Overcoming Artist's Block

Every artist encounters Artist Block, that familiar feeling of wanting to produce but having NO good ideas or inspiration. You feel like everything you start to put down is something you’ve done a million times already. When you are a beginning artist, it’s a killer. You think it’s your fault, that if you “were really an artist” you would have a constant wellspring of inspiration and drive. Artist Block feels like a wall, and many people let that wall stop them not knowing that there are ways around that wall, if you know where to look.

Many people start with seeking inspiration in places that have made them excited about creating their own art in the past. Maybe it’s watching some cool movies, or flipping through art books, magazines, or websites. This can indeed work, but there is a very real danger that seeking inspiration instead turns into simply watching a movie or reading a book. In other words, the danger is you just decided to do something else instead of working on your art. Oops. It’s a bit of a trap, and I know I’ve fallen into it, and I’ve heard plenty of other artists say much the same. For this reason, I don’t recommend this, and I think we can find some better options.

One of the most immediate ways to deal with artist block is to simply work through the feeling. Sometimes just the act of starting the brain working on those visual problems can get it jump started and back on the right track. A good place to start is to do some warm up studies. Studies aren’t meant to be great artistic achievements, and thus don’t take as much “inspiration” as they do observation and thinking. By getting your brain thinking and active, you may find that sluggish feeling of artist block slip away, and creativity taking it’s place. This isn’t always the right solution, but it seems to work well when the problem isn’t a deep artist rut, so much as it’s just not being in the right mental space for being productive. It’s easy to get distracted by other things in life, and this solution works well to help you gain back your focus.

More fundamental artistic ruts, I believe, are caused by needing to stoke the artistic fires in more fundamental ways. You need to get out and DO some stuff, gain some experiences that are worthy of wanting to express creatively.  It’s my personal opinion that the best Artist Block busting experiences are things you haven’t seen or done before, or at least things you rarely do. Going to a zoo might be great, but if you go once a week, it’s probably not going to be the shake up you need to really jolt your inner muse. If you are a city kid, maybe you need to go camping, or spend a day riding a horse. If you have always lived in the country, maybe you can go to a big city and visit some huge natural history museum.

There are thousands of things you have never done before, that are likely within your reach. If your dream is to one day draw fantasy characters, have you ever actually held and swung a sword or an axe? If you want to design characters for first person shooters, have you ever spent a day playing paintball, or gone to a gun range to fire real guns? These are all great examples of things that would directly enrich your understanding and excitement for a topic. The more you can back up your art, not just with visuals, but with actual experiences and emotions, the more you have to draw on when you are creating.

That isn’t to say that you should stick to activities that directly relate to the type of art you like to do. Even better sometimes are other things that are interesting to you, but unrelated. Some of the most interesting artistic ideas are combining unrelated things in unexpected ways. Don’t limit yourself, explore everything.

Fighting an artistic rut isn’t something to only worry about when you are having the problem. You can take preventative measures by remembering to get out and do something new and exciting every now and then. Everything you see and do becomes material for your future expression.


Below are some photos from one of my "Rut Buster" excursions. This one wasn't the most thrilling, as it was simply taking some photos around the city I live in, New Haven, Connecticut. These amazing relief sculptures are found on many of the buildings around Yale. Hundreds of people walk past them every day and rarely look up and appreciate their beauty. In fact I'd go so far as to say that many probably don't notice them at all and never realize they are there.

Wait, is that the Burger King?

Outside one of the Yale libraries, paying tribute to the early materials for making paper.

Carrying a Camera

I’ve talked about taking regular “field trips” out of the studio to help keep things fresh and interesting. While writing that previous article, I wanted to touch on using photography to supplement your drawing and sketching, but I felt like the topic deserved an article all it’s own. More than just a way to quickly record what you saw, photography can also help you think about composition, light, color, and a whole host of other things. I find that as I strive to improve my photography, my observation, painting, and drawing improves as well.

It’s not always easy to find the time, or the space to draw directly from nature. Some things happen to quickly, or in areas where you can’t reasonably draw or paint. Stopping and really observing closely, and taking some photos to remind you back in the studio is the next best thing. Even if you don’t like to work directly from photos, and there are good arguments that support that view, having them as a way to refer back to certain details is still extremely valuable.

What kind of camera should I be using?
For simple recording of what you see, a lot of times the smallest and most convenient camera is the best one. Let’s face it, an expensive and fancy camera is useless if you don’t have it with you. On the other hand, a small pocket camera that is simple and easy to keep with you is the one you’ll have when that amazing image opportunity comes up unexpectedly. Driving home and see some amazing clouds? That phone camera is suddenly much more useful to you than anything you left at home.

Which isn’t to say that that a phone camera is all that good, only that it’s better than not getting a shot at all. A better option is a dedicated pocket sized point and click digital camera. The specs on these are getting better and better each year, and the prices on them are pretty darn reasonable these days. For right around the $100 mark (a little more or less depending on the brand and model), a small camera is an excellent investment. There are downsides of course, mainly in that options to control the final result are limited compared to higher end cameras. Still, as mentioned above, the convenience factor is an important one.

What if I want something even better?
With some practice and knowledge, a better camera does potentially take better pictures. Beyond simple camera specs, the biggest thing better cameras offer is more control. Moving up to a Digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) means you have  variety of controls to play with how light enters the camera, and thus the final image. They also give you many options by means of using different lenses, which gives you yet more options. An entry level DSLR kit right now goes for around $500. It’s an investment, and in my opinion a good one, IF you will take advantage of it and really learn how to use it.

That $500 entry may be just the beginning though. It’s easy to start “needing” more. A good tripod would be a big help. Another lens or two (most kits start you with one general purpose lens). Maybe a few lens filters, some additional memory cards, maybe a flash you can move off camera... like art itself it’s a hobby that can quickly start adding up.

So, what will this camera do for me in the grand scheme of things?
Admittedly, suggesting photography to improve your art seems a little like suggesting that you learn french in order to cook french food. It’s learning a whole other skill to improve your main goal. Still, it’s not as silly as it may seem.

The DSLR is the camera that really helped me start thinking more closely about control of light for the sake of taking better photos. It didn’t take long for the lessons I learned in photography to start influencing decisions in my painting as well. It made me start considering the role of light more carefully. It helped to show me that it was ok to lose detail in areas that were not the focus -literally. Looking through the view finder of the camera, and then walking around the scene to find the most interesting angles made me realize that I wasn’t doing that enough in my illustrations. I played more with both high and low vantage points, or playing with foreground/background elements. These are all things you can learn on your own in art of course, and some will probably come naturally to you. Others however, might be learned more easily by experimentation in photography, and you still gain the very nice additional benefit of really good photos to work or learn from.


And now, a few words of caution
Photographs are not to be trusted. Oooh, sounds dire and ominous doesn’t it? Well, it actually is true. Photographs are made with lenses, and a lens does distort the image. It may not be readily apparent, but that is because there is a bit of psychology involved. We believe photographs in ways we wouldn’t believe a piece of artwork that was drawn the exact same way. Shoot too close to a model, for example, and the lens will distort the proportions. Shoot a cityscape and try tracing the perspective lines. Don’t be surprised when you find they don’t line up well, and lines you assumed were straight are actually curved due to the lens.

Camera’s also shoot a narrow range of the visible light. Depending on your camera settings details may get “blown out” due to a light source, or you may lose all detail in shadows. The human eye is much more adaptable on the fly, and thus sees a far better range than a camera can capture. When you paint from a photo, you will find many of the decisions about relative light and color are made for you, and it’s tempting to use what the camera gave you. When you paint from life, you need to do that work on your own, and you will probably make better choices.

Field Trips

Today, I want to talk a bit about planning “Field Trips” into your DIY Art School study. Field trips, when you are learning largely at home, are even more important than they are during a regular schooling environment. Why? Well during a regular art school experience you’d be heading out each day for classes and seeing a variety of people, and you'd have classes on topics that don't translate well into subjects studied at home alone. Studies from home can get very lonesome, or at the very least can quickly drive you into a mental rut because you just aren’t getting enough variety in stimuli. You need to engage your brain in a multitude of ways, not just to make good art, but to keep emotionally healthy.

Fortunately there are a variety of useful activities you can plan outside the home to alleviate the problem. Where field trips would likely be a very once-in-a-while activity in art school, for the diy art student it should be a once or twice a week activity to make up for the parts of a traditional art education that you are otherwise missing. It’s a great idea to plan a specific day(s) where you will force yourself out into one of the activities below. At times an outting can also take the place of a normal day of at home study and practice, to help recharge your artist batteries. A spur of the moment field trip is a very useful cure for artist block or stagnation!

Field Trip ideas

Museums
Museums are a time honored and important art outing. Just walking around and enjoying the artwork can be inspirational, but there is more you can take away from a museum experience. Take a pad of paper and a pencil with you on your museum trips, and record your thoughts as you go. Take note of artists whose work you enjoy so you can find out more about them later on the internet. Take notes about techniques they use that you find interesting, or ones you would like to learn how to produce for your own work. If you can do so without getting in the way of other museum goers, stop and make some sketches. You don’t have to do a full master copy to learn a lot. Sometimes making a quick sketch of powerful compositions, or capturing a particularly effective area of a painting can be very informative. Supplement your sketches with notes about what you can observe. The important thing is do not be a passive viewer of the art, you want to actually use your artist observation skills to really look deeply.


Other types of museums can also be excellent. I love a good natural history museum, with bones, dioramas, stuffed specimens, etc. There are museums dedicated to all sorts of topics, and they can all be a great visit.


Galleries
A gallery outing will be much like a museum outing, but with more living and working artists most likely. Going in on a quiet afternoon you can treat the experience very much like a museum outing. If you can make out to an art opening, you have some other powerful opportunities such as the ability to meet the artists, and ask them questions about their work. Now when you use those art observation skills, you won’t have to guess about an artist’s technique or intentions, you can actually ask! Additionally don’t neglect talking to others there enjoying the show. Learning how to talk intelligently about art with other people is an important artist skill.



Life drawing sessions
Most people do not have a variety of able and willing artist models at home. A weekly life drawing night is a perfect scheduled art outing. This will take some research on your part to find one available near you. Check local art schools. Many will have an evening life drawing class that is available to the public even if you are not enrolled at the school. If you don’t see one available, ask. Maybe there is one you can sit in on, and if not it at least lets them know there is an interest for possible future classes. These classes or open drawing nights will often have a fee at an art school, but it one that is very worthwhile.

You can also look for local artist groups that may organize a model for themselves. Check the bulletin board of local art stores and coffee shops. Some may require membership, and others may be welcoming to all serious artists. There will often be a fee collected each night to pay to the model, and an additional tip for the model will help insure that good models are likely to return.

You can also look for a local chapter of Dr Sketchy (warning: full and partial nudity within the link). Dr Sketchy was started by New York artist Molly Crabapple as a fun alternative to regular life drawing classes. While it started in NY, there are independent branches all over, and more cropping up regularly. There is a handy search option on the website to find one closest to you. Dr Sketchy events are one part life drawing, one part burlesque show, and one part party. They often take place at a bar and you can easily have a drink or two while drawing (although you don’t have to). Despite the party atmosphere you’d be mistaken if you thought there was little real art going on. On the contrary, Dr Sketchy offers very solid life drawing, and the atmosphere can attract very talented artists. This is not only a great drawing opportunity, but a great networking and socializing opportunity.

One last option for life drawing is going “in the wild.” Find a spot with decent foot traffic, and draw the people around you. Some people like the slow pace of a coffee shop. One of my favorite places used to be the food court at my local mall, because it pulled a wider selection of interesting people, and they were often so distracted by their shopping and finding lunch that an artist quietly sketching drew little attention. No matter where you go, you’ll need to draw quickly and you’ll rarely get someone still long enough to get a super refined drawing. Focus on drawing body language, or capturing whatever unique qualities make them stand out most.



Landscapes
Find a scenic spot and draw or paint what you see. Combining this kind of outing with a little hiking will let you find some spots not everyone sees, and gets you some valuable exercise (something many of us who spend so much time at desks needs dearly). Make sure to plan appropriately for being outside for a length of time. Dress for the weather, and don’t neglect hats and sunscreen. A good hat with a brim will help cover your eyes so you can see well without being blinded by the sun. Morning and evening gives great light, but it changes rapidly and won’t last long. The noon day sun can be too bright to see well, unless you find some shade/cover.



Zoos/Farms
The goal here is obviously to draw animals. Like in a museum or gallery, be sure not to obstruct other visitors. Like in landscape painting, plan for the weather and lighting. Like in life drawing “in the wild” the moving targets will usually mean quick drawing focusing on body language, but you will sometimes get lucky and find animals relatively still sleeping or resting.



Travel
These field trips are a little more involved, and offer opportunities you won’t get close to home. Plan ahead for hitting museums that have works that you can’t see locally, and galleries that have local artists that you have not been exposed to. You may not have as much time as you’d like for these things, but at least stopping in quickly can be very nice. If you have the time to take in the local landscape, supplement your drawing and observation with plenty of good photos. Talk to locals and ask about any “must see” spots. You may get suggestions that don’t interest you, as their idea of “must see” and yours may differ, but you also may get some really amazing suggestions you wouldn’t have known about otherwise.

These can all be incorporated into any trip you take if you plan ahead, but if you can plan a trip (even a day trip just a few hours away from home) with the intention to focus on art you can really have an amazing experience. Seeing and experiencing new things will refresh the artist batteries like no other way.