Simple Drawing Techniques for Anxiety

Dear Wonderful, Creative You,

I don't normally like to engage in "telling secrets," but today I volition, because I want to share three artistic secrets with you. Don't tell anyone. Unless yous like them. Or find them useful, or fun, or entertaining. Then please tell them to everyone you run into, scream it from your rooftop, and tattoo information technology to your brow. Okay?

Creative Cloak-and-dagger #1: Everyone Tin can Depict

Doing art every bit artistic cocky-care for this many years has taught me so much about myself, my feelings, and life. I of the things it'due south taught me is that "art" is not as tightly divers as the full general population seems to retrieve it is. Most people say, "I can't draw." The surreptitious is, I know they tin. Of form not all of us can describe like DaVinci, but in my feel with students, most people can draw a lot better than they recall they can, specially when they open up up their idea of what constitutes a cartoon or a "good drawing."

[bctt tweet="Everyone can draw, you just don't know it yet. "]

Artistic Secret #2: Cartoon Can Be Calming

When y'all are non-judgmental and open upwardly your definition of what a "good cartoon" is, cartoon can be a very calming action, specially for those of united states of america who go a bit high strung or anxious. (Ahem. Who? Me? )

And then how most it? Would y'all be willing to try some very elementary art exercises and see whether or not they have a positive touch on your mood? As long as yous tin can hold a pen, you can do it correct.

[bctt tweet="Every bit long as you tin hold a pen, you tin draw."]

Artistic Secret #3: Your Inner Critic is Just Scared

If yous call up your inner critic might become in the way of you budgeted this with an open mind, you might desire to beginning practise the inner critic practise from the Starting Your Art Journal east-book. Sometimes we all need some help getting our fears to footstep aside before we bravely try something new. Now let'due south practise some art exercises for relaxation!

Drawing Supplies

You can draw with whatever you've got at domicile – a pen or pencil and computer paper piece of work simply fine. If you lot are looking to get some of the same effects as I exercise in the pages below, or getting some new supplies will help you experience more inspired, you tin discover the Micron pen I use here, and the pocket-sized Moleskine journal hither.

Drawing Practise: Drawing Lines

I discover this exercise really helpful when I desire to describe but feel uninspired, unfocused, or overwhelmed. I like to lookout man the lines appear beyond the page. I give myself permission to draw as fast or slow as feels proficient in the moment. Usually if I start out drawing fast and sloppy, after a few minutes I'll find my lines getting neater and closer together, my animate slows down, and I can think straight once again. I particularly like this i when I experience really anxious. Information technology's grounding for me. Does this work for you lot?

While it seems dizzy, I really like the look of these pages in my journals. Sometimes I'll leave them equally is, and at others, I volition use them every bit a background for writing, painting, or collage.

Drawing Exercise: Drawing Circles

This is 1 of my new favorite drawing techniques. I've been playing with it in my journals and in my paintings on canvas. I draw tiny little circles and barely make any decisions about where they are going. Instead, I just observe as they announced and migrate across the page.

My mitt seems to pick upwardly a rhythm and I follow along. Making the jagged lines in between which the circles exist suggests all sorts of natural things to me – maps, microscopic photography, or growth on the underside of a leaf. What do you encounter?

If you similar these Micron pens you see pictured, you can find them here.*

Drawing Exercise: Blind Contour Drawing

Recently I found a wonderful creative person, Koosje Keone, who shares her beautiful journals and cartoon techniques. Delight check her out. She's inspired me to get back into my blind profile drawings lately.

Blind profile drawing involves looking only at your field of study, not your paper, and keeping ane continuous line on the page. The results are distorted and yet precise, emotional, and very beautiful. I beloved how it brings me very forcefully into the present moment every bit I slowly movement my pen across the edge of my subject.

Creatively Yours,

Amy

silversteinonch1942.blogspot.com

Source: https://mindfulartstudio.com/simple-drawing-techniques-for-anxiety/