How To Always Know What To Draw: Fighting Blank Page Syndrome 

I'd say there's a third reason, and it's more for beginners, but you can end up with this as well if you simply don't know HOW to draw your idea. You may have the idea clearly written down, but if you're missing the technical concepts, that can lead to a blank page syndrome where you don't even know where to begin. If this is happening then there's a few things to realise. 1) Your idea may be too complex for you to draw at this point, and it needs simplifying. 2) It's a good idea to go and read up on a few things, such as perspective, composition, negative space, etc, before coming back to the image in question 3) it's okay to draw rough (and you really should be drawing rough first) and then slowly redo the image and clean it up over several iterations.

Sometimes I have lots of ideas, but none of them feel right at the time, if that makes any sense. Sometimes if I make myself work on them I can get into the groove, but otherwise I have to put them off until later and think of something else to draw.

There is a quote from Charles Schulz that goes something like "Sit down and draw until you get an idea."

sometimes I just wonder why the camera wobbles just slightly...

A trick I like to do is that I have a series of papers with varies traits grouped together in groups of six. I then roll a six sided dice and see what comes out. For instance I'll have the weapon group be 1.lance/spear 2.gun/bow and arrow 3.sheild etc. and whatever I'd roll I'd have to include in the character design. I have the types of clothing they'd wear (dress/suit/armor/etc) the style (goth/prep/rave/etc) and the race (elf/fairy/demon/etc.) and the crazy combo of whatever came out will be the guidelines. It's really good if you can't think of anything and if you want to challenge yourself with specific constraints (I've had to mix a whip with a gun and give it to a country-style, armored fairy)

Me: Oh yeah! Let's draw this! 2 seconds later Me:Hmm.. no idea what to draw.

I just want to say that you have become my inspiration of who I want to be and helped me dig myself out of artist block many times before. You, your videos, and art are awesome! Thank you!

I have so many ideas to draw/ani.ate about. I imagine in my head every single detail, but then when I get to the paper, I remember that I'm a horrible artist lol

If you're at school and want to draw but shouldn't, draw out your notes so that you remember things better. I had a hard time remembering certain things so at the top of every homework I would write down catch phrases and draw out little diagrams to myself. Pictures make it easier to remember and the best part is it doesn't matter the quality, just that the message is there. Totally works! My grades got much better! I just recently found out there are studies that support it too.

Now I just need talent.

I have LOTS of ideas! Some half-baked, some fully formed, some just sparks of inspiration. I run into problems with choosing which to start on, actually starting to draw (prioritising?), committing to a piece, and finishing it past a sketch.

I always get ideas and images in my head of what i want to draw. When i sit down to do it, one of three things happens. 1) blank page syndrome. this happens most times where i cant even put my ideas on paper for some strange reason. it's infuriating, however not as infuriating as the second outcome. 2) i'll start the drawing and become immediately unsatisfied with it how is or how i'm doing it. this ranges from just changing certain designs or find the right poses to better fit the situation, to not being able to create what i'm imagining or just lacking the ability to draw a specific detail (who else hates hands and feet?). occasionally, i'm able to find a method i'm satisfied with, but more often than not i'm constantly searching for a way i could do it better, becoming frustrated with it after failing so many times, and ultimately abandon it all together. and 3) is probably the worst thing i could do as an artist :\ it's rare i ever finish something i've worked on so long. it is very possible for me to finish a piece in a day, but that's typically in a single sitting. if i can't finish a drawing in one, maybe two, sittings, it's unlikely i'll ever get it done. i could be half way through, really like how it's going, but then i'd never come back to it... plus, it's hard for me to speed up my process so that i can finish a step and quickly move on to the more time consuming parts. It's difficult to return to an idea in tired hopes of completing it after a day or more has past. sometimes i get bored midway through and it's usually because of a step taking much longer than i felt it should have, or sometimes from an unforeseen problem that just can't be fixed unless i start over. It's easy to say "hey these steps may help you get better and more efficient," yet it's like i can't even do that much. the more i try to be efficient usually end in something taking way longer than it usually does, which as i said i already take long enough as it is even with the simplest of drawings. when i write or draw, i want something that i'm satisfied with. my audience is very important too, but unless i see and feel like i did a good job, it'll never feel like i'm improving, which is the one of the ultimate goals as an artist; to improve for the sake of yourself and your audience.

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That 3 notes method is an awesome idea! Keep up the awesome videos. They're really insightful :)

Great tip, thank you. Love the executive and secretary analogy, that's precisely how it feels.

I often draw something small and then proceed to build an entire picture around it

okay honestly bless you- i found your channel at like 12 am bc i was feeling stressed and wanted to calm myself down and wow you're so right about,, everything. And i think ill improve my characters and art and ideas now because of you. I'm so glad i found your account.

Your comment about not having something to say , was right on the money ! All art is created to communicate , whatever it may be.

great video

thank you for this...it also makes a point to start a communication or dialog with the self....thank you for reminding me.

absolutely what I needed! Thank you so much! your videos and your art is amazing!

My problem is, I don't know which idea to work on first. I'm attempting to begin my webcomic/graphic novel, and I can't decide where to start, do I start with world building? Like drawing objects, buildings and the way my world will look? Should I start with character concepts? Should I start with a written story or bullet points? etc.... : /

It could help to have a muse for inspiration. From what I've learnt a muse is anything that inspires you and can serve as a go to thing for when you can't think of anything to draw. It could be a franchise you like that you can draw fanart of. My muses are Spiderman, Batman, Mortal Kombat and Overwatch. Spiderman and Batman for all the unique characters and villains, mortal kombat and Overwatch for the interesting level designs. If I wanted to be more specific I could pick the Spiderverse film. You could have multiple or just one. It helps serve as an automatic thing to draw when you can't think of anything else. When you think of something to draw that isn't a muse you can draw that instead. Weirdly enough when I got muses I suddenly had lots of fanart ideas for things that weren't my muses. I've seen people draw mostly Resident Evil 8 fanart. Can be something as broad as the MCU or as specific as one film in the MCU. Anything that you really like and fined inspiring for drawing ideas. Muses can really be anything. Music, a walk in the park, a specific artist. I just gave the fanart muse idea cuz it's the one I'm using. I hope this helps.

I feel silly, I sent an inquiry about this exact sort of situation not long ago, but you were already a step ahead of the game. Thank you for the great video!!

I find Pinterest to be a great help in these sort of situations. I use it mainly for character designs, but really you can find all kinds of images there.

Im just fine with ideas. I have soooo many things I want to draw/animate, in fact, too many

I've found that taking the time when I'm stumped on ideas to practice crosshatching fixes this--I get so bored doing it that anything seems so exciting in comparison that more interesting ideas come to the rescue lol. Don't get me wrong, I still do my best to practice this, even though I often do it to lure out ideas, but I do it because I know it works. Even if I don't draw the ideas that come out, I can still make notes of the ideas that come. Having a list of vague ideas like "my favorite cel/frame from the newest episode of a show I like" helps too.

THIS IS ACTUALLY GENIUS THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH

Wow that is simple, I'm starting to type out notes on my phone to refer back to when I want to draw something but had nothing planned like freelance work.

When I draw, I tend to draw either fanart or a 'what if x and x combined' kind of thing. The second option helps me create characters, and one of my main semi-original characters is indeed one of them. Both things are reliable for the most part, but I just feel like the combining things to make another thing helps me a lot more.

I don't have very many ideas, but when I do, they are usually original and eye-catching. ...Too bad I only get those about twice a year.

I do know if I try to draw something on a blank page I go out bringing my sketch book look around to find something to inspire you to draw

damn man ya broke that down so simple, good job man

The most ironic part of me watching this video is that I have a note on my phone with drawing ideas but I have totally forgot about it 😐 I'm so disappointed of myself. Thanks for remember me the existence of that note with your video (i have been suffering like a week from an art block) so nice to hear your opinion on this. Ps: is the complete sentence of your sweater "morning is for coffee and contemplating"? I love stranger things, and if it is, your sweater is as awesome as you

i feel like my problem is i don't wanna draw what other people draw, I wanna draw what _I_ wanna draw but I feel like im not good enough to execute it

My problem is I know what I want to draw. My problem comes to putting it to paper ( or program on computer more often ). Every time I try to, I get quickly upset at what I'm looking at, at the moment I have drawn 2 eye sockets for a skeleton and a small area around them, yet whenever I try to go through with the shape of the skull I will try the same line fast, slow, for about 5-30min, depending on how I'm feeling. I redrew something I saw and I like the way that turned out, looking at the original and then looking at my program and drawing from there. The only problem with this drawing is when I got to the neck/ head area, as soon as I tried doing that it all went downhill. That picture is still incomplete and started it a few months ago

I agree with all of this. Fanart is my last resort mattress I fall back onto, but it makes me worry as to what I'm going to show professionals to get me hired. Eh I'm overthinking it. Other artists say 22 is really old for someone to still be finding themselves but that's not true

thanks! really helped me ;)

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hey brooke, do you know of any artist that are good at putting realism in simple line drawings? with simple i dont mean abstract or non detailed, but just without shading. and with realistic i don't mean photo like, but with a feeling of solidity and character. something like what dave rapoza does with his line art or ketsuya terada.

i actually have a way how i have gotten myself out of this, is creating characters for a big project like a comic, or just making a big poject and working on it every day. thats my way to do it atleast, but this video helped me out too

Sometimes i get a really cool idea or what to draw, but, its always way above my skill level. Nonetheless, i still attempt to draw, and then i just get discouraged when its not as cool as the image in my mind.

Well this didn't help. I came here because I have a class at school,in art, and most of the time we have to do a certain style or something specific. How am I supposed to think up,ideas when I don't know how I'm supposed to do things until it's time to do them?

Yeah, I normally find myself asking someone for what to draw.

Jesus! This is an amazing video :o

God I wish I could support you... You're helping me so much with my own characters, but I don't have any money to support you with! I mean... I'm only 14...

My problem is the opposite I have to many ideas and to little time to execute them

Thanks so much for the video! It's such a simple solution but I've never come to think of it yet.. Guess I'm just stupid ^^" but this helped me a lot thanks

I usually know what to draw, but I don't know how to put it together. Any advice about that? :D

THANK YOUUUUUUUUU

Omg i could draw my dreams!!!!

In my case, I know what I want to draw, I want to draw it, but for some reason I just can't... Maybe its because what I want to draw I have drawn many times? Maybe I don't have an idea on what the drawings should be doing? Not sure...

I think another good tip is “if you don’t know what to draw, take the time to reference things to get better and get more ideas

i have... something i want to say? i dont know. i honestly dont know what im saying i just want to say it. i guess thats part of the point of art. so im going to say whatever it is im saying. i just have to finish what i start.

your house is doing the chimichanga

So generate enough ideas by anyway how,

What they mean is that they have ideas BEFORE they take the pencil into their hands, but when they're actually at the starting phase the ideas just scatter about and you're in this unsure (or creatively paralyzed) status. I know because I have that too. I can imagine a character in full detail in my mind, but when it comes to actually _drawing_ said character, I just don't know how to. Like, it's different to think of something... and then do that thing as it was in your head. My ideas and thoughts change rapidly in the instance I tell myself to start, and it's gotten to the point I just don't sit down because 90% of the time my premonition disappears like a single crustacean amongst the seven seas. The other 10% is when I don't have good (or well detailed) ideas. I still have no clue as to why this is happening. Maybe my memory is bad and I can't recall my idea when I need it. I don't do brain gymnastics often, so that may be the case. Other than that, I have no idea how to fix this annoying problem of mine.

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For the algorithm.

Very useful! Thank you! Pity the camera kept shaking.

I got ideas but every time I draw...I screw it up..

I think the key is just draw...scribble if you have to, but don't wait to be inspired. Draw something! Anything. a lightbulb. a flower. do a life study. I've found that it's while I'm drawing that the ideas start to come to me.

I just have a character that I use when no ideas come to my mind :|

If i didn't know what to draw, I basically watch youtube anime. I'll just pause them and copy they're look's.

It's weird. I'll sit down and draw and have everything look like crap and have no ideas, but then I go to bed and as I'm laying there falling asleep the ideas flood in but I'm tired.

So I invented a method for drawing something easily: YRINB - Y: Yeet the idea on to the page. - R: Refine the drawing. - I: Iterate on it to the Nether and back

r/redditgetsdrawn when I don't have ideas.

Was there an earthquake? What was happening to your camera?!

Sorry this is confusing, but I am 11, everyone at my school says I am great at drawing and that I am am much better than most people at my age

I’m confused. You sort of just explained the problem, I somehow didn’t get any methods or tips on how to actually know what to draw.

shaky cam just gets to me sorry, good vid otherwise.