Headaches when you draw??

[Diar]

I have been drawing for about a week and when I do start drawing anatomy I keep getting headaches. I'm not concentrating or anything when I try to learn how to draw. Its happens to me when I copy from the Loomis and Bridgman books, but the strangest thing the headaches doesn't occur when I do doodles.

[DeadlyFreeze]

Get your eyes check or a prescription of placebos because your condition is psychosomatic.

[alesoun]

Could be a tension headache. Maybe you stress too much? Tension in the neck and shoulders can cause headaches. Check your posture.

[Irishdrunk]

Yeah, learning can sometimes do that.

[CKLamb]

Work brain, work.

You might be unintentionally stressing your occipitofrontalis and procerus to much as you concentrate.

[Mordus]

Just take a rest, take a pill, take a long cool drink. Try other books, see if they dont incite headaches. Most importantly, DONT PANIC.

[LexieSue]

If it's a tension headache like alesoun said, I think it's Excedrin that makes a Tension Headache OTC medicine. Get some of that and see if that helps with the headaches (unless of course you shouldn't be taking such medicine for some reason- I'm so not responsible if you keel over and die).

If nothing helps definitely go see an optometrist. Even if things aren't that blurry, you could still need a slight prescription. I don't notice a visual difference when I'm not wearing my glasses, aside from the killer headaches I get if I go without them for too long. If I'm drawing/painting, driving, or playing video games without my glasses, I'll get a headache in as little as 5-10 minutes. When you do doodles, you generally aren't straining your eyes as much. But when you add reading, focusing on details, etc. the chance for eyestrain increases.

In my experience, when I get a headache due to eyestrain there is no medicine that will help. Not even BC Powder (the stuff tastes like anal acid but works ridiculously fast). Just don't do what I did and wait two years after the headaches start to see a doctor. That was an irritating two years. :P

[Spreggo]

Are you reading Loomis on a computer?

[Diar]

yeah I think its staring on a computer too long that is giving me eye strains. Also, my room have poor lighting and I look to close when I draw. I think the problem is my desk setup and lighting that is giving me the problems. Hopefully, a drawing desk with better lighting would improve my problem. Thank you everyone for helping me out.

[Dilated]

I used to get ridiculous headaches when I studied anything for long periods, then I just drank a lot of water, like one cup every half an hour then it just stopped happening. Try it out, could be simply your dehydrating yourself under mental strain.

Hope that helps.