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[Gar]

I've recently discovered that I draw better and faster if I make little robot noises or say aloud what the line I'm drawing is as I'm drawing each line.  It sounds a little weird, but I think I'm drawing synaesthetically - engaging vocalisation to assist hand-eye-mind co-ordination.

A lot of artists make little noises when they're drawing, that's just my take on what that activity actually is, and why it should be done consciously.

[Dr. BlkKnight]

I've never done that.

[Mari]

hmm... I don't know if I make noises when I'm drawing, but I know I merge on to the interstate better when I mutter under my breath "oh noes we're all gonna diiiiiiieeeee aaaaaaaaa." The principle is the same I think ....though it makes diving with other people in the car awkward.

I do notice that I like to touch my face or my elbow with my free hand while I'm drawing though. I think it helps... maybe.

[Gar]

I do notice that I like to touch my face or my elbow with my free hand while I'm drawing though. I think it helps... maybe.

Could be a feeling the muscles/stabilising posture thing? Touching your elbow would give you greater awareness of the muscles in your arm, so I can see how that could help with drawing.

You're a much better illustrator than me anyway, so you've probably developed a couple of quirks of your own to aid your technique. For me, the vocalisation thing mainly serves to minimise line jitter and get line weight right. I started the thread to encourage others to try it :D

I also match my own expression to the face I'm drawing (usually without having a mirror handy) but I think that's a lot more common than making robot noises.

Lets derail this a little and talk about our weird little behaviours that help us draw. Could be helpful!

[Mari]

Could be a feeling the muscles/stabilising posture thing? Touching your elbow would give you greater awareness of the muscles in your arm, so I can see how that could help with drawing.

Yeah,you know I bet I started doing that when I began studying ceramics. What with making a triangle to stabilize. It probably doesn't do much for me in drawing, but it makes me feel better. lol

I also match my own expression to the face I'm drawing (usually without having a mirror handy) but I think that's a lot more common than making robot noises.

DEFINITELY guilty of that! Haha!

What a great idea for a thread. I can't wait to hear more.

[Gar]

Yeah,you know I bet I started doing that when I began studying ceramics. What with making a triangle to stabilize. It probably doesn't do much for me in drawing, but it makes me feel better. lol

And is therefore helpful!

What's with the making a triangle in ceramics? I haven't done ceramics, so I don't know what that means. Could be good for stabilisation.

[Mari]

Basically, if I need to pull some clay up the inside wall of a pot that is taller than the length of my right hand (which, granted, you shouldn't have to do if you don't make mistakes like I do @_@), then I will touch my left hand to my right forearm somewhere and tuck my elbows into my sides, making an inflexible triangle, which eliminates virtually all gitters as I move my right hand upwards. The only problem with applying this to drawing is that making a stable triangle isn't at all good for any sort of fast sweeping gestures of the arm, though it's very nice for  small detail work. When I'm watercoloring details with a small brush I'll often use that. I will also sometimes touch the back end of my brush to my chin while painting for the finest of fine work. This is especially useful in ceramics because it leaves my other hand free to spin the pot when I am applying a band of color.

If I only took the time to focus on improving my gesture technique it wouldn't be a problem. I think most people don't need to use this method. I've just always been challenged in the motor skills department so I took the high road and found ways around it.

[Rob]

I mutter a lot but it's usually me telling me how awful I am at drawing. But I get what you're saying Gar. I think I used to do something like that when I was a kid. I may have to try it again. Since I can't draw any better now than I could then.  :P

[Gar]

Yeah, it's something I've always done without thinking about it, just the little "OK, so this goes around like this, and connects up to there" monologue when I'm re-doing a line I've messed up a couple of times. I've done it for ages, and only just noticed that it's actually useful!

[ScottLincoln]

Making faces while drawing character - check
Muttering while merging into traffic - check
Making robot noises while drawing - only with an Etch-a-Sketch
Playing my iPod loud enough to drown out the voices in my head so I can draw - check... oh wait, no one asked that.  ::)

[Gar]

Playing my iPod loud enough to drown out the voices in my head so I can draw - check... oh wait, no one asked that.  ::)

Well music as a movement aid is well-known, although I'm disappointed you're not listening to your voices  :P

[HarringtonAW]

Sometimes when I'm drawing faces I find myself making the same expression as the character I'm drawing. I don't personally make noises while drawing, but I am aquainted with a writer that makes noises while plotting stories.

-S