cat-onawall replied to your photo: Biked to the botanical gardens earlier to draw; I…
Im glad youre enjoying the botanical gardens. ^_^
^___^ They’re really wonderful! @_@ The temptation to go every day is high. XD
I am an artist. I am a writer. I make things. www.clairewhitmore.com
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Biked to the botanical gardens earlier to draw; I just want to get lost there. The gardens are beautiful.
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Biked to the local arboretum and drew some very lovely trees. I’ve never seen so many amazing, jaw-droopingly-beautiful magnolia trees in one place in my life.
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Still have to scan this one in properly, but I finished it awhile ago and just forgot to share! Once again used the masking fluid on the skeletons with mild success. It’s a useful tool, just not as seamless in application as I’d like it to be.
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Changed avatars. Is it freaking you out? It’s freaking me out. XD It’s amazing how much swapping out a 100x100 pixel box can throw you off…
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Punching down the Lizard Brain
I’m working on a big project. It’s BIG. HUGONORMOUS. And really, really intimidating.
It’s also fun, something I’m choosing to do, and a great art challenge that I’ll really benefit from. (I’ve already learned heaps and I’m still in the planning stages).
So here’s a question for you creative friends… What are your tricks to beat down the Lizard Brain in your head that wants you to just give up and watch TV at eat stale cookies and never do anything productive ever again because you just. might. fail?
I decided on a long post too since I have a little bit of a system. First, I put on comfortable or confident clothes (depending on what position I’m going to be stuck in) and then I pull my hair back. That way I feel ready to work (and it’s not falling in my face.)
Next, I pick my space and neaten it up. I usually spread out on the floor or the table and clear it off so only a couple of things are in my line of sight. If there’s a mess in the room I keep my back to it so it can’t mentally or physically distract me.
While I’m doing this, I also make a pot of tea. I keep it and a cup next to me at all times while I’m working.
Then I do kind of what Myriad does—I give myself blocks of time. Usually I work for 45 minutes, or 30 if I’m tired. Then I’ll give myself a ten minute break (with a timer because human will is simply not strong enough).
For me, ten minutes is enough to stretch and loosen up, but not get distracted. I usually run to the bathroom, have a small snack, check up on one or two youtube vlogs. (Make more tea.) And then when the timer goes off, I go back to work. Sometimes I play a funny or pumped up song to get me back into working.
That’s it (
after surprisingly long process). Rinse and repeat. I also recommend setting up some instrumental music and then disabling the computer. Seriously, unplug the mouse, put it in a box, and put it on the highest shelf, if possible.That timer idea is gold. I need to get me one. So is the physical removal of shiny object temptation (aka tumblr…) not just mentally saying “nope” XD
Pretty much everyone has great ideas. Everyone should check out the reblogs for brilliance! \o/
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Punching down the Lizard Brain
I’m working on a big project. It’s BIG. HUGONORMOUS. And really, really intimidating.
It’s also fun, something I’m choosing to do, and a great art challenge that I’ll really benefit from. (I’ve already learned heaps and I’m still in the planning stages).
So here’s a question for you creative friends… What are your tricks to beat down the Lizard Brain in your head that wants you to just give up and watch TV at eat stale cookies and never do anything productive ever again because you just. might. fail?
I already answered this briefly, but I wanted to expand on it. I had trouble with my inner editor when I was trying to write first drafts of things, so I took the tack of naming her Miranda after Miranda Priestley from The Devil Wears Prada.
My inner editor already sounded like Miranda, so why shouldn’t she just take on the name? Interestingly, it’s worked quite well at getting her to back off when she’s being a little too critical of first draft work.
I schedule my time in 15-minute blocks when I really need to get something done. Sometimes I’ll put a couple 15-minute-blocks together, but never more than 4, so never more than one hour spent on a task without a 15-minute block of a break. I also include fun things in my scheduling, like Tumblr and snacks and cartoons, so my breaks are specific instead of just “take a break.” It’s best to set a timer instead of just telling yourself you’ll keep track of time, because you will cheat. I use my phone, but there are apps for that.
I also make lists. Lots of lists. Lists of tiny tasks to finish off, lists where I can cross items off on a regular basis because the items are so small. There’s nothing to make you feel accomplished like a big list of crossed-out things.
Sometimes it helps to tell yourself, “This is good for me, even though it’s intimidating” and “It will be worth it” and “I’ll be so proud of myself when I’m done” but those tend to ring hollow for me because they’re so abstract. I like candy as a reward instead. You’re never too old to reward yourself with M&Ms.
OH great stuff in here! \o/ Everyone is so great at this stuff I love it. Also extra win for Miranda.
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Punching down the Lizard Brain
I’m working on a big project. It’s BIG. HUGONORMOUS. And really, really intimidating.
It’s also fun, something I’m choosing to do, and a great art challenge that I’ll really benefit from. (I’ve already learned heaps and I’m still in the planning stages).
So here’s a question for you creative friends… What are your tricks to beat down the Lizard Brain in your head that wants you to just give up and watch TV at eat stale cookies and never do anything productive ever again because you just. might. fail?
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Created a fan secondary tumblr. Did I do this right? Ug. Tumblr is confusing sometimes…
FYI
Ace-Case will remain art-only. Fan activities will be happening on this other blog. -
As a bit of a break between projects I went through an old pile of drawings and updated a sketch from a year or so ago into an actual painting. A fun process to do.
This was also one of my first attempts using art masking fluid. It seemed like a foolproof concept – put on the masking fluid, paint with total freedom, pull it off and have untouched paper underneath.
And it does work. But it’s finicky as heck to use. It dries so fast that by the time you have it on the brush you have about half a second to get it where it needs to go. It’s clumsy and goes on the paper like rubber cement. And make sure you use a really old brush when you apply it, because that’s all that brush will be good for now. It probably just needs some more practice, so I haven’t given up on it yet. I just wish I loved it, because the concept is so awesome.
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For the #dailydoodlers over on twitter! Prompt was “alien” and I went with something wriggly…
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My good friend Jenny is a writer. That can only mean good things for collaboration. In particular, we decided a series of illustrated, one sentence stories was in order. So I humbly present the first!
This painting was a bit of a bear. Sometimes paintings come easy… this one didn’t. But in a way I’m glad, because it reinforced the fact that just because you fail at a painting once doesn’t mean the war is over, just that you need to try again. So I did. Twice more. But in the end I was victorious! I learned a lot from this one, way more than if it had been easy.
Here are a few of the many thumbnails I did trying to figure out how best to illustrate this one.
And here’s a look at the first time I tried painting it…
If at first you don’t succeed… fry fry a hen!
Has anyone else utterly failed at a painting once (or twice… or three times…) before finally getting it? Is the process frustrating or liberating?
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Getting set up in my new place has been a long process. Starting over is hard, both emotionally and practically.
But I’m finally getting the ball rolling again!
This painting was fun to do. It reaffirmed that I love my pen to itty bitty bits and that watercolors are possibly the most fun ever invented. Also, because I love taking pictures, I thought I’d share some in-progress pics.
Theme: Linear by Peter Vidani
