Are you Johnny-On-the-Spot?

[Eliseu Gouveia]

I am finally coming to terms with the fact that I SUCK at improvising.

At conventions, autograph sessions and stuff, when people ask me to make them a doodle, it´s as if my Muse suddenly went for coffee or something.

99,99% of all drawings I make in public look like they were done by my 6 years old niece.

I was asked to join a studio once and I could effectivelly seer my Muse nodding frantically "-NO!" behind the person´s head:"- I don´t do my Magic in public!"

The best drawing I´ve ever done under these circumtances was once, when there was this couple that was the last in the line (it was a VERY short line :D )..
I asked them if they wanted to go for a walk and come back later, maybe 10-20 minutes or so.
They did and I was left there alone for 20 minutes.
When they came back even I was admired by what I had sketched.

Do you share this problem?

[Lady Medusa]

You seem to be a little too nervous mentally or, you're too worried it will look bad, whitout acctually knowing you are. (knowing doesn't acctually help either).

I sometimes do, but I rarely draw in public, so I can't really tell.

[broken lizard]

i rarely draw in public/school. otherwise it involves somebody coming up to me and going " omg, you should like, totally be an artist when you're older lol"
which effectivly makes me walk away from them.

[Proteus]

" omg, you should like, totally be an artist when you're older lol"

If I had a cookie for every time someone said that to me, I'd be very very fat.
(assuming I ate the cookie of course)

[blankslatejoe]

find a cafe or crowded park and draw a lot in public, and maybe that will help?

[alti]

I was doing a marker demonstration at college, i know exactly how you feel,
i had all these exampels lined up of what could be done with the different markers, i go to draw something, but all i could manage was a weird melted cat figure.

-alti

[Sady]

About drawing in public, it´s just a matter of getting used to it.

And when girls start appearing from behind you saying "Omg, you draw so nice. Would you please mary me?" then it even gets addicting.

[FLenG]

i bet you guys encountered the numerous amount of people saying" wow you draw so good, everytime i try to draw it looks like crap, how do you guys do it" i will always say.. that i have been drawing for a long time but the answer would definately be obvious and rhetorical so most of the time when someone admire my work and says something nice, i just smile and nod and say thanks even though they ask me how to get good at drawing.. i just cant answer question like that by people whom draw stick figures...

well thats something i just wanna get off my chest.

anyhoo as for drawing in public, yeah it takes a certain time of doing it and then you get comfortable but when strangers come and say its good and they stay to talk more thats when the irritating part of it kicks in. i wish i can stab my pencils into their eyes. hmph!

[IILooney]

I recommend Graffiti. Its the definitely the best form of publicly improvised art. Even if you just do it in a sketchbook out in public it will increase you willpower for producing art straight out of your mind with somebody looking over your shoulder . It works effectivley because these laymen are baffled and dumbfounded by it, and they can't really say anything when they watch you do it because it is so unpredictable from what your doing with it, to where you're going with it and how you're coming up with it. They just stare in awe wishing they had the talent.

[Bruce Pluto]

Hello EG,

I don't draw in public but I did have a job at one time where artwork was needed on occasion. At those times I was the, "go to" guy and I sometimes had a group of onlookers that watched as I worked. The problem with this was that none of them claimed to have any atristic ability, so they were pretty easy to impress. Although I feel that I had done some rather nice work back then I was never nervious because I was pretty much getting pats on the back for just OK work.

Now if I had to sit in front of you guys and pop out a goodlooking piece of art, well that would be another story. I think my finished work looks OK, but as many times as I have to redraw an arm or leg while another artists was watching would make me kind of uncomfortable. Another thing is I don't sit and complete a work all at once. I tend to take many breaks ( potty,drink and such) I think people would get tired waitting for me to finish.

I think your comfort zone when it comes to drawing in public will only get better in time as long as you continue to allow folks to watch you. But I think the main thing is not to worry about it.

Bruce P.

[Magic Man]

Its like anything, if you don't do it much, you will not feel comfortable doing it in front of many people, it just takes practice just like public speaking compared to talking to a bunch of people you know, essentially you're doing the same thing, but its a different mindset that you need to have.