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50% rule question

7:22 PM, Wednesday March 20th 2024

Hello everyone, Drawabox newbie here.

I have a question about the 50% rule. The question is whether just playing around with painting counts? I mean I have fun doing it, but I am not uncomfortable and just enjoy the process. Also it is not DRAWING per se. I don't like drawing that much and got into this course because I was getting bottlenecked in pursuing my painting by my crappy - awful really - sketches. SO is my painting random stuff, for example freestyling it because I like painting, in the spirit of the 50/50 rule? Or should I push myself to draw even though I would like to paint? should I just not count my painting time to the 50% rule???

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1 users agree
2:13 PM, Thursday March 21st 2024

I think that counts! The goal of that rule is to stop yourself from burning out from hyperfixating on practice, which can be pretty demoralizing and draining, especially in a case where it differs from your favored art/subject matter. I'm kind of in the same boat, where my interest is leaning into figure drawing rather than the constructional stuff DrawABox is working on, but I do find a lot of benefits to my general drawing even if its a little outside of what I personally "want" to be doing.

That being said, it might be worth including some drawing time just to get more used to the tools and all. Maybe a sketchbook or notebook and a pen for doodling on the go would be worth getting, since there's less of a "setup" than painting it might be easier to do it out and about when you can't paint. If its becoming too much of a chore I wouldn't force myself to, though

6:04 PM, Thursday March 21st 2024

thank you very much, that is reassuring. I am doing some sketches also, because ultimately I need to be able to draw more than boxes (^^) to sketch, but most of my fun is from painting and I was worried where I would fit in additional time for the 50/50 rule if that didn't do.

0 users agree
8:07 PM, Monday April 1st 2024

I'd say it counts. I think the point of the 50% rule is so we don't forget the point of art, which is enjoyment, and to prevent burnout or losing focus/desire to continue with the lessons.

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