Practice, practice, practice… but where’s the time?
Being an adult with a passion for art is VERY hard, especially if your occupation is outside of the artistic realm. It can be difficult between work, school, children, (did I mention work?) and all the other things life throws at us, to find the time to sit down and draw something.
I offer a solution: 10 minute sketches. Dedicate ten minutes of your day to sit down and concentrate, or if necessary, take your sketch pad and lock yourself in the bathroom with the shower running.
The first few times I tried this, I watched warm up videos of Todd Nauck on Youtube, or looked at reference pictures and just tried to get as much completed as possible in ten minutes. After doing half a dozen of these you’ll begin to notice a few things.
1. You will be drawing more, and therefore you will become more consistent with your skill. In the past I would sketch maybe once a month. Now I’m sketching once a week, and I’ve seen significant improvement. And remember, practice makes… better…
2. You won’t get too invested in what you’re working on. Since there are no expectations, the stress factor is removed. Things will become more natural and less forced. If you really don’t like something, tear it out of your sketchbook. If you get upset, walk away.
3. With the time constraints, you’ll begin to look at your piece more holistically. This was an issue I had in the past. I would get caught up in the small details of a piece and overlook major things like proportions, and angles. Then I would have to back track and re-do a lot of work to fix the major underlying problem. Being able to look at your work holistically also improves consistency, because you’re laying a better groundwork for your piece.
So, if like me, you have issues with managing time, consistency, emotional investment, laying the groundwork for your pieces, or all of these things; give it a shot. Duct tape your child to the underside of your kitchen table and draw for ten minutes!
(Please do not actually duct tape your child to the underside of your kitchen table, or to anything for that matter.)
