Tumbling Through Blocks

Go three days without picking up a pencil or pen to sketch, and the block starts to creep in. Go one week without sketching and the confidence levels drop. It’s such a pain sometimes, and I don’t know whether working digitally in those cases is a blessing or a curse. On the one hand, digital sketching should make you freer and bolder and looser with your strokes. On the other hand, the ability to undo and layer your sketch is often exactly what makes you timid and overcautious. I rarely go beyond a couple of layers, but undo is my downfall. There’s something about being forced to commit to your marks when you’re working traditionally that’s oddly freeing. I’m not happy with the way these sketches turned out but when you’re in a slump, producing something is better than nothing. The thumbnail at least is passable, so I might fill up a few sketchbook pages of just monochromatic thumbnails, focussing on values, silhouettes, and my arch nemesis, perspective, until I rack up enough confidence for a better piece.