Drawing Still Life for Mental Health

Life has a tendency to move like a rollercoaster. One moment things are steadily going up, but then like a rollercoaster, it goes down. The varying states are all natural for life, but combining those with mental illness can make it overwhelming to deal with.

This month’s project:

This month we will be drawing still life. In art class, we draw still lives as a basic eye training technique. The mediums required for this will be a writing utensil and some paper. Start by positioning the object you decide on, be it an egg, a journal, etc.

On your paper draw four small squares; these will be the thumbnail sketches. Take no more than five minutes per square to quickly sketch the object, making sure after each sketch to turn it so a different position is captured. I find the process of sketching to be relaxing due to the stream-of-thought-nature drawing requires.

Once all your thumbnails are made, if there is no room left on your paper, grab a new piece. Draw the object once more in the position you preferred most. For this final sketch, give yourself no more than fifteen minutes to record all the details you see.

After the drawing is complete you can add the shadows you see, or you can add a bit of color.

Make sure to sign your work when it is completed. Leave your signature as another reminder of your personal creative power.

Some thoughts…

When life gets complicated it is easy to forget how much we matter as individuals. Everyone is having problems which make our own problems seem less important. You are important and deserve to take the time to focus on doing things to help yourself.

These sketches don’t need to be perfect. Actually, they will not be perfect because the point of a sketch is to briefly capture a moment and our eyes lock onto different pieces of said moments.

The first step, I believe, is learning to care about ourselves by showing compassion and patience to daily basis.

This month’s feature artist: Tezuka Osamu

Tezuka Osamu was a well-known manga-ka and animator. His works are known to this day and continue to be translated from Japanese into various languages. Some of his most popular works include Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion. Tezuka was born November 3, 1928(Osaka) and passed away February 9, 1989(Tokyo).

The main inspiration for Tezuka’s work was his mother’s support. Tezuka notes she was always telling him to look up toward the blue sky. His goal was to help people start caring about the world once more.

http://tezukaosamu.net/en/

Kira

Kira, recent graduate of Coastal Carolina University (B.A English), is a self-proclaimed bookworm. In 2012 she realized her anxiety was more than a phase and sought out counseling. Through journaling, she learned the value of art as a coping mechanism. Kira continues filling sketchbooks, journals, and bookshelves with inspirations and stories. Rough days come and go but she remains positive and hopes to share this with others who may be struggling to find themselves.