Blank Canvas Terror

It Happens to the Best of Us

Photo credit: Unknown

Have you ever been paralyzed by the blank canvas terror?

Oh, it’s real. It’s very real.

I’m a huge fan of all things paranormal, but the blank canvas terror still gets me sometimes when I least expect it.

What is the blank canvas terror?

In a nutshell, it’s the irrational fear that is induced by the pristine blankness of a new canvas or sketchbook. It’s the fear of making that first mark that would forever change that perfect empty surface.

Yes, I’m being a little overly dramatic. But when you’re in the moment, that’s exactly what it feels like.

Even after 40+ years that I’ve been drawing and perfecting my craft, why do I still get nervous when starting a new project? Why do any of us have this reaction at all?

(Photo credit: 123RF.com Image: 45863185 vadymvdrobot)

The blank canvas terror is a strange experience. On one hand, there’s nothing quite like the joy and excitement of a brand new canvas. White, clean, and so full of possibilities. You have special plans for this canvas. There’s nothing quite as exciting as embarking on a new artistic adventure. You can practically envision the whole process from beginning to end.

But when the moment actually comes, you stand there with a pencil, marker, or brush in hand and you hover, holding your breath, hesitant to lay down that first mark. That first mark would destroy that perfect blankness. (still being overly dramatic)

The blank canvas both beckons and taunts. It both invites you and dares you to do what you came to do.

Can you do it?

Do you dare?

Do you have what it takes to accept the challenge and face the blank canvas terror?

Can you defeat the blank canvas terror? (Photo credit: 123RF.com Image: 50296964 luismolinero)

As artists, eventually, we do dare. Even if that fear still grips us because that’s just what we do. We take a deep breath and make that first mark. Therein lies the reward. That first mark is all it takes. Once it’s been made, we suddenly feel free to continue working on the same canvas that just a moment ago intimidated us.

Tips for conquering the blank canvas terror

There are a number of ways to overcome the terror. They all involve changing that white surface as quickly as possible.

You might try covering the entire canvas with a wash if you use an actual canvas. Pick a color that would suit your artwork and cover your canvas with it. Many painters do this anyway to work from a mid-tone instead of the stark whiteness of a fresh canvas. It helps to better judge value and contrast. But in our case, the blank canvas isn’t blank anymore and the terror subsides.

If your terror comes in the form of a new sketchbook, you might try putting your contact info on the front page. It can be as decorative as you want it to be. You can say something like, “If found, please contact me at    (enter your info here)   .” That’s all it takes. You’ve effectively used up the first page of a brand new sketchbook, the scariest page of all.

For a sketchbook, you could also use the wash technique. Instead of paint, which would cause the page to buckle with the moisture, try charcoal. Once you’ve covered the page, start drawing with an eraser. This works particularly well for light studies. Or, you could use that first page as a warm-up and fill that page with lines and circles, or whatever else you use to warm up. Both methods effectively break the spell of the blank canvas terror.

The blank canvas is the outlet for our creativity

The cause of the blank canvas terror is a mystery. The canvas is the very thing that will hold the images we have in our minds. What is it about that expanse of white that makes us hesitate? Is it a strange reluctance of disrupting the purity of that white space? Does it suddenly make us uncertain of the images we hold in our minds as if they somehow weren’t worthy of this perfectly clear surface?

We are artists. We have taken on the task of transforming the canvas into something other than what it was when we first got it, pristine, pure, and unmarred. It was all of those things, but it was also without our creativity and imagination. Without our creative work, a blank canvas has no substance, no meaning, no story or meaning.

And so we must make that first mark. Because when we do put that apprehension aside, the blank canvas has the potential to become so much more. And that is something that this artist just can’t resist.

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Further Reading

New Sketchbook Anxiety

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