post_id
stringlengths
5
7
domain
stringclasses
69 values
upvote_ratio
float64
0.5
1
history
stringlengths
11
39.7k
c_root_id_A
stringlengths
7
7
c_root_id_B
stringlengths
7
7
created_at_utc_A
int64
1.27B
1.68B
created_at_utc_B
int64
1.27B
1.68B
score_A
int64
-644
43.5k
score_B
int64
-2,846
43.5k
human_ref_A
stringlengths
0
18k
human_ref_B
stringlengths
0
13.6k
labels
int64
0
1
seconds_difference
float64
0
346M
score_ratio
float64
-2,292
2.5M
metadata_A
stringclasses
1 value
metadata_B
stringclasses
1 value
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hs0z5py
hry50p9
1,641,793,428
1,641,754,147
14
6
I get the "OMG I'm not good enough!!" paralysis sometimes too. My best advice for getting past it is to get an incredibly cheap, or very small (or both) sketchbook, something that's clearly not a big deal, not important, not in the least bit fancy, and do a lot of little, no-big-deal sketches in that. Maybe get several -- I have an 8.5x11 cheap sketchpad, and a 4x6 sketchbook that cost me like two dollars, and a... I think it's about 6x9 or so sketchbook that cost me like three or four dollars. The little one lives next to where my laptop sits, the medium one lives on my nightstand for if I want to draw something before going to sleep or right after I wake up, and the sketchpad lives on my art table. I also have a couple of watercolor sketchbooks and a mixed media sketchbook. The watercolor sketchbook was fairly expensive, but that can't be helped, and yeah, I do have a hard time making myself use it, but I loathe doing watercolor on cheap, crappy paper, so I deal. But having a bunch of sketchbooks/sketchpads means none of them is \*My Sketchbook\* and none of them is special. One of the worst things a beginning artist can do is get a fancy, expensive, important sketchbook, that they're then terrified of "ruining" to the point where they never use it. :/ Also, the more sketches you do, the less important any particular one becomes. If you've done hundreds of sketches, getting this next one perfect might not seem so vital. And of course, practicing more, even if it's just messing-around level sketches, does help. Another way of thinking about it -- unless someone is paying you money for a piece of art, it's *not* important, and if it doesn't turn out as good as you want, it doesn't matter. Who cares? Turn the page and try again. Messing up and learning from it is what practice is for. Having fun, which is tough to do if you're all stressed out, is also a major reason we do this, so do your best to let go of the worry and stress and sense that every mark you put on paper is Important!! and just have fun. :)
I was the same way. I just couldn’t do it. So I was in this “either I do the homework or I don’t draw at all”, so I chose to keep doing the exercises and not do the 50% rule. (Bad, I know) Then I got to the plotted perspective exercise and I was like “Gosh, I just really want to doodle a little” and I had that aha! Moment that it was time to do the 50% rule and since then I’ve been able to follow it. Don’t worry about messing up. Think about the worst case scenario: It’s likely that a loved one finds your work and is unimpressed. Not really an end of the world kind of situation, is it? I know it can feel that way though. You can just keep throwing out anything you mess up or don’t like. You can rip it into pieces, use a shredder, put it into a fire (carefully and responsibly) or date it, keep it and look back at your progress over time etc. One of the things you would be addressing is black and white thinking. That’s where think that you either get an A and anything less than an A is, in your mind, an F. So you feel paralyzed because what if (you were rating your own work) and you created B level work? That’s better than an F and it is better than not doing anything at all. But it takes some serious mental work to change how you feel about it. So, it’s not actually about drawing, this is about how you cope with feelings and it is worthwhile to work on it. I really like Draw a Box, because it forces you to cope with feelings through the lessons and activities. Good luck!
1
39,281
2.333333
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrxy4os
hs0z5py
1,641,751,722
1,641,793,428
5
14
Just ignore it and move forward. A lot of the old masters covered their mistakes by simply painting over them.
I get the "OMG I'm not good enough!!" paralysis sometimes too. My best advice for getting past it is to get an incredibly cheap, or very small (or both) sketchbook, something that's clearly not a big deal, not important, not in the least bit fancy, and do a lot of little, no-big-deal sketches in that. Maybe get several -- I have an 8.5x11 cheap sketchpad, and a 4x6 sketchbook that cost me like two dollars, and a... I think it's about 6x9 or so sketchbook that cost me like three or four dollars. The little one lives next to where my laptop sits, the medium one lives on my nightstand for if I want to draw something before going to sleep or right after I wake up, and the sketchpad lives on my art table. I also have a couple of watercolor sketchbooks and a mixed media sketchbook. The watercolor sketchbook was fairly expensive, but that can't be helped, and yeah, I do have a hard time making myself use it, but I loathe doing watercolor on cheap, crappy paper, so I deal. But having a bunch of sketchbooks/sketchpads means none of them is \*My Sketchbook\* and none of them is special. One of the worst things a beginning artist can do is get a fancy, expensive, important sketchbook, that they're then terrified of "ruining" to the point where they never use it. :/ Also, the more sketches you do, the less important any particular one becomes. If you've done hundreds of sketches, getting this next one perfect might not seem so vital. And of course, practicing more, even if it's just messing-around level sketches, does help. Another way of thinking about it -- unless someone is paying you money for a piece of art, it's *not* important, and if it doesn't turn out as good as you want, it doesn't matter. Who cares? Turn the page and try again. Messing up and learning from it is what practice is for. Having fun, which is tough to do if you're all stressed out, is also a major reason we do this, so do your best to let go of the worry and stress and sense that every mark you put on paper is Important!! and just have fun. :)
0
41,706
2.8
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hs0z5py
hrxf6rr
1,641,793,428
1,641,744,619
14
2
I get the "OMG I'm not good enough!!" paralysis sometimes too. My best advice for getting past it is to get an incredibly cheap, or very small (or both) sketchbook, something that's clearly not a big deal, not important, not in the least bit fancy, and do a lot of little, no-big-deal sketches in that. Maybe get several -- I have an 8.5x11 cheap sketchpad, and a 4x6 sketchbook that cost me like two dollars, and a... I think it's about 6x9 or so sketchbook that cost me like three or four dollars. The little one lives next to where my laptop sits, the medium one lives on my nightstand for if I want to draw something before going to sleep or right after I wake up, and the sketchpad lives on my art table. I also have a couple of watercolor sketchbooks and a mixed media sketchbook. The watercolor sketchbook was fairly expensive, but that can't be helped, and yeah, I do have a hard time making myself use it, but I loathe doing watercolor on cheap, crappy paper, so I deal. But having a bunch of sketchbooks/sketchpads means none of them is \*My Sketchbook\* and none of them is special. One of the worst things a beginning artist can do is get a fancy, expensive, important sketchbook, that they're then terrified of "ruining" to the point where they never use it. :/ Also, the more sketches you do, the less important any particular one becomes. If you've done hundreds of sketches, getting this next one perfect might not seem so vital. And of course, practicing more, even if it's just messing-around level sketches, does help. Another way of thinking about it -- unless someone is paying you money for a piece of art, it's *not* important, and if it doesn't turn out as good as you want, it doesn't matter. Who cares? Turn the page and try again. Messing up and learning from it is what practice is for. Having fun, which is tough to do if you're all stressed out, is also a major reason we do this, so do your best to let go of the worry and stress and sense that every mark you put on paper is Important!! and just have fun. :)
What is 50% rule?
1
48,809
7
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrx5r8b
hrxggk0
1,641,740,858
1,641,745,114
6
10
Not sure if this helps any but recognizing that the works of artists I enjoy were built upon 1000s upon 1000s of failed attempts (including completed works) helps me when I get stuck. Also, for nearly every drawing session I do, I pick out something that I'm proud of. Some days it's literally just a line looking incredibly good. Anyway, failure is a part of the process and it's often the best teacher and motivator for me. It's a necessary discomfort. Plus, it's very low stakes if you're just learning on your own :)
I spend a lot of my free time drawing on a tablet. I know it’s not using a pen, but it’s better than not drawing at all. I’m like you and I really hate messing up, I found being able to hit ‘undo’ really helped me get over that. I’m also at the very start of the course, so I’m bending the rules a bit until I form a bit of a schedule
0
4,256
1.666667
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrx5snj
hrxggk0
1,641,740,876
1,641,745,114
7
10
The whole point of the lessons is to get you to draw 3d objects with a sure hand, then move onto texturing and multiple overlapping things in the same composition. Get through them quickly so you can proceed onto actual things. If you don't know what else to draw, do basketballs when practicing spheres, postboxes when practicing boxes, bottles when practicing cylinders. Do a plate of sausages or baguettes when doing the organics lesson. Just push through it and reserve perfectionism for later.
I spend a lot of my free time drawing on a tablet. I know it’s not using a pen, but it’s better than not drawing at all. I’m like you and I really hate messing up, I found being able to hit ‘undo’ really helped me get over that. I’m also at the very start of the course, so I’m bending the rules a bit until I form a bit of a schedule
0
4,238
1.428571
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrxf6rr
hrxggk0
1,641,744,619
1,641,745,114
2
10
What is 50% rule?
I spend a lot of my free time drawing on a tablet. I know it’s not using a pen, but it’s better than not drawing at all. I’m like you and I really hate messing up, I found being able to hit ‘undo’ really helped me get over that. I’m also at the very start of the course, so I’m bending the rules a bit until I form a bit of a schedule
0
495
5
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrx5r8b
hrxop7p
1,641,740,858
1,641,748,237
6
10
Not sure if this helps any but recognizing that the works of artists I enjoy were built upon 1000s upon 1000s of failed attempts (including completed works) helps me when I get stuck. Also, for nearly every drawing session I do, I pick out something that I'm proud of. Some days it's literally just a line looking incredibly good. Anyway, failure is a part of the process and it's often the best teacher and motivator for me. It's a necessary discomfort. Plus, it's very low stakes if you're just learning on your own :)
Don't be precious with your art. Just use printer paper and the. Throw it away after 10 minutes.
0
7,379
1.666667
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrx5snj
hrxop7p
1,641,740,876
1,641,748,237
7
10
The whole point of the lessons is to get you to draw 3d objects with a sure hand, then move onto texturing and multiple overlapping things in the same composition. Get through them quickly so you can proceed onto actual things. If you don't know what else to draw, do basketballs when practicing spheres, postboxes when practicing boxes, bottles when practicing cylinders. Do a plate of sausages or baguettes when doing the organics lesson. Just push through it and reserve perfectionism for later.
Don't be precious with your art. Just use printer paper and the. Throw it away after 10 minutes.
0
7,361
1.428571
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrxf6rr
hrxop7p
1,641,744,619
1,641,748,237
2
10
What is 50% rule?
Don't be precious with your art. Just use printer paper and the. Throw it away after 10 minutes.
0
3,618
5
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hs0dl2t
hs0w51c
1,641,784,119
1,641,791,977
6
9
Honestly, just draw shit you like. Don't do technical practice or whatever unless you're motivated. Sometimes I don't feel like I can draw a full piece, but I can always do some skull doodles.
I struggle with this too sometimes. I feel like I don’t “deserve” to draw fun stuff until I’ve gotten “good enough” So I just tell myself that I’m exercising my creative muscles instead of my technical ones. Both are really important. It also helps for me to say “I’ll revisit this again later to see how much I’ve improved.”
0
7,858
1.5
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrx5r8b
hs0w51c
1,641,740,858
1,641,791,977
6
9
Not sure if this helps any but recognizing that the works of artists I enjoy were built upon 1000s upon 1000s of failed attempts (including completed works) helps me when I get stuck. Also, for nearly every drawing session I do, I pick out something that I'm proud of. Some days it's literally just a line looking incredibly good. Anyway, failure is a part of the process and it's often the best teacher and motivator for me. It's a necessary discomfort. Plus, it's very low stakes if you're just learning on your own :)
I struggle with this too sometimes. I feel like I don’t “deserve” to draw fun stuff until I’ve gotten “good enough” So I just tell myself that I’m exercising my creative muscles instead of my technical ones. Both are really important. It also helps for me to say “I’ll revisit this again later to see how much I’ve improved.”
0
51,119
1.5
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrx5snj
hs0w51c
1,641,740,876
1,641,791,977
7
9
The whole point of the lessons is to get you to draw 3d objects with a sure hand, then move onto texturing and multiple overlapping things in the same composition. Get through them quickly so you can proceed onto actual things. If you don't know what else to draw, do basketballs when practicing spheres, postboxes when practicing boxes, bottles when practicing cylinders. Do a plate of sausages or baguettes when doing the organics lesson. Just push through it and reserve perfectionism for later.
I struggle with this too sometimes. I feel like I don’t “deserve” to draw fun stuff until I’ve gotten “good enough” So I just tell myself that I’m exercising my creative muscles instead of my technical ones. Both are really important. It also helps for me to say “I’ll revisit this again later to see how much I’ve improved.”
0
51,101
1.285714
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hry50p9
hs0w51c
1,641,754,147
1,641,791,977
6
9
I was the same way. I just couldn’t do it. So I was in this “either I do the homework or I don’t draw at all”, so I chose to keep doing the exercises and not do the 50% rule. (Bad, I know) Then I got to the plotted perspective exercise and I was like “Gosh, I just really want to doodle a little” and I had that aha! Moment that it was time to do the 50% rule and since then I’ve been able to follow it. Don’t worry about messing up. Think about the worst case scenario: It’s likely that a loved one finds your work and is unimpressed. Not really an end of the world kind of situation, is it? I know it can feel that way though. You can just keep throwing out anything you mess up or don’t like. You can rip it into pieces, use a shredder, put it into a fire (carefully and responsibly) or date it, keep it and look back at your progress over time etc. One of the things you would be addressing is black and white thinking. That’s where think that you either get an A and anything less than an A is, in your mind, an F. So you feel paralyzed because what if (you were rating your own work) and you created B level work? That’s better than an F and it is better than not doing anything at all. But it takes some serious mental work to change how you feel about it. So, it’s not actually about drawing, this is about how you cope with feelings and it is worthwhile to work on it. I really like Draw a Box, because it forces you to cope with feelings through the lessons and activities. Good luck!
I struggle with this too sometimes. I feel like I don’t “deserve” to draw fun stuff until I’ve gotten “good enough” So I just tell myself that I’m exercising my creative muscles instead of my technical ones. Both are really important. It also helps for me to say “I’ll revisit this again later to see how much I’ve improved.”
0
37,830
1.5
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hs0w51c
hrxy4os
1,641,791,977
1,641,751,722
9
5
I struggle with this too sometimes. I feel like I don’t “deserve” to draw fun stuff until I’ve gotten “good enough” So I just tell myself that I’m exercising my creative muscles instead of my technical ones. Both are really important. It also helps for me to say “I’ll revisit this again later to see how much I’ve improved.”
Just ignore it and move forward. A lot of the old masters covered their mistakes by simply painting over them.
1
40,255
1.8
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrxf6rr
hs0w51c
1,641,744,619
1,641,791,977
2
9
What is 50% rule?
I struggle with this too sometimes. I feel like I don’t “deserve” to draw fun stuff until I’ve gotten “good enough” So I just tell myself that I’m exercising my creative muscles instead of my technical ones. Both are really important. It also helps for me to say “I’ll revisit this again later to see how much I’ve improved.”
0
47,358
4.5
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hs1j0y0
hs1gwur
1,641,806,160
1,641,804,571
9
7
It often works for me to purposefully draw badly, or draw with a timer. It often ends indeed looking bad, but I feel like I did something, and very often have fun doing it x). You can also combine both tips on "I'm gonna draw this character \*badly\* in 15,30,etc minutes" :P
I switched from pencils to ink for this reason. Makes me think a lot more cuz you can’t erase, it also is a great way to learn to make mistakes work. There’s always another pc of paper.
1
1,589
1.285714
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hs0dl2t
hs1j0y0
1,641,784,119
1,641,806,160
6
9
Honestly, just draw shit you like. Don't do technical practice or whatever unless you're motivated. Sometimes I don't feel like I can draw a full piece, but I can always do some skull doodles.
It often works for me to purposefully draw badly, or draw with a timer. It often ends indeed looking bad, but I feel like I did something, and very often have fun doing it x). You can also combine both tips on "I'm gonna draw this character \*badly\* in 15,30,etc minutes" :P
0
22,041
1.5
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hs1j0y0
hrx5r8b
1,641,806,160
1,641,740,858
9
6
It often works for me to purposefully draw badly, or draw with a timer. It often ends indeed looking bad, but I feel like I did something, and very often have fun doing it x). You can also combine both tips on "I'm gonna draw this character \*badly\* in 15,30,etc minutes" :P
Not sure if this helps any but recognizing that the works of artists I enjoy were built upon 1000s upon 1000s of failed attempts (including completed works) helps me when I get stuck. Also, for nearly every drawing session I do, I pick out something that I'm proud of. Some days it's literally just a line looking incredibly good. Anyway, failure is a part of the process and it's often the best teacher and motivator for me. It's a necessary discomfort. Plus, it's very low stakes if you're just learning on your own :)
1
65,302
1.5
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrx5snj
hs1j0y0
1,641,740,876
1,641,806,160
7
9
The whole point of the lessons is to get you to draw 3d objects with a sure hand, then move onto texturing and multiple overlapping things in the same composition. Get through them quickly so you can proceed onto actual things. If you don't know what else to draw, do basketballs when practicing spheres, postboxes when practicing boxes, bottles when practicing cylinders. Do a plate of sausages or baguettes when doing the organics lesson. Just push through it and reserve perfectionism for later.
It often works for me to purposefully draw badly, or draw with a timer. It often ends indeed looking bad, but I feel like I did something, and very often have fun doing it x). You can also combine both tips on "I'm gonna draw this character \*badly\* in 15,30,etc minutes" :P
0
65,284
1.285714
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hs1j0y0
hry50p9
1,641,806,160
1,641,754,147
9
6
It often works for me to purposefully draw badly, or draw with a timer. It often ends indeed looking bad, but I feel like I did something, and very often have fun doing it x). You can also combine both tips on "I'm gonna draw this character \*badly\* in 15,30,etc minutes" :P
I was the same way. I just couldn’t do it. So I was in this “either I do the homework or I don’t draw at all”, so I chose to keep doing the exercises and not do the 50% rule. (Bad, I know) Then I got to the plotted perspective exercise and I was like “Gosh, I just really want to doodle a little” and I had that aha! Moment that it was time to do the 50% rule and since then I’ve been able to follow it. Don’t worry about messing up. Think about the worst case scenario: It’s likely that a loved one finds your work and is unimpressed. Not really an end of the world kind of situation, is it? I know it can feel that way though. You can just keep throwing out anything you mess up or don’t like. You can rip it into pieces, use a shredder, put it into a fire (carefully and responsibly) or date it, keep it and look back at your progress over time etc. One of the things you would be addressing is black and white thinking. That’s where think that you either get an A and anything less than an A is, in your mind, an F. So you feel paralyzed because what if (you were rating your own work) and you created B level work? That’s better than an F and it is better than not doing anything at all. But it takes some serious mental work to change how you feel about it. So, it’s not actually about drawing, this is about how you cope with feelings and it is worthwhile to work on it. I really like Draw a Box, because it forces you to cope with feelings through the lessons and activities. Good luck!
1
52,013
1.5
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hs1j0y0
hrxy4os
1,641,806,160
1,641,751,722
9
5
It often works for me to purposefully draw badly, or draw with a timer. It often ends indeed looking bad, but I feel like I did something, and very often have fun doing it x). You can also combine both tips on "I'm gonna draw this character \*badly\* in 15,30,etc minutes" :P
Just ignore it and move forward. A lot of the old masters covered their mistakes by simply painting over them.
1
54,438
1.8
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrxf6rr
hs1j0y0
1,641,744,619
1,641,806,160
2
9
What is 50% rule?
It often works for me to purposefully draw badly, or draw with a timer. It often ends indeed looking bad, but I feel like I did something, and very often have fun doing it x). You can also combine both tips on "I'm gonna draw this character \*badly\* in 15,30,etc minutes" :P
0
61,541
4.5
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrx5r8b
hry7rnq
1,641,740,858
1,641,755,105
6
10
Not sure if this helps any but recognizing that the works of artists I enjoy were built upon 1000s upon 1000s of failed attempts (including completed works) helps me when I get stuck. Also, for nearly every drawing session I do, I pick out something that I'm proud of. Some days it's literally just a line looking incredibly good. Anyway, failure is a part of the process and it's often the best teacher and motivator for me. It's a necessary discomfort. Plus, it's very low stakes if you're just learning on your own :)
Get a stack of copy paper and a clipboard. Whatever you draw on that paper is to be recycled. When you know you don't need to keep the paper you're less likely to have inhibitions toward what you end up with. That's how I warm up and I spend less on sketchbooks that I fell with "garbage". It's all about getting pen on paper.
0
14,247
1.666667
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrx5snj
hry7rnq
1,641,740,876
1,641,755,105
7
10
The whole point of the lessons is to get you to draw 3d objects with a sure hand, then move onto texturing and multiple overlapping things in the same composition. Get through them quickly so you can proceed onto actual things. If you don't know what else to draw, do basketballs when practicing spheres, postboxes when practicing boxes, bottles when practicing cylinders. Do a plate of sausages or baguettes when doing the organics lesson. Just push through it and reserve perfectionism for later.
Get a stack of copy paper and a clipboard. Whatever you draw on that paper is to be recycled. When you know you don't need to keep the paper you're less likely to have inhibitions toward what you end up with. That's how I warm up and I spend less on sketchbooks that I fell with "garbage". It's all about getting pen on paper.
0
14,229
1.428571
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hry50p9
hry7rnq
1,641,754,147
1,641,755,105
6
10
I was the same way. I just couldn’t do it. So I was in this “either I do the homework or I don’t draw at all”, so I chose to keep doing the exercises and not do the 50% rule. (Bad, I know) Then I got to the plotted perspective exercise and I was like “Gosh, I just really want to doodle a little” and I had that aha! Moment that it was time to do the 50% rule and since then I’ve been able to follow it. Don’t worry about messing up. Think about the worst case scenario: It’s likely that a loved one finds your work and is unimpressed. Not really an end of the world kind of situation, is it? I know it can feel that way though. You can just keep throwing out anything you mess up or don’t like. You can rip it into pieces, use a shredder, put it into a fire (carefully and responsibly) or date it, keep it and look back at your progress over time etc. One of the things you would be addressing is black and white thinking. That’s where think that you either get an A and anything less than an A is, in your mind, an F. So you feel paralyzed because what if (you were rating your own work) and you created B level work? That’s better than an F and it is better than not doing anything at all. But it takes some serious mental work to change how you feel about it. So, it’s not actually about drawing, this is about how you cope with feelings and it is worthwhile to work on it. I really like Draw a Box, because it forces you to cope with feelings through the lessons and activities. Good luck!
Get a stack of copy paper and a clipboard. Whatever you draw on that paper is to be recycled. When you know you don't need to keep the paper you're less likely to have inhibitions toward what you end up with. That's how I warm up and I spend less on sketchbooks that I fell with "garbage". It's all about getting pen on paper.
0
958
1.666667
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrxy4os
hry7rnq
1,641,751,722
1,641,755,105
5
10
Just ignore it and move forward. A lot of the old masters covered their mistakes by simply painting over them.
Get a stack of copy paper and a clipboard. Whatever you draw on that paper is to be recycled. When you know you don't need to keep the paper you're less likely to have inhibitions toward what you end up with. That's how I warm up and I spend less on sketchbooks that I fell with "garbage". It's all about getting pen on paper.
0
3,383
2
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hry7rnq
hrxf6rr
1,641,755,105
1,641,744,619
10
2
Get a stack of copy paper and a clipboard. Whatever you draw on that paper is to be recycled. When you know you don't need to keep the paper you're less likely to have inhibitions toward what you end up with. That's how I warm up and I spend less on sketchbooks that I fell with "garbage". It's all about getting pen on paper.
What is 50% rule?
1
10,486
5
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrzwf79
hrx5r8b
1,641,777,189
1,641,740,858
9
6
If you never fail how do you succeed?
Not sure if this helps any but recognizing that the works of artists I enjoy were built upon 1000s upon 1000s of failed attempts (including completed works) helps me when I get stuck. Also, for nearly every drawing session I do, I pick out something that I'm proud of. Some days it's literally just a line looking incredibly good. Anyway, failure is a part of the process and it's often the best teacher and motivator for me. It's a necessary discomfort. Plus, it's very low stakes if you're just learning on your own :)
1
36,331
1.5
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrx5snj
hrzwf79
1,641,740,876
1,641,777,189
7
9
The whole point of the lessons is to get you to draw 3d objects with a sure hand, then move onto texturing and multiple overlapping things in the same composition. Get through them quickly so you can proceed onto actual things. If you don't know what else to draw, do basketballs when practicing spheres, postboxes when practicing boxes, bottles when practicing cylinders. Do a plate of sausages or baguettes when doing the organics lesson. Just push through it and reserve perfectionism for later.
If you never fail how do you succeed?
0
36,313
1.285714
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hry50p9
hrzwf79
1,641,754,147
1,641,777,189
6
9
I was the same way. I just couldn’t do it. So I was in this “either I do the homework or I don’t draw at all”, so I chose to keep doing the exercises and not do the 50% rule. (Bad, I know) Then I got to the plotted perspective exercise and I was like “Gosh, I just really want to doodle a little” and I had that aha! Moment that it was time to do the 50% rule and since then I’ve been able to follow it. Don’t worry about messing up. Think about the worst case scenario: It’s likely that a loved one finds your work and is unimpressed. Not really an end of the world kind of situation, is it? I know it can feel that way though. You can just keep throwing out anything you mess up or don’t like. You can rip it into pieces, use a shredder, put it into a fire (carefully and responsibly) or date it, keep it and look back at your progress over time etc. One of the things you would be addressing is black and white thinking. That’s where think that you either get an A and anything less than an A is, in your mind, an F. So you feel paralyzed because what if (you were rating your own work) and you created B level work? That’s better than an F and it is better than not doing anything at all. But it takes some serious mental work to change how you feel about it. So, it’s not actually about drawing, this is about how you cope with feelings and it is worthwhile to work on it. I really like Draw a Box, because it forces you to cope with feelings through the lessons and activities. Good luck!
If you never fail how do you succeed?
0
23,042
1.5
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrxy4os
hrzwf79
1,641,751,722
1,641,777,189
5
9
Just ignore it and move forward. A lot of the old masters covered their mistakes by simply painting over them.
If you never fail how do you succeed?
0
25,467
1.8
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrxf6rr
hrzwf79
1,641,744,619
1,641,777,189
2
9
What is 50% rule?
If you never fail how do you succeed?
0
32,570
4.5
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hs0dl2t
hs1gwur
1,641,784,119
1,641,804,571
6
7
Honestly, just draw shit you like. Don't do technical practice or whatever unless you're motivated. Sometimes I don't feel like I can draw a full piece, but I can always do some skull doodles.
I switched from pencils to ink for this reason. Makes me think a lot more cuz you can’t erase, it also is a great way to learn to make mistakes work. There’s always another pc of paper.
0
20,452
1.166667
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrx5r8b
hs1gwur
1,641,740,858
1,641,804,571
6
7
Not sure if this helps any but recognizing that the works of artists I enjoy were built upon 1000s upon 1000s of failed attempts (including completed works) helps me when I get stuck. Also, for nearly every drawing session I do, I pick out something that I'm proud of. Some days it's literally just a line looking incredibly good. Anyway, failure is a part of the process and it's often the best teacher and motivator for me. It's a necessary discomfort. Plus, it's very low stakes if you're just learning on your own :)
I switched from pencils to ink for this reason. Makes me think a lot more cuz you can’t erase, it also is a great way to learn to make mistakes work. There’s always another pc of paper.
0
63,713
1.166667
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hry50p9
hs1gwur
1,641,754,147
1,641,804,571
6
7
I was the same way. I just couldn’t do it. So I was in this “either I do the homework or I don’t draw at all”, so I chose to keep doing the exercises and not do the 50% rule. (Bad, I know) Then I got to the plotted perspective exercise and I was like “Gosh, I just really want to doodle a little” and I had that aha! Moment that it was time to do the 50% rule and since then I’ve been able to follow it. Don’t worry about messing up. Think about the worst case scenario: It’s likely that a loved one finds your work and is unimpressed. Not really an end of the world kind of situation, is it? I know it can feel that way though. You can just keep throwing out anything you mess up or don’t like. You can rip it into pieces, use a shredder, put it into a fire (carefully and responsibly) or date it, keep it and look back at your progress over time etc. One of the things you would be addressing is black and white thinking. That’s where think that you either get an A and anything less than an A is, in your mind, an F. So you feel paralyzed because what if (you were rating your own work) and you created B level work? That’s better than an F and it is better than not doing anything at all. But it takes some serious mental work to change how you feel about it. So, it’s not actually about drawing, this is about how you cope with feelings and it is worthwhile to work on it. I really like Draw a Box, because it forces you to cope with feelings through the lessons and activities. Good luck!
I switched from pencils to ink for this reason. Makes me think a lot more cuz you can’t erase, it also is a great way to learn to make mistakes work. There’s always another pc of paper.
0
50,424
1.166667
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hs1gwur
hrxy4os
1,641,804,571
1,641,751,722
7
5
I switched from pencils to ink for this reason. Makes me think a lot more cuz you can’t erase, it also is a great way to learn to make mistakes work. There’s always another pc of paper.
Just ignore it and move forward. A lot of the old masters covered their mistakes by simply painting over them.
1
52,849
1.4
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hs1gwur
hrxf6rr
1,641,804,571
1,641,744,619
7
2
I switched from pencils to ink for this reason. Makes me think a lot more cuz you can’t erase, it also is a great way to learn to make mistakes work. There’s always another pc of paper.
What is 50% rule?
1
59,952
3.5
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hs0dl2t
hrxy4os
1,641,784,119
1,641,751,722
6
5
Honestly, just draw shit you like. Don't do technical practice or whatever unless you're motivated. Sometimes I don't feel like I can draw a full piece, but I can always do some skull doodles.
Just ignore it and move forward. A lot of the old masters covered their mistakes by simply painting over them.
1
32,397
1.2
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrxf6rr
hs0dl2t
1,641,744,619
1,641,784,119
2
6
What is 50% rule?
Honestly, just draw shit you like. Don't do technical practice or whatever unless you're motivated. Sometimes I don't feel like I can draw a full piece, but I can always do some skull doodles.
0
39,500
3
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrx5r8b
hrx5snj
1,641,740,858
1,641,740,876
6
7
Not sure if this helps any but recognizing that the works of artists I enjoy were built upon 1000s upon 1000s of failed attempts (including completed works) helps me when I get stuck. Also, for nearly every drawing session I do, I pick out something that I'm proud of. Some days it's literally just a line looking incredibly good. Anyway, failure is a part of the process and it's often the best teacher and motivator for me. It's a necessary discomfort. Plus, it's very low stakes if you're just learning on your own :)
The whole point of the lessons is to get you to draw 3d objects with a sure hand, then move onto texturing and multiple overlapping things in the same composition. Get through them quickly so you can proceed onto actual things. If you don't know what else to draw, do basketballs when practicing spheres, postboxes when practicing boxes, bottles when practicing cylinders. Do a plate of sausages or baguettes when doing the organics lesson. Just push through it and reserve perfectionism for later.
0
18
1.166667
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrxy4os
hry50p9
1,641,751,722
1,641,754,147
5
6
Just ignore it and move forward. A lot of the old masters covered their mistakes by simply painting over them.
I was the same way. I just couldn’t do it. So I was in this “either I do the homework or I don’t draw at all”, so I chose to keep doing the exercises and not do the 50% rule. (Bad, I know) Then I got to the plotted perspective exercise and I was like “Gosh, I just really want to doodle a little” and I had that aha! Moment that it was time to do the 50% rule and since then I’ve been able to follow it. Don’t worry about messing up. Think about the worst case scenario: It’s likely that a loved one finds your work and is unimpressed. Not really an end of the world kind of situation, is it? I know it can feel that way though. You can just keep throwing out anything you mess up or don’t like. You can rip it into pieces, use a shredder, put it into a fire (carefully and responsibly) or date it, keep it and look back at your progress over time etc. One of the things you would be addressing is black and white thinking. That’s where think that you either get an A and anything less than an A is, in your mind, an F. So you feel paralyzed because what if (you were rating your own work) and you created B level work? That’s better than an F and it is better than not doing anything at all. But it takes some serious mental work to change how you feel about it. So, it’s not actually about drawing, this is about how you cope with feelings and it is worthwhile to work on it. I really like Draw a Box, because it forces you to cope with feelings through the lessons and activities. Good luck!
0
2,425
1.2
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hry50p9
hrxf6rr
1,641,754,147
1,641,744,619
6
2
I was the same way. I just couldn’t do it. So I was in this “either I do the homework or I don’t draw at all”, so I chose to keep doing the exercises and not do the 50% rule. (Bad, I know) Then I got to the plotted perspective exercise and I was like “Gosh, I just really want to doodle a little” and I had that aha! Moment that it was time to do the 50% rule and since then I’ve been able to follow it. Don’t worry about messing up. Think about the worst case scenario: It’s likely that a loved one finds your work and is unimpressed. Not really an end of the world kind of situation, is it? I know it can feel that way though. You can just keep throwing out anything you mess up or don’t like. You can rip it into pieces, use a shredder, put it into a fire (carefully and responsibly) or date it, keep it and look back at your progress over time etc. One of the things you would be addressing is black and white thinking. That’s where think that you either get an A and anything less than an A is, in your mind, an F. So you feel paralyzed because what if (you were rating your own work) and you created B level work? That’s better than an F and it is better than not doing anything at all. But it takes some serious mental work to change how you feel about it. So, it’s not actually about drawing, this is about how you cope with feelings and it is worthwhile to work on it. I really like Draw a Box, because it forces you to cope with feelings through the lessons and activities. Good luck!
What is 50% rule?
1
9,528
3
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrxy4os
hs1llvq
1,641,751,722
1,641,808,131
5
6
Just ignore it and move forward. A lot of the old masters covered their mistakes by simply painting over them.
Ditto. Reading your post I'm thinking maybe a solution is to a number of drafts of what I want to do using cheap paper cheap pencils/paints, until I feel I'm safe to be let loose on a final version and more expensive materials
0
56,409
1.2
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrxf6rr
hs1llvq
1,641,744,619
1,641,808,131
2
6
What is 50% rule?
Ditto. Reading your post I'm thinking maybe a solution is to a number of drafts of what I want to do using cheap paper cheap pencils/paints, until I feel I'm safe to be let loose on a final version and more expensive materials
0
63,512
3
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hs1sa27
hrxf6rr
1,641,813,126
1,641,744,619
5
2
Haha, you think it's bad now? Wait till you've drawn a bit and think you're actually okay. Then you'll hit this cycle where you suddenly feel like you can't draw, then go back to thinking you can draw and repeat for the rest of your drawing life! Explained in this graph here: https://www.deviantart.com/shattered-earth/art/Art-Cycle-329593292 On a serious note, unfortunately you won't only have this issue when starting out. But I guarantee once you start, it'll get easier. Easiest way to do it might be to copy a reference. Whatever you do, don't draw from imagination because you won't have the experience or visual library in your mind to do it.
What is 50% rule?
1
68,507
2.5
rzs9eg
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can't follow the 50% rule help I know I'm supposed to set some time for drawing just for the sake of it but I just can't I get so scared I'll fail or mess up does anyone have any advice to get over these fears?
hrxf6rr
hrxy4os
1,641,744,619
1,641,751,722
2
5
What is 50% rule?
Just ignore it and move forward. A lot of the old masters covered their mistakes by simply painting over them.
0
7,103
2.5
tkd3s4
artfundamentals_train
0.95
rejection dysphoria, ADHD, and the 50/50 rule Hi, I’m posting here kinda because I feel like this is sort of an unusual question. I’ve been doing the drawabox course for a bit, and like most people, I’ve been struggling with the 50/50 rule. UNLIKE most people who probably have a hard with the thing itself, I’m sort of having a hard time applying the principles to my own (ADHD) brain and work. Part of the issue is that until this point I had developed a specific habit of art- That habit being, sort of just drawing whatever I want in my sketchbook and seeing it as a “success” when I manage to fill up a page. It’s worked pretty well and I’ve done lots of weird and fun things, badly, but still fun. Maybe not the highest effort but I try to just let myself do random stuff. But, for some reason, I get really attached to each sketchbook page. Not like, “oh no I dropped my sketchbook in the sewer now I’m sad” attached, but mostly I just kind of feel fond of it. Now, As part of trying to follow the 50/50 rule, I decided that along with a sketchbook I would do 1 page a day where I would tear it up after to encourage myself to just do whatever on it without pressure. So I did for the first time today, and it went really well, EXCEPT that when I tore it up it really, hurt? For some reason. I didn’t really put much effort into it or draw anything good (in fact it was all very bad) but it really hurt to tear it up. I was still fond of the drawing anyway despite them not being good I’m worried this attachment to my art will hurt me down the line, and I don’t really know what to do, especially since “hurting” myself by trying to deattach myself might turn me off of art altogether I assumed this had something to do with ADHD/rejection dysphoria but I have no idea. Should I just push through it and continue tearing up the pages, or just do the same sort of doodling/random drawing I’ve been doing each day?
i1qm4tn
i1qkjfy
1,647,998,043
1,647,997,319
26
8
You don't have to literally tear up what you draw for the 50% rule. When he says draw as if you'll tear up the paper after he means to draw without any expectation it'll be good, or fear it'll be bad. Often times people struggle with the 50% rule out of fear of making something bad, but since you're already comfortable drawing outside of DaB I don't think that's an issue you have.
Tearing up your page once you’re done with it isn’t at all a direction. Just don’t do it. If you get attached to what you draw (I know I do) then just don’t destroy it, man. The point is to spend that time drawing for fun, whether it ends up good or not.
1
724
3.25
tkd3s4
artfundamentals_train
0.95
rejection dysphoria, ADHD, and the 50/50 rule Hi, I’m posting here kinda because I feel like this is sort of an unusual question. I’ve been doing the drawabox course for a bit, and like most people, I’ve been struggling with the 50/50 rule. UNLIKE most people who probably have a hard with the thing itself, I’m sort of having a hard time applying the principles to my own (ADHD) brain and work. Part of the issue is that until this point I had developed a specific habit of art- That habit being, sort of just drawing whatever I want in my sketchbook and seeing it as a “success” when I manage to fill up a page. It’s worked pretty well and I’ve done lots of weird and fun things, badly, but still fun. Maybe not the highest effort but I try to just let myself do random stuff. But, for some reason, I get really attached to each sketchbook page. Not like, “oh no I dropped my sketchbook in the sewer now I’m sad” attached, but mostly I just kind of feel fond of it. Now, As part of trying to follow the 50/50 rule, I decided that along with a sketchbook I would do 1 page a day where I would tear it up after to encourage myself to just do whatever on it without pressure. So I did for the first time today, and it went really well, EXCEPT that when I tore it up it really, hurt? For some reason. I didn’t really put much effort into it or draw anything good (in fact it was all very bad) but it really hurt to tear it up. I was still fond of the drawing anyway despite them not being good I’m worried this attachment to my art will hurt me down the line, and I don’t really know what to do, especially since “hurting” myself by trying to deattach myself might turn me off of art altogether I assumed this had something to do with ADHD/rejection dysphoria but I have no idea. Should I just push through it and continue tearing up the pages, or just do the same sort of doodling/random drawing I’ve been doing each day?
i1rf3xf
i1qkjfy
1,648,013,549
1,647,997,319
22
8
I have an ADHD diagnosis too! And for me it's different, I'm the kind of person that struggles with motivation if I'm not automatically good at something... I usually dislike my paintings and drawings because I just... don't think they're good enough. I think it's ok to keep your drawings or sketches, maybe out of sight? Put them in a drawer or box... "out of sight, out of mind" right? But then you could look at them later and see all your progress. That helps me stay motivated as well. It's like "ok so this painting sucks!! But not as much as the one I painted 2 months ago" haha
Tearing up your page once you’re done with it isn’t at all a direction. Just don’t do it. If you get attached to what you draw (I know I do) then just don’t destroy it, man. The point is to spend that time drawing for fun, whether it ends up good or not.
1
16,230
2.75
tkd3s4
artfundamentals_train
0.95
rejection dysphoria, ADHD, and the 50/50 rule Hi, I’m posting here kinda because I feel like this is sort of an unusual question. I’ve been doing the drawabox course for a bit, and like most people, I’ve been struggling with the 50/50 rule. UNLIKE most people who probably have a hard with the thing itself, I’m sort of having a hard time applying the principles to my own (ADHD) brain and work. Part of the issue is that until this point I had developed a specific habit of art- That habit being, sort of just drawing whatever I want in my sketchbook and seeing it as a “success” when I manage to fill up a page. It’s worked pretty well and I’ve done lots of weird and fun things, badly, but still fun. Maybe not the highest effort but I try to just let myself do random stuff. But, for some reason, I get really attached to each sketchbook page. Not like, “oh no I dropped my sketchbook in the sewer now I’m sad” attached, but mostly I just kind of feel fond of it. Now, As part of trying to follow the 50/50 rule, I decided that along with a sketchbook I would do 1 page a day where I would tear it up after to encourage myself to just do whatever on it without pressure. So I did for the first time today, and it went really well, EXCEPT that when I tore it up it really, hurt? For some reason. I didn’t really put much effort into it or draw anything good (in fact it was all very bad) but it really hurt to tear it up. I was still fond of the drawing anyway despite them not being good I’m worried this attachment to my art will hurt me down the line, and I don’t really know what to do, especially since “hurting” myself by trying to deattach myself might turn me off of art altogether I assumed this had something to do with ADHD/rejection dysphoria but I have no idea. Should I just push through it and continue tearing up the pages, or just do the same sort of doodling/random drawing I’ve been doing each day?
i1sihq2
i1qkjfy
1,648,041,855
1,647,997,319
14
8
You can get a second sketchbook. One for your ‘throw away’ sketches and one for your ‘keep’ sketches. Except your ‘throw away’ sketches you don’t actually throw them away. You just keep them separate from your others.
Tearing up your page once you’re done with it isn’t at all a direction. Just don’t do it. If you get attached to what you draw (I know I do) then just don’t destroy it, man. The point is to spend that time drawing for fun, whether it ends up good or not.
1
44,536
1.75
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h30ltfh
h30kuxg
1,624,641,704
1,624,641,276
67
29
I don't know if this will be helpful to you, but I'm on a similar path to yours. I'm going through the drawabox lessons with the idea that I want to hone some art skills and make some motion graphics/animation videos. I'm 67 years old. Yep, you read that right. Think \*you\* feel time pressure? Understand, I'm not doing this as a passtime going into my sunset years. I have some things to say through art and want to get to saying them. What I want to say to you is persist, but persist patiently. All of my experience - as well as some research that I've done into the learning process - tells me you absolutely will improve but you can't force that improvement. The best thing, in my geezerly opinion, is to put the pressure into being consistent in the way the drawabox guy recommends, but take all the pressure OFF of expecting results on anything but the work's own time schedule. Good luck.
It's hard to give advice on this because it has been my struggle too. I think the mindset is absolutely crucial here when it comes to succeeding (= keeping at any activity instead of just giving up). The only place I've managed to do that so far is exercise and it has been such an eye-opening moment that I realise the same attitude must translate to learning other things, too. I was trying to get myself to change from a completely lazy, exercise-hating skinny-fat blob into a toned, fit and aesthetically impressive specimen preferably overnight. :) Truth be told, my goal at the start was simply to look a certain way. So inevitably, I would stick to weight-lifting for a month or two, not see much of a change, get discouraged and give up. And then again and again. Wasted years of not sticking to one simple task. Then I'd read that actually, building muscle takes ages (duh). I'd see these discussions where women were enthusiastic simply about getting stronger and focusing more on how they're bettering themselves rather than the way they looked. It seems obvious, but for some reason something that simple calmed me down and I actually gave myself a new goal - to have visible change in my physique in a year (instead of a month). Just by being realistic and not putting these impossible expectations on myself for no reason resulted in me sticking to it and realising alongside it all that hey - it's actually good for my overall health and back pain. And shockingly enough, I've even come to enjoy it and have been feeling devastated whenever they close down the gyms (again). It doesn't bother me that I haven't reached my goal yet because the goal has changed completely throughout the journey. Now, the exercise itself is the goal because it has become more fun the less I was stressing and the more I started improving. I'm pretty sure the same can be applied to learning everything. I used to love photography, I got really into it for several years and was improving gradually. Then one day I thought I hated my major at uni and I'd better come up with a back-up plan. Photography seemed like the only obvious choice since I knew literally nothing else. The result of going from loving photography as a hobby to "I better become pro at this asap!" meant I got completely stressed and started feeling very negatively about each picture until I eventually gave up on the entire activity. It just paralysed me, knowing there was this infinite journey in front of me and not being able to create photos at the level I expected of myself. I felt like I wasn't improving at all. The crazy part is, when I looked at the progression of my photos later, from the very first one to the ones I took throughout the years, I actually improved massively. I just couldn't see it because I was right in the middle of it and my expectations were sky-high. If you stress yourself out thinking of how this has to turn into a job before you even survived the (inevitably boring) basics, you're less likely to succeed. Maybe the solution is to adjust the goal to something reasonable that would still give you satisfaction. This might never become your job. But the truth is, if you actually put in the hours to improve at this you will have gained a lot. By sticking to learning art you'd test your determination, challenge yourself, learn a new skill you could be proud of. You'd know that the hours you could have wasted on passive time-sucking activities like watching shows or playing games have been put to something that inevitably does affect you in other areas of your life. Sometimes, it doesn't have to be about a career change. It can be that just by learning to see the world differently, studying nuances of everything around you (shape, light, perspective) enhances your other applicable skills, not to mention being creative does lend into other career paths. So my advice is, figure out whatever answer works for you but definitely learn to relax about this. Because being a beginner and having daunting goals from the very start is absolutely crippling. Learn how to actually enjoy this and give yourself tiny, doable goals. You know, the equivalent of "exercising is great for my back pain". Maybe making art will help you relax after a stressful day, or it might force you to go out more and enjoy nature (while drawing). Or it might simply make you happy to see yourself improve bit by bit from day to day. You could give yourself little tasks, like illustrating your favourite book or doing a poster/cover album for your favourite band. You could keep testing where your skill level was at with such tasks and then keep improving the parts that were still causing you trouble. Just find whatever will make you stick to it and dig out your inner child who would be ecstatic at the chance to create something insanely bad but fun. Or you won't make it past the first hurdle.
1
428
2.310345
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h2zx9f0
h30ltfh
1,624,630,615
1,624,641,704
19
67
I think the problem is that you’re trying too hard. Art is hard and the fact you’re trying to make this out of a career is a problem. Because of this it’s more of a “job/chore” When you should be doing art for fun.
I don't know if this will be helpful to you, but I'm on a similar path to yours. I'm going through the drawabox lessons with the idea that I want to hone some art skills and make some motion graphics/animation videos. I'm 67 years old. Yep, you read that right. Think \*you\* feel time pressure? Understand, I'm not doing this as a passtime going into my sunset years. I have some things to say through art and want to get to saying them. What I want to say to you is persist, but persist patiently. All of my experience - as well as some research that I've done into the learning process - tells me you absolutely will improve but you can't force that improvement. The best thing, in my geezerly opinion, is to put the pressure into being consistent in the way the drawabox guy recommends, but take all the pressure OFF of expecting results on anything but the work's own time schedule. Good luck.
0
11,089
3.526316
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h30ltfh
h30i1yo
1,624,641,704
1,624,640,010
67
15
I don't know if this will be helpful to you, but I'm on a similar path to yours. I'm going through the drawabox lessons with the idea that I want to hone some art skills and make some motion graphics/animation videos. I'm 67 years old. Yep, you read that right. Think \*you\* feel time pressure? Understand, I'm not doing this as a passtime going into my sunset years. I have some things to say through art and want to get to saying them. What I want to say to you is persist, but persist patiently. All of my experience - as well as some research that I've done into the learning process - tells me you absolutely will improve but you can't force that improvement. The best thing, in my geezerly opinion, is to put the pressure into being consistent in the way the drawabox guy recommends, but take all the pressure OFF of expecting results on anything but the work's own time schedule. Good luck.
Keep in mind, DaB is mostly *fundamentals*. These lessons (from what I’ve seen so far) build good habits and will help you have more consistency in your actual art. Everything you draw will help you improve. Just because it’s not part of a lesson, doesn’t mean it’s not helping you. You’re applying what you’ve learned, you’re working your imagination, and you’re drawing something *you* want. Also, don’t be afraid to draw something ugly or really weird! “Ugly” can be really interesting, or evolve into something you’ll really like. You just need to give it a chance and let yourself have fun with it. If you’re feeling burned out, take a few days off. Go outside, take a walk/drive, get a change of pace/scenery for a bit to help reset yourself. When you come back to it, start with small things. Develop your visual library, do some random prompts, draw something you used to enjoy drawing the most, etc. It’ll be easier to get back into it once you make it fun again.
1
1,694
4.466667
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h30ltfh
h304kz0
1,624,641,704
1,624,634,011
67
13
I don't know if this will be helpful to you, but I'm on a similar path to yours. I'm going through the drawabox lessons with the idea that I want to hone some art skills and make some motion graphics/animation videos. I'm 67 years old. Yep, you read that right. Think \*you\* feel time pressure? Understand, I'm not doing this as a passtime going into my sunset years. I have some things to say through art and want to get to saying them. What I want to say to you is persist, but persist patiently. All of my experience - as well as some research that I've done into the learning process - tells me you absolutely will improve but you can't force that improvement. The best thing, in my geezerly opinion, is to put the pressure into being consistent in the way the drawabox guy recommends, but take all the pressure OFF of expecting results on anything but the work's own time schedule. Good luck.
You'll also need to work your creative muscles. It might not feel as "worky" as exercises based on technical skills, but the other 50% will also help you improve. If you struggle finding an idea on what to do I'd suggest looking for various drawing related "games" you can play. This might include: \- Starting with a scribble and filling it out into something. \- Inventing a some sort of rule and using it draw a pattern \- Trying out how different interesting shapes could be used to form objects \- Using the automatic drawing method (drawing without that much thinking and letting yourself just draw what comes out) \- Putting a post-it note on a paper, drawing on it and the paper, and then moving the post-it to other context and filling out the surrounding again. \- Laying out quick spontaneous colors on paper with a marker and then you kind of like do a rorschach test where you draw what you see. \- Otherwise playing with color and their combinations is also a good thing to start doing. You can think of other kinds of drawing games with just some simple rules and see where they go. Simple limitations and restrictions can help with creativity.
1
7,693
5.153846
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h308hcc
h30ltfh
1,624,635,757
1,624,641,704
8
67
You are I are on a very similar path. I'm 31 and hoping that I can learn to love creating art enough to make it into a career. Draw a Box was supposed to be my litmus test, so to speak, to help me decide if this is something I can do for a living. The 50% rule shouldn't be about "drawing for fun" for fun's sake. It should be *rewarding.* DAB lessons are usually stressful > rewarding. To avoid early burnout, make sure you are supplementing your lessons with drawing activities that are rewarding > stressful. * *Be gentle.* The two most important skills you can learn in art (and life) is to 1) *be okay with failing* and 2) *learn to adust what you consider "good" for you.* * Surround yourself with other people's art of varying skill levels. Meh artists to professionals. *Do not* surround yourself with *just* professionals. That will burn you out. * Celebrate your successes. Is there anyone in your life that you can show your progress to and will be happy for you? This would also be a great person to hold you accountable (accountability is really important for any goal setting). * Pick *one thing at a time* to practice and focus on that. Spend as much time as you need focusing on each web "page" of the lesson and what it's trying to teach. You can set aside one or two days per web page or one week. You know what works for you (or you will learn). * In Draw a Box, you *don't* want to grind out a lesson because you can develop bad habits before receiving feedback. You want to receive feedback as soon as possible upon completing a lesson so you learn early what you're doing wrong. Then you practice it (i.e. grind it) *correctly*. Taking classes or finding a mentor are so important. Never learn in a bubble. Having a classroom or mentor is another way to hold you accountable. Hope this helps!
I don't know if this will be helpful to you, but I'm on a similar path to yours. I'm going through the drawabox lessons with the idea that I want to hone some art skills and make some motion graphics/animation videos. I'm 67 years old. Yep, you read that right. Think \*you\* feel time pressure? Understand, I'm not doing this as a passtime going into my sunset years. I have some things to say through art and want to get to saying them. What I want to say to you is persist, but persist patiently. All of my experience - as well as some research that I've done into the learning process - tells me you absolutely will improve but you can't force that improvement. The best thing, in my geezerly opinion, is to put the pressure into being consistent in the way the drawabox guy recommends, but take all the pressure OFF of expecting results on anything but the work's own time schedule. Good luck.
0
5,947
8.375
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h30ltfh
h30elsl
1,624,641,704
1,624,638,487
67
8
I don't know if this will be helpful to you, but I'm on a similar path to yours. I'm going through the drawabox lessons with the idea that I want to hone some art skills and make some motion graphics/animation videos. I'm 67 years old. Yep, you read that right. Think \*you\* feel time pressure? Understand, I'm not doing this as a passtime going into my sunset years. I have some things to say through art and want to get to saying them. What I want to say to you is persist, but persist patiently. All of my experience - as well as some research that I've done into the learning process - tells me you absolutely will improve but you can't force that improvement. The best thing, in my geezerly opinion, is to put the pressure into being consistent in the way the drawabox guy recommends, but take all the pressure OFF of expecting results on anything but the work's own time schedule. Good luck.
I think I understand where you’re coming from. I also get discouraged when I feel like I’m not making progress fast enough, and I find myself often neglecting the 50% rule. It’s important to take a step back and evaluate where the pressure is coming from. IMO, it seems like young talent is glorified and put on a pedestal. Media saturated with this can make it really difficult to situate yourself outside of that narrative. Hell, Van Gogh didn’t start painting until he was 27 years old! I don’t know much, and I’m constantly battling with this but here are my suggestions anyway, they tend to work for me when I actually stick to them. Maybe they’ll be useful to you, maybe not. 1. Take a break from other art or consume it a lot less. I feel most satisfied with my work when I do this, because it reduces the noise and unrealistic expectations, and I can see my progress for what it truly is. 2. Maybe just stick to drawabox and one other area of focus at a time for studies. Plan it out for yourself and choose one area you’d like to improve, do it for a few weeks until you’re more comfortable and then switch. Only seek out the tutorials for that specific subject and be mindful of getting overwhelmed with the knowledge out there. Perhaps you could implement what you learned into a warmup to keep it fresh while you undergo another lesson of your choice. 3. While following above steps you should have more time to make art for fun. And if not, make it a priority. Prioritize your well being over productivity and burning yourself out. Realize that it will take hard work and effort to even get into that habit because work mode is what we’ve been taught to believe is most important. Once you do though, the balance should benefit your progress and happiness.
1
3,217
8.375
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h303t1n
h30ltfh
1,624,633,658
1,624,641,704
4
67
I personally think drawabox is a tutorial about fundamentals, and what you're looking for is not to learn fundamentals. If I understood correctly, you're trying to learn some techniques to get better (or at least being able to make prettier drawings) quickly, and that's not what drawabox is about. I think you should get those techniques elsewhere and focus on the fundamentals later, it's not like they're required for being "good at drawing" anyway, as you probably heard in one of the first videos.
I don't know if this will be helpful to you, but I'm on a similar path to yours. I'm going through the drawabox lessons with the idea that I want to hone some art skills and make some motion graphics/animation videos. I'm 67 years old. Yep, you read that right. Think \*you\* feel time pressure? Understand, I'm not doing this as a passtime going into my sunset years. I have some things to say through art and want to get to saying them. What I want to say to you is persist, but persist patiently. All of my experience - as well as some research that I've done into the learning process - tells me you absolutely will improve but you can't force that improvement. The best thing, in my geezerly opinion, is to put the pressure into being consistent in the way the drawabox guy recommends, but take all the pressure OFF of expecting results on anything but the work's own time schedule. Good luck.
0
8,046
16.75
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h30kuxg
h2zx9f0
1,624,641,276
1,624,630,615
29
19
It's hard to give advice on this because it has been my struggle too. I think the mindset is absolutely crucial here when it comes to succeeding (= keeping at any activity instead of just giving up). The only place I've managed to do that so far is exercise and it has been such an eye-opening moment that I realise the same attitude must translate to learning other things, too. I was trying to get myself to change from a completely lazy, exercise-hating skinny-fat blob into a toned, fit and aesthetically impressive specimen preferably overnight. :) Truth be told, my goal at the start was simply to look a certain way. So inevitably, I would stick to weight-lifting for a month or two, not see much of a change, get discouraged and give up. And then again and again. Wasted years of not sticking to one simple task. Then I'd read that actually, building muscle takes ages (duh). I'd see these discussions where women were enthusiastic simply about getting stronger and focusing more on how they're bettering themselves rather than the way they looked. It seems obvious, but for some reason something that simple calmed me down and I actually gave myself a new goal - to have visible change in my physique in a year (instead of a month). Just by being realistic and not putting these impossible expectations on myself for no reason resulted in me sticking to it and realising alongside it all that hey - it's actually good for my overall health and back pain. And shockingly enough, I've even come to enjoy it and have been feeling devastated whenever they close down the gyms (again). It doesn't bother me that I haven't reached my goal yet because the goal has changed completely throughout the journey. Now, the exercise itself is the goal because it has become more fun the less I was stressing and the more I started improving. I'm pretty sure the same can be applied to learning everything. I used to love photography, I got really into it for several years and was improving gradually. Then one day I thought I hated my major at uni and I'd better come up with a back-up plan. Photography seemed like the only obvious choice since I knew literally nothing else. The result of going from loving photography as a hobby to "I better become pro at this asap!" meant I got completely stressed and started feeling very negatively about each picture until I eventually gave up on the entire activity. It just paralysed me, knowing there was this infinite journey in front of me and not being able to create photos at the level I expected of myself. I felt like I wasn't improving at all. The crazy part is, when I looked at the progression of my photos later, from the very first one to the ones I took throughout the years, I actually improved massively. I just couldn't see it because I was right in the middle of it and my expectations were sky-high. If you stress yourself out thinking of how this has to turn into a job before you even survived the (inevitably boring) basics, you're less likely to succeed. Maybe the solution is to adjust the goal to something reasonable that would still give you satisfaction. This might never become your job. But the truth is, if you actually put in the hours to improve at this you will have gained a lot. By sticking to learning art you'd test your determination, challenge yourself, learn a new skill you could be proud of. You'd know that the hours you could have wasted on passive time-sucking activities like watching shows or playing games have been put to something that inevitably does affect you in other areas of your life. Sometimes, it doesn't have to be about a career change. It can be that just by learning to see the world differently, studying nuances of everything around you (shape, light, perspective) enhances your other applicable skills, not to mention being creative does lend into other career paths. So my advice is, figure out whatever answer works for you but definitely learn to relax about this. Because being a beginner and having daunting goals from the very start is absolutely crippling. Learn how to actually enjoy this and give yourself tiny, doable goals. You know, the equivalent of "exercising is great for my back pain". Maybe making art will help you relax after a stressful day, or it might force you to go out more and enjoy nature (while drawing). Or it might simply make you happy to see yourself improve bit by bit from day to day. You could give yourself little tasks, like illustrating your favourite book or doing a poster/cover album for your favourite band. You could keep testing where your skill level was at with such tasks and then keep improving the parts that were still causing you trouble. Just find whatever will make you stick to it and dig out your inner child who would be ecstatic at the chance to create something insanely bad but fun. Or you won't make it past the first hurdle.
I think the problem is that you’re trying too hard. Art is hard and the fact you’re trying to make this out of a career is a problem. Because of this it’s more of a “job/chore” When you should be doing art for fun.
1
10,661
1.526316
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h30kuxg
h30i1yo
1,624,641,276
1,624,640,010
29
15
It's hard to give advice on this because it has been my struggle too. I think the mindset is absolutely crucial here when it comes to succeeding (= keeping at any activity instead of just giving up). The only place I've managed to do that so far is exercise and it has been such an eye-opening moment that I realise the same attitude must translate to learning other things, too. I was trying to get myself to change from a completely lazy, exercise-hating skinny-fat blob into a toned, fit and aesthetically impressive specimen preferably overnight. :) Truth be told, my goal at the start was simply to look a certain way. So inevitably, I would stick to weight-lifting for a month or two, not see much of a change, get discouraged and give up. And then again and again. Wasted years of not sticking to one simple task. Then I'd read that actually, building muscle takes ages (duh). I'd see these discussions where women were enthusiastic simply about getting stronger and focusing more on how they're bettering themselves rather than the way they looked. It seems obvious, but for some reason something that simple calmed me down and I actually gave myself a new goal - to have visible change in my physique in a year (instead of a month). Just by being realistic and not putting these impossible expectations on myself for no reason resulted in me sticking to it and realising alongside it all that hey - it's actually good for my overall health and back pain. And shockingly enough, I've even come to enjoy it and have been feeling devastated whenever they close down the gyms (again). It doesn't bother me that I haven't reached my goal yet because the goal has changed completely throughout the journey. Now, the exercise itself is the goal because it has become more fun the less I was stressing and the more I started improving. I'm pretty sure the same can be applied to learning everything. I used to love photography, I got really into it for several years and was improving gradually. Then one day I thought I hated my major at uni and I'd better come up with a back-up plan. Photography seemed like the only obvious choice since I knew literally nothing else. The result of going from loving photography as a hobby to "I better become pro at this asap!" meant I got completely stressed and started feeling very negatively about each picture until I eventually gave up on the entire activity. It just paralysed me, knowing there was this infinite journey in front of me and not being able to create photos at the level I expected of myself. I felt like I wasn't improving at all. The crazy part is, when I looked at the progression of my photos later, from the very first one to the ones I took throughout the years, I actually improved massively. I just couldn't see it because I was right in the middle of it and my expectations were sky-high. If you stress yourself out thinking of how this has to turn into a job before you even survived the (inevitably boring) basics, you're less likely to succeed. Maybe the solution is to adjust the goal to something reasonable that would still give you satisfaction. This might never become your job. But the truth is, if you actually put in the hours to improve at this you will have gained a lot. By sticking to learning art you'd test your determination, challenge yourself, learn a new skill you could be proud of. You'd know that the hours you could have wasted on passive time-sucking activities like watching shows or playing games have been put to something that inevitably does affect you in other areas of your life. Sometimes, it doesn't have to be about a career change. It can be that just by learning to see the world differently, studying nuances of everything around you (shape, light, perspective) enhances your other applicable skills, not to mention being creative does lend into other career paths. So my advice is, figure out whatever answer works for you but definitely learn to relax about this. Because being a beginner and having daunting goals from the very start is absolutely crippling. Learn how to actually enjoy this and give yourself tiny, doable goals. You know, the equivalent of "exercising is great for my back pain". Maybe making art will help you relax after a stressful day, or it might force you to go out more and enjoy nature (while drawing). Or it might simply make you happy to see yourself improve bit by bit from day to day. You could give yourself little tasks, like illustrating your favourite book or doing a poster/cover album for your favourite band. You could keep testing where your skill level was at with such tasks and then keep improving the parts that were still causing you trouble. Just find whatever will make you stick to it and dig out your inner child who would be ecstatic at the chance to create something insanely bad but fun. Or you won't make it past the first hurdle.
Keep in mind, DaB is mostly *fundamentals*. These lessons (from what I’ve seen so far) build good habits and will help you have more consistency in your actual art. Everything you draw will help you improve. Just because it’s not part of a lesson, doesn’t mean it’s not helping you. You’re applying what you’ve learned, you’re working your imagination, and you’re drawing something *you* want. Also, don’t be afraid to draw something ugly or really weird! “Ugly” can be really interesting, or evolve into something you’ll really like. You just need to give it a chance and let yourself have fun with it. If you’re feeling burned out, take a few days off. Go outside, take a walk/drive, get a change of pace/scenery for a bit to help reset yourself. When you come back to it, start with small things. Develop your visual library, do some random prompts, draw something you used to enjoy drawing the most, etc. It’ll be easier to get back into it once you make it fun again.
1
1,266
1.933333
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h30kuxg
h304kz0
1,624,641,276
1,624,634,011
29
13
It's hard to give advice on this because it has been my struggle too. I think the mindset is absolutely crucial here when it comes to succeeding (= keeping at any activity instead of just giving up). The only place I've managed to do that so far is exercise and it has been such an eye-opening moment that I realise the same attitude must translate to learning other things, too. I was trying to get myself to change from a completely lazy, exercise-hating skinny-fat blob into a toned, fit and aesthetically impressive specimen preferably overnight. :) Truth be told, my goal at the start was simply to look a certain way. So inevitably, I would stick to weight-lifting for a month or two, not see much of a change, get discouraged and give up. And then again and again. Wasted years of not sticking to one simple task. Then I'd read that actually, building muscle takes ages (duh). I'd see these discussions where women were enthusiastic simply about getting stronger and focusing more on how they're bettering themselves rather than the way they looked. It seems obvious, but for some reason something that simple calmed me down and I actually gave myself a new goal - to have visible change in my physique in a year (instead of a month). Just by being realistic and not putting these impossible expectations on myself for no reason resulted in me sticking to it and realising alongside it all that hey - it's actually good for my overall health and back pain. And shockingly enough, I've even come to enjoy it and have been feeling devastated whenever they close down the gyms (again). It doesn't bother me that I haven't reached my goal yet because the goal has changed completely throughout the journey. Now, the exercise itself is the goal because it has become more fun the less I was stressing and the more I started improving. I'm pretty sure the same can be applied to learning everything. I used to love photography, I got really into it for several years and was improving gradually. Then one day I thought I hated my major at uni and I'd better come up with a back-up plan. Photography seemed like the only obvious choice since I knew literally nothing else. The result of going from loving photography as a hobby to "I better become pro at this asap!" meant I got completely stressed and started feeling very negatively about each picture until I eventually gave up on the entire activity. It just paralysed me, knowing there was this infinite journey in front of me and not being able to create photos at the level I expected of myself. I felt like I wasn't improving at all. The crazy part is, when I looked at the progression of my photos later, from the very first one to the ones I took throughout the years, I actually improved massively. I just couldn't see it because I was right in the middle of it and my expectations were sky-high. If you stress yourself out thinking of how this has to turn into a job before you even survived the (inevitably boring) basics, you're less likely to succeed. Maybe the solution is to adjust the goal to something reasonable that would still give you satisfaction. This might never become your job. But the truth is, if you actually put in the hours to improve at this you will have gained a lot. By sticking to learning art you'd test your determination, challenge yourself, learn a new skill you could be proud of. You'd know that the hours you could have wasted on passive time-sucking activities like watching shows or playing games have been put to something that inevitably does affect you in other areas of your life. Sometimes, it doesn't have to be about a career change. It can be that just by learning to see the world differently, studying nuances of everything around you (shape, light, perspective) enhances your other applicable skills, not to mention being creative does lend into other career paths. So my advice is, figure out whatever answer works for you but definitely learn to relax about this. Because being a beginner and having daunting goals from the very start is absolutely crippling. Learn how to actually enjoy this and give yourself tiny, doable goals. You know, the equivalent of "exercising is great for my back pain". Maybe making art will help you relax after a stressful day, or it might force you to go out more and enjoy nature (while drawing). Or it might simply make you happy to see yourself improve bit by bit from day to day. You could give yourself little tasks, like illustrating your favourite book or doing a poster/cover album for your favourite band. You could keep testing where your skill level was at with such tasks and then keep improving the parts that were still causing you trouble. Just find whatever will make you stick to it and dig out your inner child who would be ecstatic at the chance to create something insanely bad but fun. Or you won't make it past the first hurdle.
You'll also need to work your creative muscles. It might not feel as "worky" as exercises based on technical skills, but the other 50% will also help you improve. If you struggle finding an idea on what to do I'd suggest looking for various drawing related "games" you can play. This might include: \- Starting with a scribble and filling it out into something. \- Inventing a some sort of rule and using it draw a pattern \- Trying out how different interesting shapes could be used to form objects \- Using the automatic drawing method (drawing without that much thinking and letting yourself just draw what comes out) \- Putting a post-it note on a paper, drawing on it and the paper, and then moving the post-it to other context and filling out the surrounding again. \- Laying out quick spontaneous colors on paper with a marker and then you kind of like do a rorschach test where you draw what you see. \- Otherwise playing with color and their combinations is also a good thing to start doing. You can think of other kinds of drawing games with just some simple rules and see where they go. Simple limitations and restrictions can help with creativity.
1
7,265
2.230769
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h30kuxg
h308hcc
1,624,641,276
1,624,635,757
29
8
It's hard to give advice on this because it has been my struggle too. I think the mindset is absolutely crucial here when it comes to succeeding (= keeping at any activity instead of just giving up). The only place I've managed to do that so far is exercise and it has been such an eye-opening moment that I realise the same attitude must translate to learning other things, too. I was trying to get myself to change from a completely lazy, exercise-hating skinny-fat blob into a toned, fit and aesthetically impressive specimen preferably overnight. :) Truth be told, my goal at the start was simply to look a certain way. So inevitably, I would stick to weight-lifting for a month or two, not see much of a change, get discouraged and give up. And then again and again. Wasted years of not sticking to one simple task. Then I'd read that actually, building muscle takes ages (duh). I'd see these discussions where women were enthusiastic simply about getting stronger and focusing more on how they're bettering themselves rather than the way they looked. It seems obvious, but for some reason something that simple calmed me down and I actually gave myself a new goal - to have visible change in my physique in a year (instead of a month). Just by being realistic and not putting these impossible expectations on myself for no reason resulted in me sticking to it and realising alongside it all that hey - it's actually good for my overall health and back pain. And shockingly enough, I've even come to enjoy it and have been feeling devastated whenever they close down the gyms (again). It doesn't bother me that I haven't reached my goal yet because the goal has changed completely throughout the journey. Now, the exercise itself is the goal because it has become more fun the less I was stressing and the more I started improving. I'm pretty sure the same can be applied to learning everything. I used to love photography, I got really into it for several years and was improving gradually. Then one day I thought I hated my major at uni and I'd better come up with a back-up plan. Photography seemed like the only obvious choice since I knew literally nothing else. The result of going from loving photography as a hobby to "I better become pro at this asap!" meant I got completely stressed and started feeling very negatively about each picture until I eventually gave up on the entire activity. It just paralysed me, knowing there was this infinite journey in front of me and not being able to create photos at the level I expected of myself. I felt like I wasn't improving at all. The crazy part is, when I looked at the progression of my photos later, from the very first one to the ones I took throughout the years, I actually improved massively. I just couldn't see it because I was right in the middle of it and my expectations were sky-high. If you stress yourself out thinking of how this has to turn into a job before you even survived the (inevitably boring) basics, you're less likely to succeed. Maybe the solution is to adjust the goal to something reasonable that would still give you satisfaction. This might never become your job. But the truth is, if you actually put in the hours to improve at this you will have gained a lot. By sticking to learning art you'd test your determination, challenge yourself, learn a new skill you could be proud of. You'd know that the hours you could have wasted on passive time-sucking activities like watching shows or playing games have been put to something that inevitably does affect you in other areas of your life. Sometimes, it doesn't have to be about a career change. It can be that just by learning to see the world differently, studying nuances of everything around you (shape, light, perspective) enhances your other applicable skills, not to mention being creative does lend into other career paths. So my advice is, figure out whatever answer works for you but definitely learn to relax about this. Because being a beginner and having daunting goals from the very start is absolutely crippling. Learn how to actually enjoy this and give yourself tiny, doable goals. You know, the equivalent of "exercising is great for my back pain". Maybe making art will help you relax after a stressful day, or it might force you to go out more and enjoy nature (while drawing). Or it might simply make you happy to see yourself improve bit by bit from day to day. You could give yourself little tasks, like illustrating your favourite book or doing a poster/cover album for your favourite band. You could keep testing where your skill level was at with such tasks and then keep improving the parts that were still causing you trouble. Just find whatever will make you stick to it and dig out your inner child who would be ecstatic at the chance to create something insanely bad but fun. Or you won't make it past the first hurdle.
You are I are on a very similar path. I'm 31 and hoping that I can learn to love creating art enough to make it into a career. Draw a Box was supposed to be my litmus test, so to speak, to help me decide if this is something I can do for a living. The 50% rule shouldn't be about "drawing for fun" for fun's sake. It should be *rewarding.* DAB lessons are usually stressful > rewarding. To avoid early burnout, make sure you are supplementing your lessons with drawing activities that are rewarding > stressful. * *Be gentle.* The two most important skills you can learn in art (and life) is to 1) *be okay with failing* and 2) *learn to adust what you consider "good" for you.* * Surround yourself with other people's art of varying skill levels. Meh artists to professionals. *Do not* surround yourself with *just* professionals. That will burn you out. * Celebrate your successes. Is there anyone in your life that you can show your progress to and will be happy for you? This would also be a great person to hold you accountable (accountability is really important for any goal setting). * Pick *one thing at a time* to practice and focus on that. Spend as much time as you need focusing on each web "page" of the lesson and what it's trying to teach. You can set aside one or two days per web page or one week. You know what works for you (or you will learn). * In Draw a Box, you *don't* want to grind out a lesson because you can develop bad habits before receiving feedback. You want to receive feedback as soon as possible upon completing a lesson so you learn early what you're doing wrong. Then you practice it (i.e. grind it) *correctly*. Taking classes or finding a mentor are so important. Never learn in a bubble. Having a classroom or mentor is another way to hold you accountable. Hope this helps!
1
5,519
3.625
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h30kuxg
h30elsl
1,624,641,276
1,624,638,487
29
8
It's hard to give advice on this because it has been my struggle too. I think the mindset is absolutely crucial here when it comes to succeeding (= keeping at any activity instead of just giving up). The only place I've managed to do that so far is exercise and it has been such an eye-opening moment that I realise the same attitude must translate to learning other things, too. I was trying to get myself to change from a completely lazy, exercise-hating skinny-fat blob into a toned, fit and aesthetically impressive specimen preferably overnight. :) Truth be told, my goal at the start was simply to look a certain way. So inevitably, I would stick to weight-lifting for a month or two, not see much of a change, get discouraged and give up. And then again and again. Wasted years of not sticking to one simple task. Then I'd read that actually, building muscle takes ages (duh). I'd see these discussions where women were enthusiastic simply about getting stronger and focusing more on how they're bettering themselves rather than the way they looked. It seems obvious, but for some reason something that simple calmed me down and I actually gave myself a new goal - to have visible change in my physique in a year (instead of a month). Just by being realistic and not putting these impossible expectations on myself for no reason resulted in me sticking to it and realising alongside it all that hey - it's actually good for my overall health and back pain. And shockingly enough, I've even come to enjoy it and have been feeling devastated whenever they close down the gyms (again). It doesn't bother me that I haven't reached my goal yet because the goal has changed completely throughout the journey. Now, the exercise itself is the goal because it has become more fun the less I was stressing and the more I started improving. I'm pretty sure the same can be applied to learning everything. I used to love photography, I got really into it for several years and was improving gradually. Then one day I thought I hated my major at uni and I'd better come up with a back-up plan. Photography seemed like the only obvious choice since I knew literally nothing else. The result of going from loving photography as a hobby to "I better become pro at this asap!" meant I got completely stressed and started feeling very negatively about each picture until I eventually gave up on the entire activity. It just paralysed me, knowing there was this infinite journey in front of me and not being able to create photos at the level I expected of myself. I felt like I wasn't improving at all. The crazy part is, when I looked at the progression of my photos later, from the very first one to the ones I took throughout the years, I actually improved massively. I just couldn't see it because I was right in the middle of it and my expectations were sky-high. If you stress yourself out thinking of how this has to turn into a job before you even survived the (inevitably boring) basics, you're less likely to succeed. Maybe the solution is to adjust the goal to something reasonable that would still give you satisfaction. This might never become your job. But the truth is, if you actually put in the hours to improve at this you will have gained a lot. By sticking to learning art you'd test your determination, challenge yourself, learn a new skill you could be proud of. You'd know that the hours you could have wasted on passive time-sucking activities like watching shows or playing games have been put to something that inevitably does affect you in other areas of your life. Sometimes, it doesn't have to be about a career change. It can be that just by learning to see the world differently, studying nuances of everything around you (shape, light, perspective) enhances your other applicable skills, not to mention being creative does lend into other career paths. So my advice is, figure out whatever answer works for you but definitely learn to relax about this. Because being a beginner and having daunting goals from the very start is absolutely crippling. Learn how to actually enjoy this and give yourself tiny, doable goals. You know, the equivalent of "exercising is great for my back pain". Maybe making art will help you relax after a stressful day, or it might force you to go out more and enjoy nature (while drawing). Or it might simply make you happy to see yourself improve bit by bit from day to day. You could give yourself little tasks, like illustrating your favourite book or doing a poster/cover album for your favourite band. You could keep testing where your skill level was at with such tasks and then keep improving the parts that were still causing you trouble. Just find whatever will make you stick to it and dig out your inner child who would be ecstatic at the chance to create something insanely bad but fun. Or you won't make it past the first hurdle.
I think I understand where you’re coming from. I also get discouraged when I feel like I’m not making progress fast enough, and I find myself often neglecting the 50% rule. It’s important to take a step back and evaluate where the pressure is coming from. IMO, it seems like young talent is glorified and put on a pedestal. Media saturated with this can make it really difficult to situate yourself outside of that narrative. Hell, Van Gogh didn’t start painting until he was 27 years old! I don’t know much, and I’m constantly battling with this but here are my suggestions anyway, they tend to work for me when I actually stick to them. Maybe they’ll be useful to you, maybe not. 1. Take a break from other art or consume it a lot less. I feel most satisfied with my work when I do this, because it reduces the noise and unrealistic expectations, and I can see my progress for what it truly is. 2. Maybe just stick to drawabox and one other area of focus at a time for studies. Plan it out for yourself and choose one area you’d like to improve, do it for a few weeks until you’re more comfortable and then switch. Only seek out the tutorials for that specific subject and be mindful of getting overwhelmed with the knowledge out there. Perhaps you could implement what you learned into a warmup to keep it fresh while you undergo another lesson of your choice. 3. While following above steps you should have more time to make art for fun. And if not, make it a priority. Prioritize your well being over productivity and burning yourself out. Realize that it will take hard work and effort to even get into that habit because work mode is what we’ve been taught to believe is most important. Once you do though, the balance should benefit your progress and happiness.
1
2,789
3.625
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h303t1n
h30kuxg
1,624,633,658
1,624,641,276
4
29
I personally think drawabox is a tutorial about fundamentals, and what you're looking for is not to learn fundamentals. If I understood correctly, you're trying to learn some techniques to get better (or at least being able to make prettier drawings) quickly, and that's not what drawabox is about. I think you should get those techniques elsewhere and focus on the fundamentals later, it's not like they're required for being "good at drawing" anyway, as you probably heard in one of the first videos.
It's hard to give advice on this because it has been my struggle too. I think the mindset is absolutely crucial here when it comes to succeeding (= keeping at any activity instead of just giving up). The only place I've managed to do that so far is exercise and it has been such an eye-opening moment that I realise the same attitude must translate to learning other things, too. I was trying to get myself to change from a completely lazy, exercise-hating skinny-fat blob into a toned, fit and aesthetically impressive specimen preferably overnight. :) Truth be told, my goal at the start was simply to look a certain way. So inevitably, I would stick to weight-lifting for a month or two, not see much of a change, get discouraged and give up. And then again and again. Wasted years of not sticking to one simple task. Then I'd read that actually, building muscle takes ages (duh). I'd see these discussions where women were enthusiastic simply about getting stronger and focusing more on how they're bettering themselves rather than the way they looked. It seems obvious, but for some reason something that simple calmed me down and I actually gave myself a new goal - to have visible change in my physique in a year (instead of a month). Just by being realistic and not putting these impossible expectations on myself for no reason resulted in me sticking to it and realising alongside it all that hey - it's actually good for my overall health and back pain. And shockingly enough, I've even come to enjoy it and have been feeling devastated whenever they close down the gyms (again). It doesn't bother me that I haven't reached my goal yet because the goal has changed completely throughout the journey. Now, the exercise itself is the goal because it has become more fun the less I was stressing and the more I started improving. I'm pretty sure the same can be applied to learning everything. I used to love photography, I got really into it for several years and was improving gradually. Then one day I thought I hated my major at uni and I'd better come up with a back-up plan. Photography seemed like the only obvious choice since I knew literally nothing else. The result of going from loving photography as a hobby to "I better become pro at this asap!" meant I got completely stressed and started feeling very negatively about each picture until I eventually gave up on the entire activity. It just paralysed me, knowing there was this infinite journey in front of me and not being able to create photos at the level I expected of myself. I felt like I wasn't improving at all. The crazy part is, when I looked at the progression of my photos later, from the very first one to the ones I took throughout the years, I actually improved massively. I just couldn't see it because I was right in the middle of it and my expectations were sky-high. If you stress yourself out thinking of how this has to turn into a job before you even survived the (inevitably boring) basics, you're less likely to succeed. Maybe the solution is to adjust the goal to something reasonable that would still give you satisfaction. This might never become your job. But the truth is, if you actually put in the hours to improve at this you will have gained a lot. By sticking to learning art you'd test your determination, challenge yourself, learn a new skill you could be proud of. You'd know that the hours you could have wasted on passive time-sucking activities like watching shows or playing games have been put to something that inevitably does affect you in other areas of your life. Sometimes, it doesn't have to be about a career change. It can be that just by learning to see the world differently, studying nuances of everything around you (shape, light, perspective) enhances your other applicable skills, not to mention being creative does lend into other career paths. So my advice is, figure out whatever answer works for you but definitely learn to relax about this. Because being a beginner and having daunting goals from the very start is absolutely crippling. Learn how to actually enjoy this and give yourself tiny, doable goals. You know, the equivalent of "exercising is great for my back pain". Maybe making art will help you relax after a stressful day, or it might force you to go out more and enjoy nature (while drawing). Or it might simply make you happy to see yourself improve bit by bit from day to day. You could give yourself little tasks, like illustrating your favourite book or doing a poster/cover album for your favourite band. You could keep testing where your skill level was at with such tasks and then keep improving the parts that were still causing you trouble. Just find whatever will make you stick to it and dig out your inner child who would be ecstatic at the chance to create something insanely bad but fun. Or you won't make it past the first hurdle.
0
7,618
7.25
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h319qsc
h2zx9f0
1,624,652,720
1,624,630,615
27
19
When I burn out about a hobby/skill, it's usually because some part of my brain was thinking "It will all be okay after this" and that's a **lot** of pressure. There's no absolute guarantee that learning a skill will grant you the life you want. This sounds defeatist, but the real takeaway is to *aim small.* Personally, I'm training myself to have fun drawing and practicing by paying attention to parts of the process I enjoy. It's really nice to listen to music and sort of "zone out" for drawings that take a while, for example.
I think the problem is that you’re trying too hard. Art is hard and the fact you’re trying to make this out of a career is a problem. Because of this it’s more of a “job/chore” When you should be doing art for fun.
1
22,105
1.421053
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h30i1yo
h319qsc
1,624,640,010
1,624,652,720
15
27
Keep in mind, DaB is mostly *fundamentals*. These lessons (from what I’ve seen so far) build good habits and will help you have more consistency in your actual art. Everything you draw will help you improve. Just because it’s not part of a lesson, doesn’t mean it’s not helping you. You’re applying what you’ve learned, you’re working your imagination, and you’re drawing something *you* want. Also, don’t be afraid to draw something ugly or really weird! “Ugly” can be really interesting, or evolve into something you’ll really like. You just need to give it a chance and let yourself have fun with it. If you’re feeling burned out, take a few days off. Go outside, take a walk/drive, get a change of pace/scenery for a bit to help reset yourself. When you come back to it, start with small things. Develop your visual library, do some random prompts, draw something you used to enjoy drawing the most, etc. It’ll be easier to get back into it once you make it fun again.
When I burn out about a hobby/skill, it's usually because some part of my brain was thinking "It will all be okay after this" and that's a **lot** of pressure. There's no absolute guarantee that learning a skill will grant you the life you want. This sounds defeatist, but the real takeaway is to *aim small.* Personally, I'm training myself to have fun drawing and practicing by paying attention to parts of the process I enjoy. It's really nice to listen to music and sort of "zone out" for drawings that take a while, for example.
0
12,710
1.8
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h319qsc
h304kz0
1,624,652,720
1,624,634,011
27
13
When I burn out about a hobby/skill, it's usually because some part of my brain was thinking "It will all be okay after this" and that's a **lot** of pressure. There's no absolute guarantee that learning a skill will grant you the life you want. This sounds defeatist, but the real takeaway is to *aim small.* Personally, I'm training myself to have fun drawing and practicing by paying attention to parts of the process I enjoy. It's really nice to listen to music and sort of "zone out" for drawings that take a while, for example.
You'll also need to work your creative muscles. It might not feel as "worky" as exercises based on technical skills, but the other 50% will also help you improve. If you struggle finding an idea on what to do I'd suggest looking for various drawing related "games" you can play. This might include: \- Starting with a scribble and filling it out into something. \- Inventing a some sort of rule and using it draw a pattern \- Trying out how different interesting shapes could be used to form objects \- Using the automatic drawing method (drawing without that much thinking and letting yourself just draw what comes out) \- Putting a post-it note on a paper, drawing on it and the paper, and then moving the post-it to other context and filling out the surrounding again. \- Laying out quick spontaneous colors on paper with a marker and then you kind of like do a rorschach test where you draw what you see. \- Otherwise playing with color and their combinations is also a good thing to start doing. You can think of other kinds of drawing games with just some simple rules and see where they go. Simple limitations and restrictions can help with creativity.
1
18,709
2.076923
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h319qsc
h308hcc
1,624,652,720
1,624,635,757
27
8
When I burn out about a hobby/skill, it's usually because some part of my brain was thinking "It will all be okay after this" and that's a **lot** of pressure. There's no absolute guarantee that learning a skill will grant you the life you want. This sounds defeatist, but the real takeaway is to *aim small.* Personally, I'm training myself to have fun drawing and practicing by paying attention to parts of the process I enjoy. It's really nice to listen to music and sort of "zone out" for drawings that take a while, for example.
You are I are on a very similar path. I'm 31 and hoping that I can learn to love creating art enough to make it into a career. Draw a Box was supposed to be my litmus test, so to speak, to help me decide if this is something I can do for a living. The 50% rule shouldn't be about "drawing for fun" for fun's sake. It should be *rewarding.* DAB lessons are usually stressful > rewarding. To avoid early burnout, make sure you are supplementing your lessons with drawing activities that are rewarding > stressful. * *Be gentle.* The two most important skills you can learn in art (and life) is to 1) *be okay with failing* and 2) *learn to adust what you consider "good" for you.* * Surround yourself with other people's art of varying skill levels. Meh artists to professionals. *Do not* surround yourself with *just* professionals. That will burn you out. * Celebrate your successes. Is there anyone in your life that you can show your progress to and will be happy for you? This would also be a great person to hold you accountable (accountability is really important for any goal setting). * Pick *one thing at a time* to practice and focus on that. Spend as much time as you need focusing on each web "page" of the lesson and what it's trying to teach. You can set aside one or two days per web page or one week. You know what works for you (or you will learn). * In Draw a Box, you *don't* want to grind out a lesson because you can develop bad habits before receiving feedback. You want to receive feedback as soon as possible upon completing a lesson so you learn early what you're doing wrong. Then you practice it (i.e. grind it) *correctly*. Taking classes or finding a mentor are so important. Never learn in a bubble. Having a classroom or mentor is another way to hold you accountable. Hope this helps!
1
16,963
3.375
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h319qsc
h30elsl
1,624,652,720
1,624,638,487
27
8
When I burn out about a hobby/skill, it's usually because some part of my brain was thinking "It will all be okay after this" and that's a **lot** of pressure. There's no absolute guarantee that learning a skill will grant you the life you want. This sounds defeatist, but the real takeaway is to *aim small.* Personally, I'm training myself to have fun drawing and practicing by paying attention to parts of the process I enjoy. It's really nice to listen to music and sort of "zone out" for drawings that take a while, for example.
I think I understand where you’re coming from. I also get discouraged when I feel like I’m not making progress fast enough, and I find myself often neglecting the 50% rule. It’s important to take a step back and evaluate where the pressure is coming from. IMO, it seems like young talent is glorified and put on a pedestal. Media saturated with this can make it really difficult to situate yourself outside of that narrative. Hell, Van Gogh didn’t start painting until he was 27 years old! I don’t know much, and I’m constantly battling with this but here are my suggestions anyway, they tend to work for me when I actually stick to them. Maybe they’ll be useful to you, maybe not. 1. Take a break from other art or consume it a lot less. I feel most satisfied with my work when I do this, because it reduces the noise and unrealistic expectations, and I can see my progress for what it truly is. 2. Maybe just stick to drawabox and one other area of focus at a time for studies. Plan it out for yourself and choose one area you’d like to improve, do it for a few weeks until you’re more comfortable and then switch. Only seek out the tutorials for that specific subject and be mindful of getting overwhelmed with the knowledge out there. Perhaps you could implement what you learned into a warmup to keep it fresh while you undergo another lesson of your choice. 3. While following above steps you should have more time to make art for fun. And if not, make it a priority. Prioritize your well being over productivity and burning yourself out. Realize that it will take hard work and effort to even get into that habit because work mode is what we’ve been taught to believe is most important. Once you do though, the balance should benefit your progress and happiness.
1
14,233
3.375
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h319qsc
h303t1n
1,624,652,720
1,624,633,658
27
4
When I burn out about a hobby/skill, it's usually because some part of my brain was thinking "It will all be okay after this" and that's a **lot** of pressure. There's no absolute guarantee that learning a skill will grant you the life you want. This sounds defeatist, but the real takeaway is to *aim small.* Personally, I'm training myself to have fun drawing and practicing by paying attention to parts of the process I enjoy. It's really nice to listen to music and sort of "zone out" for drawings that take a while, for example.
I personally think drawabox is a tutorial about fundamentals, and what you're looking for is not to learn fundamentals. If I understood correctly, you're trying to learn some techniques to get better (or at least being able to make prettier drawings) quickly, and that's not what drawabox is about. I think you should get those techniques elsewhere and focus on the fundamentals later, it's not like they're required for being "good at drawing" anyway, as you probably heard in one of the first videos.
1
19,062
6.75
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h30i1yo
h304kz0
1,624,640,010
1,624,634,011
15
13
Keep in mind, DaB is mostly *fundamentals*. These lessons (from what I’ve seen so far) build good habits and will help you have more consistency in your actual art. Everything you draw will help you improve. Just because it’s not part of a lesson, doesn’t mean it’s not helping you. You’re applying what you’ve learned, you’re working your imagination, and you’re drawing something *you* want. Also, don’t be afraid to draw something ugly or really weird! “Ugly” can be really interesting, or evolve into something you’ll really like. You just need to give it a chance and let yourself have fun with it. If you’re feeling burned out, take a few days off. Go outside, take a walk/drive, get a change of pace/scenery for a bit to help reset yourself. When you come back to it, start with small things. Develop your visual library, do some random prompts, draw something you used to enjoy drawing the most, etc. It’ll be easier to get back into it once you make it fun again.
You'll also need to work your creative muscles. It might not feel as "worky" as exercises based on technical skills, but the other 50% will also help you improve. If you struggle finding an idea on what to do I'd suggest looking for various drawing related "games" you can play. This might include: \- Starting with a scribble and filling it out into something. \- Inventing a some sort of rule and using it draw a pattern \- Trying out how different interesting shapes could be used to form objects \- Using the automatic drawing method (drawing without that much thinking and letting yourself just draw what comes out) \- Putting a post-it note on a paper, drawing on it and the paper, and then moving the post-it to other context and filling out the surrounding again. \- Laying out quick spontaneous colors on paper with a marker and then you kind of like do a rorschach test where you draw what you see. \- Otherwise playing with color and their combinations is also a good thing to start doing. You can think of other kinds of drawing games with just some simple rules and see where they go. Simple limitations and restrictions can help with creativity.
1
5,999
1.153846
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h308hcc
h30i1yo
1,624,635,757
1,624,640,010
8
15
You are I are on a very similar path. I'm 31 and hoping that I can learn to love creating art enough to make it into a career. Draw a Box was supposed to be my litmus test, so to speak, to help me decide if this is something I can do for a living. The 50% rule shouldn't be about "drawing for fun" for fun's sake. It should be *rewarding.* DAB lessons are usually stressful > rewarding. To avoid early burnout, make sure you are supplementing your lessons with drawing activities that are rewarding > stressful. * *Be gentle.* The two most important skills you can learn in art (and life) is to 1) *be okay with failing* and 2) *learn to adust what you consider "good" for you.* * Surround yourself with other people's art of varying skill levels. Meh artists to professionals. *Do not* surround yourself with *just* professionals. That will burn you out. * Celebrate your successes. Is there anyone in your life that you can show your progress to and will be happy for you? This would also be a great person to hold you accountable (accountability is really important for any goal setting). * Pick *one thing at a time* to practice and focus on that. Spend as much time as you need focusing on each web "page" of the lesson and what it's trying to teach. You can set aside one or two days per web page or one week. You know what works for you (or you will learn). * In Draw a Box, you *don't* want to grind out a lesson because you can develop bad habits before receiving feedback. You want to receive feedback as soon as possible upon completing a lesson so you learn early what you're doing wrong. Then you practice it (i.e. grind it) *correctly*. Taking classes or finding a mentor are so important. Never learn in a bubble. Having a classroom or mentor is another way to hold you accountable. Hope this helps!
Keep in mind, DaB is mostly *fundamentals*. These lessons (from what I’ve seen so far) build good habits and will help you have more consistency in your actual art. Everything you draw will help you improve. Just because it’s not part of a lesson, doesn’t mean it’s not helping you. You’re applying what you’ve learned, you’re working your imagination, and you’re drawing something *you* want. Also, don’t be afraid to draw something ugly or really weird! “Ugly” can be really interesting, or evolve into something you’ll really like. You just need to give it a chance and let yourself have fun with it. If you’re feeling burned out, take a few days off. Go outside, take a walk/drive, get a change of pace/scenery for a bit to help reset yourself. When you come back to it, start with small things. Develop your visual library, do some random prompts, draw something you used to enjoy drawing the most, etc. It’ll be easier to get back into it once you make it fun again.
0
4,253
1.875
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h30i1yo
h30elsl
1,624,640,010
1,624,638,487
15
8
Keep in mind, DaB is mostly *fundamentals*. These lessons (from what I’ve seen so far) build good habits and will help you have more consistency in your actual art. Everything you draw will help you improve. Just because it’s not part of a lesson, doesn’t mean it’s not helping you. You’re applying what you’ve learned, you’re working your imagination, and you’re drawing something *you* want. Also, don’t be afraid to draw something ugly or really weird! “Ugly” can be really interesting, or evolve into something you’ll really like. You just need to give it a chance and let yourself have fun with it. If you’re feeling burned out, take a few days off. Go outside, take a walk/drive, get a change of pace/scenery for a bit to help reset yourself. When you come back to it, start with small things. Develop your visual library, do some random prompts, draw something you used to enjoy drawing the most, etc. It’ll be easier to get back into it once you make it fun again.
I think I understand where you’re coming from. I also get discouraged when I feel like I’m not making progress fast enough, and I find myself often neglecting the 50% rule. It’s important to take a step back and evaluate where the pressure is coming from. IMO, it seems like young talent is glorified and put on a pedestal. Media saturated with this can make it really difficult to situate yourself outside of that narrative. Hell, Van Gogh didn’t start painting until he was 27 years old! I don’t know much, and I’m constantly battling with this but here are my suggestions anyway, they tend to work for me when I actually stick to them. Maybe they’ll be useful to you, maybe not. 1. Take a break from other art or consume it a lot less. I feel most satisfied with my work when I do this, because it reduces the noise and unrealistic expectations, and I can see my progress for what it truly is. 2. Maybe just stick to drawabox and one other area of focus at a time for studies. Plan it out for yourself and choose one area you’d like to improve, do it for a few weeks until you’re more comfortable and then switch. Only seek out the tutorials for that specific subject and be mindful of getting overwhelmed with the knowledge out there. Perhaps you could implement what you learned into a warmup to keep it fresh while you undergo another lesson of your choice. 3. While following above steps you should have more time to make art for fun. And if not, make it a priority. Prioritize your well being over productivity and burning yourself out. Realize that it will take hard work and effort to even get into that habit because work mode is what we’ve been taught to believe is most important. Once you do though, the balance should benefit your progress and happiness.
1
1,523
1.875
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h30i1yo
h303t1n
1,624,640,010
1,624,633,658
15
4
Keep in mind, DaB is mostly *fundamentals*. These lessons (from what I’ve seen so far) build good habits and will help you have more consistency in your actual art. Everything you draw will help you improve. Just because it’s not part of a lesson, doesn’t mean it’s not helping you. You’re applying what you’ve learned, you’re working your imagination, and you’re drawing something *you* want. Also, don’t be afraid to draw something ugly or really weird! “Ugly” can be really interesting, or evolve into something you’ll really like. You just need to give it a chance and let yourself have fun with it. If you’re feeling burned out, take a few days off. Go outside, take a walk/drive, get a change of pace/scenery for a bit to help reset yourself. When you come back to it, start with small things. Develop your visual library, do some random prompts, draw something you used to enjoy drawing the most, etc. It’ll be easier to get back into it once you make it fun again.
I personally think drawabox is a tutorial about fundamentals, and what you're looking for is not to learn fundamentals. If I understood correctly, you're trying to learn some techniques to get better (or at least being able to make prettier drawings) quickly, and that's not what drawabox is about. I think you should get those techniques elsewhere and focus on the fundamentals later, it's not like they're required for being "good at drawing" anyway, as you probably heard in one of the first videos.
1
6,352
3.75
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h303t1n
h304kz0
1,624,633,658
1,624,634,011
4
13
I personally think drawabox is a tutorial about fundamentals, and what you're looking for is not to learn fundamentals. If I understood correctly, you're trying to learn some techniques to get better (or at least being able to make prettier drawings) quickly, and that's not what drawabox is about. I think you should get those techniques elsewhere and focus on the fundamentals later, it's not like they're required for being "good at drawing" anyway, as you probably heard in one of the first videos.
You'll also need to work your creative muscles. It might not feel as "worky" as exercises based on technical skills, but the other 50% will also help you improve. If you struggle finding an idea on what to do I'd suggest looking for various drawing related "games" you can play. This might include: \- Starting with a scribble and filling it out into something. \- Inventing a some sort of rule and using it draw a pattern \- Trying out how different interesting shapes could be used to form objects \- Using the automatic drawing method (drawing without that much thinking and letting yourself just draw what comes out) \- Putting a post-it note on a paper, drawing on it and the paper, and then moving the post-it to other context and filling out the surrounding again. \- Laying out quick spontaneous colors on paper with a marker and then you kind of like do a rorschach test where you draw what you see. \- Otherwise playing with color and their combinations is also a good thing to start doing. You can think of other kinds of drawing games with just some simple rules and see where they go. Simple limitations and restrictions can help with creativity.
0
353
3.25
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h32ctkx
h32vocb
1,624,673,710
1,624,686,202
8
9
The age thing is in your head, not others. We grow when we rest. Like weight lifting, you break muscles down,but you rest for them to grow. You need relaxing enjoying drawing time to help internalize what you learn. It's not really optional, and you will burn out and waste more time if you only study. In weightlifting injury is the enemy, because you can't train when injured.
Hi! I’m in my early 20s and I do art mostly as a leisure activity but I sell pieces occasionally and I gift them quite often. So I understand this struggle between feeling like making art for you and on your time vs. marking art to sell. A piece of unsolicited advice from some stranger on reddit: I know art has “rules” and there are ways to do things and ways to not do things. But if you take a look back at any artist from history that we (as a society) consider to be a “great artist” or “master artists”, they never did anything that wasn’t edgy or a new process or a process that wasn’t common they made things up and created the so called “rules” we use now. Don’t discount anything you’re doing as not “art” just because it’s not a “proper” technique or something. No matter your techniques your art is art. I also definitely understand wanting to practice those “proper” techniques though. I’m currently looking into taking some drawing courses so that maybe learn to draw better.
0
12,492
1.125
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h32ctkx
h303t1n
1,624,673,710
1,624,633,658
8
4
The age thing is in your head, not others. We grow when we rest. Like weight lifting, you break muscles down,but you rest for them to grow. You need relaxing enjoying drawing time to help internalize what you learn. It's not really optional, and you will burn out and waste more time if you only study. In weightlifting injury is the enemy, because you can't train when injured.
I personally think drawabox is a tutorial about fundamentals, and what you're looking for is not to learn fundamentals. If I understood correctly, you're trying to learn some techniques to get better (or at least being able to make prettier drawings) quickly, and that's not what drawabox is about. I think you should get those techniques elsewhere and focus on the fundamentals later, it's not like they're required for being "good at drawing" anyway, as you probably heard in one of the first videos.
1
40,052
2
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h308hcc
h32vocb
1,624,635,757
1,624,686,202
8
9
You are I are on a very similar path. I'm 31 and hoping that I can learn to love creating art enough to make it into a career. Draw a Box was supposed to be my litmus test, so to speak, to help me decide if this is something I can do for a living. The 50% rule shouldn't be about "drawing for fun" for fun's sake. It should be *rewarding.* DAB lessons are usually stressful > rewarding. To avoid early burnout, make sure you are supplementing your lessons with drawing activities that are rewarding > stressful. * *Be gentle.* The two most important skills you can learn in art (and life) is to 1) *be okay with failing* and 2) *learn to adust what you consider "good" for you.* * Surround yourself with other people's art of varying skill levels. Meh artists to professionals. *Do not* surround yourself with *just* professionals. That will burn you out. * Celebrate your successes. Is there anyone in your life that you can show your progress to and will be happy for you? This would also be a great person to hold you accountable (accountability is really important for any goal setting). * Pick *one thing at a time* to practice and focus on that. Spend as much time as you need focusing on each web "page" of the lesson and what it's trying to teach. You can set aside one or two days per web page or one week. You know what works for you (or you will learn). * In Draw a Box, you *don't* want to grind out a lesson because you can develop bad habits before receiving feedback. You want to receive feedback as soon as possible upon completing a lesson so you learn early what you're doing wrong. Then you practice it (i.e. grind it) *correctly*. Taking classes or finding a mentor are so important. Never learn in a bubble. Having a classroom or mentor is another way to hold you accountable. Hope this helps!
Hi! I’m in my early 20s and I do art mostly as a leisure activity but I sell pieces occasionally and I gift them quite often. So I understand this struggle between feeling like making art for you and on your time vs. marking art to sell. A piece of unsolicited advice from some stranger on reddit: I know art has “rules” and there are ways to do things and ways to not do things. But if you take a look back at any artist from history that we (as a society) consider to be a “great artist” or “master artists”, they never did anything that wasn’t edgy or a new process or a process that wasn’t common they made things up and created the so called “rules” we use now. Don’t discount anything you’re doing as not “art” just because it’s not a “proper” technique or something. No matter your techniques your art is art. I also definitely understand wanting to practice those “proper” techniques though. I’m currently looking into taking some drawing courses so that maybe learn to draw better.
0
50,445
1.125
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h32vocb
h30elsl
1,624,686,202
1,624,638,487
9
8
Hi! I’m in my early 20s and I do art mostly as a leisure activity but I sell pieces occasionally and I gift them quite often. So I understand this struggle between feeling like making art for you and on your time vs. marking art to sell. A piece of unsolicited advice from some stranger on reddit: I know art has “rules” and there are ways to do things and ways to not do things. But if you take a look back at any artist from history that we (as a society) consider to be a “great artist” or “master artists”, they never did anything that wasn’t edgy or a new process or a process that wasn’t common they made things up and created the so called “rules” we use now. Don’t discount anything you’re doing as not “art” just because it’s not a “proper” technique or something. No matter your techniques your art is art. I also definitely understand wanting to practice those “proper” techniques though. I’m currently looking into taking some drawing courses so that maybe learn to draw better.
I think I understand where you’re coming from. I also get discouraged when I feel like I’m not making progress fast enough, and I find myself often neglecting the 50% rule. It’s important to take a step back and evaluate where the pressure is coming from. IMO, it seems like young talent is glorified and put on a pedestal. Media saturated with this can make it really difficult to situate yourself outside of that narrative. Hell, Van Gogh didn’t start painting until he was 27 years old! I don’t know much, and I’m constantly battling with this but here are my suggestions anyway, they tend to work for me when I actually stick to them. Maybe they’ll be useful to you, maybe not. 1. Take a break from other art or consume it a lot less. I feel most satisfied with my work when I do this, because it reduces the noise and unrealistic expectations, and I can see my progress for what it truly is. 2. Maybe just stick to drawabox and one other area of focus at a time for studies. Plan it out for yourself and choose one area you’d like to improve, do it for a few weeks until you’re more comfortable and then switch. Only seek out the tutorials for that specific subject and be mindful of getting overwhelmed with the knowledge out there. Perhaps you could implement what you learned into a warmup to keep it fresh while you undergo another lesson of your choice. 3. While following above steps you should have more time to make art for fun. And if not, make it a priority. Prioritize your well being over productivity and burning yourself out. Realize that it will take hard work and effort to even get into that habit because work mode is what we’ve been taught to believe is most important. Once you do though, the balance should benefit your progress and happiness.
1
47,715
1.125
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h32vocb
h303t1n
1,624,686,202
1,624,633,658
9
4
Hi! I’m in my early 20s and I do art mostly as a leisure activity but I sell pieces occasionally and I gift them quite often. So I understand this struggle between feeling like making art for you and on your time vs. marking art to sell. A piece of unsolicited advice from some stranger on reddit: I know art has “rules” and there are ways to do things and ways to not do things. But if you take a look back at any artist from history that we (as a society) consider to be a “great artist” or “master artists”, they never did anything that wasn’t edgy or a new process or a process that wasn’t common they made things up and created the so called “rules” we use now. Don’t discount anything you’re doing as not “art” just because it’s not a “proper” technique or something. No matter your techniques your art is art. I also definitely understand wanting to practice those “proper” techniques though. I’m currently looking into taking some drawing courses so that maybe learn to draw better.
I personally think drawabox is a tutorial about fundamentals, and what you're looking for is not to learn fundamentals. If I understood correctly, you're trying to learn some techniques to get better (or at least being able to make prettier drawings) quickly, and that's not what drawabox is about. I think you should get those techniques elsewhere and focus on the fundamentals later, it's not like they're required for being "good at drawing" anyway, as you probably heard in one of the first videos.
1
52,544
2.25
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h32u6x2
h32vocb
1,624,685,037
1,624,686,202
3
9
I fully understand the wanting time for Leisure art. Once you start doing art as a job if you start doing what others want it no longer becomes enjoyable for me. I have found that art is a leisure activity for me. If someone wants to buy it or something bonus it that’s a bi product. It’s the actual making of art where the joy is in my opinion.
Hi! I’m in my early 20s and I do art mostly as a leisure activity but I sell pieces occasionally and I gift them quite often. So I understand this struggle between feeling like making art for you and on your time vs. marking art to sell. A piece of unsolicited advice from some stranger on reddit: I know art has “rules” and there are ways to do things and ways to not do things. But if you take a look back at any artist from history that we (as a society) consider to be a “great artist” or “master artists”, they never did anything that wasn’t edgy or a new process or a process that wasn’t common they made things up and created the so called “rules” we use now. Don’t discount anything you’re doing as not “art” just because it’s not a “proper” technique or something. No matter your techniques your art is art. I also definitely understand wanting to practice those “proper” techniques though. I’m currently looking into taking some drawing courses so that maybe learn to draw better.
0
1,165
3
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h303t1n
h308hcc
1,624,633,658
1,624,635,757
4
8
I personally think drawabox is a tutorial about fundamentals, and what you're looking for is not to learn fundamentals. If I understood correctly, you're trying to learn some techniques to get better (or at least being able to make prettier drawings) quickly, and that's not what drawabox is about. I think you should get those techniques elsewhere and focus on the fundamentals later, it's not like they're required for being "good at drawing" anyway, as you probably heard in one of the first videos.
You are I are on a very similar path. I'm 31 and hoping that I can learn to love creating art enough to make it into a career. Draw a Box was supposed to be my litmus test, so to speak, to help me decide if this is something I can do for a living. The 50% rule shouldn't be about "drawing for fun" for fun's sake. It should be *rewarding.* DAB lessons are usually stressful > rewarding. To avoid early burnout, make sure you are supplementing your lessons with drawing activities that are rewarding > stressful. * *Be gentle.* The two most important skills you can learn in art (and life) is to 1) *be okay with failing* and 2) *learn to adust what you consider "good" for you.* * Surround yourself with other people's art of varying skill levels. Meh artists to professionals. *Do not* surround yourself with *just* professionals. That will burn you out. * Celebrate your successes. Is there anyone in your life that you can show your progress to and will be happy for you? This would also be a great person to hold you accountable (accountability is really important for any goal setting). * Pick *one thing at a time* to practice and focus on that. Spend as much time as you need focusing on each web "page" of the lesson and what it's trying to teach. You can set aside one or two days per web page or one week. You know what works for you (or you will learn). * In Draw a Box, you *don't* want to grind out a lesson because you can develop bad habits before receiving feedback. You want to receive feedback as soon as possible upon completing a lesson so you learn early what you're doing wrong. Then you practice it (i.e. grind it) *correctly*. Taking classes or finding a mentor are so important. Never learn in a bubble. Having a classroom or mentor is another way to hold you accountable. Hope this helps!
0
2,099
2
o7njb5
artfundamentals_train
0.96
Struggling to mentally adapt to the 50% rule Hi all, I started drawabox in less than a month ago and just finished the rotated box exercise in lesson 1. I didn't expect myself to feel burn out but I am, and I am trying to find ways to deal with it, which leads me to referring back to the 50% rule but Im having trouble with internalizing that. I think it's because of the following issues: 1. Time pressure: I know that art is a lifelong journey but I feel like I need to hustle and learn to make up for all the lost time I could have done to pick up these basic skills (i have no formal art education ever). I am in late 20s (so I dont know if that is still considered young by art standards because my hope is to eventually be able to make art a side gig, or create my own product because its a dream of mine) but even if I am "young" I still cannot convince myself to let loose and spend the time to make art that isn't purposefully geared towards improvement. 2. Fear of strengthening bad art habits: My thoughts are like what if I use the remaining free time to make art with my bad skills and then I will need to relearn and recorrect myself in the future which will take up more energy and resources and time. 3. Too many things to learn: I understand drawabox doesnt cover all the fundamentals and Im interested in building up the rest by following other tutorials (proko comes to mind) but that would also take up energy and time which leave me wondering if I do that, then I won't have time for leisure art and i will most probably burn out by then. I dont know if I should then just follow drawabox alone until i complete it and then jump to other tutorial, or try to do everything bit by bit together. Im starting to feel a bit fearful of grinding (i mean it in the sense of churning out a hefty amount of practice rather than perfecting an exercise) but i guess i cant see how i can improve without grinding. Feeling confused and tired ahaha. Any advice would be appreciated, tq!
h303t1n
h30elsl
1,624,633,658
1,624,638,487
4
8
I personally think drawabox is a tutorial about fundamentals, and what you're looking for is not to learn fundamentals. If I understood correctly, you're trying to learn some techniques to get better (or at least being able to make prettier drawings) quickly, and that's not what drawabox is about. I think you should get those techniques elsewhere and focus on the fundamentals later, it's not like they're required for being "good at drawing" anyway, as you probably heard in one of the first videos.
I think I understand where you’re coming from. I also get discouraged when I feel like I’m not making progress fast enough, and I find myself often neglecting the 50% rule. It’s important to take a step back and evaluate where the pressure is coming from. IMO, it seems like young talent is glorified and put on a pedestal. Media saturated with this can make it really difficult to situate yourself outside of that narrative. Hell, Van Gogh didn’t start painting until he was 27 years old! I don’t know much, and I’m constantly battling with this but here are my suggestions anyway, they tend to work for me when I actually stick to them. Maybe they’ll be useful to you, maybe not. 1. Take a break from other art or consume it a lot less. I feel most satisfied with my work when I do this, because it reduces the noise and unrealistic expectations, and I can see my progress for what it truly is. 2. Maybe just stick to drawabox and one other area of focus at a time for studies. Plan it out for yourself and choose one area you’d like to improve, do it for a few weeks until you’re more comfortable and then switch. Only seek out the tutorials for that specific subject and be mindful of getting overwhelmed with the knowledge out there. Perhaps you could implement what you learned into a warmup to keep it fresh while you undergo another lesson of your choice. 3. While following above steps you should have more time to make art for fun. And if not, make it a priority. Prioritize your well being over productivity and burning yourself out. Realize that it will take hard work and effort to even get into that habit because work mode is what we’ve been taught to believe is most important. Once you do though, the balance should benefit your progress and happiness.
0
4,829
2
kxg3v0
artfundamentals_train
0.9
How can I deal with the boredom of the basic exercises? I need to make a habit of these exercises because I'm 24 and draw like a High School Senior without formal training (no offense if this is you, honestly you're probably more skilled anyway if you're here). But F\*\*K ME it's boring. Like, I'd rather wash dishes for two hours than do this for 30 minutes undistracted. I can feel my lifespan flying by me while I do this, and with every missed line I am tortured by the reality of my own creeping mortality. It feels like...unproductively boring. I hate being unproductive. I REALLY hate being unproductive when I hate what I'm doing as well. It's gotta be one or the other, LOL. Anyway, what can I do? Particularly, how can I feel more productive while I do this? Thanks in advanced, even you random creeper who will downvote this just because. \- BuyMyArt
gjaq2y3
gjavwvx
1,610,675,152
1,610,678,250
6
10
Well you have to remember the 50/50 rule: just do drawabox for however long, and then draw the stuff you WANT to draw and enjoy drawing for the same amount of time each time you do it. So, reward yourself for those boring exercises with something fun afterwards.
The solution to all tedius things in life is to listen to podcasts while you do them. Food prep? Podcast. Exercise? Podcast. Art drills? Podcast. My favourite show at the moment is Sean Caroll's Mindscape. Usually about various academics discussing their work - from traditional sciences through to sociology through to economics to philosophy. Other's that I would recommend are: * Philosophise this! \- History of philosophy with a 30-60 minute episode on various philosophers and their work. * Richard Herring LS Podcast \- UK variety interview show with comedian Richard Herring. * Duncan Trussel Family Hour \- US variety interview show with comedian Duncan Trussell * Russell Brand's Under the Skin \- Variety interview show with comedian Russell Brand that has a kind of spirituality/self-help focus. * Novara Media \- UK news from a left of centre perspective. * Sinica Podcast \- Somewhere between a Chinese current events podcast and a history show. * The Majority Report \- US news show hosted by Sarah Silverman's Chiropracter Sam Seder.
0
3,098
1.666667
kxg3v0
artfundamentals_train
0.9
How can I deal with the boredom of the basic exercises? I need to make a habit of these exercises because I'm 24 and draw like a High School Senior without formal training (no offense if this is you, honestly you're probably more skilled anyway if you're here). But F\*\*K ME it's boring. Like, I'd rather wash dishes for two hours than do this for 30 minutes undistracted. I can feel my lifespan flying by me while I do this, and with every missed line I am tortured by the reality of my own creeping mortality. It feels like...unproductively boring. I hate being unproductive. I REALLY hate being unproductive when I hate what I'm doing as well. It's gotta be one or the other, LOL. Anyway, what can I do? Particularly, how can I feel more productive while I do this? Thanks in advanced, even you random creeper who will downvote this just because. \- BuyMyArt
gjcetj0
gjd23h3
1,610,720,020
1,610,731,324
3
4
This problem is solved the same way people learn to enjoy eating green vegetables: ***You change your attitude*** so you understand how necessary and beneficial they are.
The basics are the exact opposite of unproductive though. I know they don't feel that way, because the exercises are so simple and dry. But think about it: drawing accurate lines is the foundation of almost every other skill you're going to learn in the program. The more advanced lessons will benefit you much less if you're struggling with basic line control. The analogy I often use is writing. Why would you expect to write great sentences in some new language you're learning if you don't have a good grasp of spelling and grammar? With that said, don't make yourself miserable. If you really want to continue on to other exercises, that's what you should do. Use a straight-edge for your straight lines, and don't worry about it. The important thing is for you to stay engaged and keep learning by actively practicing the drawing concepts. Whenever you can stand it, do some of the basic exercises at the end of your practice. The skills they build will help you throughout your entire art experience. They'll never stop being useful. I think you'll understand why the early exercises drill this stuff once you've seen the more advanced skills they're meant to prepare you for. Everything is built with simple lines.
0
11,304
1.333333
kxg3v0
artfundamentals_train
0.9
How can I deal with the boredom of the basic exercises? I need to make a habit of these exercises because I'm 24 and draw like a High School Senior without formal training (no offense if this is you, honestly you're probably more skilled anyway if you're here). But F\*\*K ME it's boring. Like, I'd rather wash dishes for two hours than do this for 30 minutes undistracted. I can feel my lifespan flying by me while I do this, and with every missed line I am tortured by the reality of my own creeping mortality. It feels like...unproductively boring. I hate being unproductive. I REALLY hate being unproductive when I hate what I'm doing as well. It's gotta be one or the other, LOL. Anyway, what can I do? Particularly, how can I feel more productive while I do this? Thanks in advanced, even you random creeper who will downvote this just because. \- BuyMyArt
gjbvd0h
gjd23h3
1,610,704,121
1,610,731,324
3
4
Do you find it boring because the exercises are too easy or boring because they are too hard and you aren't seeing any improvement?
The basics are the exact opposite of unproductive though. I know they don't feel that way, because the exercises are so simple and dry. But think about it: drawing accurate lines is the foundation of almost every other skill you're going to learn in the program. The more advanced lessons will benefit you much less if you're struggling with basic line control. The analogy I often use is writing. Why would you expect to write great sentences in some new language you're learning if you don't have a good grasp of spelling and grammar? With that said, don't make yourself miserable. If you really want to continue on to other exercises, that's what you should do. Use a straight-edge for your straight lines, and don't worry about it. The important thing is for you to stay engaged and keep learning by actively practicing the drawing concepts. Whenever you can stand it, do some of the basic exercises at the end of your practice. The skills they build will help you throughout your entire art experience. They'll never stop being useful. I think you'll understand why the early exercises drill this stuff once you've seen the more advanced skills they're meant to prepare you for. Everything is built with simple lines.
0
27,203
1.333333
kxg3v0
artfundamentals_train
0.9
How can I deal with the boredom of the basic exercises? I need to make a habit of these exercises because I'm 24 and draw like a High School Senior without formal training (no offense if this is you, honestly you're probably more skilled anyway if you're here). But F\*\*K ME it's boring. Like, I'd rather wash dishes for two hours than do this for 30 minutes undistracted. I can feel my lifespan flying by me while I do this, and with every missed line I am tortured by the reality of my own creeping mortality. It feels like...unproductively boring. I hate being unproductive. I REALLY hate being unproductive when I hate what I'm doing as well. It's gotta be one or the other, LOL. Anyway, what can I do? Particularly, how can I feel more productive while I do this? Thanks in advanced, even you random creeper who will downvote this just because. \- BuyMyArt
gjd23h3
gjcdun6
1,610,731,324
1,610,719,466
4
2
The basics are the exact opposite of unproductive though. I know they don't feel that way, because the exercises are so simple and dry. But think about it: drawing accurate lines is the foundation of almost every other skill you're going to learn in the program. The more advanced lessons will benefit you much less if you're struggling with basic line control. The analogy I often use is writing. Why would you expect to write great sentences in some new language you're learning if you don't have a good grasp of spelling and grammar? With that said, don't make yourself miserable. If you really want to continue on to other exercises, that's what you should do. Use a straight-edge for your straight lines, and don't worry about it. The important thing is for you to stay engaged and keep learning by actively practicing the drawing concepts. Whenever you can stand it, do some of the basic exercises at the end of your practice. The skills they build will help you throughout your entire art experience. They'll never stop being useful. I think you'll understand why the early exercises drill this stuff once you've seen the more advanced skills they're meant to prepare you for. Everything is built with simple lines.
You have to learn to enjoy the journey. Realize that every small step is a step towards you becoming a master.
1
11,858
2
kxg3v0
artfundamentals_train
0.9
How can I deal with the boredom of the basic exercises? I need to make a habit of these exercises because I'm 24 and draw like a High School Senior without formal training (no offense if this is you, honestly you're probably more skilled anyway if you're here). But F\*\*K ME it's boring. Like, I'd rather wash dishes for two hours than do this for 30 minutes undistracted. I can feel my lifespan flying by me while I do this, and with every missed line I am tortured by the reality of my own creeping mortality. It feels like...unproductively boring. I hate being unproductive. I REALLY hate being unproductive when I hate what I'm doing as well. It's gotta be one or the other, LOL. Anyway, what can I do? Particularly, how can I feel more productive while I do this? Thanks in advanced, even you random creeper who will downvote this just because. \- BuyMyArt
gjciir7
gjd23h3
1,610,722,025
1,610,731,324
2
4
This is something I'm struggling with, myself. I have a feeling my seven year old feels a similar way about his Fact Families math homework. I take comfort in the knowledge that, even if it doesn't feel like it at the time, I'm benefiting from these exercises in the long run and they're only going to be as beneficial as I let them be. You got this!!
The basics are the exact opposite of unproductive though. I know they don't feel that way, because the exercises are so simple and dry. But think about it: drawing accurate lines is the foundation of almost every other skill you're going to learn in the program. The more advanced lessons will benefit you much less if you're struggling with basic line control. The analogy I often use is writing. Why would you expect to write great sentences in some new language you're learning if you don't have a good grasp of spelling and grammar? With that said, don't make yourself miserable. If you really want to continue on to other exercises, that's what you should do. Use a straight-edge for your straight lines, and don't worry about it. The important thing is for you to stay engaged and keep learning by actively practicing the drawing concepts. Whenever you can stand it, do some of the basic exercises at the end of your practice. The skills they build will help you throughout your entire art experience. They'll never stop being useful. I think you'll understand why the early exercises drill this stuff once you've seen the more advanced skills they're meant to prepare you for. Everything is built with simple lines.
0
9,299
2
kxg3v0
artfundamentals_train
0.9
How can I deal with the boredom of the basic exercises? I need to make a habit of these exercises because I'm 24 and draw like a High School Senior without formal training (no offense if this is you, honestly you're probably more skilled anyway if you're here). But F\*\*K ME it's boring. Like, I'd rather wash dishes for two hours than do this for 30 minutes undistracted. I can feel my lifespan flying by me while I do this, and with every missed line I am tortured by the reality of my own creeping mortality. It feels like...unproductively boring. I hate being unproductive. I REALLY hate being unproductive when I hate what I'm doing as well. It's gotta be one or the other, LOL. Anyway, what can I do? Particularly, how can I feel more productive while I do this? Thanks in advanced, even you random creeper who will downvote this just because. \- BuyMyArt
gjd23h3
gjcrrry
1,610,731,324
1,610,726,572
4
2
The basics are the exact opposite of unproductive though. I know they don't feel that way, because the exercises are so simple and dry. But think about it: drawing accurate lines is the foundation of almost every other skill you're going to learn in the program. The more advanced lessons will benefit you much less if you're struggling with basic line control. The analogy I often use is writing. Why would you expect to write great sentences in some new language you're learning if you don't have a good grasp of spelling and grammar? With that said, don't make yourself miserable. If you really want to continue on to other exercises, that's what you should do. Use a straight-edge for your straight lines, and don't worry about it. The important thing is for you to stay engaged and keep learning by actively practicing the drawing concepts. Whenever you can stand it, do some of the basic exercises at the end of your practice. The skills they build will help you throughout your entire art experience. They'll never stop being useful. I think you'll understand why the early exercises drill this stuff once you've seen the more advanced skills they're meant to prepare you for. Everything is built with simple lines.
FWIW, I used to do a lot of exercises and they bored the heck out of me so I just changed them up a bit so I got more fun out of it. Had an exercise to draw a box from imagination 360 degrees rotating and like you I just felt it sucked the energy out of it so I went ahead and just looked up pictures of fun simple robots with simple shapes and rotate that instead lol. Makes it more fun of me while still keeping the spirit of the exercise I think
1
4,752
2
kxg3v0
artfundamentals_train
0.9
How can I deal with the boredom of the basic exercises? I need to make a habit of these exercises because I'm 24 and draw like a High School Senior without formal training (no offense if this is you, honestly you're probably more skilled anyway if you're here). But F\*\*K ME it's boring. Like, I'd rather wash dishes for two hours than do this for 30 minutes undistracted. I can feel my lifespan flying by me while I do this, and with every missed line I am tortured by the reality of my own creeping mortality. It feels like...unproductively boring. I hate being unproductive. I REALLY hate being unproductive when I hate what I'm doing as well. It's gotta be one or the other, LOL. Anyway, what can I do? Particularly, how can I feel more productive while I do this? Thanks in advanced, even you random creeper who will downvote this just because. \- BuyMyArt
gjbxw8n
gjbvd0h
1,610,706,725
1,610,704,121
5
3
Just start drawing circles and don’t stop! You will never draw a perfect circle but you will gain confidence in your pen stokes. Confidence goes a long way!
Do you find it boring because the exercises are too easy or boring because they are too hard and you aren't seeing any improvement?
1
2,604
1.666667
kxg3v0
artfundamentals_train
0.9
How can I deal with the boredom of the basic exercises? I need to make a habit of these exercises because I'm 24 and draw like a High School Senior without formal training (no offense if this is you, honestly you're probably more skilled anyway if you're here). But F\*\*K ME it's boring. Like, I'd rather wash dishes for two hours than do this for 30 minutes undistracted. I can feel my lifespan flying by me while I do this, and with every missed line I am tortured by the reality of my own creeping mortality. It feels like...unproductively boring. I hate being unproductive. I REALLY hate being unproductive when I hate what I'm doing as well. It's gotta be one or the other, LOL. Anyway, what can I do? Particularly, how can I feel more productive while I do this? Thanks in advanced, even you random creeper who will downvote this just because. \- BuyMyArt
gjcetj0
gjcdun6
1,610,720,020
1,610,719,466
3
2
This problem is solved the same way people learn to enjoy eating green vegetables: ***You change your attitude*** so you understand how necessary and beneficial they are.
You have to learn to enjoy the journey. Realize that every small step is a step towards you becoming a master.
1
554
1.5
dhbyee
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can you suggest any specific exercise to improve most of the drawing skills?
f3mr920
f3n8rha
1,570,991,399
1,570,995,872
29
41
Big thing for me is proportion. If I pay attention to anything, it’s the proportion.
I do the stuff that is hardest for me, which in my case are ellipses.
0
4,473
1.413793
dhbyee
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can you suggest any specific exercise to improve most of the drawing skills?
f3n8rha
f3mfdx9
1,570,995,872
1,570,987,410
41
21
I do the stuff that is hardest for me, which in my case are ellipses.
I like doing cylinders. That way I can practice my curves and straight lines at the same time. You can intersect them for even more practice.
1
8,462
1.952381
dhbyee
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can you suggest any specific exercise to improve most of the drawing skills?
f3n788x
f3n8rha
1,570,995,446
1,570,995,872
22
41
Try to shove a lot of stuff which is out of your comfort zone into a single piece
I do the stuff that is hardest for me, which in my case are ellipses.
0
426
1.863636
dhbyee
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can you suggest any specific exercise to improve most of the drawing skills?
f3n8rha
f3m7u1a
1,570,995,872
1,570,984,338
41
17
I do the stuff that is hardest for me, which in my case are ellipses.
I'm no expert but maybe what I say might be helpful. Practicing regularly is more valuable than any one type of drawing. Find what you love to draw and make it a regular habit. From there you should see gradual improvement with practice and seeking advice about details you're not yet satisfied with. Just my 2¢
1
11,534
2.411765
dhbyee
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can you suggest any specific exercise to improve most of the drawing skills?
f3n8rha
f3m7lef
1,570,995,872
1,570,984,234
41
16
I do the stuff that is hardest for me, which in my case are ellipses.
Deliberate practice. There is no magic exercises or something like that. I found it helpful to write down the stuff I want to work on and narrow them down to small goals and just have at it. I suppose for exercises anything that reinforces the drawing from the shoulder, as well as ghosted lines exercises. You can warm up before a drawing session by doing the first 2 draw a box lessons?
1
11,638
2.5625
dhbyee
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can you suggest any specific exercise to improve most of the drawing skills?
f3majkr
f3n8rha
1,570,985,515
1,570,995,872
12
41
No, just practice. I wish there's a one-size-fit-all solution though. Going through your old stuffs to see what's wrong also works sometimes. You can also try to look at it objectively and work through any errors one at a time
I do the stuff that is hardest for me, which in my case are ellipses.
0
10,357
3.416667
dhbyee
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can you suggest any specific exercise to improve most of the drawing skills?
f3m84oy
f3n8rha
1,570,984,463
1,570,995,872
9
41
Practice drawing straight lines. Make two points, and draw a perfect straight line starting at one point and exactly ending at the other point.
I do the stuff that is hardest for me, which in my case are ellipses.
0
11,409
4.555556
dhbyee
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can you suggest any specific exercise to improve most of the drawing skills?
f3mr920
f3mfdx9
1,570,991,399
1,570,987,410
29
21
Big thing for me is proportion. If I pay attention to anything, it’s the proportion.
I like doing cylinders. That way I can practice my curves and straight lines at the same time. You can intersect them for even more practice.
1
3,989
1.380952
dhbyee
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can you suggest any specific exercise to improve most of the drawing skills?
f3m7u1a
f3mr920
1,570,984,338
1,570,991,399
17
29
I'm no expert but maybe what I say might be helpful. Practicing regularly is more valuable than any one type of drawing. Find what you love to draw and make it a regular habit. From there you should see gradual improvement with practice and seeking advice about details you're not yet satisfied with. Just my 2¢
Big thing for me is proportion. If I pay attention to anything, it’s the proportion.
0
7,061
1.705882
dhbyee
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can you suggest any specific exercise to improve most of the drawing skills?
f3m7lef
f3mr920
1,570,984,234
1,570,991,399
16
29
Deliberate practice. There is no magic exercises or something like that. I found it helpful to write down the stuff I want to work on and narrow them down to small goals and just have at it. I suppose for exercises anything that reinforces the drawing from the shoulder, as well as ghosted lines exercises. You can warm up before a drawing session by doing the first 2 draw a box lessons?
Big thing for me is proportion. If I pay attention to anything, it’s the proportion.
0
7,165
1.8125
dhbyee
artfundamentals_train
0.98
Can you suggest any specific exercise to improve most of the drawing skills?
f3mr920
f3majkr
1,570,991,399
1,570,985,515
29
12
Big thing for me is proportion. If I pay attention to anything, it’s the proportion.
No, just practice. I wish there's a one-size-fit-all solution though. Going through your old stuffs to see what's wrong also works sometimes. You can also try to look at it objectively and work through any errors one at a time
1
5,884
2.416667