The Drawings That Almost Didn't Get Finished
If you've ever seen one of my completed drawings, there's a good chance you assume it started as an idea, moved smoothly through the drawing process, and eventually became a finished piece.
I wish.
The reality is much messier.
For every drawing hanging on a wall, shared online, or displayed in my portfolio, there are several others quietly waiting in folders, tucked away in drawers, or sitting on my drawing desk wondering when their turn will come.
Some are half finished.
Some are barely started.
Some have been waiting much longer than I care to admit.
And honestly?
That's just part of being an artist.
Sometimes Another Drawing Steals the Spotlight
One of the biggest reasons drawings get set aside is simple.
Something else grabs my attention.
I'll be happily working on one piece when suddenly I come across a wildlife photo that completely captures my imagination.
A bear family.
A tiger cub.
An otter floating with its baby.
The new idea starts bouncing around in my head.
Before long, I'm sketching compositions, imagining colours, and thinking about the story I want to tell.
Meanwhile, the original drawing is sitting on my desk wondering what happened.
I always intend to come back to it.
Sometimes I do.
Sometimes it waits a little longer.
Sometimes It Isn't Going the Way I Hoped
This one is a little harder to admit.
Occasionally, a drawing simply isn't working.
Maybe the composition isn't feeling right.
Maybe the expression isn't capturing what I envisioned.
Maybe the piece looks perfectly fine, but something about it isn't connecting with me.
When that happens, I've learned not to force it.
Years ago, I probably would have pushed through anyway.
Now I know better.
Sometimes the best thing I can do is step away.
Not forever.
Just long enough to gain some perspective.
A few weeks later, I might come back and immediately see what needs to change.
Sometimes I restart the piece entirely.
And sometimes that's exactly what it needed.
Not Every Drawing Has to Be Finished Right Away
This was a lesson that took me a long time to learn.
For a while, I felt guilty every time I set a drawing aside.
I thought unfinished work meant failure.
Now I see it differently.
Sometimes unfinished work is simply part of the creative process.
A drawing can teach you something even if it isn't finished.
It can help you practice a technique.
Test an idea.
Explore a composition.
Sometimes its job isn't to become a finished piece.
Sometimes its job is simply to help you grow.
The Waiting Folder
Every artist has one.
Mine is filled with drawings I fully intend to return to.
Eventually.
There are wildlife pieces waiting patiently.
A few bears, of course.
Several projects that were temporarily interrupted by newer ideas.
Pieces that need a fresh set of eyes.
Pieces that deserve another chance.
And a few that may eventually be restarted from the very beginning.
They're not forgotten.
They're simply waiting.
Sometimes Time Changes Everything
One of the surprising things about setting a drawing aside is what happens when you return to it months later.
You're not the same artist.
You've learned new things.
Your skills have improved.
Your eye has changed.
What once felt impossible suddenly feels manageable.
What once frustrated you suddenly has an obvious solution.
Sometimes the waiting turns out to be exactly what the drawing needed.
The Finished Pieces Never Tell the Whole Story
When people look through an artist's portfolio, they're seeing the highlights.
The finished work.
The successes.
What they don't see are the drawings that struggled.
The ones that were paused.
The ones that were restarted.
The ones still waiting their turn.
But those drawings matter too.
They're part of the journey.
Part of the learning.
Part of becoming the artist I am today.
And if I'm being completely honest, there are still a few drawings sitting nearby as I write this.
Waiting patiently.
Or at least pretending to be patient.
One day they'll get their moment.
Until then, they're keeping the bears company. 🐾