tapedog
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Sometimes I get questions….

Q: Do you always have a starting point for a drawing/painting such as a blob? Do you carry a sketchbook for inspiration? How do you get yourself out of creative ruts? Do you feel happy with where you are with your art? And finally, where/how did you come up with all your wonderful tutorials and exercises? thanks, an awed 13 year old

A:

Do you always have a starting point for a drawing/painting such as a blob? Or do you just have the idea and then use that as a jumping off point for your drawings? 

Recently a lot of my drawing/paintings do emerge from random marks or “blob” shapes, yes. But sometimes an idea for a drawing will pop into my head, and I’ll begin to try and follow the lead. (However, usually, even if I have a preconceived idea, as soon as I put pen or paint to paper, things are free to morph and change.)

How do you get yourself out of creative ruts?

Lately the best way for me to get out of a creative rut is to STOP. Stop trying and just take a break. This can take many forms, such as going for a walk, organizing my art table, or sleeping away a weekend.

Also, I need to remind myself constantly that the creative ideas WILL flow again… they can’t help it!

Do you feel happy with where you are with your art?

Yes and no. Recently I’m realizing — with my art and my everything else in my life — that at all times there needs to be a coexistence of two seemingly opposite things:

  1. A sincere love and acceptance about where I am at the moment.
  2. The desire to improve and be better in the future.

So, while I like what I do, even love some of it, there is so much more I can work on… composition, line quality, “story,” color…. It’s a constant learning process (my art and my life), and that’s a very good thing!

And finally, where/how did you come up with all your wonderful tutorials and exercises?

When I take the time to mess around with pencil or paint, fun things happen. I try hard to just experiment and let the “let’s see what happens if” mentality rule the day. Then, when I have the time, I’ll make up a tutorial or add it into a class as an exercise.

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Do you have a question about drawing or the creative process? I can only speak for myself, but I’m happy to share my thoughts and experiences. Go to this post and ask it in the comments section. I will try and answer all of them over time!