Drawing is fantastic, but it can also be exhausting. It’s unbelievable that something that can make us feel so much fun and joy can also fatigue us. But where does this sleepiness come from when drawing?
Drawing can be exhausting due to the concentration, attention to detail, and focus it demands from the brain and eyes. Because drawing is usually a constant learning experience, brains tend to feel tired when processing new information.
But why drawing can make you feel tired varies from person to person. I’ve gathered the most common reasons people feel fatigued when drawing and what to do about each of them.
1. Learning New Drawing Techniques Exhausts You
One of the main reasons why people feel tired when drawing is because they’re learning something new, especially if you’re a beginner. And this happens because almost anything new we learn, be it writing, math, or drawing, makes the brain process information faster, creating this sensation of feeling tired. But some people can, like cartoonists, draw for eight to ten hours a day and then do it again the next day. So how could one do it too?
Solutions
We need to tackle this problem with three different approaches: patience, breaks, and time. Let’s go over the first one.
- -Patience: We need to identify our drawing skill level and recognize our limits. To help you do it, let’s imagine drawing is now push-ups. If you have never done push-ups consistently, ten of those might be your limit until you start to feel very tired. It would be almost impossible to do thirty in a row. But if you do 10 push-ups every day for a month, you will probably be able to do 15 next time, then feel tired. We can take this same approach when drawing. If you have never drawn consistently before, identify when you start to feel tired and add more time slowly but surely.
- -Breaks: Once you identify your limits, it doesn’t mean you cannot draw any more for the rest of the day. You just have to take a break. For example, if you start to feel tired after one hour of drawing, you can take a quick power nap, go for a short run or take a bath, and then come back to draw again. Taking breaks is a great way to boost creativity and notice mistakes you don’t see when you are focused on drawing.
- -Time: Sometimes obvious, but always true. The main reason experienced drawing artists don’t feel exhausted when they draw is that they have a mechanized process in their brains to do it without much effort. This experience is something you can only get with time, so apply patience, take breaks and wait until you can draw for hours without feeling a thing but joy. The brain is a muscle; train it to make it do what you want!
2. You’re Forcing Your Eyes Too Much When Drawing
a) Drawing demands a lot from your brain, but also your eyes. When you’re focused, it’s common to lean over and get closer to your work, making your eyes focus on a small portion of space, and that is pretty exhausting too. You can try it now: place your finger 5 inches away between your eyes and look at it. You will feel dizzy in no time. Although you won’t always be looking at your art from that distance, the regular distance is still taxing to our eyes.
b) Another reason this happens is that many beginner drawing artists don’t use adequate lighting. Your drawing space should always have sufficient illumination to make sure your eyes can see clearly. Take note of this: extended periods without enough lighting can damage your sight over time. Plus, without proper illumination, you can miss many details in your drawings.
c) The last reason this happens might be that you need glasses. If you feel like you don’t fall into any of the points in this blog, this one reason could be the problem. It is usual for this problem to go undiscovered, especially if you never had vision problems.
Solutions
To identify the solution for each problem, match the letter at the beginning of each paragraph.
- (a) Since this problem occurs when we’re focused on drawing, it usually goes unnoticed because we unconsciously get closer to the paper. We can solve this by creating visual triggers that remind us of not being too close to the paper if it’s not necessary. A sticky note saying “Don’t get closer too much” next to your eraser may suffice. With time, you will eventually make this a habit of your drawing sessions without needing the note.
- (b) This solution is pretty straightforward. Grab any lamp you have in your house and make sure it gives enough light to where your paper will be. Of course, the better lamp you have, the less you will have to force your eyes. If you don’t have any lamp that might solve this problem, consider buying one. The one I recommend the most is the Joly Joy Drawing Lamp. It fits almost any desk, and the lighting options are much more than enough. And it has eye-care technology.
- (c) The only solution to this problem is to visit your trusted optometrist and let her give you advice on this matter. I’m not a doctor, but I’ve had many friends that had this problem, and they fixed it with glasses.
3. Your Drawing Position Is Making You Feel Exhausted
As we said in the second point, being 100% focused on drawing makes us unconsciously lean over towards the paper. Leaning over not only causes our eyes to get fatigued but also our backs and body in general. Drawing in such an unnatural position for long periods will be taxing to your body, which will make you feel tired of drawing faster. If your brain starts to think that the act of drawing is an exhausting one because of these reasons, it will be harder to take it out of the loop, so do consider correcting these mistakes.
Solution
The solution for this problem is very similar to the one in the second point. You need to be more aware of how you draw, and the easiest way to do this is by creating visual signs. You can apply the same concept of the sticky note next to your eraser or anything else that might work for you.
4- You Lack Sleep And Drawing Makes You Tired
Sleep is essential for anything we do. If you feel tired when drawing, but you also feel tired when doing other activities, maybe drawing isn’t the problem. As we know, drawing is very demanding on our brains, so we need to be as rested and sharp as possible when doing it. Good sleeping habits are also linked to learning things faster, and that includes drawing. So do consider this point.
Solution
-Analyze your sleep habits, especially the number of hours you sleep every night. On average, 7 to 8 hours of sleep is enough for most young adults, so try to sleep at least seven hours and eight whenever you can. Dr. Matthew Walker has a fantastic book on this topic: Why We Sleep, which I very much recommend because it helped me a lot, not only for drawing. If you feel like your sleeping habits are just right, consider visiting your doctor to see if it is something else that makes you feel tired when drawing.
5. Your Diet Makes You Tired, Including When Drawing
Eating habits are also a significant reason why people feel tired doing any activity. So again, if you feel tired not only when drawing but also while doing any other activities, drawing might not be the problem. A balanced diet will help you improve your energy in general, and it can only do good to you, so it is worth trying.
Solution
Avoid eating foods high in artificial sugars and processed junk food. These foods can make your brain feel tired faster, and they do a lot of bad stuff in your body anyway. I’m not saying you cannot ever eat them again, but avoid them near your drawing sessions to prevent them from stealing your energy. If you feel like your eating habits are on point, consider visiting your trusted nutritionist or doctor to see if it is something else that makes you feel exhausted when drawing.
I hope these tips are useful to you. Happy drawing!