All too often, I make the mistake of asking myself the question “what should I draw?” This immediately limits the sketchbook exploration to something specific and defined. The alternative to this would be to just start drawing, and see what comes from the tip of the pen. The results are often surprising and exciting. The above piece is cobbled together from little sketches I’ve done in my off-time over the past week. I may start with a circle, then give it some eyes and perhaps a set of arms. Next comes a nose and the character continues to grow. Quick drawings like these are the fertilizer that great ideas come out of.
Design, as well as illustration, is usually intended to convey a specific idea or meaning. It’s easy to get caught up in the need to make sense. I spend most of my working hours organizing information, categorizing data and making things look good. In my off time I like to explore the possibilities of chaos, ugliness and the beautiful ideas that can come from just letting the pen move on the page.
Great post. I get a bit stuck on the same question and too often, produce nothing (except a litany of creative excuses). When I get stuck like this, I remind myself that drawing, painting etc is an activity. You can’t ‘do’ it if you’re just ‘thinking’ about it.