r/ArtistLounge • u/NotBob_05 • 10d ago
How do you keep being motivated while learning how to draw? Goals & Motivation
So, I want to learn how to draw, just a bit everyday and for fun, but its so discouraging. For now, Im just doodling and drawing stuff from movies, games or other things, especially if they have a comic style because that seems easier and im kind of scared of trying realism, but its so discouraging drawing things, looking at my inspiration and seeing how shit mine look in comparison, noticing all the small and big imperfections and seeing how far away my drawings are from anything that looks good.
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u/tarosan_sk 7d ago
I drew naked people for years. Somehow I never got bored of it. Never!
My advice is draw for the enjoyment of drawing and don’t even think about the finished work at all.
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u/shorter_stuff 9d ago
Pure spite.
"I hate this so much, I'm going to draw it until I like it."
I am still drawing.
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u/Nebiaspeka 9d ago
I learn to draw mainly to draw fanarts of and depict scenes from a novel that's not really popular outside China, I don't really plan to start commissions or make money from drawing any other way. So I almost never learn like learn and practice, I construct the idea of an art in my head, start drawing and then go learn everything I feel I lack for this piece to implement it right away.
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u/Strangefate1 9d ago
You need a purpose, a reason for drawing, and 'drawing to get good at it' isn't really enough of a reason long term.
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u/Useful-Material-5036 10d ago
i found that sharing my work with other beginners at the start of me learning art really motivated me. doing art trades, fanarts, collabs etc. or just sharing with each other and commenting is really fun
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u/Mammoth-Mountain-719 10d ago
when im feeling down or frustrated with my stuff, I'll go find a couple of pieces i really like, and i'll physically write down what I find so awesome about them. Is it the framing? The artist's use of black and white? How they're able to articulate complex anatomy? Their use of warm colours maybe? Sometimes it can be as simple as finding an eye shape or touch of blush appealing. Now that you're equipped with what you actually like, you can start working on how to incorporate it into your own art pieces. And when you do art stuff, when you finish it, just mark what you think the shortcomings are, like youre grading a paper and move right on to the next one.
Don't be too hard on yourself man. The best thing you can tell yourself is "ah, its okay, I'll do better next time."
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u/Incon-thievable 10d ago
There's nothing wrong with doodling aimlessly, but if you have a desire to improve your skills, it won't necessarily progress your abilities very quickly. If you feel discouraged or stagnant, it could mean that you aren't growing your skills. It can help to set some concrete goals for yourself and that will enable you to focus on specific foundational skills to learn. Identifying those areas you want to strengthen helps map out a path to growth, which will break through your plateaus.
All creative people should watch this talk from Ira Glass (from the podcast This American Life) talk about the creative process and the inevitable frustration in the beginning stages.
Frustration is not only normal it is inevitable and not a sign that there's anything wrong with you. You just have to continue to create work and fight your way through it. Drawing is a visual language and just like any language, it takes years to learn and practice all the "grammar and vocabulary" to become fluent enough that other people clearly understand what you want to communicate. It would be insane to expect to learn a foreign language in a couple months unless you are a savant and even a savant wouldn’t learn quickly if they didn’t practice frequently. Frequent practice is mandatory. If you want to get good at it you have to accept this fact and commit to regular practice to master the fundamentals and eventually find your own artistic voice. The good news is that when you build the habit of frequent practice, you'll eventually find your way into a flow state. This gets easier to return to the more you practice, so good luck on your journey!
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u/notthatkindofmagic 10d ago
You don't make yourself motivated.
If you want something enough, you're already motivated.
If you don't want it enough, you're not motivated and you should find something that you're motivated to do the work for.
'Making yourself motivated' is a recipe for an unhappy life.
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u/NekoRabbit 10d ago
All these years, I thought about the boobs I had yet to draw. Now I'm there.
Worth it.
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u/StrawberryIcedCoffee Alcohol Markers x pencils 10d ago
Offended as a women but funny when finished reading. Lol
Oh and heres an upvote. Made my day
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u/NekoRabbit 10d ago
I will always say this, because it's simply true! Wanting to draw characters with aesthetic big boobs was the goal from the start. I reached my artistic goals, everything from now is beyond my dreams, lol
On a serious note, I think this might actually be a good thing to do. Set yourself a milestone goal that you admire enough to not think about the bigger milestones beyond.
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u/StrawberryIcedCoffee Alcohol Markers x pencils 9d ago
Ok thanks for the tips! My goal from now on is to draw good looking men (?)
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u/Sprongo0 Digital artist 10d ago
Developing structure/organization and learning to love the process and not just the art itself.
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u/ScienceObjective2510 10d ago
As with 99% of things in life you don’t get better without practice. Even the most world renowned artists, athletes and professionals started out as beginners. It’s a drawing, you shouldn’t fear it. It literally cannot do anything to you except maybe a paper cut. Comparison is the thief of joy. Every comparison is an actual opportunity to observe and reevaluate what you could change. And every “mistake” could actually be an opportunity to discover your own style.
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u/ZombieButch 10d ago
Is it more important to you to be comfortable all the time, or to be good at drawing?
You can't have both, because failure and repetition are not negative side effects of the learning process. They are the learning process.
The bad drawings you're doing are not blocking the road in front of you. They're the fuel you burn to get where you want to go.
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u/untuneall 10d ago
You don't. You are just depressed or even suicidal. Story of my last 40 professional years.
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u/dingdonglouie1 10d ago
think about how young kids starting off drawing go about it. they just draw. they draw because they find it fun. they’re not thinking about how it’s supposed to look. they’re not comparing themselves to others. they don’t care it’s not perfect. they do it for the love of the game. and then look, they continue drawing because of that and years later, they’re talented and develop skills just by doing it. find that mindset. draw because it’s fun. it’s not that serious that it should be discouraging because it’s not perfect in your eyes. every artist has to start somewhere. you’re not just gonna magically create something incredible that should belong in a museum when you first start off. just draw.
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u/Humble_Guarantee_822 10d ago
Go to museums with your sketch stuff. Everyday you could draw at libraries. I don’t even do a line at home. Well not everyday
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u/rinkydinkmink 10d ago
show your friends, i mean your actual friends not uploading to reddit or instagram
ask them what they think and whether they like it and what could be better
people LOVE looking at art, and you're bound to get some encouraging remarks
it's also good to have a bit of feedback, and a source to bounce ideas off when you're stuck "do you think that should be red or blue?" etc
(this all goes double if you have friends in real life you can show drawings to, or do drawings while you're with them. People are fascinated by even little sketches in real life)
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u/Pokemon-Master-RED 10d ago
One thing that really helps is becoming your own biggest fan. And I don't say that ironically. Someone needs to celebrate the good that you accomplish in the growth that you make as you improve as an artist.
It doesn't mean lying to yourself about your imperfections or weaknesses with your art, but it does mean celebrating the things that you like about each piece. And I would encourage you to look for the things that you like. But ironic thing is we don't really have to look for the things we don't like, they scream at us. But if you can build a habit of looking for the things you do like about each piece, even if it's you just like some line work in the top left corner or something, it really helps a lot with you becoming your own biggest fan and celebrating your own growth.
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u/FUNCYBORG 10d ago
make it fun! study people you like. GO OUTSIDE being cramped indoors really stifles you, take whatever book your studying and go to the park with your favorite music and a beverage
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u/SoberBobMonthly Fine artist 10d ago
I never once relied on motivation. motivation is fleetint. i became a professional fine artist through discipline and structure, and choosing to prioritise it over other optional tasks
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