The old "artistic block..."

Ah yes...
since this is indeed art related, I will post this here...

As of late, I haven't drawn anything. At all. This is the first time in my life that I have went over a month without drawing or even picking up a pencil to even doodle. It feels like I've lost all my inspiration to create, to show any production of any artwork whatsoever.
I don't think it's depression, because when I'm depressed, I usually turn to drawing...
It's as if I'm completely null-in-void. As if the magic of drawing anyting is gone. I really have had no desire to even think about doing anyting art related.
I know this is just a phase that I will go through, but I was just wondering..

Have you ever had an artistic/writers block horribly, and how did you get over it?

By the way, I am very impressed by all the most recent artwork done around here (since I haven't been in here for awhile.....).. So you guys may just inspire me to get out of my rut yet!!
^_~

Yeah i get that all the time, and i know you all dont see me as the drawing type but i am it's all i do i just dont like to show it off.
Oh right yeah i do get that all the time and usually when i dont feel like drawing i turn to fanart or something, but a while ago i realised that drawing still images felt pointless and i felt like it had no meaning so i started to draw comics and that has really helped, and if i get block, i just go to historyofhyrule.com or somewhere ike that and check out some comics for inspiration.

Having so much time on your hands always gives me blocks. I absolutely hate the attitude of: "Do it later".

In get into that problem all the time. I want to draw, I really do, and yet, I just...can't. It's really a strange thing. You just feel completely out of ideas at all.

Generally, though, when I feel like that, I'll go look at artwork online or something and use that as inspiration. It never fails to get me back in the drawing mood.

I'm in the middle of a massive artists block right now. I blame it, however, on my current art class. We've been doing nothing but inane projects for the past semester. Unfortunately, this lack of any real inspired assignments has rendered me somewhat uninspired. Of course, there is also the small matter that my work is nothing compared to some of the stuff I've seen here. And that my printer/scanner is broken, so I can't upload my stuff for everyone to see.

I took a drawing course last year, and we did a lot of stimulating things in there. My shading improved a great deal while there.

Recently, I've been trying to draw my characters from The War of the Triforce (see sig for a link). I did a lot of concept drawings for my character Toorima, and after making about 5-10 different sketches, I decided on the one I used to describe him.

Maybe it's because this semester of that art class is about to end and next semester I get a new teacher that I'm beginning to get my inspiration back.

Regardless, I'm sure your block and mine will pass eventually. I still have a whole sketchbook to fill

I just got over an artist block yesterday, it does suck, you think you have something you want to draw, you pick up a piece of paper and a pencil but you just draw a blank -_- nothing comes to mind, well that's what happens to me anyway. It sucks but you'll get though it soon

Believe me, I wouldn't consider myself a young-author if I hadn't had writers block ever...

I've got it a bunch of times. I actually stopped doing an entire story for nearly a year, though my worst was the period between my third Zelda fic and Ceerlin's Saga. Mother of God I swear I nearly lost it. coudln't think of what to do that'd be enjoyable. My Zelda love just died, I had no good ideas for a parody, and nothing for an epic was coming to mind. I had the idea of a Christmas fic with me, Mirren and the Link's Little Brother cast, but that went straight down the toilet. Nothing was working, I felt like killing myself, and heck even at furst I stopped Ceerlin's Saga because I was suffereing, but eventually it stopped and I got back to writing.

I had it in the last couple days. Ceerlin's Saga no longer gives me enjoyment, though with my new-found love again for Zelda, I'm gonna start another Zelda fic.

How can it be helped sadida? Millions of ways. Either read or watch about things you're obsessed or very interested in, take walks about your neighborhood, read or look at other fic/artworks online, read really good epic books, see fantastic pictures by incredibe artist, wait for a dream to give you something, take ideas off your every day life or something that happened one day, find something that'll make you laugh, lay in bed just concentrating and thinking, ask other writers or artists what they're doing, look around when you go out for the day/night- take notes on what you see. That's just a few hope they helped...^^

Here's a trick I always use - don't expect too much of yourself. I rarely plan before I draw. If the spirit takes me, I simply sit with my pad and pencil and start with lines. Those lines make me think of other lines, so I add them. Then maybe a few odd shapes here and there. Usually at this point I get an idea of what my doodle can turn into, so I'll pursue it. But the thing is, I never force myself to do something spectacular - if I feel like drawing, I just start drawing, and more often than not what I end up doing is practising my technique. The end result is something that doesn't look bad, necessarily, but is just a sketch. Allow yourself time to doodle, to sketch, and call it practice. You'll improve your skill and maybe be inspired to do more.

Originally posted by pipking
Here's a trick I always use - don't expect too much of yourself. I rarely plan before I draw. If the spirit takes me, I simply sit with my pad and pencil and start with lines. Those lines make me think of other lines, so I add them. Then maybe a few odd shapes here and there. Usually at this point I get an idea of what my doodle can turn into, so I'll pursue it. But the thing is, I never force myself to do something spectacular - if I feel like drawing, I just start drawing, and more often than not what I end up doing is practising my technique. The end result is something that doesn't look bad, necessarily, but is just a sketch. Allow yourself time to doodle, to sketch, and call it practice. You'll improve your skill and maybe be inspired to do more.

Believe me, I *don't* expect too much of myself... (people I know always get mad at me for not expecting MORE of myself... but that's another topic)
Out of everything mentioned here, pipking, you hit the mark.
You actually describe what I do when I draw. I don't think about it. It just happens.
But the problem lately is that I've had less spontanious moments as of late where my mind goes blank, and the magic so called pours out of from my pencil and on to the tablet...

Heh.. the last thing I really attemted to create would be the Icon I'm using right now..
But I have good news.. 2 nights ago, I actally felt like sketching something. It wasn't much, just an eyeball, but that's my mind's way of telling me that everythings going to be ok.

Thank you guys!!

mhm ... hard to say.
like u said i usually turn to drawing and doodling when i am feeling down. when i just don't draw, usually all i have to do is look at other peopl's work which just makes me feel ashamed of me and do something >_> .
heh another thing is ( i don't know if it ever happened to you guys) is.. if ever i'm supposed to be studying/ making notes i always end up drawing on more than 50% of the page ... then rip out half pages if a doodle turned out exceptionally well XD .
lol ked, i liked that: u spend time thinking of what u might draw, and when u get the idea it's compilcated ^^, but i've found that it's best to find reference material and GET it done- it'll break a phobia of drawing something before it starts ^^

Yeah, all the time.
I've just finished writing a novel, and believe me, I got writers block all the time. In fact, the odds are that I got writers block at LEAST twice per chapter. It's natural for me.
I've also got an artistic block at the moment, but I think I'm getting out of it just now.

oh dear, I'm having a bad one recently, during winter break, I was drawing like mad and now... ::sigh:: and I think it's for the same reason as Lost Shade, as soon as I started "draw and paint 1", I haven't been able to do anything good!!! >_< that might have something to do with my teacher making me do things I don't want to... >_> and as most of you know, that dosen't fly well with most artist.

anywho.... maybe it's cuz my wonderful teachers incoragement twords my work...

Tiana get rid of that stupid looking japanimation stuff!Be more creative.... draw a chair!

>_> and....

why is everything so cute!?!? try somthing more creative, I hate kitties and swords and hearts and cute things... draw a table!

::sigh:: o well, I do my best work during band class when your in percussion you have a lot time to just sit there so most of the time I just draw. ^_^ but today.... dear god. >_> I tried drawing kenshin..... lets just not go there....

I'm going to try and draw somthing right now and see how it turns out.....

heh, i get that block all the time. i think of some cool thing to draw, then i pick up pencil and paper and its all gone.

LOL Zgirl, that sounds so like my previous teachers. they don't consider manga as art. although i have to say that the teachers i had were a tad more creative, instead of the table and chair it was mostly: shoes and a plant ( the same plant for 4 years) -___-!!

Well, I think after a few days of writer's block, it's gone.

I've decided to start writing shorter Zelda fics for a month or two, though not so Zeldaish *is that even a word?* Expect a special valentine's day story from me, and then one with some real action and emotion, and possibly two more about more light-hearted, happy things.

Then onto my Godzilla fics!!! ^^