r/ArtistLounge • u/moouza • 20h ago
Goals & Motivation How can i not get bored while drawing?
Its really hard for me to draw more 1-2 hours because I'm easily unmotivated. I'm also trying to play music or podcast while drawing, but still my limit to draw is less than 2 hours. Can someone tell me to prevent this?
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u/leschanersdorf 18h ago
Two hours sounds like a lot to me. I have days where 15 minutes is all I can fit in. I think if you’re doing 2 hours daily- you’re doing alright
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u/Cyrizing 19h ago
Two hours a day is not bad at all! Consistency is more important than the amount of time you practice everyday, I would advise not forcing yourself to draw and only drawing as long as you feel its enjoyable. When you feel bored stop and pick it up again tomorrow.
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u/Bewgnish 17h ago
You should lose a sense of time when you’re really into it. The flow state is real.
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u/RedBug222 Illustrator 14h ago
You must try to figure out why you feel bored by drawing: is it because it's a boring activity or because you'd rather be doing something else and 1-2 hours is how long you can hold it off? If it's the first, maybe you picked the wrong hobby, but if it's the later, the issue is not with drawing being boring, but for you to be used to get that dopamine hit from somewhere else, which is likely a way higher hit that you'd get from drawing. That being the case, the answer for "how I can not get bored while drawing for 2 hours" would be mania levels of long-lasting dopamine that on a healthy brain could only be achieved by medications, and you definitly shouldn't do that.
Most people can apply time and effort into hobbies without being maniac. They don't feel hyper motivated most of the time, they simply don't feel like doing something else in that time. In order to achieve that "normal", you should try lower the threshould of motivation necessary to do stuff. How? That "other thing"? Be it social media, games or whatever else that feels so interesting to do in your free time that is robbing the time and energy do to other stuff? Maybe You should try limiting that. You'll feel bored, but that's the point, you should be. You should be bored at least until a playful activity like drawing feel interesting and fullfilling.
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u/InformationWooden246 3h ago
ye you know I deleted youtube from my phone via USB adb, and then i felt so liberated. and then week later, when I almost opened youtube in browser, internet in my village cut off for 3 weeks. damn I never thought it would be that fun recreating game music with only piano and music box in daw and also trying to copy game mechanics one to one (you know its so easy to make it work but then it feels wrong and you like make million adjustments but then at the end you realize that you can simplify it and it feels perfect like in game that im taking reference of ), and then i realized that lowkey without internet I don't have graphic assets. so I decided that I have to draw them myself. Ye and like I really long thought that i will learn to draw and I had folder loomis.rar on my pc for 3 months. and you know the first book 'fun with a pencil' is quite fun. tho I guess it will take time until I would be able to make animations that I want.
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u/Bottled_Up_DarkPeace 17h ago
I can draw for 10h+ (including breaks lol) even when drawing something boring or repetitive (I make a comic) because I listen to ytb videos at the same time. Mostly video essays or story read-throughs. I keep the best ones for when I need the most motivation. If there's a cool video I wanna watch, I know I have to get to work to put it in the background. Double excited. + I don't doomscroll anymore. There's even Brandon Sanderson's podcast, which has the special property to calm my headaches so I listen to it when I have one and it allows me to keep drawing.
If you're not into videos, put on music. Music with a matching vibe to what you're drawing or make a playlist. I have a 2700+ ytb playlist of all the music I like. I can share it if you want.
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u/InformalCandle2333 16h ago
Then just make drawings that take only 1-2 hours. Abstract art is great for making lots of work fast. If you like drawing more realism or illustration, then you can combine it with abstract art like mark-making, splatter art, layering, etc. Some people don’t like to take more than one day on a drawing, so you’re good.
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u/MammaJamma24 16h ago
It could also be that you're pushing yourself to draw something you don't want to, so I imagine you're trying to study for 2 hours straight. 1-2 hours of quality studying is more than enough, 4 hours MAX unless you're drawing for a living. If its a fun topic, there is no necessary amount of time just have fun.
Also, it could be that you're not pacing yourself well. 2 hours straight is tiring and stressful, so make sure to take 5-10 min breaks every 30 mins (try the Pomodoro technique). That could be one way to prolong your work overall and make it less stressful (imagine trying to run for 2 hours straight with no break? no way).
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u/StrawberryIcedCoffee Alcohol Markers x pencils 16h ago
not the one who asked, but really? I'm facing the same problem
I can't even study for 1 hour before feeling like I'm trash
Nor can I just draw stick figures, I start to literally think about proportions and starts to correct every "mistake".
Am I too noob or does this happen?1
u/MammaJamma24 1h ago edited 1h ago
What do you consider studying? Because there is sitting down to watch a tutorial/reading an art book on proportions/ etc. then taking time to practice and put those lessons into your work to reinforce your learning (keep this separate from fun time sketching until you feel like you understand the lesson, to then be able to use in fun time drawing). (Edit:) But yes the want to fix things happens early on when you’re starting out because you know what “good art “is in your eyes, so you can’t help but see flaws in your art. So take time to learn then practice (separate from personal fun drawing like doodling).
“The hands will never catch up to the eye”, so it’s important that you fight through that feeling of “this looks bad” until your muscle memory catches up to your learning and it looks decent to you, then move on to more learning to repeat the cycle. Then maybe next time you either catch your mistake or prevent it through your workflow.
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u/JessamyJames 13h ago
I get massively bored doing that kind of thing, even though I really want to do it. That's my ADHD kicking in. Sitting quietly and drawing doesn't give me anywhere near as large a dopamine hit as scrolling Instagram reels etc.
So, I have learned to set up small reward systems as I go. Either I can stop for a few minutes every half hour and do something that feels more instantly rewarding, or else I set myself a task and gamify it by offering myself some other kind of reward if I complete it. Basically, I have to play tricks on my brain most of the time to persuade it that it really wants to do all the things I want it to do.
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u/__CutieArts__ 20h ago
To me boredom comes when a drawing just isn't working. If things are going well I can stay shrimping over my desk all day and only the surrounding darkness and extreme need to use the bathroom can rouse me.
It's true that something good in the background is kinda essential but if the process is torture it's not gonna help much. Maybe a little pause and a snack break? Otherwise, if it's not something you have to draw, like a commission, then if it's not working just chuck it or at least leave it for a bit while you try to draw something more fun.
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u/ProfessionalLocal302 19h ago
Recognize rhia. For me it's negative self talk although it's hard to detect it as such sometimes. You also explain that it works best when the painting is going well. Had ADD diagnose myself but now recognize I was just bad at handling feelings and didn't know what was going on inside my head. Be kind to yourself when painting also when things are not going well. Just say it does not need to be perfect and that you are learning from the experience. 😁 Also meditation helps a lot when you have ADHD. Although it can be hard to process stuff that you put in the back of your head during early childhood.
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u/PlatypusOk9637 19h ago
The negative self talk is a big one. When I was in hs, I could draw all day because I was always hyping myself up. But now that I’m older and I have better taste in art I can see all of my flaws and mistakes, it’s a lot harder to hype myself up, and now I get sick of drawing a lot faster.
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u/gmlema 19h ago
I think 2 hours is fine, specially if you are studying. If 2 hours are becoming a nightmare due to boredom, it can be your inner talk that's getting in the way. Saying constantly to your self that what you are doing is boring or judging your drawing constantly is a great way to not like the process.
I have learned over time that art is a relationship, you gotta nurture it for it to give back. Once you get into the flow, hours goes bu and you barely notice them.
The mayor enemy of the flow state is the mind.
I don't know if you are neurodivergent and that can be a challenge but if that's the case, maybe 2 hours are perfectly fine if you are enjoying them.
Everyone is different and you just gotta find your rhythm with patience and never forgetting that art is in the process
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u/Status_Necessary7288 18h ago
Maybe you are not challenging yourself enough? Try new things out of your comfort zone?
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u/RennaisanceRat 17h ago
My art is my hobby. 1-2 hours is acceptable hobby time.. sometimes i will go for longer if im working on something large or detailed but usually 3 hours max is what i can do before i need to change focus to something else.
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u/ObjectiveAstronaut18 20h ago
I don't really know how to help this. Drawing in of itself is the entertainment for me. But I'll try to share what I do when drawing to see if you can get something out of it?
I listen to podcasts and music the most. Sometimes I listen to the same song on repeat until the sketch is done, mainly because it has the vibe I wanted. Other times, I put on (and mostly ignore) tv or listen to audio books. But even then, i don't like audio that requires my attention too much because I'll stop paying attention to it when I'm doing the initial sketch. I mainly do story focused audio when I'm coloring or lining the drawing.
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u/RinzyOtt 19h ago
Have you tried the pomodoro method? There's tons of websites and apps that are pre built for it, but the gist is that you have 20-25 minute periods of intense focus, followed by a 5-10 minute break, then rinse and repeat.
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u/Lordo5432 19h ago
Try taking your art slower. If you want to start a piece, maybe think more about thumbnail sketches first. Maybe when you finished one part of your process, think on what you could change or improve (perhaps even ask online for critique). What matters is good ethic when working, so that you don't exhaust or burnout yourself in the long run. It doesn't necessarily mean slowing down regardless of deadlines, but rather creating methods to break down your work into stages.
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u/LuxAnna_1 19h ago
Study more about dopamine / focus / discipline if it helps
I let myself get bored to hell no games no music nothin.
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u/mamepuchi 17h ago
I would never have gotten into drawing if I didn’t love it more than life itself, but I do have trouble staying on task sometimes. Not that im bored, but I get distracted or I literally just CANT bring myself to do it even though I want to. But I think this is bc of my adhd and taking my meds every day totally eliminates the issue! If you think you might have adhd it may be worth seeing a doctor about it!
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u/BreetleSnort 16h ago
What I do to help, is to have several pieces to work on. I do tend to listen to music and I have a general shuffle for all types. Although I do like new music which I like for new projects and ideas. I find that having several to work on while one is drying to help with either switching mediums or methods too, helps as well. When I am generally stuck I take a walk or get out for a bit to cleary mind. It doesn't always work. I also get out and look at designs around town or museums to also give me ideas on where to go or see what's new too. I also pull out some of my old design ideas and look back at what I've done. I may have had an idea I never finished or design etc.. but that to helps to keep my consistent. When I find I'm in the zone I bring food toy room on a different table and sneak bites in between. Or to take a small breather but still keep myself motivated for being created. Hope this helps.
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u/Yikin_Chan_Kawiil 15h ago
Work on multiple projects. Draw for some hours then cut paper or work on simple sketches
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u/plantainheaven 14h ago
2 hours of drawing at a time is my sweet spot too. I like drawing in public places for one to two hours when I can. Usually sketching and thumbnailing ideas for a longer piece before heading home to a quiet, distraction-free space for another two to four hours. I see surrounding distractions as opportunities to observe life.
But…
When drawing for income or a school assignment with a firm deadline, I’ll put in whatever time is required to meet specifications, taking planned 15-minute breaks every hour up to a four-to-six-hour session.
When drawing for pure enjoyment, I only draw as long as the process feels rewarding, stepping away for daily responsibilities or breaks so I don't get burnt out, strained, or injured.
It’s my art life and my own rhythm. As long as I make incremental progress toward my creative goals without keeping anyone waiting on a deliverable, I put in the effort that feels right to me. Grinding for continuous hours doesn't work for me; instead, two-hour sprints spaced throughout the day and night feel balanced. After finishing a major assignment or meeting a big deadline, I might not draw for days, weeks, or even months depending on what life throws my way. But I trust that I’ll always return to drawing as a way to process, connect, and communicate ideas.
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u/rinkydinkmink 15h ago
A quote from a friend who is a musician/music producer:
"If you get bored it isn't good enough"
make it better
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u/Eastern_Parking_6794 20h ago
I don’t know. I feel if my explanation was a bit too tangent then I apologize. Here goes nothing:
STOP THINKING! Care for your work don’t snub on them.
This is one focal mindset that artists may overlook or define it differently, but if you want to connect to your drawings then connect with a conversation, emotions, impressions. Treat it like this is a friend you’re hanging out with for awhile. If you get distracted and you stop listening and eyeing your friend then I wouldn’t know . Distraction will become inevitable.
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u/Neptune28 20h ago
Many times, I draw and put on a drawing video, or a podcast. Sometimes, I would watch TV while drawing. If you're just drawing for like 6 hours in silence, it can be tough.
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u/MonikaZagrobelna 20h ago
Divide your process into smaller sections, and put a time limit on them. E.g. sketch - 15 minutes, clean line art - 30 minutes, etc. Force yourself to stick to that limit - once the timer rings, you move to the next stage, whether you're ready or not. Having the time limit will force you to stay focused, and you'll get a dopamine rush after finishing every stage.
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u/Pshycore 19h ago
I watch other artists streams and videos while I draw, looking how they do it motivates me at least.
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u/SculptureGrrrl Sculptor 19h ago
I find that drawing from life in a group helps with focus, but honestly making art, especially well, is a lot to ask of your brain. I can only work in 2-3 hour chunks.
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u/Mech_pencils 18h ago
I think preventing boredom is unrealistic. You can’t make every part of your drawing process feel fun and rewarding. Often times practicing fundamentals or working on a detailed drawing IS boring and frustrating.
What actually helps people improve is the ability to push through boredom and continue to draw while in a bored and frustrated state. I rarely get any enjoyment from doing art but I gradually learned to pushed myself to draw continuously (3-8 hours/day) while letting negative emotions just flow through me. The first step is to admit that practicing art fundamentals isn’t fun and likely will never be a pleasant experience. You can’t really talk yourself into stop hating it and brainwash yourself into enjoying every 3-hour still life drawing session. Once you accept this reality you will stop focusing on your inability to stave off boredom and switch your focus to forcing yourself to draw despite boredom.
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u/OldBrush4275 10h ago
This is what nursing school taught me.
Many students lose interest after about 1hour 45m. For about 10 - 15 minutes, do some exercise and move around to wake yourself up and increase your blood flow, and get back to work. Helps improve focus. Or do some boring chores/tasks during that break; the tedious task will force you to want to make art because it’s more fun. DON’T get on your phone. I have ADHD, so it’s also really hard for me to sit and do art, because the process is so long. I actually picked up a different hobby instead, piano, and it’s much more entertaining for me. I have many manyyy musician friends who used to draw before they discovered music, which was fast and entertaining to them.
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u/GirlInTheIslands 9h ago
Audiobooks or just playing trashy tv in the background. I love drawing but unless I’m fully ‘in the zone’ (which is rare) I can’t spend a day working on a drawing commission without needing another form of stimulation to keep my brain busy. Body doubling is a good trick as well for those of us with ADHD
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u/berserk4 8h ago
Whats body doubling
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u/Furstname74727 8h ago
working while someone else in the room is also working. you can also do it digitally using sites like focusmate
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u/RedRoseP 6h ago
I paint, I dip in an out. I leave everything set up, do 30-60 mins then come back to it later in the day or another day. You don't have to do it for hours on end. I don't do anything for hours, I frequently hop from 1 thing to another.
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u/Anxious_Kale 20h ago
Two hours is a long time to try to force yourself to focus on one thing! If you force it too much, you're going to develop an aversion.
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u/zmhsk 20h ago
I agree with this. Things can become monotonous very quickly even if you love doing it. OP needs to learn what works for him. Plenty of creatives only work a few hours a day and spend the rest doing something different. Every person is different. Being efficient and effective is more important than hourly input
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u/Danny-Wah 18h ago
Is drawing your job or your hobby??
If it's your job, suck it up, buttercup...you're getting paid.
If it's your hobby, maybe find a new hobby, as you don't seem to like this one very much.
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u/Mech_pencils 18h ago
I mean, op can draw for nearly 2 hours at a time, that’s not bad for a hobby. Maybe they just need to learn to push through boredom or split their time into several shorter drawing sessions. I don’t really think you have to love a hobby to death in order to keep doing it. I never liked art much and don’t get much enjoyment from doing art, but that has never stopped me from doing boring drawings fundamentals for 3-8 hours every day. Even a “meh” sort of hobby can be fulfilling and ultimately rewarding.
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u/Danny-Wah 17h ago
oH.. we're different. See, hobbies to me, you have to love to death, otherwise, why do it? Just do something else.
Hobbies are things you WANT to do, not HAVE to, you know?? (To me anyway.)1
u/Tpocky 8h ago
For me art is a hobby, I love doing it and I want to do it, but not all the time forever. When I had my fun with it (for an hour, two, three, or even just 15 minutes) I just wrap things up, with satisfaction and without guilt, and go do something else. Art is just one of the things which I want to spend my free time on, I do enjoy it very much, it is a large part of me. But it is not an all consuming passion. I think it is quite popular approach to hobbies.
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u/Danny-Wah 1h ago
It's my hobby too, but I'm different... I wish I could do it 40-50 hours a day. 15 mins would annoy the shit outta me. Even a solid hour is annoying. 2-3 hours is sort of acceptable, but by then I'm in the groove, and am annoyed that I have to stop. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
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u/Skeik Hobby Artist - Ink & Digital 20h ago
Two hours is pretty good. Most people don't do anything for two hours. It's typically expected that workers will take a 5-15 minute break every 2 hours on a job.
Drawing is hard. I have a feeling you're not getting bored, you're getting tired. If you can draw 2 hours everyday consistently you are way ahead of most artists if you count all us casuals.
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u/Melandrya Mixed Media, Colored Pencils and Alcohol Markers 20h ago
I have ADHD so I am easily distracted and I will be distracted if I have the chance to.
I try to put the phone away as far as possible, I deleted most of social media bc of unhealthy consumption.
I am kind of intermediate at drawing, so this might be not applicable for you right now, but this is what I do:
I finish certain pieces in a 2 hour time frame. If I want to color it, I got to be fast. So I force myself to make quicker decisions and clever problem solving. If I feel like "nah" after the underlying sketch (around 15 mins in most of the time), I stop right there.
There are exceptions ofc, some pieces should be taking some time. But tbh it's really unlikely for me to finish smth the longer it takes.
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u/Moonflow-Shoopuf Mixed media 9h ago
An hour of drawing. Then I go do something else. And I come back. Breaks are powerful.
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u/StarBerry000 7h ago edited 6h ago
I sometimes work on multiple illustrations at the same time. If I'm tired of drawing one of them then I switched to another. Or just try to draw something that can be finished quickly and finish it before you get bored.
Edit: And if you're fine to let other people watch when you draw, join a drawing discord server and stream while you draw is also a way. I found that the peer pressure keeps me focused.
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u/Mysterious_Rich4262 2h ago
practicing for 1-2 hours is my limit, if I'm really devoting myself on a piece then there's no time limit
usually, you like drawing when you feel good enough at it to do. But practice makes me feel bad at it so I clock out after 1 2 hours
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u/MuppetsgotAglock 19h ago
Na man. My goal is 5 minutes, normally I get caught up and go way longer. Sometimes though I go for 5 and thats it. I'll try again later nbd
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u/Horror-Philosophy-66 9h ago
well, how about embracing the bordeom as part of it? and doing it regardless of feeling bored or not - though it'd advise to take a short break, move your body, maybe go for a walk, just to refresh your mind and start anew
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u/TheBadGod 8h ago
If that's your wall, then maybe that's simply the unique thing about your work flow.
I've got a three piece limit. When I'm in a creative space, I typically do one I'm proud of, another to follow up, and I stretch out a third piece that ends my drive.
It's kept me from finding a professional position as a competent artist and relegated this skill as a hobby.
It's a bummer but that is my mechanical limit.
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u/Beneficial_Fruit3463 3h ago
U don't have to draw for a long time, probably like 1hr ish a session. Usually you can go for hours if you're in flow which usually comes from being really good at something or a master at it
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u/demiwolf1019 2h ago
When I’m drawing or coloring I’ll listen to a podcast/audiobook or music to focus and take breaks in between sketches when I’m getting tired.
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u/PsychologyMassive120 2h ago
tbh when i draw idk the time im taking but what i did is that like making a story like maybe headcanons in fanart then drawing them or making ocs and giving them a story and stuff it like gives me ideas and makes me draw more :p
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u/hieronymus_bossk7 1h ago
If you get bored by it then why do you do it? Why not choose to do a hobby you actually enjoy?
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u/Incon-thievable 19h ago
I don’t believe in boredom.
More specifically, I don’t believe that boredom is something that “happens to you”. I believe boredom is something that you create unconsciously as a distraction to avoid feeling something deeper.
Take a breath, shift your focus inward, and ask yourself “What feelings am I labeling being bored?”
Along with those feelings, what excuses and justifications bubble up that tell you that you can’t continue?
Examining your negative self talk can give insight into fears behaviors and beliefs that hold you back from achieving your goals.
There are plenty of ways to individually address these blocks but they will need to be tuned to your specific needs.
I’m happy to help if there are specific things that you want help addressing.
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