Copying...When you should and shouldn't + this weeks art and learning resources

Hey hey!

Here's the latest from this weeks learnings and my top resources, thoughts, 'aha moments' and announcements directly from my brain to yours.

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- What I've been reading this week

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Art related- mindset

​Do the work - Steven Pressfield​

Have you ever started a project, been in the middle of a project, or planning to do something worthwhile, but something stops you from moving forward with it?

It could be self doubt or random things that just 'come up' when you finally have a moment to sit down and do the thing.

It almost feels like a force that's trying to block you efforts , no matter how much you actually want to.

Steven calls this "The Resistance".

According to Steven, "The Resistance" is the enemy. It tries at every turn to stop you working on (insert your very important project), and it doesn't go away.

Steven recommends getting used to and learn to live with "The Resistance", because for some of us, it'll always be there lurking in the background; but the only way to push through "The Resistance" is to keep taking action towards your goal.

The resistance also has a couple of accomplices, particularly when you're trying to start something new or unique; "Rational Thought" and "The opinions of friends and family".

A couple of tips that resinated with me to work with "The Resistance"...

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- Start before you're ready

This is a great one, because often times, after I've started something (like posting consistently to instagram for example) I wish I did it years before!

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- Too much research can morph into the resistance

Steven recommends going on a 'research diet', because doing too much research can lead to procrastination (which I'm prone to myself).

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- Get used to finishing projects

This is very timely advice as I'm definitely feeling the resistance when finishing the blog! I want it to be great, so I just keep tinkering. Steven mentions that the resistance is often strongest at the end of a project, so keep that in mind and get that project over the finish line!

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Highly recommend checking this out. I've got a feeling I'll be coming back to this one time and time again.

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- Resources I've found useful

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Jerry Seinfeld's tips to build any skill

These are the ones I'd find most useful to incorporate into my day (some of them were very writing specific)

​Read the full twitter thread here​

1. Refuse to do anything else apart from (Insert your skill here)
2. Have an end time for your study/practise session (never completely exhaust yourself)
3. Treat yourself like a toddler, but the next day assess your work like a hard-ass e.g. (when studying anatomy, don't get caught up about doing it perfect, do it the best you can, and be kind to yourself, but when you go to assess it the next day, be brutally honest with yourself)
4. Don't break the chain: Jerry has a yearly calendar and for every day he writes, he marks it with an X, the longer the chain, the more you have invested, and the less you want to break it

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​When to and when not to copy the model​

This is a great video talking about when and when not to copy the model when doing figure drawing (or any art really).

It's right up my alley with focussing on trying to understand the 'why' of what you're drawing.

This video has some great examples of Norman Rockwell and other great artists and how he doesn't just 'copy' from the photo reference, but he understands the subject and pushes the proportions ever so slightly.

Sheldon Borenstein is one of the more entertaining art tutors online and I love the little tangents he goes on, he never fails to make me laugh in one of his videos. Worth checking out for sure.

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​Disney's The Art of Luca - is Free!!​

I love "The Art of" books and when I saw this on my feed, I had to save it to show you!

Disney's made the digital version of The art of Luca free for a limited time, so go and get your learn on!

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This weeks thoughts

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Mixing study with play

I'm becoming more and more fond of the practise of trying out new skills, techniques, ideas outside the confines of the tutorial or rigid, structured study session.

For example, in one of this weeks sketch posts, I did a little study session but instead of focussing on one thing, I tried to take some of my recent learnings and try them out in context with one another e.g. I tried to practise...

• Line quality
• Figure drawing/gesture
• Anatomy (building muscles)
• Perspective

All in one session by drawing figures, floating in space which forced me to take note of all the above.

I find things solidify the most for me when I use the skill in context as well (both with Art and Coding)

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Remember to simplify

I've had to remind myself mid sketch session quite a few times this week to simplify the shapes first, and once they're in place, I can jump into the details.

It honestly makes positioning things in 3D space SO much easier, you can then lay the details on-top of a solid foundation.

I've probably mentioned this before, but I consistently need reminding of all these concepts.

Taking a step back and thinking about the fundamentals often helps nudge me out of the frustration zone as well.

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And that's all from me! Until next week... Stay consistent, use reference, have fun with it and remember; it's only pixels baybee!

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Cheers,

Ben

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Have any questions or just want to say "hey"?

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Email me at b.eblendesign@gmail.com or simply reply to this one.

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