~Jagash

Life is but Imitation of Art

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The path of self-development

Tue Apr 7, 2009, 3:45 PM

I know my biggest weakness in my art at the present. I know what functional capabilities I lack. Even more importantly, I know exactly what course of action would remedy both situations. I need to sit down and sketch, chiefly people, with pencils and paper for about 20-40 hours (albeit not necessarily consecutively).

The problem is that I am having a heck of a time forcing myself to do this. I usually manage to bring the necessary tools with me when I go out, but I seem to subconsciously avoid doing the relatively simple practice. I suspect it is due to the fact that, well, I have gained most of my skill in a surprisingly little amount of effort and I know that this training would require more sweat equity. It's probably also the fact that I have high standards for myself and each little sketch would bug me when I looked at their flaws.

Anyone have motivation in a can? I could also do with subconscious suppressants.

11 Comments

Mood: Regretful
Listening to: LastFM
Reading: The Wandering Fire by Guy Gavriel Kay
Watching: Two monitors
Playing: Guild Wars - Factions

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=jackalibis Apr 7, 2009, 7:10:56 PM

Hush. Just...hush. You know it just frustrates the hell out of me when you get like this. Now, am I going to have to lecture you again on all this? You do realize I'm younger than you, right? (Granted, only by about six months to the date, I believe...) Now, get off your butt and sketch. If you do, I'll post up some of my pen and paper work. And you know, I don't like my pen and paper stuff.

--
--Jackalibis

“I'm a fairly undisciplined writer.” -- Neil Gaiman

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~Oni-Neko Apr 8, 2009, 2:54:52 PM

I would listen to jackalibis, what they said makes far too much sense. Remember my sketches with you? They tended to suck but I did them anyways because they were necessary so that one day I wouldn't suck.

~Jagash Apr 8, 2009, 4:00:27 PM

It's the sense of dread that gets me down. Tinkering with art normally is rewarding, but my sketching doesn't seem to be so.

~Jagash Apr 8, 2009, 4:02:16 PM

I just need to overcome the sense of dread associated with the practice. I don't expect that the sketches will be decent, but I seem to be afraid of the process of sketching itself.

*Shrug* I know, I ought to just do it.

~Oni-Neko Apr 8, 2009, 5:44:25 PM

so what is it about the process that scares you?

~Jagash Apr 8, 2009, 5:56:31 PM

I don't rightly know. One of my strengths is easily being able to spot inconsistencies and problems. This is utterly infuriating in my pencil work as I seem to constantly make errors, without fail and this every quick little sketch annoys me. I tried to spend most an hour working away at some sketching, but the only thing I got from it was a feeling of wasted time and frustration.

In digital art, I can produce elements which please my eye, even if they are small fractions of the overall piece. I can't seem to do so with my pencil art yet.

Perhaps if I switch over to sketching based off static photo references again. I would rather regressing all the way to tracing, but perhaps treating humans like still life rather then attempting to draw simple poses from video or memory will help.