A picture I made a while ago (also, any advice on creativity and overcome artists block?)

I'm suffering from some kind of artist's or creativity block, and it's making me mad, I am just not able to pick up a pencil or a pastel and come up with any idea whatsoever, or I might start well and then make a stupid mistake that ruins the whole thing.


I don't consider myself an artist as such, but when I was younger I liked to draw and write, and I would recreate faces from photos or from the X-men comics I had. (I could never get the hang of drawing anatomically correct human bodies, even if copying from another picture)

I until recently occasionally would pick up a pencil and do something with it.
This is the last good thing I have managed to do (from last year) and it's also the first in which I have really enjoyed using colored pencils, I was in a real state of flow at times.
It was also a time in which, for some reason, I would automatically draw totally made up birds.


Nothing special, but a big deal for me when I made it.
I generally stuck to pencil and pen, and black on white, and suddenly finding out I could use color was amazing!

But for months now I just seem to have lost any capabiliy, when I push myself to start a drawing or a sketch it just feels forced and theres no joy or enthusiasm in it.
Which is strange since generally speaking I am not as depressed as I have been in the past.
It almost seems as if it's only when I am down, that I find comfort in it and sometimes get fully absorbed in the process of drawing.
That led me to the questions, what is creativity? And is it possible to cultivate it so that it becomes part of me, instead of being just something that comes and goes as it pleases?

What do you guys do?
Also, do you start any artistic endeavor with a general idea of what you want?
Or do you instead go for it blindly and make it up as it takes shape?

Cheers

a reply to: athousandlives

Hi athousandlives!

Nice pic...I've used coloured pencils in the past and liked them.

I used to draw portraits...actually was paid to do a few by request. My eyes aren't as good anymore and I haven't picked up a pencil in a long time.

I write now instead, but I know what you mean about hitting that 'blocked' feeling. The only advice I can give you, is what I do sometimes.
I light candles and burn incense...play music (whatever I feel like listening to)...and then I feel like I have 'set the mood'.

Sometimes there really is nothing though, but you do what you can...and come back to try another time.
I'm sorry if that wasn't much help...but don't quit! You have talent!
jacy

Ive used a method for having inspirational thoughts which has actually come up on ATS recently in the "tripping wihtout drugs" thread.

The idea is simply to block out all stimuli and let yuour brain fill in the blanks, once it starts spewing random colours and thoughts think about the subject or piece you are working on and see what happens - its not mumbo jumbo, it really works. White noise and blank paper is all it takes but also simple basic music works too if it isnt too distrating (vocals ruin this, so basic D'n'B, orchestra, whatever floats your boat etc)

a reply to: jacygirl

Thanks for the kind words,
no that is good advice actually, I do burn an incense sometimes, but I really do need to clear up my space a bit and make it a more comfortable place to live and create. too much junk lying around.

a reply to: Biigs

I saw that thread and the vid.
I'd like to try it but I don't have the proper space for it, or at least get a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones, as living in a block of flats with flatmates its hard finding a quiet moment)


But I believe in it, I am fascinated by the power of the mind when one is subjected to sensory deprivation.
I'd like to try one of those isolation tanks one day.

a reply to: athousandlives

You are so welcome!

I've actually read that clutter can make people (even children) feel stressed, so maybe tidying up your work area a little might help.
These days my work area is my laptop, but I still like to set the mood when I'm ready to write.
I like to feel calm...sadly that takes work, lol.

Good luck and please post more pics of your art if you get time.
jacy

a reply to: athousandlives

Best thing to do is make a pin board and stick random pictures from magazines and books, also adding written quotes.

Going for walks and taking pictures can give you inspiration also.

It's never a good Idea to ask a blank canvas for Ideas It's best to gather images and colors to inspire you.

Practice drawing from life, set up a still life and go with it till something comes to you.

a reply to: athousandlives

Nice drawing. Really nice.

I see you possibly getting inspired looking at elaborate and simple bird masks and fans. Then people lounging on couches in various positions paying attention to body language not faces. Then putting them together somehow via memory of what you saw looking through those pictures along with your interpretation.

Any picture that really appeals to you, think about why it does.

Then think about if you would add or remove something.

Doing those two things taps into your own uniqueness. Don't look at the picture and not be aware of what you are thinking - that's like being in a mind numbing tv mode where something shuts off in people as they watch.

Then you can even write your own poem, song or essay or dig one up you did from the past,or read or listen to someone else's.

You can also get your hair cut, or color it, go to a thrift store and buy a few artsy outfits that appeal to your creative side that you wouldn't normally wear or dig through your closet and wear them.

That will get you inspired to generate the flow of creativity. Don't spend a few weeks doing that, just start. Don't procrastinate uncluttering a room you're going to work in either. Just get it done. If it's too much a task then just clear the table off, organise your art supplies and maybe one shelf and drawer nearby the table. Take a half day at the most to do it.

Then air the heck out of your house. Turn off the electricity at the fuse box for 20 minutes or so. Then light some good incence and a candle or two and go.

a reply to: athousandlives

My advice would be to try completely different styles of art than what you usually do,or different genres.If you normally do oil paintings,try your hand at cool edgy collages for instance.

IT'S A BIRD!

could never get the hang of drawing anatomically correct human bodies, even if copying from another pic

I know that feeling all to well, I also came to a point that I needed anatomical references to upgrade my drawings.

So I wandered through the library to find some books about the anatomy of humans and learned that three caracters are important to learn , male , female , and children.

So I first started to buy anatomical drawing books of comics something like these ,they are easy to understand and to draw , if you're still interested in more deeper anatomical features I suggest to buy the more realistic anatomy drawing books, but those go very deep into the human body like drawing muscles and bones , skeletons and intestines.

They use that , so when you going to draw a human that u exactly know where you put light and shadow to contour the body and know how muscles react in different perspective and angles .

It's tough and also a bit boring to draw muscles on bone ,but very ,very important to know..

btw a great picture and every drawing made is for of art , it looks like a angry bird beautiful colors, very cool..

After I read the OP now... lol.

I do a combination of planned practice study-esque pieces and intuitive ones.

The intuitive ones are the most pleasing... but you can't always be doing those.

So, maybe I can't draw a house from memory to the detail that I want to, so when I'm not feeling too creative I might force myself to do "practice" study pieces of houses. Or whatever I feel I might want to use in the future. So, still-life studies and drawing from life is important to me. It's about laying down a good foundation to build on and use later on. If you know all the parts to a wing, you'll be able to draw it from memory later on, and etc.

It's also about focusing on parts that I love. I can fall in love with the darnedest things... like collarbones, or a wing, I want to master the wing! And cicadas, they look so alien-esque! And the pours on a face, so real and kind of dirty almost and oily, or the indentation under the nose, right above the lip. And lips, oh god!

So yeah, I can draw just parts of things that I really love and want to master so that I can use it again in the future.

Since you have a knack for birds (what a cool drawing! I for one got excited about it), I'd say study them and do some drawings of them in-between intuitive pieces.

Thanks for sharing!

a reply to: athousandlives


I LOVE this pic and would gladly hang it in my home!!!!!!!!


I hope you find your inspiration to create more artwork!

originally posted by: Night Star
a reply to: athousandlives


I LOVE this pic and would gladly hang it in my home!!!!!!!!


I hope you find your inspiration to create more artwork!

😈 wish yould say the same about what I paint mwahahaha

a reply to: geezlouise

One thing that many times I seem to automatically start to draw when I have no idea what I'll do, is eyes.
I'll start drawing the shape of an eye, and then the iris and pupil, and if I like it, I try to replicate it for the other eye. If thats succesful then I'll do the nose, lips, the contour of the head and so on.
Out of every 10 eyes I start with maybe only 1 or 2 become parts of a full head, lol.
There was a time I also focused on drawing lips and mouths, it's always a 50/50 for me, sometimes it's great, other times its rubbish.

Thinking about it now, I might just be bored by always doing the same things.
I think I need to start exploring other subjects and types of birds,

originally posted by: athousandlives
a reply to: geezlouise

One thing that many times I seem to automatically start to draw when I have no idea what I'll do, is eyes.
I'll start drawing the shape of an eye, and then the iris and pupil, and if I like it, I try to replicate it for the other eye. If thats succesful then I'll do the nose, lips, the contour of the head and so on.
Out of every 10 eyes I start with maybe only 1 or 2 become parts of a full head, lol.
There was a time I also focused on drawing lips and mouths, it's always a 50/50 for me, sometimes it's great, other times its rubbish.

Thinking about it now, I might just be bored by always doing the same things.
I think I need to start exploring other subjects and types of birds,

Post pictures of those eyes you are talking about. Take my advice, draw from life.

a reply to: Brotherman

Hey brotherman, I had a look at your comic in your sig, pretty cool.
I didn't do anything as detailed, but I love that contrast of black ink on white paper, and when I was at school I would do a lot of sketches like that.
Sometimes a good bw piece and a good use of shadows can be very powerful.
Keep it up

a reply to: Brotherman

I have to see what I find thats worth sharing in the middle of my countless sketchbooks and folders.
Ill do another thread once I collect a few, cheers!

a reply to: Night Star

Well thanks for the encouragement
Very appreciated, Night Star.
Maybe I can draw you a bird sometime, once I get past this block