So here's what I've settled on for the 50% rule, cause I'd be like, "Okay, I want to draw a car, or a person, or a potion bottle, whatever, but I suddenly have no idea what those things look like!! Ack!!!!!"
On 50% rule days, I warm up for 10-20 min by finding some reference and sketching 1-3 of those things--not pretty, just enough to figure out the basic elements ("riiiiiiight, that's what a cat's nose looks like" or whatever). Then I close the reference, turn the page, and try to draw something similar, but not the same.
So if you warmed up drawing cats, draw one from imagination in a different pose, or from a different angle, or with something fanciful like wings. Try to put it in an environment, even a simple one, like on top of a brick wall.
You'll focus better to understand the reference (rather than thoughtlessly copy) if you know that in 15 minutes, you'll take the training wheels off and draw a different version of that thing, without reference. And it's okay if it turns out horrible!
Tygerson5 in the post "Is copying other art okay for the 50% rule?"
2022-09-22 16:47
So here's what I've settled on for the 50% rule, cause I'd be like, "Okay, I want to draw a car, or a person, or a potion bottle, whatever, but I suddenly have no idea what those things look like!! Ack!!!!!"
On 50% rule days, I warm up for 10-20 min by finding some reference and sketching 1-3 of those things--not pretty, just enough to figure out the basic elements ("riiiiiiight, that's what a cat's nose looks like" or whatever). Then I close the reference, turn the page, and try to draw something similar, but not the same.
So if you warmed up drawing cats, draw one from imagination in a different pose, or from a different angle, or with something fanciful like wings. Try to put it in an environment, even a simple one, like on top of a brick wall.
You'll focus better to understand the reference (rather than thoughtlessly copy) if you know that in 15 minutes, you'll take the training wheels off and draw a different version of that thing, without reference. And it's okay if it turns out horrible!