Forgetting About Learning?

[Shaggnasty]

I just realized, I have no fucking clue what I like to draw. Drawing has become all about learning the technical aspects rather than trying to portray any narrative or personal tastes in my images. I have spent all my time doing studies and little to no personal work and this has burnt me out and left me a little bitter towards drawing.

So I have a plan. A "Fun"book, not a sketchbook full of studies and learning, but just drawing whatever the hell I want with no regard to learning. I'm hopping that by the end of this book I can discover some reoccurring element of what exactly it is I want to draw, then pick up the fundamentals again based on what I find.

I'm interested in hearing others experiences similar to this. I usually see people going the other way around, tons of personal stuff and little to no studies, then eventually getting into studies.

[Maidith]

You're doing it right, absolutely. I do the same thing - I have this "fun" sketchbook that no one really is supposed to see, in which I draw funny characters, strange creatures, silly doodles and porn, just for shits 'n giggles.

It reminds me that drawing is first and foremost supposed to be fun, and helps me re-discover what I feel most passionate about. For these are the subjects in my work that I get so obsessed about they practically paint themselves. That way I'm always (okay, almost always) excited about what I'm working on.

[JeffX99]

IDK...can't really relate to that problem. I like to draw well so I work on the basics. I always try to be conscious of what, how and importantly why I'm drawing. Why am I making this mark? Why am I emphasizing this line and losing that one...what am I trying to say. I don't separate working on studies from drawing for fun, working from life or from imagination, to me it's all the same ball of wax.

TBH I don't really understand how you end up not having a clue on what you like drawing? Not to belittle the issue but it just seems odd to me. I hope your "fun book" helps you get your mojo back.

[Elwell]

Congratulations, sorry it took so long.

[manlybrian]

Maybe you should combine the two and put the FUN in FUNdamentals.


Sorry.

[Chris Bennett]

An' da mentals into the FUN!

[Farvus]

I think there's a misconception about drawing that you're learning only when you do some tedious studies. When doing personal work or even silly doodles you're progressing too but in different areas.

[bodied]

Try writing. Keep a journal of sorts, it helps me a lot.

[Xeon_OND]

I just realized, I have no fucking clue what I like to draw. Drawing has become all about learning the technical aspects rather than trying to portray any narrative or personal tastes in my images.

I'm interested in hearing others experiences similar to this. I usually see people going the other way around, tons of personal stuff and little to no studies, then eventually getting into studies.

I can relate to everything you said, except the part about getting burnt out, because I don't. LOL Maybe it's because I don't draw 20+ hours a day every day for 365 days for 10 years like some folks do.

I think the cause of all this getting wrapped up in technical aspects is because we're not good enough yet to have internalized the technical parts of drawings; that's why the "worry" is on the technical issues rather than the creative part.

The way I see it: when pros pick up their pen, they think more about the creative / design part as the technical part has become 2nd nature.
For folks like us who're not pros yet, we have to think more about the technical aspects and this over-shadows the design part, and the work usually ends up looking like some academic / perspective homework exercise.

I'm one of those people who, every time I want to draw some fun stuff that I like, a nagging thought comes to mind : "Don't draw fun stuff, DO TECHNICAL STUDIES! Learn how to construct the human feet, practice drawing the shape of the Extensor Carpi Radialis Longus, learn how to scale figures receding in space, learn about color gamuts. YOUR ART SKILLS WILL GET WORSE THE MORE YOU DRAW FUN STUFF! You wanna go back to Square One?"
I know it's unfounded, but every time this thought comes along, I freak out.

Over time, this pursuit for technical excellence became a hobby in its own right (at least for me). While people get excited and want to design the ultimate space ship with the 102-piece Uber-soaker cannon attached on the deck, I'm more interested in the top artists' technical skills, like how some people can draw figures in challenging angles purely from imagination and still be able to render awesomely detailed correct anatomy with their eyes closed.

Just don't end up like me, OP.

[aerisaxia]

manlybrian hahaha nice,

gosh :/ I have the same lovely problem except for, having been unable to draw anything all year I need to re start both my fundamentals and my fun book, but best of luck to you, having come this far, I don't think It'll be hard, just a case of remembering something you've forgotten.

[Shaggnasty]

TBH I don't really understand how you end up not having a clue on what you like drawing? Not to belittle the issue but it just seems odd to me. I hope your "fun book" helps you get your mojo back.

This is how:

Over time, this pursuit for technical excellence became a hobby in its own right (at least for me). While people get excited and want to design the ultimate space ship with the 102-piece Uber-soaker cannon attached on the deck, I'm more interested in the top artists' technical skills, like how some people can draw figures in challenging angles purely from imagination and still be able to render awesomely detailed correct anatomy with their eyes closed.

Yeah, I'm exactly the same. I got into drawing because I wanted to design characters for the MMORPG Everquest, but then finding these forums, and realizing how much I sucked I went totally into studies and told myself I'd draw what I wanted when I became good at drawing.

I do realize now studies needn't be separate from personal work. That's why from now on any study I do will be directly related to the personal piece I'm trying to make. There's no point in doing a study for studies sake, when in reality I don't can't/don't want to make a living off of studies.

[JeffX99]

I see a lot of misconceptions here...every pro I know thinks constantly about the fundamentals...first about what they're even going to draw or paint, and why. They think hard about their initial lay-in, about their process, about every mark and brushstroke they make. To some degree it is second nature, but it is because they have made that focus a part of their process. It might look like it just flows...but that is due to the years of focus.

You should be thinking about the creative part BEFORE you even pick up your pen.

The point I was trying to make is the creative, the fun, the technical should all be part of every drawing. If it isn't then really search inside and figure out how to make it so.

It sounds like you're getting the idea that you can "study" within the context of a "fun" piece...and you can have "fun" doing studies.

[creeptool]

i studdy the fundamental stuff because i can't are dont know how to draw From my Imagination or what you guy's call personal stuff...so if you can draw personal stuff and draw from your Imagination you should be doing both.

[pegasi]

Good ideia OP, its a balance between studies and personal work.
Right now I'm in the opposite situation, thought. I only want to do studies because I hate my personal work, and It's frustrating to see the final result. Not that my studies are any good, but I see them in the perspective that they are just studies that will make my personal work become better.
So it's basically just a mindset change thing. If I can change my mindset towards my personal work, than I'll be able to do more. If you change your mindset towards your studies, your problem will be solved too.

[Trixtar]

So I have a plan. A "Fun"book, not a sketchbook full of studies and learning, but just drawing whatever the hell I want with no regard to learning. I'm hopping that by the end of this book I can discover some reoccurring element of what exactly it is I want to draw, then pick up the fundamentals again based on what I find.

...Isn't that what a lot of people usually do with their sketchbooks?
I mean, a sketchbook is supposed to be an artist's playground with room for about anything from little doodles to studies to rendered drawings (or at least as close to as possible) + some note taking + some written ideas you have that you yet have no ideas how to technically draw yet... as far as I understood "sketchbook"?

My personal sketchbook is actually more like a sketch-journal. Anything and everything that can be put to those pages will get put to those pages. It also includes collage and ref images, and even acrylic/watercolor painting

[JFierce]

Ironically it's when I had fun doing studies that I improved the most.

[Steamhat]

well still studying allows me to be practicing technical work with my own personal sketchbook filled with what i want to draw, sadly with this idea the personal work is limited because i always am stumped to make something great and at the same time not get bogged down doing the same thing over and over and over again. so over the years my personal work has become much MUCH slower in filling up books.

My most changing style was with finding things that i should be drawing, calling myself a fantasy artist, a while back i figured i hadn't drawn dragons, practically the core of fantasy art, in what seemed like forever, so i turned Dragons into a study and made a few creations ONLY to be dragons.

Fun in Art is supposed to be natural. But i can understand losing yourself in your improving