Work Area

Currently, my work area where I try to perfect my skills as an uber artist consists of my desk chair, the edge of my desk, and a drawing board. One of the local art shops has a nice set up for an actually drawing table and stuff, but I don't have the space available for that.

I do want to get more organized since all of my pencils and erasers and such are just piled into a spot on my desk. I'm not sure if I need a dedicated art table or how much it would help me. I think the biggest help would be just focusing on drawing time, but having a nifty, organized space would probably help more than reorganizing my space to fit in another table.

Anyway, where does everyone else make their art happen?

Cosmic

Since I have started doing lunch hour sketches my art has taken place at my desk at work.

I have no time or space at home to draw

Drawing on the fly can happen anywhere... but if you're going to be regimented about drawing and or working at it, your workspace is key. And on that note, I'd like to make the argument for 2 necessary things if at all possible: a clutter free environment, and a well lit one, preferably sunlight. Not that we are all Superman, but sunlight actually awakens something in the brain, that darkness hinders. Those who are night owls might disagree, but comparatively I think if both people were regulated to sunlight, you'd find they'd be more productive in daylight.

I know we can't all work in a well lit area, or in the day, but when you can, and if you can, you may enjoy working more, and you might have a more productive session...

As to clutter free, that goes for any work space, the less clutter around you the less guessing you'll have to do as to finding your things, especially your drawing things. Not to say that the packrats among us can't function without being heaped in pizza boxes and comics... just that less is more and organization will do wonders for your again productivity.

You can start by just clearing your desk. Find places for things, get boxes or containers and label them, and oh yeah, throw stuff away, you don't need everything you've ever touched in the world to be at your deathbed... Let go of things, and move on to a new day, then draw, and or make cheese bread, then send me some...

as always, just my 2 cents.

LJ

Um, I draw anywhere I happen to be hehe.

Sometimes I'm sitting on the couch watching TV, other times I'm at my computer desk and will just shove my keyboard out of the way. I also have a lap desk so I can draw in bed. Sometimes I will lay down on my stomach on the floor and draw like a kid using a colouring book. Whatever floats my boat that day.

I do actually have a desk for art, but I rarely use it. The dining room table also gets used fairly often.

When I was younger I had an artists desk that you could change the angle on to suit your needs....I really need a new one of those.

Most of my sketchbooks are pretty sturdy, so even if I kick back on my bed, it's solid enough that I can draw. I have a feeling that drawing that way doesn't help me much, since all of the drawing comes from the wrist that way.

I was reading some stuff about drawing from the elbow or shoulder, and that doesn't work as well when you're propped against a backrest with a sketchpad in your lap.

I also read something about holding the pencil differently when doing a loose sketch, and I found that my scribbles are slightly less comprehensible that way. I may need more practice.

So far, working at my desk with the board has worked out the best since I can put up a picture on my monitor and draw from that. Next time, I need to remember to turn off the screensaver though.

Cosmic

Meh, I say draw whichever way you feel better doing. I can't draw from the elbow/shoulder (though believe me I have tried). I paint both ways, but drawing both...forget it. That's why my pages are always nicely smugged. I have a book from school that says you should hold the pencil like a paint brush.. that's never worked for me either.

When I draw, I pretty much hold the pencil the same way I hold it when I write. I'm not sure if that's good or bad or nowhere in between. But, I figure experimenting and seeing what works for me is best.

I think the one way I tried was holding the pencil between my index finger and thumb (rather than between index finger, middle finger, and thumb).

Right now, I'm working on mastering the part where my brain tells my hand "Straight line down the page" and my hand, feeling a bit rebellious, instead makes what somewhat resembles one side of an Aztec step pyramid.

Okay, that's a slight exaggeration, but I am working on getting a little more coordination going between what I want to happen and what actually happens.

Cosmic

Yeah I have a hard time drawing at home. So I've always drawn on my desk at work. Which is going to suck when I have to start working at home in a couple weeks, I don't think I will have the discipline to draw and my desk is really tiny for drawing space :P

I keep the bare minimum. On the couch. In front of the tv. No direct light. Anatomy book multitasks as a lapdesk/reference/portfolio case. Same mechanical pencil and push up eraser I've had since school, both in my right hand. One sheet of computer printer paper as the canvas.

Horrible setup, but hypothetically I'm trying to maximize portability in an effort to make it as easy as possible to pick it up and go. I barely get in 4 hours of drawing a year as it is.

I usually wind up drawing when I'm standing up at work, I have a counter I can put stuff near (well, not supposed to but like I care? the laptop's there right as I type ) and it works nicely for sketching. I go home and scan at my computer for colors.

My work space is to say the least...... jammed with crap. I have a 28 inch wide desk. My scanner doubles as table for dinner. (and ... eew, yeah it's kinda grody). I have books and reference materials *everywhere*.

I'd work on my light table in the sun room. Except that my snake cage is on it for lack of anywhere else to put it. And the table I was supposed to be using for legos and art is now home to my mom's recycling crap along with whatever else she feels necessary to put there... god forbid I have a work space. Dining room table's too tall for me.

Myself I can't draw in the sun. It's just far, far too bright for me to see anything on the white paper. I like it overcast when I'm up and about if I need to look at anything. But I can draw anywhere really, other than if I have to be on my bed, I just can't sit that way.

I just got a new desk with space for both moniters, my printer/scanner, and it still has space for drawing.

A little while ago I had a tiny multicolored desk. >_>

I draw on the go, too.

I draw on my knee at work.

I just use the space I have on my desk. Right in front of the monitor.

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I draw on my knee at work.

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You should try drawing on paper. More room that way.

My work area is any piece of paper I can get my hands on. I most write short stories and poems, but I want to get back to drawing. I used to do it, not the best, but I enjoyed it. I have this huge book, GIGANTIC and it's full of blank pages just waiting for me to sketch, draw and mess around in. I can't wait.

@Tax E - RIP CoH 2012

When I'm seriously working, as oppose to just doing opportunistic sketches that happen anywhere, I have a nice, big desk from Ikea(it's actually very nice for all that, only about 60 USD, I think), which has adequate drawing space when it's clean. However, i usually have a card table to my left that serves as drawing space. The room is at a corner of the house with a pair of windows, so it generally gets pretty decent light in the day. I still turn on a light for more direct illumination, but having some natural light coming in is nice.

However, since I'm almost all-digital these days, Mostly it's the desk with my tablet or mouse, or the recliner in the living room with tablet and wireless laptop.