What to draw when you’re bored

A series of sketches created while watching YouTube and the movie Birds of Prey

The holiday season is wonderful for sharing time with family and friends but let’s face it. We are all off of work and eventually, boredom sets in, lol.

Let’s fix that!

As artists and a makers we are blessed with tools and skills that eliminate boredom. Here are 7 actions that I follow to make sure that I am ready for the quiet moments when the house is silent and “boredom” comes to visit.

1. Always have a sketchbooks and a few pens within reach. It sounds simple, because it is, but it’s the best way to move from action to inaction. No one wants to buried in the couch, then have to get up to find drawing supplies. Keep them close.

2. Everything and everyone is a subject. While watching a YouTube video about John Singer Seargent. I learned that his mother made him draw everyday and she made him draw boring subjects. If you look at his watercolors, you’ll see a set of stairs or a jug in the corner, rocks and people working. Normal everyday events that are “boring”. Everything is a subject, so draw the plant in the corner, pens on a table and shoes strewn about the floor. The practice is what is important.
   Sergent Portrait drawings: https://amzn.to/4ak55vx, master copy

3. Set a timer. The hardest part is getting started, period. You are an object at rest so make it a game. Set a timer for 30 seconds and draw something. Then do it again. Then set the timer for a minute. Then do it again. Now, jump to 2 min. repeat. Now 5 minutes. Repeat. Now that you are warmed up, draw to your heart’s delight.

4. Start small. Do try for greatness on the first drawing. Start small and sloppy. Draw the same thing a few times before jumping into something more complex

5. On demand drawing sessions or classes. Patreon and YouTube has loads of artist that do tutorials on demand.

6. Paint a reference that you’ve done before. You already have the reference in your phone, which is probably in your hand right now. Paint it again, and again. Change the colors or the style. It’s a fun and challenging exercise.

7. Draw something that is not in your wheelhouse. For example, if you are a portrait artist, draw a street scene. Or if you are an abstract artist, draw something realistic