Do you find yourself often with your sketchbook open, pen in hand, feeling kind of blocked because of the big question that pops up in your mind: “what should I draw?”
In my book, Life Is Better When You Draw It, I dedicated a chapter to this. My mantra is “everything is interesting when you draw it”. It doesn’t matter what you draw; it matters that you draw.
Our minds play tricks with us - we forget why we wanted to draw in the first place (because you love doing it), and start thinking we should find a meaningful subject to draw or that the drawing should have some kind of message that matters to the whole wide world (even though you’re not planning to share it with anyone).
Forget about trying to come up with an important story, or an original idea. It’s better if you don’t. Just start drawing before thoughts can pop up that create expectations or prevent you from getting started at all. If you keep filling up a page (or even just a corner of it) in your sketchbook, with whatever catches your eye, those pages will add up to a story about you, about your life. And because it’s done in your handwriting, your style - it is special and original and .Nobody but you can make the drawing you make. Even if you don’t love the drawing. It’ll be part of many drawings in your sketchbook and of your beautiful unique story.
By not spending too much time deciding what to draw, you gain drawing time - which means more enjoyment of your creative time. It can be meditative, and you will learn with each drawing as well. About your skills, techniques, the subject, and yourself.
Don’t take it all too seriously. It’s just pen and paper, and making art is fun!
Now that I got that out of the way, you might still be looking for tips to get you going.
Here’s a list of 25 suggestions that could be helpful:
What are the hardest things to draw? Some of the most challenging things to draw include facial expressions, foreshortening of the human body, drapery folds, drawings based on your ideas instead of a direct reference, hands, movement, and gestures.
Anyone can learn to draw or paint with enough practice. Some of the most famous artists in history were not born with talent, but they practiced regularly and became great artists. There are a number of ways to practice, such as taking classes, watching tutorials, or practicing on your own.
The country of Turkmenistan in the Middle East is said to have the most complex design for a flag. Only made up of four colors, green, white, red, and gold (yellow), the oval designs on the left side are representative of the five major tribes that made up the population of the country.
Our findings demonstrate that approximately one in eight children between the ages of 6 and 12 draw at an above-average level for their age. However, there are limitations.
Like any skill it is never too late to learn an art or a craft. However what stops most people at later ages is the lack of time to commit to something consistently especially if the hobby doesn't feel like it “gives back”. And as a note, 14 is the perfect time to start.
This is often referred to in technical terms as the “drawing crisis.” “It usually begins some time during adolescence, but we see that the crisis is occurring in progressively younger children," says Professor Ingeborg Stana. "Some children stop drawing when they are around the age of nine or ten.”
If you love drawing but you can't think of what to draw, you can find inspiration all around you. Try choosing a letter and drawing the first 10 things that pop into your head starting with that letter. You can also practice copying photos of your favorite things or copy famous paintings in your own style.
Introduction: My name is Rueben Jacobs, I am a cooperative, beautiful, kind, comfortable, glamorous, open, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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