• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Anyone else get 'the crisis' when drawing/painting? (1 Viewer)

colonelboris

colonelboris

Right way up again
Does anyone else suffer from this sort of thing? After you've sketched the outline and start filling in light shades, you are suddenly gripped by the thought, certainty even, that the picture just will not work out? An odd feeling that you should give up and start again, not even on that picture, but an entirely new bird. One with less brown, more contrast, more colours, etc.
And then you carry on anyway and after a little more work, you start to see the picture coming out - all the bits that were making you cringe sudenly start taking shape, shades, highlights, instead of being ugly smears of wax.
Gets me every time. I'm starting to recognise it as a sort of a friend when I'm drawing or painting and it lets me know, that despite the doubt, I'm nearly on the right track.
Mind you, every now and again, it doesn't pass, then I really know to stop and do something else.
Dunno, are we not supposed to admit to this sort of thing?
Cheers,

Tony
 
Yes every time, and when I look at the finished article I just think did I really do that and can I do it again?

colonelboris said:
Does anyone else suffer from this sort of thing? After you've sketched the outline and start filling in light shades, you are suddenly gripped by the thought, certainty even, that the picture just will not work out? An odd feeling that you should give up and start again, not even on that picture, but an entirely new bird. One with less brown, more contrast, more colours, etc.
And then you carry on anyway and after a little more work, you start to see the picture coming out - all the bits that were making you cringe sudenly start taking shape, shades, highlights, instead of being ugly smears of wax.
Gets me every time. I'm starting to recognise it as a sort of a friend when I'm drawing or painting and it lets me know, that despite the doubt, I'm nearly on the right track.
Mind you, every now and again, it doesn't pass, then I really know to stop and do something else.
Dunno, are we not supposed to admit to this sort of thing?
Cheers,

Tony
Click to expand...
 
Oh yeah! I call it 'the pain barrier' and can mostly work through it.
Sometimes though, things get left. I have a large(ish) wren painting which has been unfinished for almost two years but I've been looking at it lately with a view to altering one or two things and actually finishing it so all is not lost on most of these pieces.

Mike
 
Woody said:
Oh yeah! I call it 'the pain barrier' and can mostly work through it.
Sometimes though, things get left. I have a large(ish) wren painting which has been unfinished for almost two years but I've been looking at it lately with a view to altering one or two things and actually finishing it so all is not lost on most of these pieces.

Mike
Click to expand...
I see all my paintings as a fluke, and fear the next one, before during and after and like mike, some go unfinished, in fact I was working on a year old unfinished piece yesterday, hopefully it will get finished... fingers crossed.. Paul
 
Yes, every time .... and I then feel I can't start anything else until I've resolved the issue. Trouble is this time my phasing out period has lasted - oohh - about 3 years!
 
all the time, I like Mike's 'pain barrier' analogy, sometimes I work through it, sometimes I change from watercolour to acrylic/collage, sometimes I run the whole thing under the shower and wash half of it off, or tear it up and stick it back together, or tear it up and start again, or throw it in the bin, take it out again, not look at it for a while and like it, or sometimes, just sometimes, very rarely, if I'm lucky, I'll have an idea, scribble it out, apply 'creativity' in the media I chose beforehand and it works first time.

I'm very fickle, with a short-attention span you see.
 
Nope - never suffered from this at all. Everything I ever do is always perfect from blistering start to sublime finish!!!!
3:) 3:) :king: :king: o:D :king: :king: 3:) 3:)
 
timwootton said:
Nope - never suffered from this at all. Everything I ever do is always perfect from blistering start to sublime finish!!!!
3:) 3:) :king: :king: o:D :king: :king: 3:) 3:)
Click to expand...


regardless of that being tongue in cheek, this is what many people would readily believe.
 
...I've been suffering from this all spring - to the point of not doing anything. I've now got a scope, so I have no excuses (except that I've had to practice to get used to the scope...). Probably not today, but tomorrow absolutely, I have to go out there and try to get over the pain barrier (huge one, I think I might need mountain climbing equipment...).

Elina
 
I think the trick is to realise that it happens and accept it as part of the process, that way you know that it's possible to work through even if you have a tough time doing it.

Have a great time playing with the new scope, and try not to go ropping it off of any mountains!

Mike
 
I'll join you all in this, adding my personal experience from this "artists disease"!
I think its a part of the creative process which everyone of us has to go through every time. I'm struggling always with this feeling while working on complexed compositions,
never while illustrating or drawing outdoors.

Paschalis
 
I've got to add my two cents.... EVERY TIME! lol
I always start out excited - then feel like I am killing the whole thing. It even gets to a point to where I question myself as an artist. Then when a painting gets to a certain point, after countless hours or even days of frustration, sometimes something will click. I've often wondered if it's because I (like many artists) am my toughest critic or if I push myself too hard for perfection. Whatever it is, it's maddening and I am relieved to hear other artists experience the same thing.
 
My problem is commiting to paper from the start.............too many lines, and it gets confusing from there on in...
 
Hi Tony,

Yes, this very common. I sometimes don't inspired to paint or draw. Everything looks gloomy too. But after sometime or days everything goes normal, and start my work again :)

All best wishes,

Cheers, Rahul
 
Phew! I thought these anxieties only affected people like me just starting out.

My main problem is applying the paint! I spend a lot of time drawing and then panic about spoiling it. I have a huge backlog of sketches, all I need now is colour confidence!

ps. I just want to say how much I enjoy the art forum. The support you give each other and the quality of work is amazing.
My goal is to join you all one day, and Ive set my target date for the new year.
 
pie, you're more than welcome to join us all now! there is no exam or anything to start posting, post away and join in, it's always great to have new people on this thread.
Sometimes a nice piece of work can be spoiled by the addition of colour, which is why it's hard to do colour. Why not try to start in colour - coloured crayons, or bold patches of paint that you can draw onto later? Play and experiment, at the end of the day the only thing you have to lose is some paper!


pie said:
Phew! I thought these anxieties only affected people like me just starting out.

My main problem is applying the paint! I spend a lot of time drawing and then panic about spoiling it. I have a huge backlog of sketches, all I need now is colour confidence!

ps. I just want to say how much I enjoy the art forum. The support you give each other and the quality of work is amazing.
My goal is to join you all one day, and Ive set my target date for the new year.
Click to expand...
 
Hi Pie,

Please post your lovely work here. We all will be very pleased to see your work :) or may you get some excellent tips on colours too.|=)|

Never disappoint with your endeavours. You'll always learn something new from every mistake & failure. I learned the same way :)

Enjoy... & All best wishes,

Cheers, Rahul



pie said:
Phew! I thought these anxieties only affected people like me just starting out.

My main problem is applying the paint! I spend a lot of time drawing and then panic about spoiling it. I have a huge backlog of sketches, all I need now is colour confidence!

ps. I just want to say how much I enjoy the art forum. The support you give each other and the quality of work is amazing.
My goal is to join you all one day, and Ive set my target date for the new year.
Click to expand...
 
nickderry said:
pie, you're more than welcome to join us all now! there is no exam or anything to start posting, post away and join in, it's always great to have new people on this thread.
Sometimes a nice piece of work can be spoiled by the addition of colour, which is why it's hard to do colour. Why not try to start in colour - coloured crayons, or bold patches of paint that you can draw onto later? Play and experiment, at the end of the day the only thing you have to lose is some paper!
Click to expand...

Rahul Parekh said:
Hi Pie,

Please post your lovely work here. We all will be very pleased to see your work :) or may you get some excellent tips on colours too.|=)|

Never disappoint with your endeavours. You'll always learn something new from every mistake & failure. I learned the same way :)

Enjoy... & All best wishes,

Cheers, Rahul
Click to expand...

Thank you so much both, I will take your advice and give it a go.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 15 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

Stonefaction
Getting back to drawing...
2
Replies
22
Views
2K
nofair
N
S
Hello from Singapore, Binocular help
2
Replies
22
Views
1K
Chris Pringle
C
Swampy Sam
Emotionally attached?
Replies
3
Views
1K
ABCY 1
A
P
Slimbridge WWT- why the wildfowl collections?
2 3 4
Replies
67
Views
4K
Phil Andrews
Phil Andrews
B
Is there anyone with same problem ?
Replies
5
Views
637
BrianB
B

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top