How I overcome the dreaded Artist Block
Firstly, I just to want to say hello and welcome to my blog page. If you landed here I'm guessing you might be struggling with a bit of artist block and you're probably looking for ways out of it. So let's get right to it. Whether you're here because you are running out of ideas, don't know where to start, or if you're just seeking to spark the imagination. This article has something to get your creativity flowing again.
Tip 1 - Ask a friend
In my opinion, asking a friend is overlooked and undervalued. I have at least two friends I regularly hound for ideas about what I should draw whenever I'm in a funk. Sometimes I don't like their suggestions. Maybe it's because the subject doesn't initially interest me. But, I've learned to roll with it because the boost of creative energy I gain is well worth the initial hesitation. One of those good friends suggested I do a zombie pinup. His suggestion led to a whole series of 10 zombie pinups inspired by classic actresses like this one of Audrey Hepburn that I call "One Arm Audrey."
Tip 2 - Seek out a commission
Commissions aren't for everyone. You must be prepared to ask the right questions and set expectations on time, cost, and delivery. Subjects I won't cover here. If you are comfortable with doing one, it can be a great way to force you to create something new. It's also similar to the first tip since someone else is going to give you an idea you can run with. You could also offer a free commission, a great way for practicing the process. I recently worked with a friend of mine on a commission that challenged me a bit. It led to two finished drawings. One I created for myself and the other for him. It also spurred a potential new direction for characters I may pursue such as "The Scout" and "The Harvester" (first and third image in this post respectively).
Tip 3 - Mix two subjects
Sometimes when I don't know what to draw I like to mix two or more subjects together that interest me. For example, I like to do fan art from time to time. I also love fantasy art if you can't tell. So I picked out a marvel character "The Falcon" and added a medieval fantasy twist to make it more my style. Think of two subjects that interest you and combine them. You can do this with anything. Maybe you like cats and rain storms, so draw a cat caught in a rain storm. Or maybe you like Game of Thrones but you're also into astrophysics, so draw Neil Degrass Tyson as a character who's travelled through space time and landed in Westeros.
Tip 4 - "Inktober" Prompts
In 2019 I discovered a page on Instagram called Inktober. During the month of October artists can check the page for a daily art prompt consisting of a single word intended to spark creativity and growth. Taken directly from the Inktober website "Jake Parker created Inktober in 2009 as a challenge to improve his inking skills and develop positive drawing habits." If you haven't participated in one of these yet, you definitely should. There's also no reason you can't use prompts from previous Inktober years. You don't even need an Instagram account because you can check them out here. You're also welcome to draw the Minotortoise (an original character I created) in your style. I'd love to see someone else's take on it.
Tip 5 - Take a break
When all else fails, sometimes it's time for a much needed break. As artists we often find ourselves buried in our passion, our caves, our hideouts, and forget that nature and exercise is vitally important to our physical and mental health. So, if you aren't finding inspiration in this article maybe it's time to step away from the keyboard, the paper and pen, the paintbrushes, the office, or wherever you may be and head out into nature. Take a walk around your neighborhood, go hiking, go cycling, do some pushups, or at the least open the curtains and crack a window. I hope you found this article inspiring. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Bonus
A list of subject and prompt combinations I came up with that you're welcome to use as you please. I'd love to see what you come up with. Feel free to post links to your work in the comments section.
Dragons + Space
Superhero + Time Travel
Your Pet + Villainous
Warrior + Butterfly
Skyscraper + Elephants
Sci-Fi + Snakes
Caves + Creatures
Space + Monkeys
Pinup + Cars
Humanoid + Bugs
Sci-fi + Knights
Princesses + Monsters
Gnomes + Mushrooms
Ogres + Sea Serpents
I loved the suggestions. Those really work for possible ideas in the future. Especially the part that involves myself. Wink wink.