-rant-article ~definition ~noun
:a combination of rant and article, whereby a rant based on real life observations is then followed by first-hand tips to combat said annoying observations
1. - 'Art Block'
This is perhaps a an explosive subject to tackle. Some people treat you like a leper if you say you have 'art block' and some people sympathise. Personally, I've had experience with too many people of the former persuasion.
So for the rant part of this post - art block DOES happen! DEAL WITH IT! Don't avoid it, and don't pretend you're more superior than anyone else because you supposedly never suffer from it. And stop making other people who do suffer with it feel like shit! I've been told that I can't possibly be a 'real artist' if I suffer from art block for any length of time. BOLLOCKS! Its still there in my heart, and just exactly who are you to be judging me as an artist? I don't think thats fair at all. Art block happens for all sorts of reasons, physical and mental, and sometimes that can be small things too. Don't feel bad if it really is something as supposedly small as 'I didn't feel like drawing today'. It all matters and its something to work through.
Which brings me nicely to the tips part of this post. These are by no means a definitive guide to working through an art block, but these are helping me at the moment;
- if you can get to some life-drawing sessions, do it! If not for the chance to learn about drawing human anatomy, then just for the chance to draw without thinking. All too often I get bogged down in to thinking that any picture or piece I start has to become something totally rounded, finished, sparkling. And thats just a stifling way to think about drawing. You get nervous about starting anything because then it doesn't look 'finished' when you're done. Life-drawing is great for just drawing what you see, in whatever medium, and not worrying about your 'fans and followers' or your friends or crits, etc.
- likewise, just general observational drawing will come in really handy, for many of the same reasons above, but also as a way to start visually cataloguing places, objects, etc. So when you absolutely must have that bicycle in your picture, you know how to draw it.
- try a different media and just doodle. So for instance you like to draw human characters in line and markers all the time. Just to see what happens and turn on different parts of the brain, sit down with some paint and brushes and draw something other than humans. You could combine this with your observational stuff, or just try something weird. If you still wanna be designing characters, take random objects, animals, phrases, etc, to new levels. Or, my fave exercise, close your eyes and just run your brush all over the canvas or sketchbook. Open eyes, see what shapes are there and then make characters out of it.
I'm gonna leave it there for now, as there are other things that could have been included (like influences, cultures, etc) but on a personal level, I'd just want to focus on getting past an art block. The cool personalised stuff can come later.
For anyone who will read this, thank you :)
