Skip to main content

Guilt Free Planning: Finished the Manga drawing book and starting a new book...

Goal: was to complete all the 131 drawings in this book, and I finally finished all the drawings in the  'How to Draw Manage in Simple Steps by Yishan Li. It got complicated towards the end, and I got a bit bored but I pushed through.  Below are my copies of the final illustrations.


Start Date: 9th March 2019  Completion Date: 27 April 2019

Background: I love picking up instructional books, there is something empowering about them and I feel my life would change but more often than not it's just a 'pick me up' to be tossed in the corner and never used again (if I bought a copy), or returned to the library - unused.

But having discovered an article called a guilt-free plan, I decided to start small and use this book to see. https://dabwrites.blogspot.com/2019/03/daily-writing-journal-guilt-free.html I put in all this post, including a plan.

Reflect and review of goal

What went well.

Once I'd outline a plan I felt committed to doing it, even though there was no reward other than completing the book, I had a nagging feeling when I did nothing. So during my free time, I drew. I also become less precious about whether the drawings looked like the book's examples because after a while it dawned on me the instructor was a professional with years and year of practice. Basically, I threw precision and perfection out of the window, and just drew.

I pushed myself through the boring drawings or ones I didn't particular like. Normally, I'd have skipped or procrastinated when it got to difficult or tedious parts but I kept going.

What didn't go well.

Embracing my imperfect often rubbish drawings was hard. I was very self-critical during the beginning, in fact it was only mid-way after sixty odd drawings, I became comfortable.  

I realised my weak areas such as proportion, and perspective. Also drawing swirls, curves and loops. Then at some point, I just focused on the goal of completion, so there was a phase when I ceased to do any inking (colouring in), it was purely sketching with pencil and black ink, or whatever I had around.

At some point, I just raced to the end, surpassing my inner critic on the presentation of the pictures I drew.

Learnings & Takeaways

  • Making the plan was the easiest and most enjoyable part of the journey. I guess that's why most of us have lots and lots of unfilled plans. Plans also make things conceptually a lot easier and simpler than they are. Following and keeping to the plan is a different ball game - I got so bored at time.
  • Reviewing and reflecting is important so I  could adjust the plan. I found this was very good, especially when I got bored or missed days, I would go and review my plan, tick off the drawings I'd done, then look at the dates. Sometimes, I'd have to adjust the dates or make a mental note to keep up.
  • Focusing on the main goal was important. At times, I got distracted or a little down that my drawings looked very poor but I had to remember the main goal was completing the book. 
  • One goal of a kind is good enough. I started off thinking I do go about three drawing books at a time but soon realised that was a planner's dream.  Now I realise because I loved planning stage (without executing them), I would plan my time because it seemed so simple on paper but in reality it was too much. So one drawing book.

Next Drawing Goal

Task: Complete all 260 drawings in How to Draw Anything by Mark Linley
By When: 24th November.This is the very latest time  because I've already reached drawing 49, I only have 211 drawing left. So if I did one drawing a day it would take me 211 days.  However I expect it will be much quicker maybe half that time so end of August maybe even earlier, depending on how simple and interesting the drawings are.
Not included: There are assignments in the book, which I'm skipping as they will add on about 100 more drawings. However if I'm making good time, I may include them.
My starting point: drawing 49

Steps Backwards

  • Show my final piece and the book on this blog
  • return my book the library
  • draw my final piece
  • Review and reflect regularly.
  • Draw at least one day, 

A minimum of one drawing a day, seven a week, and making up when I miss the target. Perhaps I should have monthly reviews to see where I am. Or maybe when I'm done.

That's it...well I have a few more drawing books waiting for me to complete them, but one at a time...

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

My African American & Black Love Romance Adventure Nearly Ready After Four Years.

Thanks for dropping by and taking the time to read this. This post is going to be about my upcoming black love and African American contemporary romance release, which I think tentatively will be late this year or early 2024. It will be a six-part serialised novel, and I'll reveal the date nearer the time. It has been five years since my last black love romance novel. I have two novellas published on Amazon, and I'm  pleased to finally say, I'm about to publish again. It's been a long time.  I planned to release this book in February 2019, but after a long writer's block and other things, it had taken me this long to complete it.  If you follow this blog on and off, I've spoken about it a lot over the years. I'm thinking maybe I should relabel those blog posts as a series of how it developed.  The Story Description The names have changed well from Angelica to Pippa but it's fine.  Everyone wants someone special but PIPPA MILLER thinks not her. She

Finally I'm getting close to a release date for my urban Black Love African America Romance now Pippa & Leyton

I'm working on a pre-release campaign and it isn't going how I'd like it. However if you have being reading me on and off, you'll know I've been writing some novels-in-progress for the longest times!  I stopped writing about it because it just got EMBARRASSING especially when I planned to release this book in 2019. Yes, five years ago! But it's nearly there.  Leyton & Pippa The heroine started off being called Angelica but I kept on misspelling it so I changed it to Pippa. If you look under the label Angelica & Leyton a lot will come up.  Anyway I'm exciting to say, I'm getting reading for publication soon.  Its going to be a six-part serialised instalment, and I'll have details nearer the time.  Maybe A Six Months Countdown I'm planning between three to six months, however when the details are clear, I'll write a post. I'm also doing an extended blog posts on another blog but I'll keep it short and simple here. 

On holiday And Vacation in Alcudia,Mallorca

I'm on a holiday break in Mallorca, Spain. So this means a I won't be writing the prompt. On holiday, I normally have a break from  the internet though it's difficult nowadays with free WiFi. The hotel is okay. A four star on the lower end of the scale - this means no kettle and renting the safe.   The higher end have more add ons. The room are tiny but functional and nice however in fairness it is a beach holiday destination so I doubt there is much lounging around. Food is okay. Superb beach. Everyone seems laid back and relaxed.