Learning how to get back into drawing after a long break can be extremely daunting. It’s something I’ve struggled with since I first started making art and sometimes still feels overwhelming even after drawing for over 15 years. There have been times where I didn’t draw for a few months or even 2-3 years because I was afraid of making ‘bad’ art. Or that I feel like I’m starting from Point A every time I pick up a pencil. These are just a couple of the many reasons and obstacles why we stop drawing. In this article, we’ll discuss how to get back into drawing after a long break while learning to maintain a sustainable and long-lasting creative outlet!
Contents
- Reasons for Quitting Drawing
- How to Get Back into Drawing After a Long Break
- What to Draw After a Long Break
- Key Points to Focus On After a Drawing Hiatus
Possible Reasons for Quitting Drawing
There are many reasons why we quit drawing, some that we have no control over and that’s 100% okay. Things happen, so it’s important we don’t mentally discourage or beat ourselves up about it, as that will further push us in a negative direction.
I usually find it hard to start drawing because I get into my head about all the tasks I need to do, to finish a final piece. And as I’ve learned many times, that’s the wrong way to approach drawing and art.
Here are just some of the many reasons for quitting drawing or why it can be hard to get back into drawing after a long break.
1. It Can Be Too Overwhelming
2. Not Enough Time to Draw
3. There’s Just So Much to Learn
4. Getting Burned Out (Esp. When You First Start Drawing)
5. Fear of Drawing of Having Art Anxiety
6. Feeling Like You’re Not Making Any Progress
7. Can’t Keep Up a Consistent Drawing Schedule
8. Supplies Are Too Expensive
9. Always Focusing on The Final Art Work
10. Comparing Your Art to Other Artists
How to Get Back Into Drawing After a Long Break
Before You Get Back into Drawing:
In order to make drawing sustainable, just like every other habit, it’s important to take time to really think about why you want to do it, in what way will it benefit you, what you want to accomplish with drawing, and why you quit in the first place.
These are essential questions you must ask yourself before you get back into drawing after a long break because they form a strong foundation in having clear ideas of expectations and standards.
You can think of this as a rough blueprint and make changes along the way.
*Good habits, whether they involve drawing or something else, are much easier to keep up when you get a reward from doing them and it brings you positive value in some way, mentally or physically. Think about what positive thing(s) drawing does for you, and start there. Keeping up with drawing involves a growth mindset.
Now let’s get to the good stuff and get back into drawing after a long break.
1. Figure Out Why You Quit
What made you quit? Try your best to be very honest with yourself about this and make a list or note of it.
If you understand what made you quit drawing before, you’ll probably face this same obstacle again but you can most likely prevent it this time around, given it’s something within your control.
If it was negative emotions, try to associate drawing with positive ones this time.
2. Have ZERO Expectations
Go easy on yourself and don’t expect to have to make a masterpiece. It’s okay if you’d like to just make scribbles or abstract art, whatever works for you.
When you’re at ease, you’re more likely to not only be better at what you’re doing but be more creative.
So, have zero expectations of making awesome or amazing art right when you start to get back into drawing after a long break because it will really help ease your mind back into the process while making it more fun!
3. Ease Your Way Into It
When you take your time and enjoy the process of drawing rather than focusing on the end result, you make it effortless for yourself.
By learning to draw at a slower place, you can more easily comprehend new and old techniques and really understand how things work. There’s no time limit to improve your drawing – just go with the flow.
4. Have a Sustainable but Complete-able Drawing Plan
Make drawing as easy as you can on yourself.
Don’t complicate it. Don’t force it. Don’t put all the pressure on yourself.
Just make sure you can draw for a set amount of time, in it’s entirety.
When you complete anything, it gives you a feeling of accomplishment, progress, satisfaction, and validity. All positive feelings that help propel you towards a long-lasting hobby or habit.
5. Don’t Try Drawing Anything Fancy or Advanced
I know it may be tempting to draw a gorgeous portrait, character, or detailed colored landscape. But absolutely, when you are ready to get back into drawing after a long break, do not start drawing anything crazy or try to make a masterpiece! I mean it.
If you start off wanting to draw a masterpiece right after a long break from drawing, you will burn yourself out, fast.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done this but it made continuing to pick up a pencil that much harder because I felt I needed to make another piece at the same high quality as the last. And that’s just not true.
Instead, you can get back into drawing with very simple and easy to accomplish drawing exercises. It doesn’t even need to be a finished artwork.
6. Stick with the Basics
Like in #5, keep your drawings very simple at the beginning. After all, there’re so many techniques and hand movements you need to relearn.
And all of that takes time.
Instantly being amazing at drawing, esp. if you haven’t done it in a long time, isn’t going to happen overnight. So, keep your drawing as simple as you can. Because learning the basics is what is going to make a faster, better, and smarter artist in the long run, while saving you loads of time – trust me.
7. Set A Dedicated Amount of Time To Drawing
Whether it’s only 3 min, 15, or more, having a set amount of time dedicated to drawing regularly will play a huge helping role when you get back into drawing after a long break.
Why?
It put’s you in a creative mindset and gets you in a continuous but easy-to-accomplish routine, making it much easier to keep up with drawing.
And you don’t even need to draw everyday, just whatever you can fit in your schedule!
I have to draw more often due to work but for personal drawings, I stick to really small sketchpads (3″ x 4″) so I don’t get overwhelmed, and set aside 30-45min to sketch whatever, every other day.
You can use my schedule as a general starting point or come up with your own.
8. Prioritize Having Fun Over the Result
Remember, when drawing, do your best to have fun and enjoy the process!
This is why I got into making art in the first place.
When you’re having fun, drawing doesn’t feel like a chore, like there’s any pressure on you, or that you’re forcing it out of yourself. It’s supposed to come naturally. This is what we’re trying to go for.
9. Determine Your Art Goals
Make your art and drawing work for you, not the other way around.
- What does drawing do for you?
- What will you gain from learning how to draw?
- How will drawing and art-making enrich your life and make it better?
- What do you want to accomplish with drawing?
- Do you want to make money as an artist?
- Do you want to become an art teacher?
Having a general idea of your art goals will help you get a better picture of why you want to get back into drawing after a long break while keeping you focused on picking up necessary skills and staying on track in the long run.
10. Leave Out the Color
I know it’s tempting to jump right in to a full-colored artwork. But please don’t. It will most likely burn you out.
After long breaks from drawing, you’ll need to relearn and re-familiarize yourself with the basics. And there’s a lot.
From hand-eye coordination to retraining your arm and muscle movements, pencil pressure, line control, shading, and more, you’ll have your work cut out for you for the first month of drawing at least.
And adding color is just going to slow you down and get in the way.
Using color is a whole other animal. And it takes lots of time to understand and master.
Don’t make drawing more difficult on yourself by using multiple colors.
Pro Tip: You can draw in a single color but make sure your drawing is monochromatic. This makes drawing easier and you can better understand the material you’re using.
What to Draw to Get Back into Drawing
Keep it simple, extremely simple. Again, you don’t and shouldn’t make a final artwork when you get back into drawing after a long break.
Instead, focus on hand movements and pencil control.
If feeling overwhelmed or overwhelm freeze was a cause of not getting back into drawing, then lowering pressure on yourself to complete an artwork / get it to look like a masterpiece will allow you to focus on the process, not the end result.
I’ve made a quick list of simple drawing exercises you can try right now to help you get back into drawing after a long break, regardless of your skill level or experience.
Simple Drawing Exercises
- Drawing Circles
- Focuses on arm and wrist movement
- Sketching Straight Lines
- Focus on line control : Just draw straight lines on a page. You can even draw over them to really master your pen/pencil control.
- Drawing Simple Shapes
- Sketch outlines of triangles, squares, rectangles, and circles
- These are the building blocks of all objects
- Making Gradient Bars
- Using a pencil or pen, draw a small rectangle outline
- From the left side, fill it in as dark as you can, then slowly transition to blank white as you make your way to the right side of the rectangle
- It’s basically a value/shading scale – helps you understand value and hand pressure
- Free Drawing
- Allows your hand to move freely and focus on hand-eye coordination
- Can be lots of lines, random shapes, or marks on a page
For more simple and relaxing drawing exercises that will help get you back into drawing after a long break, grab a free printable art therapy activities download here!
What to Focus on When You Get Back into Drawing After a Long Break
These tips can help you find aspects that you really enjoy about drawing and help you keep up with it in the long run and succeed.
As we’ve learned, making detailed art will take you loads of time when you need to relearn and retrain the way you draw, first.
Key Points to Focus On When Returning to Draw
- Focus on the Process, Not the Result
- How Does Drawing Make You Feel?
- If you enjoy doing, it makes sense to continue doing it
- If you don’t like it, it isn’t fun, or it doesn’t doing anything productive or fulfilling in some way to you, then drop it – it’s okay, drawing isn’t for everyone
- Hand-Eye Coordination
- Being Able to Control Your Wrist and Arm Movements
- How to Break Subjects Down Into Very Simple Shapes
- Line Control
- Pencil Pressure
Every single point made above is essential in building a strong, perhaps even unbreakable foundation in learning to draw and staying consistent with it.
Other drawing concepts like perspective, drawing in 3D, and color, should all come after you feel like you’ve gotten a good understanding of the points above. Then you can try getting all fancy and detailed with your art!
More Helpful Articles & Drawing Tutorials to Help You Get Back into Drawing After a Long Break
- 10 Ways to Beat Art Anxiety & Be Confident with Your Art | Post
- How to Start Drawing With No Art Experience | Post
- Art Success: 10 Brutal Truths to Know Before You Start Drawing | Post
- Creative Burnout : How to Beat & Prevent It | Post
- 10 Expressive Art Therapy Activities to Try Now | Post
- 5 Relaxing Drawing Ideas of People for Beginners and Non Artists | Post
- 10 Quick & Relaxing Random Doodles to Draw When You’re Bored | Post
- 6 Best Poses for Art Reference for Stunning Character Designs | Post
- 3 Quick & Easy Palm Tree Drawing Styles & Tutorials with No Art Experience | Post
- 15+ Satisfying Heart Drawing Ideas | Freebie
- How to Draw Hair Buns for Males and Females | Post
- Free Printable Drawing Stress Relief Cheat Sheet | Freebie
- 15 Anxiety Art Therapy Activities to Help You Feel Calm Now | Post
Now you have everything you need to get back into drawing after a long break!
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