I started to write “drawing DETRACTS from writing” but that’s not true at all: I just finished a couple of drawings for THE LEGACY OF THE EXTRA CREDIT PROJECT that helped me understand my own characters – and now I’ve drawn all of the core six characters signed up for the Project. So drawing doesn’t detract … but it certainly can subtract from the time you’d spend on another endeavor.
Our heroes Q’yagon and Darina I most recently used Midjourney reference for, but I had previously drawn them myself; but now, without reference, I have drawn sketches of the stoneskin healer Orieos and his birchbark ranger squeeze Berrybelle, as well as Berrybelle’s fire mage brother Sapforte and his ice dragon familiar, Frostthorne. All six are now rendered by my own hand!
But, normally, the Drawing Every Day project has relatively simple drawings – several of which have appeared recently, so you can see what I mean. But at the start and finish of every notebook, I do a more detailed drawing of … SOMETHING … related to my writing or comics, and those take longer.
Orieos and Berrybelle finished out a DED notebook (this one from Blick art supply, pictured above) and Sapforte and Frostthorne started a new one (not pictured). O&B took an hour; S&F took three.
In that time, I could have written 500 to 1500 words (more, or less, depending on inspiration and orientation to the text) or made progress on the Logical Robotics Harness, or done work on the FROST MOON re-release or the LCATS project.
But even though I could have spent those four hours writing … I’m happy with the result.
So even though drawing (and blogging!) subtract from writing time, I’m glad I do them.
-the Centaur
Pictured: Just the notebook, as the drawings are for days 250-251, and we’re only at DOY 164.
