Just wanted to post this up as this is the first drawing I've done in almost a year (if not more) maybe where it is just purely for fun. Not for a project. Not for a client. Just for fun. I think my problem as an artist is that I tend to "think" too much. Not in a good way. I think about the projects I want to do, the pictures I want to draw. I obsess about them. I think of the flaws that can crop up. I think about my shortcomings that could prevent me executing this masterpiece perfectly. I think about the style I could do it in.
Do you see my problem? I do. I think too much, and don't do enough. Somewhere along the way I've fallen into the hamster wheel of obsessing with doing it PERFECT rather than just enjoying doing it. I've turned into some art fascist where I keep thinking "If I can't get it perfect, I might as well not do it at all!!!" It is something that I really need to kick myself to get over.
Anyway, this is a really simple picture where I was experimenting more with the idea of balance. (I was inspired to DRAW something after seeing John's lovely inky sketches) A few years back I was very driven by the idea of details. DETAILS! The more elaborate and detailed and intricately perfect I could make my colours, inks, linework etc, the better. It's only lately in the past year or so that I've started to realise how short-sighted I am being.
Everything requires balance. The balance of black and white, the balance of rough sketchy artwork and clean perfectionism, the balance of having just enough detail to bring out the life/joy in my artwork without being too sparse or weighed down with detail. I think John's comment mentioning "they become all tight and lifeless" put the issue I've been having with my line art into a more solid concept.
I'm not dissing intricate artwork. I just think that that is no longer the goal of my journey, and I still have a long road ahead in seeking this (almost) perfect balance in my art.
Its a novel thing though, for once looking at my little drawing and feeling a sense of completion. I am actually happy with how the simple inks and colours came out.
6 comments:
Unsurprisingly, given that i'm wrestling with the same problem at the moment, I have views. Probably wrong views, but views!
The problem with tight vs loose is, in my opinion, one of purpose. For example, If this drawing was intended to show "pride" or "anger" or even the character's eyes or hair *specifically*, you would've drawn it differently.
It's a matter of "focus". Not compositional focus, although that might overlap, but photographic focus.
let's say the purpose of your drawing is to show the Girl's sparkling eyes. In this case you'd spend all your time and energy adding the detailed inks, sparkles, accurate reflections and so on. Once the sparklyness of her eyes has been achieved the purpose of the drawing is complete. The remaining anatomy, clothing, pose & background are there only to add to the sparklyness of the eyes and hopefully not detract from them.
That's where you balance your tight and stiff drawing with the necessary mess. You suddenly shift from drawing an image as well or detailed as you possibly can, to striving for minimalism.
That's an overly simple example, mind, and the best artists are able to find that happy medium between loose, mobile artwork and stiff lineart. The best of the best being Jiro Taniguchi and Hérge. Where the entire frame can be drawn accurately, but the charm of the image is never lost.
~John~
(oops, posted before I was finished) To be honest, I think you might both be thinking too hard! I totally
get what you mean, and have similar problems agonising over where to
take my art, but I also think that over-analysing before you start or
during a project is a potential pitfall. John, I know you do this
since I've heard you talk about it. Faye, I'm not so sure, but it
sounds like it! Thoughts about how and in what direction to develop
are vital, but if they ultimately paralyze your free progress, they're
counter productive. A pause between projects, or after an illustration
are the times to deliberate, but always returning to create (with what
you've learned in mind) should be the goal. The right constant ratio
between work and practice, deliberation and execution is what makes
the best professionals.
It's hard to face the fact that being obsessed with having to be "good
enough" to tackle a particular task may mean that escalating standards
stop you from EVER being good enough in your own eyes. It's feindishly
hard to identify when you swap reasoned self-criticism for disguised
self-doubt, and perhaps the two are never far from each other. Pay
attention to your ability to take compliments seriously, it's a good
indicator.
The work to practice ratio is the thing, the theories about how to
improve are secondary (and always debateable and personal) since
they're moot if you never put the next foot forward.
So back to the point, Faye I think you may be in danger of replacing
one unhappy obsession for perfection with another, more subtly
disguised one, when it sounds like the thing you most need to do is
relax a little and let the theories about your work become secondary
to the work itself. The illustration you've posted looks gorgeous to
me :)
I totally agree with what John says about the inent behind a drawing
being where the technical focus needs to go, but like I said before
that requires just going ahead with the drawing sometimes, even if the
intent isn't fully formed. The act of drawing isn't so straight-
forwardly mechanistic that endless thinking will improve it endlessly.
If thinking is the spice, find the right amount to make the dish tasty!
I recognise a lot of what you're saying, and I really need to hear what Paul is saying above. I think his "swap reasoned self-criticism for disguised self-doubt" was particularly well formulated. I fall into this trap a lot as well... it's hard to feel good about your work sometimes and you ask yourself what you're doing, what's the point? Sometimes you need to go back to the roots. Think back to the times when you weren't so concerned with perfect technique... what was it that made you excited? What did you love at a purely intuitive level?
That being said, I also think it's worth recognising that it's natural for taste to change with time. What fascinated you 10 years ago isn't necessarily what fascinates you now. If you acknowledge that I think it opens up your mind for letting your art evolve naturally.
Thanks all. Really good points. I think that is what just made me really happy about doing this piece. That I'm just happy with how it turned out overall, and am not sitting here fretting about it being imperfect, or picking holes in the artwork or anything like that. It's like that same feeling when I discovered I like drawing. :D
Ah! I spied this on your website yesterday and loved it. ^^
Enjoying our work is so important. In the words of Bruce Lee: Don't think. DRAAAAAAW. (or something similar).
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