So you've seen the title of this blog and wondered how the phrase "The Other Eye" relates to art. I mean, how exactly does an eye relate to art? Well, a common problem artists struggle with is that we can't seem to draw the other eye. Draw one eye and it looks great, and then the second eye ruins the drawing because it doesn't live up to the first one. Truth be told, art isn't as relaxing as it should be- sometimes, it can be downright infuriating!
Since I have been drawing for a long time, I have had my fair share of art problems, such as broken pencils, running out of ink, or accidentally tearing the paper. I've found that throughout different phases in which I focus on different mediums and subjects, I have encountered problems that are specific to that phase, and those that remain constant.
For example, I used to make all my drawings with alcohol-based markers. They tend to bleed through paper, so I have stained many sketchbook pages because of it. And of course, marker ink is finite and this means that they will eventually dry out. When I switched my focus to digital art, there's obviously no more ink bleeding. Rather, there are the issues of accidentally forgetting to save my work or drawing on the wrong layer.
In terms of constant art issues, losing track of my supplies has always been a problem for me; I would always lose my supplies somewhere in my room and frantically search for them, whether it's a stylus or a pencil. And more important issues I have always struggled with are proportions and perspective, but that can be attributed to my unfamiliarity with those topics. But, I am improving in those areas (even though the progress is slow)- with practice comes familiarity, and eventually mastery.
Unfortunately, art is not perfect and it will be impossible to rid the process of creating it of any mishaps. However, sharing struggles with other artists is very cathartic and is a great way to relieve the frustration these issues cause. That's why I decided to make a blog post about it: in a way, it is freeing to discuss an unsavory aspect of a hobby I hold dear to my heart. By acknowledging its flaws, I can be more forgiving towards myself (even at my tendency to lose things). And well, art problems do make for great jokes, as nothing is funnier than laughing at our own shortcomings, right?
I'll draw the other eye right eventually. Give me about five minutes. Or maybe a decade.