esotericelixir - Tumblr blog

[esotericelixir]

The neurodivergent urge to start a new overpriced hobby

[esotericelixir]

me showing someone else my writing/art/etc.

what they’re actually like:

what my insecure, anxiety-riddled brain thinks they’re really like:

[esotericelixir]

YA literature? You mean books about Super Special White Girl and Her Mysterious Brooding Boyfriend?

[esotericelixir]

Do you have any advice for learning to draw without reference? I simply cannot draw without reference no matter how hard I try and it's kind of disheartening. I've only taken up drawing seriously for about 3 months but I'm afraid I might never be able to draw from imagination if I keep using references. Can you give me some tips to ease a beginner into drawing without reference? I would so, so appreciate it.

hello, my love! (just a disclaimer that i personally feel i’m not the best person to ask advice from, but i do want to share my experience and how i got through it! different people has different kinds of solutions, so this was mine.)

*visual library: things, scenes, objects, colours, etc. that you’ve learned (mainly from life or references) that are engrained/kept in your mind.

i think what we artists tend to forget is one of the reasons why exactly we use references. we mainly use references because we need to build our *visual library; because we don’t know how the object looks like, how the anatomy works, how the colour looks like in this or that kind of lighting, etc. one is able to draw from imagination because they’ve understood the object enough for them to be able to draw them by heart, do you see what i mean?

please don’t be disheartened that you’re yet to be able to draw without references, it really does take time, i’m going to be straightforward and say that there is no shortcut to this but to keep practising and drawing. plus, you’ve only just begun taking drawing seriously very recently, so no hurry, take your time, and honestly these kinds of thoughts are part of your journey in growing into a more mature artist, so don’t worry.

i’ve had the exact same thoughts not long ago, how i too was scared that without references in front of me, my mind just goes blank or the objects don’t look as good as if i were to use references. i stopped drawing for a while only for this, but later on i realised that i was using references in a way that was… not the best way to use them (for me, at least).

back then, i used to only do still-life drawings/paintings, i only drew and painted what i see, period, that’s it. so when i wanted to recover from that block, i approached drawing from references differently, whereby i would properly try to learn and understand the form, shape; and why it’s like this, why it’s shaped like that, and just entirely understand the object in front of me. this helped me so much in gradually adding more things in my visual library. i didn’t just draw a rose in one angle, i drew it in multiple angles, i tried to understand why the petals looked the way they are, why do we see more shadows than the reds, why some are curved differently than others etc.

tl;dr: drawing from imagination takes time, be patient and keep practising. references, from what i believe, are to be used to build your visual library. study those references properly, understand why it looks that way, how it reacts to other objects, how it looks like in different angles, instead of just drawing what you see. through experience, that helped increase the number of things that’s stayed in my visual library.

i try to have these thoughts when i’m studying from references even now. again, everyone has different solutions to their problems, and this was what i learned to overcome and improve from it. do take this with a grain of salt, i hope at least this was a tad bit beneficial to you. i wish you all the best, love! be patient, stay determined, i’m rooting for you :) ✨💕

[esotericelixir]

TRADITIONAL ARTISTS LISTEN UP

OR ANY ARTIST THAT MAY DO TRAD ART AT SOME POINT

BC IVE SEEN THIS SHIT INFORMATION PERPETUATED ENOUGH TO GET ME PRETTY FUCKING HEATED

EVEN IN FUCKING ART SCHOOL I WAS TOLD LIES AND IM SURE YOU WERE TOO IF YOURE AN ADULT ARTIST SO PLS LISTEN

Keep reading

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same tbh.

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it’s like it all gets tangled up in my pockets…

store//facebook//instagram//twitter// pinterest//youtube

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My entry into the Great Easter Bake Off at my work😊

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When someone calls me a nerd for writing/reading

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Wrex: Damn it, out of all of the Turians out there, I had to make friends with one who thinks he’s funny.

Garrus: Well how do you think I feel? I’m supposed to hate you, but instead you warmed my heart with your winning personality.

Wrex: I could throw a few Salarians off a cliff if it’ll make you feel better.

My contribution to N7 Day 2017 ❤️

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“I would NEVER have guessed you had anxiety and depression issues ! You’re always so confident and everything !” Well

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Best meme I’ve ever made

Art credits @merwild 💙

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The First Order rose from the dark side… you did not.

[esotericelixir]

Equality is a right, not a privilege 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

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Thank you! 😽

First attempt at digital art ☺️

[esotericelixir]

First attempt at digital art ☺️