Although our fate does not depend on it and learning to draw and paint will not change the (immediate) course of our life, the psychological condition we are in before and during the practice is quite peculiar to the process of creation. . We draw mainly with our brains. The state in which we find ourselves in these moments of creation greatly influences the way we do and draw. Too much nervousness, annoyance, or stress will for sure lead to
blockage and failure. We are all at one time or another concerned with negative thoughts and emotions. And unfortunately, they even manage to interfere in the practice of our leisure. Knowing where they come from, understanding them and managing them is an important factor in learning landscape drawing and artistic disciplines.
1 / Observe and find a better way to draw
It is undoubtedly the essential pillar of the creative process, and yet, many people ignore or neglect this precious moment. Observation allows you to understand and analyze your subject and make the transition between your daily life and your practice. By going through every detail, color, shadow, light, you immerse yourself completely in your subject. You cut yourself off from the rest and from all the thoughts that could interfere with your creation. Because much more than your hands. your brain, and your eyes are the main tools for your artistic practice. There is always a time to adapt before fully immersing yourself in the creative process. Throwing yourself straight at your pencil often get any immediate results. Or that of failing to start over. a fairly complete article on the subject, do not deprive yourself of it !!
Two / Learning to draw is also learning to miss
Learning is learning to fail (valid for skiing, cycling and many other disciplines…;) Among the feelings that interfere with creation, it is that of failing and not succeeding correctly. We all participate at amazing point in our Learning. It is also the type of fear most frequently cited by all those who practice and wish to progress. It is precisely this type of immediate anxiety that leads to loss of resources and failure. As a perfectionist, I was very anxious, and I did not consider the level of stress that this famous fear of failed drawing could generate. Until the day when a painter made me aware of this trap and the burden, I was dragging. He said to me: “you paint, so don’t don’t care about the result.” I admit that, at the time, I did not understand the meaning of his sentence.
It is probably the advice that has helped me the most in my life as a designer. Let’s Let’s face it, what are the real risks you run from missing a painting or drawing? Waste a canvas? No, because in general, you can iron on it. Are you wasting time? Neither will because you will have learned from your mistakes anyway. Spoil a sheet? There, we can say that the loss is quite limited. So: put it into perspective! Get blocked because of many things in drawing or painting on the one hand.
On the other hand, your brain needs you to be 100% focused on what you are doing in the present tense. Burdening yourself with this fear is a huge waste of thought and energy. So when you feel that feeling on the horizon, stop a moment, drawing technique, even if small apprehensions can stimulate us in certain important moments, such as exams or assignments, knowing how to let go of the fear of failure allows you to retain your capacity to create and progress fully.
3 / Warm up before tackling the difficulty
Corresponding to the warm-up in the athlete, this period linking action and reflection is generally characterized in me (as in many others) by the execution of one or more quick sketches. This sketching work allows you to gain confidence with your tool and, above all, to identify the difficulties of your subject. A simple diagram to install the proportions, placement of the masses and the main shadows will allow you to approach your work calmly. I know that many of you are in a hurry to start directing their realization. But with observation, the sketch should be the actual beginning of each of your drawings or paintings. To summarize: The more you think and dissect your subject beforehand, the more you will be prepared for difficulties and therefore relaxed in your practice.
Practical exercise to let go of your line:
In the same vein, I recommend a small useful exercise to warm up and develop your line, especially if you want to practice imaginative drawing. I often do this, and it will allow you to practice your stroke, relax, and discover shapes that your brain and hand do not naturally reproduce. It is about drawing continuously, without your hand coming off the sheet, being very light and not thinking about what you want to reproduce. Let your pencil wander; you will see that this abstract fluid path will eventually remind you of certain things, animals, humans or objects that can be the starting point for a more constructed drawing. When an idea comes to you, be very light and progressive. When we draw, we all tend to reproduce the same shapes instinctively. This exercise has several advantages: it allows you to work on your line abstractly and develop your creativity and learn to relax your gestures, and practice differently and in a more relaxed way. While practicing this little exercise regularly, even if only for a few minutes, I happened to be surprised by what could come out of it. It is sometimes the starting point for unexpected creations. It allows you to work on your line abstractly and, therefore, develop your creativity and learn to relax your body language and practice differently and in a more relaxed way. While practicing this little exercise regularly, even if only for a few minutes, I happened to be surprised by what could come out of it. It is sometimes the starting point for unexpected creations. It allows you to work on your line abstractly and, therefore, develop your creativity and learn to relax your body language and practice differently and in a more relaxed way. While practicing this little exercise regularly, even if only for a few minutes, I happened to be surprised by what could come out of it. It is sometimes the starting point for unexpected creations.
5 / Immerse yourself completely, focus on every detail
It often takes a long time to achieve a sufficient concentration level to feel fully in tune with your work. We create a sort of bubble that cuts us off from all the elements that could disrupt this phase of creation. Few people do not feel the need for calm and seclusion to achieve this state of total concentration. Even though many people practice drawing and painting in group lessons, these disciplines must still be practiced in a calm environment and require solitary work sessions. It is an essential factor for efficient production and creation. A good way to achieve this state of immersion is to focus on the part of your subject. This technique allows your eye to focus only on that detail and perceive the shape precisely, independently of the rest. At this precise moment, nothing exists except you and your drawing, so you are 100% entered into the creative process, far from any parasitic feelings.
6 / Take breaks (it’s also better to see or see differently)
This last tip corresponds to the famous adage “back up to jump better.” Indeed, when we cannot overcome certain difficulties, many of us tend to struggle. Sometimes I still fall into this trap when I want to succeed and overcome (too quickly) the difficulty. This attitude is, in fact, counterproductive. With time and experience, I realized that stress and tension this type of blockage causes your level of attention and observation to drop considerably. In short, the more you get upset, the more you fail, and the more you get caught in a spiral of failure. The easiest way is to stop everything and disconnect from your subject. Of course, in some cases persevering and insisting will resolve difficulties. But after a while, too much observation kills the observation, and you will no longer be able to see your subject lucidly. Often, a difficulty that you find impossible through repeated failures will seem easy to solve after having a good break. Why? Quite simply because you will have a fresh outlook on your work. Stopping does not mean giving up, and you will save time and energy (1 hour, 2 hours later or the next day) what you lost in getting discouraged and stressed. So even if this advice may seem trivial to you, it will be useful to remember it at the right time.
Vast topics that stress and concentration… I hope these few tips will change how you think about creation and influence how you learn to draw. Nervousness and distraction are linked to passion. The more demanding you are of yourself, the more likely you are to be confronted with it. Remember, technical mastery is first and foremost about mastering ourselves.
