Music While Arting

[Lego M]

I listen to all sorts of different music - rock, metal, German industrial... whatever I feel like listening to at the time. I have a couple of very different channels on Pandora that I alternate between. While I don't HAVE to have music playing to draw, it certainly helps me focus.

Sometimes when I'm working on something that has a central character, I'll find myself listening to whatever type of music I feel fits that character. I've always associated certain music with characters, so who I'm currently working with tends to effect the music mood I'm in (and what's currently playing can influence who I want to draw).

[Funderbunk]

I listen to all sorts of different music - rock, metal, German industrial... whatever I feel like listening to at the time.

I mean no offense by this, and I hope I don't hijack the thread into an argument or insult you with this because it's definitely not my meaning, but that doesn't really strike me as "all sorts of different music", because those genres often overlap to the point of blurring together. I'm not saying I DO listen to very varied music (as a guitar player, I've noticed a pattern that I pretty much only listen to bands or musicians that blatantly overuse the D chord), but just sayin'.

And on nice days I really just prefer to open the window and listen to the outside noises.

I miss the days before my neighbors moved in when I could do that. Now every nice day is made less nice by hammering, sawing and engine revving.

[Lego M]

I listen to all sorts of different music - rock, metal, German industrial... whatever I feel like listening to at the time.

I mean no offense by this, and I hope I don't hijack the thread into an argument or insult you with this because it's definitely not my meaning, but that doesn't really strike me as "all sorts of different music", because those genres often overlap to the point of blurring together. I'm not saying I DO listen to very varied music (as a guitar player, I've noticed a pattern that I pretty much only listen to bands or musicians that blatantly overuse the D chord), but just sayin'.

Yeah that's true, the examples I gave were pretty bad in terms of listing different music. I actually DO listen to more than just what I wrote, but as they're what I normally have playing they were the first ones on my mind when I was writing my post.

[HarringtonAW]

While I've been working recently I've been listening to Nicolae Herlea's opera arias, as well as Zucchero, Slaughter and Steelheart.

That's pretty different. Or pretty weird....

-S

[Gibson]

Slaughter

Shiver me timbers! Haven't heard that name in a while.

[Rob]

My old band mate is actually in the studio working with the drummer from the Meat Puppets. He's paying some producer to make some of his songs into professional sounding tracks. He sent me a couple of the songs and they sound like The Doors. LOL.

Song 1

And

Song 2

The funny thing is as much as I disdain most 60's music that isn't the Hollies or The Beatles (with a few other exceptions) and have a real loathing for The Doors I can't seem to get these out of my head. But I guess I'm off topic because I'm not listening to them while arting. I don't art. So I'm listening to them while I work on a gajillion other webcomic related things. 

[HarringtonAW]

Oddly enough, Miljenko Matijevic from Steelheart is currently touring with the Doors (the ones that aren't dead, that is).

-S

[klingers]

I've actually been listening to fantasy novel audio-books while I draw. Weird but it relaxes me.

[Funderbunk]

Recently I've been playing Eels' album "Electro-shock Blues" over and over and over while working. By all means listening to an album about cancer, suicide, death and mental hospitals over and over should destroy my psyche but somehow it keeps me going in some odd, cathartic way.

[Thereisnosaurus]

I generally listen to talk radio or an audiobook. When doing the more mechanical aspects of drawing in particular (inking/colouring etc) I don't really need my intellectual focus on the screen, so I can catch up on current affairs or get through one of the classics. (check librivox.org for a bunch of free audiobooks of just about anything big that's pre 1930's)

When I do listen to music (during the sketch phase mostly) I typically listen to game soundtracks, or OCR tracks (remixed game music). Good for pacing yourself. I also have a particular love for the cat empire, a local band that do a huge variety of styles from hip-hop to neo-jazz to reggae to basically anything that you can do with a trumpet, a trombone, drums and a keyboard. Their music is warm and happy, full of energy and great to get you going.

[plughead]

Hey everyone

I've become a real podcast junkie in recent years, though sometimes when I get into the drawing zone, I like to blast some METAL, gansta rap or drum and bass to feel the energy blast through me.

But podcasts have become surprisingly inspirational for arting. Whether it be "Art & Story", "Ninja Mountain", "SModcast" or whatever, my creative juices still get pretty fired up.

But then, at times like RIGHT NOW, I gotta throw in some Genius/GZA - "Beneath The Surface" and/or "Liquid Swords"

[GroundChux]

What I listen to totally shifts depending on my mood at the time, but one thing that's constant is that I NEED noise to create.

Lately I've been addicted to various Kitsune label compilations for some hipster french electro, for example. I'll also play a lot of TV shows and movies on the other monitor (right now chewing through all of Cheers sequentially, and on a Broken Lizard kick). It changes all the time.

I'll never have shows/movies running while I'm writing, though. That's impossible. But I often use them for drawing because guitar music can get me distracted and make me start playing guitar instead of drawing. Plus drawing is such a lonely sport, having some talking going on is almost like being social, heh.

[Gar]

I've been listening to this playlist of videogame music. It's good for drawing to because videogame music is written to accompany an engrossing activity. Some of it's a bit annoying, but it shuffles if you refresh the page.

Also this has given me some good music. Ocarina of Rhyme!