How NOT to draw heads

Unless you like the emaciated gothic look 😱

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Hey Gigglers!

I was inspired to learn how to draw about a year ago after witnessing my fellow Substack authors post pictures of their creative artwork on Notes. (It blew my mind that they drew just for fun!) So, I made an account on 21Draw.com and started taking beginner drawing lessons from Mark Kistler. SO FUN! I don’t draw every day, but I definitely open my sketchbook whenever I want to relax. Plus, now that I have a basic understanding of some drawing concepts, I am not as intimidated by a blank page.

In fact, I recently finished playing Horizon: Forbidden West (an amazing video game that I am absolutely obsessed with! 🤩 I could write a whole newsletter celebrating that series's mind-blowing storytelling and worldbuilding, but I digress…). As I watched the end-game credits with happy, appreciative tears welling in my eyes (seriously, it’s a spectacular game), I strongly yearned to draw Aloy, the main character.

I was shocked. Me? Yearning to draw? Up until this point in my life, I’ve only ever yearned to write.

On the daily, I deny myself simple pleasures in favor of chores and other tasks that I can check off my to-do list (I’ve come to realize that feeling accomplished is how I measure my self-worth). However, on this particular day, I couldn’t deny the feeling that I needed to draw Aloy! Chores be damned!

I sat down at my desk, pulled out my supplies, and searched for a reference image of Aloy online. I found one I liked and got to work. It was a blast! Here is my drawing in all its glory.

I had to trace her body outline because the angle of the head was difficult for me to wrap my head around!

(Fun Fact: This is what I was drawing the night I discovered my blue mustache 🙃)

Just so you don’t think I’m some fantastic artist, here are pictures of my attempts to draw heads without reference… 😆

I drew these while watching a video about how to draw heads using the Lumis method… but I don’t think drawing heads in a box works for me

The best head is probably the guy at the top, third from the left. He’s the most human-looking, but he still seems suspicious. HA

I’m having a blast drawing, Gigglers! It’s so relaxing and fun, which is what this newsletter is all about. FUN 💃🏻 Okay, let’s cleanse your eyes from those horrible skulls with some of my more recent (and more pleasant) drawings:

A cute little alien zipping around space. I like to think he runs the universe’s premier intergalactic delivery service all by himself…

Penguins! I LOVE the little guy who is 5th in line to jump. He’s looking straight at the camera, wondering why he agreed to do this when he’s petrified of heights…

Drawing my left eye

I like that this image is not balanced. Plus, I had a lot of fun shading it!

Learning how shadows can change the perception of the same shape

I’m trying not to feel guilty for drawing in my free time when I could (or, as my Energizer Bunny Brain likes to tell me, should) be writing my next book. For whatever reason, lately, I’ve been choosing drawing over writing. 🤷‍♀️ Why do I feel like I have to choose?

Am I going through a metamorphosis? Who am I anymore?! Can I even call myself a writer if I don’t crave writing every minute of every day?

Perhaps I’m comparing me to my former self, during the era when I woke up at ungodly hours to write one novella a week for a year straight, culminating in a briefly best-selling pen name followed immediately by an immense, horrible burnout.

You know what I think is happening? I think this is the natural progression of someone enjoying a new hobby that cannot be used to measure her self-worth. I guess that’s a good thing!

Upon reflection, I also think that my inner need to write a novel has largely been satisfied because 1) I wrote the novel of my dreams here on Substack, and 2) I already proved to myself that I know how to become a best-selling indie author! Learning to draw is a fun new adventure, which is why it’s now what I crave doing when I have the time. We truly are on a never-ending quest for amusement and unadulterated fun here at The Giggler!

To tie this back to the beginning of this meandering post, my obsession with the Horizon series and The Legend of Zelda has opened my eyes to a whole new world of creative storytelling I hadn’t previously known about. It’s reminding me that stories can be told in many different mediums, and as a storyteller, of course, I’m interested in all of them! Who knows what other creative mediums are in store for us Gigglers!

Maybe I need to stop trying to fit a label on myself and just be me, the fun-loving adventure seeker that I am. In fact, I bet we all could do with less labeling and more being. Creativity flows through us and takes shape in many forms. Why do we need to define it?

Or maybe I could use a new title that covers everything. Something like “Award-Winning Crazy Lady.” There. Problem solved. 😜

Thanks for listening to my wacky thoughts on this, Gigglers. What do you like to do just for fun? Let me know in the comments! (Also, where do all of the “shoulds” in our lives come from? I have no idea, but I’d like to obliterate all of mine. 😆)

Until next time,
Alexa

P.S. My favorite quote from Horizon: Forbidden West is this:
“When it looks impossible, look deeper. And then fight like you can win.” 💪

This quote is tied with my other favorite line, from the One Piece opening song:
“It’s only legendary until someone proves it real.” 🤩

Thanks for listening, Gigglers!