Music for Drawing - Thoughts and Playlists
3yr
Casey Holtz
Do you like creating while listening to music or prefer silence? If you do like listening, what sort of genres do you listen to and are they different than the ones you listen to when not creating? Feel free to share artists and playlists!
I like listening to OSTs from movies and video games, especially orchestral boss fights! Kingdom Hearts and Undertale have some of my favorite OSTs for drawing and painting. I also like finding niche artists like CloZee (I don't know how to describe her work other than it's electronic) that have a high-energy, immersive feel.
3yr
I'm a bit all over the place. I do really like listening to music but find I often just don't get to it because I either don't have it on hand or I'm watching a video or livestream replay or something. My music taste is pretty broad but currently mainly Prog Metal, classical, Megaman X OST (I also enjoy video game OSTs), Alternative.
I find music can bring energy or calm to the drawing process which helps reinforce practice , e.g. metal for gesture and classical for refining. One thing I definitely try to avoid is music that I know all the words to, because that becomes distracting...
3yr
Hi Casey!
I’m surprised to know that you like Undertale too! I played in Steam and I love the story and the music so much.
I often listen to Nier Replicant’s OST. It has orchestra version, and every boss theme sounds really emotional.
I didn’t know CloZee, so I will find her music☺️
Casey Holtz
3yr
I love Undertale and all I crave is to be able to experience it for the first time again haha. It's still an EXCELLENT game but the first playthru, going in blind, hits different. I'll check out that OST, thanks for the recommendation!
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3yr
Some movie OSTs are okay. I like 90s/00s pop and some older soul stuff. The most frequently I've been listening to podcasts while drawing, tops are 99% invisible, Radio Lab and several other art shows including Draftsman.
BUT recently like two month or so I've stopped completely. I categorized audio (lyrical and non-lyrical) and visual (text and graphical) are "destroyers of automatic thoughts". I control my time of doing these things. I have my earphones on noise reduction but silent. So I can think better how to arrange my compositions, think deeper into those automatic ideas of mine and jot them down quickly.
It makes me feel good when listening to beautiful OSTs and other great musicals, and just like their purpose is to deliver an "sensational image", you get carried away in that cinematic mood and often don't do stuff as efficiently.
3yr
Much in agreement. Music is almost like hypnosis! I have to tinker how I use it in my daily workflow constantly. You've got a great system it seems! <3
Also 99% Invisible, represent! ahahah They are great!
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3yr
I like all your thinking! Is that silence just for compositional/thumbnail phase of your process, or are you going through the entire piece with that mindset?
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3yr
If I’m not listening to music I almost always have a podcast on or something on YouTube haha, but occasionally there are times I’m in the zone without it. I love video game soundtracks! Undertale’s is awesome. I particularly jam with splatoon music haha it’s sick 💯.
But my favorite band to listen to while drawing is by far Vulfpeck, they’re a funk/rhythm type music, some with bangin’ lyrics 💥but mostly instrumentals, they are almost lyrical in how they sound though. Super high energy, but low volume in the background, I think it can really get you in the flow. They’re super skilled and I totally dig the vibes. Anyway there’s my pitch can you tell I’m a fan ahah.
If your interested in a transformative mind-bending musical experience, check out miracle musical- ミラクルミュージカル - Hawaii part II. My recommendation is to listen to it from beginning to end! So freakin cool!! A truly immersive musical experience unlike any other!
If I play a playlist of music, I won't notice when it ends, so for that reason I like radio 24/7 streams. The main one I listen to is Lo-fi Girl. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qap5aO4i9A It's just rhythmic enough to be energetic, but no distracting vocals. Lo-fi is a nice genre if you want to concentrate. It fades into the background and becomes a mood. It's like the new generation's jazz café I think.
3yr
Yeah I listen to lo-fi girl aswell. I find it very soothing but sometimes it can be too calming and lowers my energy levels when I'm doing traditional. For digital the light usually keeps me awake.
For me I shift between genres depending on my energy levels and focus levels. To get more focus I either listen to silence or a lo-fi play list. For energy I need something slightly more upbeat. Never something like metal or anything like that.
Some lo-fi play lists i like:
Original one
Lofi ghibli
Ambitions
Syros
3yr
That's a good point! It can be hard to find playlist that will definitely last through a long session. I actually listen to that radio as well, but for sleeping haha! I do enjoy it for a relaxing weekend draw though.
3yr
Great topic :)
OSTs are super awesome to listen to while drawing! Two steps from hell is also a super awesome music group.
I also listen to live talk sessions where people tell about their life. I think it's very interesting to listen to the experiences of other people.
3yr
Yes, love TSFH! You should check out E.S. Posthumous and Alex Roe. That's interesting that you listen to talk shows! Listening to words (hence the orchestral music I like) distracts me too much personally. I do love a good life story though!
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I'm pretty much listening to music constantly. The only time I find it particularly difficult to focus with music is when I'm writing, but most other times if I need to concentrate on drawing, my brain just tunes out the noise, which is a little ironic. I LOVE the Undertale soundtrack, and I'm also really fond of the stuff Hans Zimmer does, especially his Spider Man soundtrack work.
For people who are more drawn to relaxing music to get into the creating zone, I've got links to playlists I've made to maximize focus!
One for general relaxation akin to being in the womb:
https://vocal.media/beat/life-from-inside-the-womb
And one of songs from languages other than English for when you really need to focus, but are too distracted by lyrics:
https://vocal.media/beat/songs-in-other-languages-that-melt-me-to-my-seat
3yr
I used to listen to Hans Zimmer a ton! I've grown to lean towards a bit more energetic/erratic music since, but I can definitely still appreciate him. So excited for that other languages playlist, thanks for sharing!!
