How Managing Motivation Boosts Your Drawing Journey
Drawing is not just about skill.
It’s also about managing your motivation to keep going.
I learned this the hard way in the streets of Georgetown, Penang. There I sat, ready to capture a quiet street scene but tempted to dive into details too soon. Instead, I reminded myself: getting the basics right first helps keep motivation alive longer. Managing motivation and preventing early mistakes is key for beginners.
Start with the Big Picture Before Details
One of the biggest beginner mistakes is focusing on tiny details before the overall drawing is set. Imagine building a house—you wouldn’t paint walls before the frame is stable!
Start by sketching your scene’s perspective—like roads and building horizons—and then add main vertical lines to fix proportions. I like to roughly mark windows or signs early on to keep things organized. These simple steps save you from wasted effort and frustration later when proportions don’t feel right.
Step 1- Set up the perspective with the road and top line of the buildings.
Step 2- Add the main buildings vertical lines to fix the main proportion.
I like to add roughly the advertising panels and windows to identify better each building.
Step 3- Enjoy sketching the details.
It is my favourite moment where you can chill. 🙂
Mistakes Are Part of the Creative Process
I often tell my students: making mistakes isn’t failure—it’s part of the creative journey. I’d happily take a major proportion mistake early on and fix it than spend hours on details that might be scrapped.
Early messy sketches are like experiments, helping you find the right direction. Don’t be precious; sketch quickly and iterate. This mindset shift changed the way I approach drawing and design research.
Find Joy in Adding Details After Foundation
Once the fundamentals are set, the fun really begins.
Adding textures, shadows, and intricate details brings your sketch to life. It’s like finishing the final layer on a painting. Those moments are the most satisfying and where your personality as a designer shines brightest. But remember, this phase comes after a solid foundation, so your drawing doesn’t collapse under its own weight.
Practical Tips for Beginner Designers
- Warm Up Like an Athlete: Before intense drawing, do light strokes to loosen your hand and build confidence.
- Sketch for Research, Not Perfection: Use sketches as tools for exploring ideas, not as polished art pieces.
- Draw Anywhere, Anytime: Creativity strikes in cafes, parks, or even while waiting in line. Capture those sudden sparks!
- Embrace Quantity Over Quality at First: Produce many sketches to discover strong ideas rather than forcing a perfect one early.
Why Motivation is Your Best Drawing Tool
Drawing can sometimes feel like driving in fog. You can’t always see the full path ahead. The secret? Keep driving, keep sketching. Your motivation fuels those repetitive sketches, failures, and breakthroughs. When motivation wanes, remind yourself of the joy found in each line and the progress hidden in every “imperfect” page.
Drawing is a life-long journey.
With patience, kindness to your process, and practical strategies to manage motivation and mistakes, you’ll find yourself sketching more and loving it deeper every day.
Cheers,
Chou-Tac
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Great lesson thankyou 🙂
More than welcome Andrew.