How does anyone draw really anything? I can never come up with just “ something to draw”

[acoustic gate]

I’ve been drawing art for a long time and I started taking it more seriously around the summer of last year. And so far I’ve noticed a lot of improvement . But for some reason I can never come up with anything to draw ever . Even when I do usually i just sketch it . Realize I nowhere near capable of drawing what I imagine in a way I wouldn’t hate . And then try to find something else . When I see most people draw they just go “ I’m gonna draw a guy” and then they do it? This makes little sense to me . As you can see from the random pictures I’ve chosen, it’s not like I don’t know how to texture or whatever . I have a wide range of artistic ability. But for some reason it’s randomly applicable. Like I don’t control the quality ever . Seemingly it is random when I’ll make something super good , and I have no real control over it

I have a lot more pieces than these but , my main case in point being that . I can draw but 90% of the time I cannot . Because I can never come up with something to draw in the first place . It’s not lack of ideas I just usually don’t get a foothold in whatever idea is up during the sketch so I just erase it and move on to something else

[silk sun]

Do you use references for everything?

References can be useful but relying on them a lot gives this problem youre having of not being able to create anything of your own

[acoustic gate]

I do , I mean most of the time it is entirely without refrence but some times I look at something I want to replicate and I do basically the same thing

I say basically cause personally I can stand tracing or anything

I just do my best to mimic what is shown

[silk sun]

Thats why. You shouldnt mimic references, they are there to help you but not make your entire piece.

Next time you use a reference, also make sure to apply it into a drawing of your own.

For example, if youre studying a skull, use a reference to break it down and use it as a guide. Then, make another drawing after using what you learned

[acoustic gate]

Well when I say Mimic I mean like , how it’s painted , what techniques they used to paint it how the linework is

I never make like an exact replica

[silk sun]

Ohhh I see

[acoustic gate]

But even then I barely do use references for all the ones I posted I did not use a reference

Those were jsut me

I can show you some more of mine if you like

[acoustic gate]

I have a very oddly wide range of artistic ability , but I cannot apply it whenever I want

For some reason

[silk sun]

Hmm that is odd. Have you tried maybe recording your drawing time-lapse and then going back and seeing what you did?

Maybe that will help you learn what you did right that time and how to put it into your next piece

[acoustic gate]

Well that’s the thing , I did try that awhile ago

And what I noticed is every so often

When I did. Actually end up making something

That I showed to people and I still like

I usually Bline the entire process

Like I make it WAY faster than something I’m really not into

when I can’t figure out what to draw I aimlessly scribble

Until something maybe appears on the page that vaguely looks like something

I do a lot of abstract practices as a result of this

[silk sun]

Maybe youre just a perfectionist.
Do you enjoy the process of art or do you just like the results?

[acoustic gate]

I only like the result, it’s not that I hate drawing or whatever

But it’s similar to cooking

You don’t just throw a bunch of bullshit in a pan and then throw it away

And you certainly aren’t SUPPSOED to fuck it up

[silk sun]

🥲

[acoustic gate]

Because then it’s not edible

[silk sun]

That is what most professional chefs do

Cause its creative yknow

Its a creative job

Cooking is like making art

[acoustic gate]

well I mean but they know what they’re doing in this analogy I am a mediocre chef at best

[silk sun]

A lot of the recipes you see are just people throwing shit on the wall and seeing what stixks

[acoustic gate]

And sometimes I cook a really good omelette

[silk sun]

LMFAO me too brk

[acoustic gate]

Well I’m not saying people shouldn’t do that , but what I meant to say is that it feels pointless if I don’t come out with something I like

Because whether or not you enjoy the process your doing it for a desired outcome

Here’s some more of my stuff btw

Those are mostly quick doodles except for the top left

[silk sun]

I think if you learned to enjoy the process as well, you will love the results more. Not bevause its good, but because it was fun. Like watching a bad movie yknow

[acoustic gate]

I’ve certainly been drawing a lot more lately

Mostly because I can’t seem to ignore my urge to draw

But then when o do try to just do it

Sit down make something it’s not satisfying

I think that’s what it is

It’s like being hungry

But for the fulfillment of making a good piece of art

So I usually walk away unsatisfied because I did not properly express myself

[silk sun]

I think this is the most euphemism ive seen in a thread ever 😭

[acoustic gate]

It’s just the way I communicate

I’m very autistic I’ve been told

[silk sun]

Me too lmao, I love it. Its so fun comparing things

[silk sun]

I get that, i used to feel that way about my art too. I dont reslly know what advice to give apart from learning to love the process and not caring so much about the results. I know its definitely easier said than done but

Maybe if you do that you will feel a lot more fulfilled with your art

Art is emotion yknow, maybe all you need is to get that emotion on a page. It doesnt need to be good

Like that new trend.
"Just get it on paper, you can make it good later"

[acoustic gate]

Yea that’s exactly the thing that upsets me , I always make art with emotion it’s my favorite thing to do , but the issue is how that emotion is conveyed

A painting vs a crayon drawing is a good example

They could be depriving the same thing

But the painting will always have a clearer and more stark appeal to people

Because it beautifully conveys what it’s trying to

The crayon is a good tool, but it is limited compared to a painting

So whenever I try to draw o feel it usually comes out like a crayon drawing

It’s not that I didn’t finish it or that its not good in its own right

I just don’t like it because it doesn’t convey the emotion or whatever I’m trying to make behind it seriously enough

The message is of course twisted and changed because I can’t convey exactly what it is I want to convey because I can’t draw it that well

Or I can’t even come up with anything too draw about it

[silk sun]

Maybe to you, but art is interperstive. Theres a lot of bad artists that make deep and meaningful art. Even something with crayons.

Like how in args they use kids drawing to portray emotion. The art is bad, yes, but it still makes you feel something. Sad or scared or mad or something

[acoustic gate]

Well yeah but , the issue isn’t that it doesn’t convey an emotion it’s that it doesn’t do it the way I intended it to

Like look at these 2

These are 2 very similar drawings

The one on the left conveys immeasurable rage and it’s very clear that’s what it means

And it does that in a very clear and concise way

No real visible fuck ups and it looks scary

The other one conveys like a somberness kinda but it’s kinda overshadowed by the poor shading

Also the head and face seem to be kinda , antaromicslly incorrect . I couldn’t tell you how but it just looks odd

And those few changes completely alter the way people view it , not that it shouldn’t it’s are that’s how it works

It’s like shooting an inaccurate fun, you aim for the same thing everytime but you only hit it every so often

Gun*

And weird thing is I couldn’t replicate that one on the left if I tried

I’m sure I could probably make something extremely similar

But it wouldn’t feel the same

Al the stars have to align for a good drawing

[silk sun]

Were you feeling mad when you made it

[acoustic gate]

Maybe

Most of the time they do come from emotions

But I don’t think I have to be experiencing said emotion

I can recall it

That’s how I remebe making most of mine

I’m sure their were a few that were like quickly made out of passion or other

[oak gyro]

I personally take requests cause my brain is empty otherwise

[acoustic gate]

I don’t like asking people for requests because it’s anyone’s best guess if I’ll actually finish it anyway

[oak gyro]

I always write no guarantees at the end .

What I do is make a request post

And explain what people can request. And leave requests here which I may or may not get to

You won't get many likes/thank yous,from the previous requesters if you take too long. But that's not the point. The point is they offer you ideas

You can also join request/draw communities

Like reddit has draw me or draw for me communities

[acoustic gate]

hmmmmm

That’s really helpful actually

Is the ag liek here

Is there one of those request post rhingies here

[acoustic gate]

Also just rmebered , one of my favorite things to do is make art in tandem with a song , like base the art off of the emotion the song feeds

On my Instagram account where I post the art I showed you I always include the song I made it with

I think atleast it adds an extra perception based layer to the meaning of the drawing

Gives people enough room to come to their own conclusions about it while still being narrow enough to encapsulate what feeling I was going for and nothing more