DRAWING: Tips for Drawing Blocks

As far back as my memory allows, I have always liked to draw. This means I've felt many blocks. It is the sole reason I never took a drawing class in my life, I never know when a drawing block will strike. There is nothing more frustrating than having the ideas in your head, but with no way to express them.

When I have a drawing block, nothing comes out right. I'll want to draw something, but for some reason it just never comes out right. Of course, sometimes it is the other way around and nothing really comes to mind even though I want to draw something. Here are some helpful tips for getting over drawing blocks:

1. Just Draw

Sometimes inspiration just strikes you when you randomly draw. Don't go for shape, don't even think about what you are drawing. Let your hand twitch and create strange shapes, it could look like nothing or just be a bunch of squiggles, but sometimes they turn out really cool. It also helps to give you more ideas that are a bit strange. Here are a few examples:

2. Look at the Ordinary

When you look at ordinary objects you see every day, try to imagine what they look like. A slinkey could be a snake...but what if they combined? Looking at objects in a different way gives you new inspiration and ideas and sometimes that's just what a writing block needs. You could be forcing what you want to draw at that moment and you just need something new.

     3. Tell a Story

One thing that has really helped me in a block was to tell the story of a quote or phrase. I really love quotes, so I guess it makes sense that I draw with them in mind sometimes. And yes, a lot of those types of drawings were done on notebook paper as well.

"The savage brute that makes thee cry for dread

Lets no man pass this road of hers, but still

Tramples him, til at last she lays him dead."

                               -Canto I

                            The Divine Comedy

 

     4. Take a Break

Let's face it, sometimes a block just wont go away. It could take a couple days or even a couple months. If you push too much you will never get the talent that's in you out. Don't try copying other works or redo everything you've done. It might be best to move onto another form of art for a while. Sometimes the brain just needs to switch it up a bit. I guarantee when you do start drawing after a break, you will come back at least ten times better. When I take a break I even churn out great stories, poems, and photographs.