Have you ever quit drawing? - And how have you dealt with it?

[Juan But Not Forgotten]

Well, previous time about 4 years ago I got stuck on one specific thing, felt discouraged and dropped it until last year. This time I was doing way better, couple of people even said it was good (I don't think so), but then some IRL stuff got in the way, so I've stopped. Some time later I thought about going back to practice and tried to encourage myself by thinking about all the great stuff I will be able to draw and... Got nothing. So here is my dilemma - on the one hand, I don't want all the time I've spent practicing to go to waste and it's neat to have extra skill, but on the other, I am not really sure it will be worth trying for the third time, especially if I don't know what to do with that skill later.

Have you experienced something like this? What was your decision?

 

[Jewelsmakerguy]

Not really, but does sitting on your ass for months on end and not drawing anything count?

 

[Juan But Not Forgotten]

Not really, but does sitting on your ass for months on end and not drawing anything count?

Well, that's somewhat like my situation. As you can see, I am yet to quit, otherwise I won't be asking, but at the same time I've spent all this time without it and I am doing fine, I guess.

 

[Brahma]

I haven't picked up a pencil to draw anything in years. Bought myself a Christmas present this year though. Little pack of a a4 sketchpad and some pencils so going to try pick it up again.

I was really good at still life in school but shit at sketches and at drawing from the brain or whatever you call it. Could always cover up the shit line drawing with nice shading etc. Id like to be able to sketch stuff quickly and maybe draw fantasy\sci-fi stuff

 

[WhoBusTank69]

I've "quit" multiple times for what I can only guess is the unwillingness to actually learn from my practicing.
Keep up with your warm-up material(draw a page of circles, straight lines, etc.) and understand what it means - it loosens you up and prepares you just like stretching gets your body ready for a long day. Picking up a pencil and paper doesn't always work on the first try.
Finding inspiration is different for everyone, but observing artistic material, be it movies, music, drawings, etc. will always be a solid suggestion. Your end goal is to avoid relying on moments of inspiration and rather draw upon your skill on demand. You will always question your ability, but as you continue to complete drawings it will become easier to do so.

 

[Megaroad 2012]

I got butthurt from my first con experience despite probably doing better than most people who also didn't have nothing but fucking fan art so I stopped for about three years until I restarted this year.

Sucks, becasuse I know I'd be a lot better if I didn't stop but hey, life goes on.

 

[The Last Stand]

Drawing, I started a little doodles for the holidays.

Art in general, yes. Lack of inspiration, experience and life. It's back and forth.

 

[Prophetic Spirit]

Well, i searched of this entire thread and no signs of a writting counterpart. I always thought draw & write are a must in many media.
But if that's about quiting a hobbie, let me explain something:

A hobbie is a thing you need feel relaxed for; not stressed or mad. If you think drawing can do the last things i said, it's a nice warning to drop out for a time, but never let go; creating art is a very complex thing and a win/lose situation near all the times, but if you can improve every time and at least you can aknowledge that... it's pretty good.

Just like with my writings, sadly i can't create the plot points despite having the main plot idealized before starting the novel. Just give a time if you can't, but like i said, don't quit that entirely; that's can disastrous years later.

EDIT: Like always, typos.

 

[Celebrate Nite]

I quit drawing when every major animation studio went from pencil and paper, to CGI and digital. When I was a kid, one of my dreams was to be a cartoonist/animator. I would see the behind the scenes stuff in old Disney/Nickelodeon/WarnerBrothers/HannaBarbera cartoons and become fascinated with it. But as soon as I went to a 2 year trade school right after high school for Digital Film and Animation, my dreams were swiftly crushed when I not only learned the news about the traditional way coming to an end, but the fact that in my first 3D Graphic class it took a whole fucking semester to not only create a non-humanoid blob but to also get it's bone structure to work properly even in motion. After my 1st year I went "fuck this" and dropped out.

 

[WhoBusTank69]

learned the news about the traditional way coming to an end, but the fact that in my first 3D Graphic class it took a whole fucking semester to not only create a non-humanoid blob but to also get it's bone structure to work properly even in motion

I remember the rough transition period from pencil and paper to Toon Boom, not to mention the heavy, HEAVY emphasis on simplifying character design and movement. The acceptance of outsourced animation killed a lot of future potential, and I'd like to blame Canada for giving money to studios formed in their country(see Johnny Test, George of the Jungle, etc.) for furthering the decline in animation from being a passion to an entirely exploitable medium.

 

[big potato]

I've never stopped drawing as such, I'm a terminal doodler, but I did stop finishing things for about two years. I'd sketch a face and never get any further, basically. I think it was mostly because my arty friend group broke apart and I was left without anyone else around me that was still drawing, no one to talk to about it. That rough period in high school where everyone seems to stop having hobbies.
I eventually found some new people to talk to and it pushed me back into it, which I'm thankful for.

What I will say is that the modern internet is also something that puts me off. Especially since DeviantART introduced Eclipse and maybe half the people I watched moved over to the over-saturated behemoth known as Twitter. I'm too much of an old soul to fit in on there or Instagram, so I end up being put off posting my work. I miss getting comments.

Oh and old school online communities. Where you knew everyone there and people would ramble in the comments. I'd always have more comments than favourites on everything I posted. I think that's what keeps me on the farms, to be honest, seeing people interact.

transition period from pencil and paper to Toon Boom, not to mention the heavy, HEAVY emphasis on simplifying character design and movement. The acceptance of outsourced animation killed a lot of future potential, and I'd like to blame Canada for giving money to studios formed in their country(see Johnny Test, George of the Jungle, etc.) for furthering the decline in animation from being a passion to an entirely exploitable medium

I don't know why anyone aspires to be an animator anymore, it seems to be thankless work and a whole lot of exploitation. Even online animation has gradually turned into a mess of out-of-house workers and confusion. The magic died out years ago. It's a pity because I was the same way, I haven't animated in years though.

 

[DamageJoy]

Currently have no place to do so, I am too self aware and lack self confidence to power trough those two things.
It is a pretty cool skill to have, but man it just feels absolutely hopeless when you start doodling and if anybody sees it it is just shameful as well.

 

[An Ghost]

One winter, i think march, a few years ago i pressured myself really hard to go out and take photos. I had 2 unfinished rolls of film i wanted to get done and at the time i was posting on insta every day as a way of pushing myself to shoot and practice anyway. So i went out in the mud and dirty snow and every single photo sucked. Most were repeats of the same thing on a different stock or lens. Just over and over. It crushed me that i was working so hard and never progressing. I thought i was going to give up completely, but eventually that craving came back when the weather got better. As long as you have that craving you'll never give it up. Its the balance between pushing yourself to learn and burning out. So now at least i try to have a plan or something i want to work on and set goals for myself. Sometimes i purposely pick the wrong thing just to see what i can do. I still feel like i walk in circles, doing the same thing with a different lens or filter, but ive made my circles big enough it stays fresh.

 

[DuckSucker]

Yeah, if you do its hard to pick the thread back up again. You feel like youll never be where you were at again sometimes, and sometimes you change. Its an odd, melancholy thing and feeling. I have a lot of thoughts about art and the making process, creativity and shit.

 

[Newman's Lovechild]

How do you learn? I mean, what are you learning from?

 

[big potato]

How do you learn? I mean, what are you learning from?

Bit of everything, really. It's less of a process and more of a mindset. Picking out little details from other art, from photos, from video, from whatever's in front of you. Drawing from life is genuinely useful, even if everything you draw sucks. Focusing on different things like shape, or movement, or contrast, etc until it clicks.

It's not an easy process and learning the basics is rarely fun, but it lets you get to the fun stuff. And you never stop learning, or at least that's the aim.

 

[Dysnomia]

I used to do a lot of pixel art and make Christmas cards for my friends. I used to draw on Frog Bog oekaki when that existed. I had a really good technique with the watercolor tool. I wasn't a great artist but I think I was good at making now and ice effects in particular.

When my old PC died I was stuck on a tablet for quite awhile due to poor. I'm trying to get back into pixels now.

I just don't feel the same about it anymore. But that might change if I do it enough. Plus all my work in progress is marooned on a currently inaccessible hard drive. Although there is a backup. From 2009.

 

[Megaroad 2012]

I want to add that I left a career in the military to go to an art school with a focus on comics. Only thing remotivating lately has been my skippers last words to me: "don't let those talents go to waste."

Guy was a fan of my stuff, had me do personal projects for him, so seeing our yearly email correspondence with him asking how I'm progressing so telling him for those few years I quit felt like I was letting him down.

Also while not a lot of interaction, I noticed I do seem to have a consistent fan base. Even getting a few people who seem sincerely interested in your stuff can help. Hate to let these people down.

 

[Cheerlead-in-Chief]

Unless an art block from depression, never.

 

[Kari Kamiya]

There's times where I just don't draw anything for like a week or so because I just don't feel like it, but I've never considered quitting drawing because I think I would die if I stop. I'm more like this:

I've never stopped drawing as such, I'm a terminal doodler, but I did stop finishing things for about two years.

I have like procrastination/motivation/commitment issues when it comes to projects lol. I have a bunch of rough drafts of (mostly) silly, shitposty ideas I wanted to doodle out and post with some more serious ideas in the mix, but then I'd get distracted/take a break/move on to something else and just not return to it. It's kinda rare that I do go back to finish something if I'm not directly on top of it. I've tried to take up daily drawing challenges to just keep myself drawing, but I stop after a while.

I'm told it's because I just burn myself out, but I honestly do better if I make myself sit for up to eight hours straight (I've timed it) and just draw a single picture to completion.