Attraction is Distraction

As an artist, feelings of attraction to your model or subject can be counterproductive but you can use that energy in a way that benefits your art. In my post "7 steps to drawing a coffee shop hottie" I stated that 'Attraction is Distraction' and I want to elaborate on that.

There is a certain level of artistic integrity and professionalism that needs to be present when drawing from a model or sketching someone in public. You're not there to gawk or to make that person feel uncomfortable. That being said, feelings of personal attraction to your subject can aid you in your work provided that you channel that energy properly.

I attended a private life drawing workshop once where one of the artists was filling his page drawing nothing but the model's breasts and nipples. These weren't anatomical studies. These were outright lusty drawings of what appeared to be his favorite part of the female body. It seemed somehow invasive to me and stood in my mind as an example of how NOT to channel the energy of attraction. For this artist, attraction was distraction.

Making attraction work for you.
There may be times when you intentionally seek out an attractive model or subject to serve the purpose of your art. I regularly do this in my coffee shop sketches. Whether your feelings of attraction are intentional like this or accidental, the point is to know how to make this energy work for you.

Sexual energy is a raw and powerful tool in the hands of the purposeful artist. Left unchecked however, it can eviscerate your focus and obliterate a drawing.

Drawing can be a visceral experience and the lines that finally appear on paper can be the result of personal feelings filtered through a process of draftsmanship and technique. Using your feelings of attraction to power and fuel the inspiration of the drawing is an excellent and very productive use of that energy. For your consideration I offer a simple 3 step process for taking control of your feelings and directing them in a creative way.

3 Steps to channeling attraction energy.

1. Have a goal. Decide what it is that you want to communicate with your drawing before your begin. Having a goal in mind creates a channel for your energy. Without this you run the risk of simply drawing to gratify lust and the drawing lacks purpose, direction and communication.

2. Ask your self: "Why am I attracted to her/him?" Observe your model/subject and force yourself to answer this question. Decoding the specific things that cause you to feel attracted will help you identify which areas of your drawing to push, exaggerate or possibly even diminish.

3. Look beyond the physical. Make a conscious decision to look for the non-physical attractive qualities of your model/subject (even if they're imagined). You may find that the quality which is most attractive to you is your idea of what that person is like. Find this and imbue your drawing with it (gesture, facial expression, mood, action, etc).

It is not my intention to reduce the whole affair to a cold, calculated formula because it isn't. Rather, I aim to present tools which can help give creative direction to a powerful and potentially useful feeling as opposed to being at the mercy of that feeling. Don't bury your feelings, use them.