Why Is Drawing So Difficult

Summary

This video script delves into the challenges of drawing, emphasizing that it's a skill requiring practice and patience. It suggests exercises like placing subjects within a cube to simplify complex shapes and highlights the importance of hand-eye coordination. The script also addresses common issues like getting 'used' to mistakes and the mental blocks that come with self-doubt and comparison. It encourages artists to enjoy the process, practice consistently, and remember that everyone's art journey is unique.

Takeaways

• 😖 Drawing can be frustrating due to the difficulty of translating 3D objects into 2D space.
• 🤔 Art is essentially an optical illusion, where 2D lines and shapes create the appearance of 3D forms.
• 🔍 A thought experiment suggests visualizing a cube or a more complex shape like a dodecahedron to understand the challenge of 3D to 2D translation.
• 📐 To simplify complex shapes, try placing them within a containing cube or parallelepiped to break them down into simpler geometric forms.
• 👀 Hand-eye coordination is crucial for drawing and is a skill that can be developed through practice.
• 🎨 Tracing and redrawing images can help train the eyes and muscles to work in tandem for better drawing accuracy.
• 🔍 Zooming out or flipping an artwork can reveal mistakes or disproportions that were not noticeable up close.
• 🔄 To avoid becoming accustomed to mistakes, artists often flip their work or take breaks to see it with fresh eyes.
• 🌱 Practice is vital for developing drawing skills, which can be thought of as a plant that needs continuous care to thrive.
• 💡 The intent behind drawing is important; whether it's the joy of creation or the desire for social validation, it should be sustainable and genuine.
• 🧠 Overcoming mental blocks and Imposter Syndrome is key to improving in art, as artists are often their own harshest critics.
• 🕰️ Patience and understanding that art takes time to develop are essential, as the human imagination is vast and cannot be fully realized in a single attempt.

Q & A

Why can drawing feel frustrating even after spending a lot of time and effort to improve?

Drawing can be frustrating because it involves translating three-dimensional objects into two-dimensional lines and shapes, which is inherently complex. Even experienced artists can struggle with this aspect of art.

What is the core concept of art as described in the script?

The core concept of art is described as an illusion or optical illusion, where a series of two-dimensional lines, shapes, and silhouettes are arranged to give the illusion of a cohesive form in 3D space.

How does the script suggest visualizing complex 3D objects like a dodecahedron in a 2D plane?

The script suggests starting with simple shapes and breaking down complex objects into basic geometric forms like squares and triangles to make them more manageable and easier to represent on a 2D plane.

What is hand-eye coordination and why is it important in drawing?

Hand-eye coordination is the ability of the vision system to control and direct the hands based on the information received through the eyes. It is important in drawing because it helps in accurately placing lines and shapes according to the intended design.

What exercise is recommended in the script to improve hand-eye coordination and muscle memory in drawing?

The script recommends tracing a pre-existing image, then redrawing the image without tracing while looking at it, and finally redrawing it without looking at it. This helps train muscle memory and improve accuracy in line placement.

Why might an artist's work look different or have mistakes when viewed from a distance or flipped?

When viewed from a distance or flipped, an artist's work may appear different because the brain gets used to the mistakes made over time, losing the ability to perceive them. This is a form of perceptual conditioning.

What is the role of practice in developing drawing skills?

Practice is crucial in developing drawing skills as it helps maintain and improve the ability to draw, which can fade away if not used consistently. It's compared to taking care of a plant or a muscle that needs continuous attention and nourishment.

How does the script relate the psychological aspect of drawing to the concept of intent?

The script relates the psychological aspect of drawing to intent by asking what the artist is looking for when drawing. It suggests that the enjoyment of the process or the desire to communicate a thought or emotion can significantly impact the artist's approach and satisfaction with their work.

What is the Imposter Syndrome as mentioned in the script, and how does it affect artists?

Imposter Syndrome is the feeling of inadequacy and self-doubt, where artists may believe their work is not good enough or up to par with their peers. It affects artists by causing them to compare themselves to others and potentially undermining their confidence in their own abilities.

Why is it important for artists to overcome mental blocks and maintain a positive mindset according to the script?

Overcoming mental blocks and maintaining a positive mindset is important because art is a medium meant to communicate thoughts and emotions. A mental barrier can be more challenging to overcome than technical skills, and a positive mindset helps artists to enjoy the process and create unique works.

What advice does the script give for artists to enjoy the process of drawing and improve their skills?

The script advises artists to enjoy the process, remember that everything starts with observation, and to understand that drawing is a skill that requires time and practice. It also emphasizes the importance of not breaking rules without first knowing them, both in terms of artistic representation and personal growth.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 The Challenge of Drawing: Perception and Skill

The first paragraph addresses the universal struggle of artists in translating three-dimensional objects onto a two-dimensional plane. It emphasizes the nature of art as an illusion, created through lines and shapes that mimic 3D forms. The script introduces a thought experiment involving visualizing a cube and a dodecahedron from various perspectives, highlighting the complexity of representing such shapes. To address these challenges, the paragraph suggests an exercise of placing subjects within a 'containing cube' to simplify complex shapes into basic geometric forms. It also touches on the issue of hand-eye coordination and the importance of training both the eyes and muscles to improve drawing skills, recommending tracing and redrawing exercises to develop muscle memory.

05:03

🌱 Growth Mindset in Art: Overcoming Habits and Mental Blocks

The second paragraph delves into the psychological aspects of drawing, comparing the development of drawing skills to nurturing a plant that requires consistent care to thrive. It discusses the human tendency to forget skills when not used and the potential for overwork to lead to decreased performance. The paragraph encourages finding a balance and maintaining intent in the pursuit of improvement. It also explores the psychological barriers artists face, such as Imposter Syndrome and the pressure to create perfect works, reminding artists to appreciate the process and to understand that everyone's highlight reel is the result of many attempts and practice sessions. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the importance of observation, self-awareness, and the joy of overcoming challenges in the artistic journey.

Keywords

💡Frustration

Frustration in the context of the video refers to the emotional state of artists when they struggle to execute a skill despite investing significant time and effort. It is a central theme as it encapsulates the challenges faced by both beginners and experienced artists in the creative process. The script mentions the frustration of not being able to execute a skill and not knowing what one might be doing wrong.

💡Art

Art, as discussed in the video, is described as an illusion or optical trick performed by the brain, where two-dimensional lines, shapes, and silhouettes are used to create the appearance of three-dimensional forms. This concept is fundamental to understanding the video's exploration of the difficulties in drawing and the creative process.

💡3D Space

3D Space is a concept that the video uses to illustrate the complexity of drawing, where artists must translate three-dimensional objects onto a two-dimensional plane. The script uses the example of visualizing a cube and a dodecahedron in various perspectives to demonstrate the challenge of representing depth and form in art.

💡Hand-Eye Coordination

Hand-eye coordination is the ability to use visual information to guide hand movements accurately, as mentioned in the script. It is a skill that artists must develop, especially when drawing lines that do not match their intentions. The video suggests that this coordination is crucial for executing drawings as envisioned.

💡Proportions

Proportions refer to the correct relative size and spacing of parts within a whole, which is a critical aspect of drawing. The video highlights the common issue of details like an eye looking perfect up close but appearing out of place when viewed from a distance or after flipping the artwork, indicating a disproportion.

💡Practice

Practice is emphasized in the video as a continuous and essential activity for improving drawing skills. It likens drawing ability to a plant that needs consistent care and nourishment to grow, suggesting that regular practice prevents skill deterioration and fosters improvement.

💡Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is a psychological phenomenon where individuals doubt their abilities and fear being exposed as a 'fraud'. The video touches on this concept, noting that artists often compare themselves to others and feel inadequate, which can hinder their creative process and self-perception.

💡Mental Block

A mental block is an obstacle in one's thinking that prevents progress or clear thinking. The video discusses this in the context of art, where overcoming mental barriers is as important as mastering technical skills, especially since art is a medium for communication of thoughts and emotions.

💡Observation

Observation is the act of carefully watching and noting details, which the video stresses as the starting point for drawing. It is the foundation for understanding rules and accurately representing what is seen on paper, as well as for self-awareness and interaction with others.

💡Habit

Habit, in the video, is portrayed as both beneficial and detrimental to the artistic process. Good habits can streamline drawing, while bad habits can impede progress. The video advises artists to be aware of their habits and work with intent to improve and avoid complacency.

💡Intent

Intent refers to the purpose or aim behind an action, which is a recurring theme in the video. It discusses the importance of having a clear intent in drawing, whether it's for personal satisfaction, communication of ideas, or to impress others, and how this intent can influence the artist's approach and enjoyment of the process.

Highlights

Drawing can be frustrating due to the discrepancy between effort and execution, regardless of experience level.

Art is fundamentally an illusion, a series of 2D lines and shapes creating a 3D form.

Visualizing complex 3D objects in a 2D plane is challenging and requires practice.

A thought experiment involving a cube and a dodecahedron illustrates the difficulty of 3D visualization.

Organic shapes like flowers, trees, and people present further challenges in 3D representation.

An exercise involving a containing cube can simplify the process of breaking down complex shapes.

Hand-eye coordination is crucial for drawing and is a skill that can be developed.

Tracing and redrawing images can help train the eye and hand for better proportions and spacing.

Detailing can sometimes lead to elements appearing out of place or proportion when viewed as a whole.

Flipping or mirroring artwork can help artists see mistakes they've become accustomed to.

Habits, both good and bad, play a role in artistic development and need to be managed.

Practice is essential for maintaining and improving drawing skills, which can fade without use.

Excessive fatigue can negatively impact drawing ability, so balance is key.

The psychological aspect of drawing, such as the satisfaction of creation, is important for motivation.

Imposter syndrome and comparison with others can hinder artistic growth.

Artists should focus on their own progress and not just the highlight reel of others.

The human imagination is vast, and drawing is a way to express a fraction of it.

Drawing is both a physical and emotional challenge, but the satisfaction of creation is worth it.

Observation is key to understanding both the rules of art and one's own reactions to it.

Transcripts

it can be extremely frustrating for a

skill that you spent so much time effort

and resources to hone to somehow at

times still feel like impossible to

execute upon and it can be even more

frustrating when you're not even aware

of what you're possibly doing wrong

whether you're a beginner or a

multi-decade veteran you'd agree that

drawing is quite difficult we might have

figured out why we even sprinkled some

tips on how to make it easier

first and foremost we can agree that art

is an illusion no seriously all art is

brain trickery an optical illusion if

you will when you break it down to its

core a drawing is only a series of

two-dimensional lines shapes and

Silhouettes that when put together give

the illusion of a cohesive form in a 3D

space for this thought experiment we

want you to imagine a cube now imagine

looking at that Cube from above from

below from a distance and on a curved

lens visualizing how an object would

behave in a simple 3D space is already

difficult enough now try to imagine a

dodecahedron how would you even begin to

translate that correctly in a 2d plane

with only a series of lines and it only

gets more annoying when we start

thinking of more complex organic shapes

a flower a tree a person and so on and

so forth it's quite the Beast to tackle

representing a three-dimensional object

when you're only working on a 2d surface

in the first place but here we don't

only talk about problems but we also

believe in given Solutions so here's a

fun exercise that you can do in order to

streamline the thought process try

grabbing a picture of a subject any

subject then start by placing said

subject inside a containing Cube or a

parallel pipet after you stop breaking

down the more complex shapes making that

object into simple ones you'll be

surprised as to how many things are just

squares and triangles this should

definitely make more intimidating

objects far more manageable

moving on and speaking of moving

sometimes your hand does things that

your brain didn't ask for as in the

lines you put on paper are clearly not

the ones you intended for yet that

grubby finger pile next to being a

nightmare in itself to draw refuses to

cooperate according to the Encyclopedia

of Children's Health hand-eye

coordination is the ability of the

vision system to coordinate the

information received through the eyes to

control guide and direct the hands in

the accomplishment of a given task and

much like any skill it's something to

develop and work on we can't give you

much advice on this one other than take

the time to train your eyes to spot and

place objects with the correct

proportions and spacing while having

your muscles memorize the necessary

movements to confidently and cleanly

create and place the lines in tandem I

know this sounds complicated but we

promise that it's easier than it sounds

a good exercise would be to trace a

pre-existing image then redraw and said

image without tracing while looking at

it and then we drain it again without

looking at it tell us how it goes it

should help to train the aforementioned

muscle memory and eventually you'll

literally be able to do it with your

eyes closed

this next one is something everyone can

relate to you spend your time

meticulously detailing that beautiful

eye it looks perfect a masterpiece in

itself then you zoom out and it looks

completely out of place or out of

proportion you would swear it wasn't

like that a second ago how can that be

possible now take that idea a step

further well congratulations you have

completed an illustration after many

hours of hard work you take a step back

get some distance from it or you do the

dreaded technique of flipping or in case

of working traditionally holding your

piece to a mirror and it's the worst

thing you have ever seen in your life

this happens because your brain gets

used to the mistakes you have made

essentially losing the ability to

perceive them after a certain amount of

time to avoid this conditioning artists

tend to either flip their work to trick

their brain into seeing a whole new

image mistakes included or the they

simply take a break what can escalate

this issue is the fact that humans are

creatures of habit and habits can be

both good and bad and getting rid of bad

habits in art is as tedious as it is

everywhere else the point is don't be

complacent and work with intent and

intent to always learn and improve it's

all the advice we can give you on this

portion speaking of intent this relates

to the next two points we're about to

discuss the main one being practice the

word that every artist repeats or lacks

thereof think of your drawing skill as a

muscle

um I think I have a better analogy think

of it as a plant one that needs to be

taken care of continuously and

consistently be fed and protected or it

would wither and Fade Away humans have a

tendency to forget things and our brains

and bodies get rid of information and

stimuli that aren't used in order to

make room for newer more useful ones so

yes you used to be able to draw but

after 10 years it's only normal to not

only forget how to do it but also feel

like it's far more difficult because you

start at a level far lower than where

you were originally at but the opposite

can also be said if you overwork

yourself excess fatigue can lead to

decreased awareness hand-eye

coordination and overall a much harder

and worse time doing what you love

adjust balance you see that would be the

ideal place to strike

this next Point relates to intent in a

different manner as in what are you

looking for psychologically when drawing

do you enjoy the feeling of holding a

pen leaving brush Strokes on a canvas in

a manner and pattern only replicable by

you or printer but that's beside the

point or maybe the satisfaction of

seeing something come to life from the

white nothingness of a canvas giving a

fresh breath by the meticulous placement

of a precise mixture in layers of

different pigments and values no I get

it you just want to impress people get

likes on Instagram well me too but is

that mindset only sustainable do you

find the process enjoyable or tedious a

necessary step to obtain a limited dose

of Serotonin for a few seconds later on

the technical aspect of anything can be

practiced and honed it's like a

mathematical equation put in the same

three lines in the same place will

always yield the same triangle but

mental block are much harder to overcome

and with art a medium that first and

foremost is meant to communicate a

thought or an emotion the most difficult

barrier to overcome is a mental one

which leads us to

it's all in your head also known as The

Imposter syndrome there will always be

voices in your head telling you that

you're not enough that what you create

is bad or not up to par with your peers

and that couldn't be further from the

truth trust me you are your own worst

critic what we need to remember in this

age of social media where it's very easy

to compare yourself to others with

Superior skill is that what they share

is their highlight reel not the many

failed attempts countless studies and

practice sessions that went into making

that one artwork you can expect your

first attempt to look like someone

else's billions which is common sense

yet so difficult to grasp at the same

time there's a process that goes into

drawing the delicate muscles and folds

that make a human hand yet we have this

unrealistic expectation to nail it in

one go and have it look a specific way

in a specific style that someone else

has dedicated years of tedious work in

order to Mass sister lastly the human

imagination is capable of great things

mostly far more than one can achieve in

a single lifespan let alone in one

sitting with only the intent of making a

single illustration so remember that

everything takes the time it needs to

take

well that was a bit heavier than

intended there at the end so we're

saying that drawing is difficult

physically and toxin emotionally so why

are people still so willing to go

through that hassle well that's a topic

that we already covered in our why

drawing is so popular video so check

that out if you're interested for now we

want you to keep in mind that if it was

impossible people wouldn't be making a

living out of it at the end of the day

nothing beats the satisfaction of

overcoming massive mental and physical

blocks and bring into life something

only you are capable of imagining and

that in itself is worth pursuing so

enjoy the process and remember

everything starts with observation you

can't break the rules unless you know

the rules and that applies to both what

you physically see and how to represent

it on paper but also to yourself in how

you react as something and how you

choose to relate that reaction to other

people

and that is it from us today we hope

that if anything this video has helped

you to view drawing in a different light

and maybe ignited that spark of passion

feel free to share your thoughts on the

topic down below and maybe send this to

a friend who might need to see it as

always like subscribe ring the bell and

until next time happy drawing thank you

for watching as always and see you next

time

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