# art studies tiring?



## Saracide (Jun 25, 2013)

i'm kind of posting this as a question, i want to know if a lot of artists experience this.


when i do art studies, like life drawing, anatomy and such, i notice that it really really taxes me mentally and leaves me feeling really tired.

i'm not whining or complaining or saying it's too hard, i just notice it about myself. no matter what mood i'm in, and even if i'm having a lot of fun with the studying, it's always very tiring.

i pretty much HAVE to drink coffee thruout my studies to keep going.

i know drawing is a mental activity, maybe it's just a lot more mental work than i would expect....

so do any other artists have this problem? pretty much need a steady flow of caffeine to get thru studies? 

it's not so much when i draw things free hand, it's when i'm studying anatomy and life drawing.


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## Gnarl (Jun 25, 2013)

It is actually pretty common. the discipline involved in traditional Art is heavy in the concentration dept. You should talk to an instructure about learning to channel your emotions into the work. They will tell you to get the basics first but keep going! It is worth the effort.


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## Zydala (Jun 25, 2013)

Yeah, it's pretty much like that with everyone. Your brain is literally activating parts and rearranging information in a way that you don't usually. I find taking breaks helps; set a timer for 30 minutes, take a break for five minutes, go back to studies for another thirty. So on and so forth.


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## Fallowfox (Jun 25, 2013)

I love drawing from life, and if I have an interesting subject like a model, I usually leave feeling quite good about myself because I've been able to make lots of work. 

If I'm doodling what's in my head, or trying to draw on a computer it feels like stagnation. I should challenge that at some point, rather than attributing blame to using a mouse or the wrong software.


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## Gnarl (Jun 25, 2013)

Computer art is all well and good but give me a charcoal stick or oil paints anyday over a mouse. I got my masters in traditional oil painting, 19th century narritive realism. 
The human condition, or in my case evolved into the furry condition!!!


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## Fallowfox (Jun 25, 2013)

Gnarl said:


> Computer art is all well and good but give me a charcoal stick or oil paints anyday over a mouse. I got my masters in traditional oil painting, 19th century narritive realism.
> The human condition, or in my case evolved into the furry condition!!!



That won't be practical when I'm living in a broom cupboard at University, so I need to learn to produce things digitally. 

@the OP, lots of breaks and lots of water when you're learning or revising difficult things. Stimulants like caffeine might actually be responsible for wearing you out, it's certainly the case with consuming lots of sugar in order to stay alert. Approaching things more relaxed and at your own pace could help.


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## Gnarl (Jun 25, 2013)

Tomatoe juice, the low sodium kind!


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## Arshes Nei (Jun 25, 2013)

Fallowfox said:


> That won't be practical when I'm living in a broom cupboard at University, so I need to learn to produce things digitally.
> 
> @the OP, lots of breaks and lots of water when you're learning or revising difficult things. Stimulants like caffeine might actually be responsible for wearing you out, it's certainly the case with consuming lots of sugar in order to stay alert. Approaching things more relaxed and at your own pace could help.



Smaller spaces won't make digital easier either FYI. It means limited space for desktop, tablet and monitor.

Anyways @OP.

Mix it up and take breaks. Mix some fun with your studies. You will probably tire out if you do studies all the time and not have fun stuff to work with

(also people, don't mix up life drawing with figure drawing - as figure drawing is only PART of life drawing).


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## Saracide (Jun 26, 2013)

Zydala said:


> Yeah, it's pretty much like that with everyone. Your brain is literally activating parts and rearranging information in a way that you don't usually. I find taking breaks helps; set a timer for 30 minutes, take a break for five minutes, go back to studies for another thirty. So on and so forth.



i do take breaks, but now that i think about it i'm probably just making it worse for myself....i take sporadic breaks and check websites and stuff, that's just shifting focus....i'm gonna try using a timer like you suggest, working 30 minutes at a time  and when i take the breaks i'll try to just close my eyes and clear my mind.


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## Saracide (Jun 26, 2013)

Fallowfox said:


> I love drawing from life, and if I have an interesting subject like a model, I usually leave feeling quite good about myself because I've been able to make lots of work.
> 
> If I'm doodling what's in my head, or trying to draw on a computer it feels like stagnation. I should challenge that at some point, rather than attributing blame to using a mouse or the wrong software.



you sound kinda opposite to me then, interesting 

well, i mean, i like an interesting subject too, i find the studies enjoyable, but while the work leaves me satisfied, it also leaves me super drained, like i literally put my blood sweat and tears into it xD


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## Saracide (Jun 26, 2013)

Fallowfox said:


> That won't be practical when I'm living in a broom cupboard at University, so I need to learn to produce things digitally.
> 
> @the OP, lots of breaks and lots of water when you're learning or revising difficult things. Stimulants like caffeine might actually be responsible for wearing you out, it's certainly the case with consuming lots of sugar in order to stay alert. Approaching things more relaxed and at your own pace could help.



:O  i need to cut back on caffeine AND sugar....i put sugar in my coffee too xD oh god all this time have i just been making it harder on myself!? x'D

guess it's time to try and make some real habit changes....


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## Aleu (Jun 26, 2013)

Try not to double post. Use the multiquote on the far right and the edit feature when you can.


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## Schwimmwagen (Jun 26, 2013)

I get drained and frustrated pretty easily.

I don't copy from life very well. When I do, it feels more like I'm treating it as a reference for some problem solving, not copying contours.

How bad am I?


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## Saracide (Jun 26, 2013)

that doesn't sound bad at all, i know just what you mean.

i'm a little better at doing life drawings now that i've had some practice. but for the most part it STILL feels like it's too hard, like i'm tackling something i'm not ready for, cuz in a way we are :/
it's like looking at a mountain with a tiny pickaxe and not knowing where to start.

also, while i make myself do it for practice, i wouldn't say i copy from life very well either :/ 

i don't end up keeping any of my studies because they don't look nice enough ;.;


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## Arshes Nei (Jun 26, 2013)

Saracide said:


> i don't end up keeping any of my studies because they don't look nice enough ;.;



Studies generally don't. They're meant to be trial and error and disposable.


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## Fallowfox (Jun 26, 2013)

Arshes Nei said:


> Smaller spaces won't make digital easier either FYI. It means limited space for desktop, tablet and monitor.
> 
> .



Laptop and mouse is the only hardware I have, eitherway.


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## Lauralien (Jun 26, 2013)

Fallowfox said:


> Laptop and mouse is the only hardware I have, eitherway.



I know it's a bit off-topic, but I'd really recommend a nice monitor if you're going to be stuck working digitally for a while.   Most laptops have glossy screens, which are just AWFUL for glare, and they also generally use TN panels.  TN is cheap display tech, so it has problems with color accuracy, darks that are too "lit up," and a limited viewing angle.  And on a personal note, I suspect that dithering gives me headaches after several hours of use.

I can't work on a laptop screen.  I tried once, and when I viewed the same image on my monitor, the colors were not what I had intended at all.   Unfortunately, IPS or similar color-accurate panel types are usually more expensive - the 24" monitor I use was $400 (US) after a $200 discount.  Worth it, but ouch.


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## Arshes Nei (Jun 26, 2013)

Lauralien said:


> I can't work on a laptop screen.  I tried once, and when I viewed the same image on my monitor, the colors were not what I had intended at all.   Unfortunately, IPS or similar color-accurate panel types are usually more expensive - the 24" monitor I use was $400 (US) after a $200 discount.  Worth it, but ouch.



Not true as much anymore. 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/LG-24EA53VQ-inch-Widescreen-Monitor/dp/B00BSOT2LA/

I'm posting the UK one since Fallow lives in the UK, 

But in the US you can get them for 200 or so. they may be eIPS but they're still leagues better than TN. Wide gamut are still pretty pricey though. 

http://amzn.com/B008DWITHI

That being said, one of the other problems with a laptop screen is that the space is just horrible if you come from a traditional art background or even just now. Trying to fit and move software panels really kills your screen real estate. Even if you use full screen mode (I can't because I always like changing brushes and seeing them) working zoomed out (like you should in the beginning) can be very cumbersome on a laptop screen.


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## Lauralien (Jun 26, 2013)

Arshes Nei said:


> Not true as much anymore.
> 
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/LG-24EA53VQ-inch-Widescreen-Monitor/dp/B00BSOT2LA/
> 
> ...



That is, indeed, quite cheap.   I guess I was just very picky when I was last monitor-hunting, 3 or so years ago.  I prefer having the extra vertical real-estate from a 16:10 aspect ratio (1920x1200), which can be harder to find because people have an irrational hatred of black bars on their movies.  As a bonus, it can rotate 90 degrees into portrait mode.

I just can't find a way to enjoy working on a laptop screen, but on the plus side, some laptop companies are starting to use IPS panels.  They'll just always be too awkwardly small, and too low on the desk for my comfort.


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## Kinosam (Jul 4, 2013)

If you keep working too hard, your brain gets exhausted when you are stressed - therefore you can't learn a thing. enjoy the experience!


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