Does Music Help You Draw?

[Gligarman]

Sometimes I find listening to music helps me draw, other times I find it stresses me when I realize an entire album has gone by and I haven't made much progress. How about you guys? Does it help you out? And what do you listen to?

I find that 90% of my collection is motion picture scores. I was listening to The Rescuers Down Under score when I drew my icon. Loreena McKennit always relaxes me. And you can't go wrong with Yoko Kanno.

[C. Siemens]

It helps me draw but not animate. What Richard Williams said is true, you'll animate quicker and more thorough not listening to music. Goes to show the immense mental effort that goes into planning, structuring and executing motion in drawings.

[Ben Sword]

Yes, I listen to music a lot while I draw. Mostly Power/Speed Metal. Stuff that inspires me, a few examples:

Helloween: "Ride The Sky"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd8ht5S9u1g

Dark Moor: "The Dark Moor"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2IBp3OjTWc

GRAVE DIGGER: "Highland Farewell"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqp6z6vfHX8

Crimson Glory: "Lady of Winter"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53eambMQbOQ

Trick Or Treat: "Paper Dragon"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thmRgg-G4Yg

[Cartoonyanimator]

I usually put on an animation album on Pandora and then I can animate scenes real quick!

Just find some Disney Animation Music and your ready to go!

[Lina-chan]

Music helps me animate and draw quite well, Yes Siree!

[DNethery]

It helps me draw but not animate. What Richard Williams said is true, you'll animate quicker and more thorough not listening to music. Goes to show the immense mental effort that goes into planning, structuring and executing motion in drawings.

I agree, C. Siemens. Music for inspiration , but once you sit down to actually start animating, un-plug.

Everyone else, take the Richard Williams challenge: try unplugging and see if you don't find that your animation improves.

Unfortunately many people are just too addicted to their iPods to seriously try what he suggests. They don't really believe it and so they don't try it. (page 41 - 45 in "The Animator's Survival Kit" . Lesson One : Unplug )

[Ben Sword]

I agree, C. Siemens. Music for inspiration , but once you sit down to actually start animating, un-plug.

Everyone else, take the Richard Williams challenge: try unplugging and see if you don't find that your animation improves.

Maybe if my room was soundproof, my music helps me concentrate as well as drown out the stuff I find annoying like random creaking sounds, trains, planes, automobiles, my family yelling at each other, loud people outside and my brothers music coming up from the basement (This is him):
[YOUTUBE]47JdCUJphg0[/YOUTUBE]

[GdeSouza]

In my job (more a graphic type of job) I have listened to music while conceptualizing, but for actual creation towards final art I couldn't concentrate if I wanted to. Maybe it's the earbuds; it's as if the music is right in my head.
In the old days when I did work in drawn animation I would listen to music but I can work better with music quietly in the background than directly to my ears. Maybe my crappy animation would have been better if I did unplug.

When I taught, students listening to their Ipods even while doing the assignment was frustrating because those students would benefit from what I was telling another and I may end up repeating myself, so I recommended unplugging at the begining of the course.

Music is the least of distractions nowadays. Don't get me started on students watching stuff on the internet while drawing animation...that really does effect their work and most didn't appreciate how negatively.