, then try to remind yourself not to focus on it too much. You aren't going to master it overnight, so be patient and keep doing it. Buy some basic drawing books, take some art classes, and see how other people do it. But definitely stop your outline approach or you won't get very far. Seriously.

By the sound of it you are trying to finish the picture at the beginning of the process instead of finishing it at the end. Sticking the roof on before the foundations and walls are built is probably not the best way to go about building a house.

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well at least I've found the cause, I think I'm going to have to think of a new method now that works >_<

The best thing for you to do is to take an art class, if you are serious about drawing and improving your skills. Learn the basics of drawing first.

BTW, a while back there was this other thread started by Senra (another member here) and he was doing a portrait project, and his approach was very similar to yours - doing outlines instead of constructing the actual form. Look it up, and whatever everyone suggested to him in that thread should apply to you as well.

LOL :p I am Senra if you didn't notice in my walker project I mentioned I made a new account :p

Oh... sorry. Well, in that case, you now know that I gave you the same advice I have given earlier.