ART + MUSIC (Does it really work together?)

[Emerald_Mara85]

Some say that music will cause you to lose focus and some say it helps them to concentrate on the mood they want to project into the artwork.

Which is right?
Does it come down to preferances?

For me its kinda of a mix...sometimes it helps me in my artwork and sometimes it doesn't...most of the time, music gives me ideas eventhough the message of the music is very different from the ideas I get.

[Jason Rainville]

I never focus on my music while doing art (I zone out and forget what track is playing etc) but it just feels weird to draw without it. Not sure why :shrug:

[Seedling]

It depends on the person, it depends on the type of music, and it depends on the type of work.

Me, I thrive on techno and symphonic while painting textures on the computer, silence while drawing, the chatter of live people in the room while building game levels, and radio news while oil-painting.

[Brendan N]

Definitely do a lot better with a a moody tune and lyrics I can identify with.
I owe so much of my work to music its almost a shame - to me music is a far more powerful form of art than visual arts or any other art.
Just wish I had more of an affinity for it.

Seedling - man, with those preferences I'll need to check out your sb. I'm off.

This'll be a cool topic to follow, specially if more pros post here.

- d.

[Zaknafain]

when I draw there are certain parts of my brain that get bored soon.. So I always need music, news, scientific news or people around me while I draw. Its kind of a funny feeling, one part of my brain is totally focused on proportion color blablabla while the biggest part is busy with other things.
I noticed that I can focus more efficient with more practice (meaning with less brainpower needed at the same performance).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1480365.stm
seems to be similar with chessplayers...

[Idiot Apathy]

I have to have music.

It definitely affects you, I had one teacher who wouldn't let us listen to music in class because it did - but I think it is better to harness that than to avoid it.

[Professor Az]

The type of music I listen to depends on the subject matter.

When drawing mecha and other things in my comics, I listen to hard rock. Lots of power chords set the mood for great big metal feet stomping all over stuff.

When drawing technical stuff at my real job, I listen to a lot of instrumentals. The lack of lyrics lets me concetrate on the details of the work, especially circuit diagrams and printed circuit board design.

:rendered:

[Björn]

In my case, I'm either listening to music or I'm drawing.

It was hard to break the "zero-noise" wall at first but when I got used to drawing without sounds and music, my attention span and focus went up about a thousand notches.

[0kelvin]

when I draw there are certain parts of my brain that get bored soon.. So I always need music, news, scientific news or people around me while I draw. Its kind of a funny feeling, one part of my brain is totally focused on proportion color blablabla while the biggest part is busy with other things.
I noticed that I can focus more efficient with more practice (meaning with less brainpower needed at the same performance).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1480365.stm
seems to be similar with chessplayers...

Yeah, I'm the same. I have the attention span of a kitten. When I have music playing, I can let that distract me and it doesn't prevent me from working. Otherwise I end up on the internet reading something, or posting here, which does prevent me from working.



Eric

[Horrorshow]

I don't ever really feel distracted from my work when listening to music (unless it's like, The Blood Brothers or something?) It seems like I focus /better/ when I do have music playing, 'cause it helps to block out other thoughts and ideas I have that would distract me. :0

[Rabid]

I think music always can enhance your drawing and help you get "lost in your own world" which is the best feeling in the world! But Careful with your music choice, If I am doing a very aggressive piece I tend to lean towards my metal, rock, and aggressive music styles...even no more than aggressive ochestra pieces, but on most occassions I tend to keep it to ambient music, low tempo, no lyrics, and plenty of interesting melodies (like classical) to get your creative ideas through...lyrics and words can sometimes distract...If I plan on drawing for hours straight...lyrics wont get me into my "zen world"

[JAG.]

i cant draw without music.. but i dont think it influences my art much. just helps me focus - JAG

[DavePalumbo]

I like to have something to listen to while working. Most of the time while painting, I have on movies (which I've seen at least once before, if not 200 times :) ) or movie commentaries, then music, and least often is conversation (though my phone skills can be spotty depending on the complexity of what I'm painting).

Though I do like to match mood sometimes, it's much more important to me in my sketching and planning phases than in the actual painting. My collection of soundtracks is getting pretty decent, as they're the most helpful to me in mood guidance. Soundtracks and power metal.

[jadefoodog]

some days i like listening tio stuff other times i just want quiet

[Tully]

I'll listen to anything when I'm doing work. Oddly, I can pay attention to it and the drawing without losing focus with either. I like listening to podcasts while painting particularly, but any old music is good as well. It seems strange to me that the two things would interfere in some people, but I guess we all just go about things differently.

[asoir]

haha, i hear ya eric.nothing is worse than the internet, i really need to unplug the ethernet cable every once in a while...
as for music, anything works, but miles davis is the best for me

[Coen]

Same here asoir, Miles Davis is a good choice, I often like to listen to jazz while drawing, alltho sometimes when I hear something I wanna try and play it. I also like soundtracks, rock I know well, classical, well lots of stuff..

Internet distracts me way more too :P

[AdamDillabo]

i love miles davis! when i work i like to listen to experimental music, mostly jazz or the jazz influenced. i got a cd from my father by kronos quartet and im liking them. one of my teachers told me its best to not focus on the lyrics because there more left brain while instrumental music is more right, but she was crazy...

[0shade0]

when I want to sketch away It mostly doesn't matter
and when I really need to concentrate, I listen to metal/hardcore-melodic metal.
Indie a la deatchcab and sufjan when I make intimate drawings.

[Candra]

I love to have electronic music playing while I art. It really keeps me focused and inspires me.

[Hive_minD]

As many other already have said. it all depends on the person.
But if you are gonna use music while you draw, think about
what you are listening to. for instance, if youre drawingelves, listen to some beautiful, calm music, not heavy metal. but if youre drawing a battle-scene or monster then you could listen to something darker and more heavy.
You might not <really> be listening to the music while you draw, but it still goes into you, creating feelings.

H-D

[joelhinxman]

i alway listen to music. i cant really listen to anything that i tend to want to sing along to because i sometime get destracted. most often i listen to some sort of ambient or like movie soundtracks from movies like hero or crouching tiger or instramental celtic folk. best way i found to use music to help ya create is make you room where ya are as dark as possible put on headphones the dround out the whole world it lound anuf to not hear anything but no too loud. the stare into the dark or close your eyes and see what kinda of music make the most images in your imagniation.

[Nathantwist]

I was thinking about books on tape, but it never quite worked out; way too distracting. Depends on the mood for music, though. If i feel myself bogging down, its nice to dance around with some ska for a while ;-)

[Mr Man]

Music is fuel for the soul.
Usually I find music without lyrics helps me concentrate abit better, keeping my communication side of my brain out the way. Haha thats propably why I listen to heavy shit because I cant understand what some people waffle on about :p.

Powerful music is really what gets me going but it all depends on your mood etc. I really need to get myself an Ipod for my class I thinks, sometimes its just hard to get that spark started.

[Bhrazz]

On the book ''drawing from the right side of the brain'' I got the chance to study alot of many point of how our brain work and with the tips that Miss give us I notice that:

Music does influence your mood, as Professor AZ said, listening metal for mechanic stuff match perfectly.

If you listen smooth music it can even affect your line stroke smoothness.

However I discovered that listening music that I can't understand the lyric or instrumental music without any lyrics help me focusing on the drawing only.

You can do the test, try listening something like Rammstein if you don't understand german, then try something else with no lyrics, is kinda the same.
Then Try a music with your native language (mine will be french), you tend to focus out of the paper to listen at the track and what they say.

As a fact, we need distraction for our other part of the brain, BIG SILENCE and drawing might get you bored, it very depend on your self but most of people draw with music because it help them to stay motivated. If you are doing something very technique and hard that require lots of patience you should consider turning your music off. If you do a speedpainting try a techno music.

It very depend on each person and how they are, but is worth a try and find the perfect music for drawing. I banned pretty much all french music for when I draw and it help me. You can pretty much put repeat on a couple of song you like and start drawing, you won't even notice is the same songs playing over and over again. But that's just me, you have to put your brain to the test your self:)

[MidgardSerpent]

I never listen to music during painting or drawing, I just find it immensely distracting. If I'm really in the moment of painting I tend to go in a slight trance-like state, so that's all the atmosphere I really need. :)

[Katfayheirti]

I like to listen to nice symphonic music while I paint (Ennio Marconi anyone?) but I find music with prominant and 'catchy' lyrics to be distracting. Often I'll zone out and even forget what's playing if I concentrate hard enough on my work. My art teacher likes to blare irritating Indie music (Decemberists, Sufjan Stephens) all during class and it used to really irritate me, but now I just tune it out.

[chaosrocks]

always music, I play and conduct... and always listen while drawing and painittng

don'tlike quiet. it's too loud

chaos

[Snarfevs]

My work is coloured with the genre of whatever music I was listening to at the time. Sometimes I get into a rhythm of making brush strokes in time with music. Depending on whether I'm listening to psytrance, prog. breaks, EBM or industrial I get a different line style as well as a different general mood.

[Crash]

Music can be poison for my art, i get inspired by the music and then i have to fire up my favorite sequencer and start making music...