What do you listen to / watch while drawing?

[Sonia Merkel]

I love listening to books, Brendan Sanderson's Misborn series, Steven King, and the monthly book club book are my usual go to - and 3PP of course, but when I'm not in the mood for a story I recycle the same movies over and over. Twilight (don't hate) and Lord of the Rings make too many appearances. What are your favorite things to have on while drawing?

[Griffin McPherson]

@Sonia-Merkel Brandon Sanderson is my favorite! Currently reading the latest mistborn book and then I’ll be reading the new Tress of the Emerald Sea book that just came out.
When I’m in the early stages of a drawing where I’m imaging everything I need to have music. Once I get into inking, coloring, and lighting then I can put on a podcast. Lately it’s been a lot of the Illustration Department Podcast. Some other favorites are 99% Invisible, Stuff You Should Know, and Crime Show.

[MimiHecher]

3PP and a podcast about writing (it's in German) are the podcasts I like to listen to.
When I'm not in the mood for podcast or have a hard time focusing, I'm listening to a 1 hour piano song on Youtube calles "Music to write faster and better". It works great for me, although usually I'm drawing or typesetting while listening to it, and not writing.
Every time the song comes to an end, I can be proud to have worked for a whole hour.

When I'm doing stuff that doesn't take much concentration, I listen to the friends and family I call. So I'm on the phone while working.

Last week I started to re-view Vikings while working, but that was a lot of distraction. So I switched to re-hearing lessons from svs learn while working. That works great!

[Blitz55]

I wish I could listen to books or podcasts but I find I just can't do both as well as others. I'm either to focused on my art and don't really absorb anything being read/talked about. Or I get to distracted by it and focus less on my art.

So mostly just music, but it really depends on my mood what kind. But for the most part I would say it's usually something like soundtracks or instrumental music. I have found I actually like a lot of upbeat electronic music as well, it can have a very rhythmic upbeat style to it that can serve to drive me and energize me while creating.

[von_Nimmermehr]

I was used to listen to music but i realized, that my brain is way to occupied with watching videos or listening to podcasts.

And since our eyes and brain is flooded with to much stuff over the day, i am working on establishing a quite working atmosphere to let my brain think and work better.

I also tend to turn of everything or forget to turn the music on anyway. not intentionally. I guess i just seek silence so much now i don't even recognize it anymore.

[MiaNova]

@Sonia-Merkel I just started reading Hero of Ages how funny! I listen to movie soundtracks (mostly Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, Thomas Newman, etc..) My favorite is the ‘Kung Fu Panda’ soundtrack it’s just really pretty to listen too

[Griffin McPherson]

@MiaNova Hero of Ages is my favorite mistborn book! Love that there are other Brandon Sanderson fans here

[Mimi Simon]

I was listening to garth nix's Old kingdom series but i finished that and and I haven't decided what to listen to next so just been listening to the news and music. (If anyone needs new music to listen to, find me on spotify; I have a ton of public playlists in many genres)

[kirsten-mcg]

@Sonia-Merkel I can't have anything on during the concept and designing phase, but then once I'm on to cleaning up sketches and coloring I listen to stuff a lot. 3PP is my favorite podcast to listen to, but I also like Creative Pep Talk and the SCBWI podcast (you don't have to be a member to listen). Sometimes I listen to YA and MG books. Brandon Sanderson's Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians is so funny! I've also really enjoyed the Lockwood and Co books recently. Very creepy and suspenseful. But sometimes fiction books are too much for me to handle when I'm painting, and they distract me. Non fiction audio books can sometimes be better.

[Mike Babich]

Honestly,
I listen to artists on Youtube, 3 Point Perspective, Peter Han, Karl Kopinski, Proko, Trent Kaniuga.

Thats my "play list". I even listen to these guys in the car and whole working out lol!

Mike

[ArtMelC]

@Sonia-Merkel The Illustration Department podcast when I want something quieter than 3PP . Studiomate Steve when I need my dose of British accent. Design and Shine podcast is good too.

I used to play Merlin on Netflix and let it run while I paint.

[Cordelia F]

@Sonia-Merkel I've been listening to Hidden Brain a lot lately. I thought it would be boring and hadn't wanted to try it, but then a friend said she learned stuff all the time from it, so I gave it a try. TBH I do turn some episodes off, but I have in fact also learned some incredibly useful stuff from the interesting ones, so I keep going back to it.

[Melissa_Bailey]

I've also been listening a lot to The Illustration Department podcast. Also IlloChat. And I've been listening to chatty YouTube videos, especially Bookends Literary as I'm preparing to submit to agents.

Lately, though, I've switched back to listening to audiobooks. Two I've really enjoyed lately are The Wishing Tree and Catherine, Called Birdy -- listening to more middle grade novels to get a feel for the way they're written.

[Kristen Lango]

Creative Pep Talk by Andy J Pizza
Thoughts on Illustration by Tom Froese
And this next one is new, but has great imagery ideas: Super Great Kid's Stories by Wardour Studios