What to Listen to While Drawing: Best Music and More

As an artist I spend a lot of my time drawing. If it’s not the work I do for clients, then it’s my personal illustrations. I end up working on my iPad or PC for hours every day. And of course, sometimes I might be not exactly in the right mood for work, or have other things distracting me. I might struggle a bit with concentration and motivation. I’m sure you can relate to this as well.

So, in moments like this I do need some additional inspiration, something to help me focus. And over the years I found that listening to something while working helps immensely. It’s not always music, it can be other forms of audio as well.

In this article I’m happy to share the best soundtracks that can help you boost your creativity and productivity while drawing.

The Benefits of Listening to Music While Drawing

So, what good does it do to have something on the background while you’re drawing? From my own experience and from what I researched, there are several solid benefits that I can confirm:

• Focus Boost. Listening to music, podcasts, or even simple calming sounds helps to block out the noises and distractions. It doesn’t matter if you work in the office or from home, there always seems to be something going around you. It may be loud colleagues, the sound of dozens of keyboards typing. Or it can be your neighbors who all of a sudden decided to renovate the whole house. Having something that you like playing in your headphones effectively cuts out distractions and keeps you zoned in on your artwork. Tried and tested so many times by yours truly😊
• Inspiration and Motivation. Sometimes we all need a bit of help to get our creative flows going. And certain kinds of music can do just that. Listening to nice tunes can energize you, help you relax. And when you are in the right state of mind it’s much easier to catch that inspiration and motivation spark.
• Beating the Boredom. If you are just starting your creative career, I have news for you… Sorry to break it to you, but not all projects are fun and exciting. Sometimes we just have to do our job, no matter if we like it or not. And that’s when things can get boring really fast. And when that happens, listening to podcasts, music or even documentaries helps a lot! You can do the boring part almost automatically, while entertaining yourself with something interesting from the audio in the background.

These are the main benefits I can attest to personally. It all comes down to selection of what to listen to. There are different options depending on the type of work I do, and on what mood I’m in. Let me cover these points next.

Best Music to Listen While Drawing

Music is a classic choice by most people when it comes to listening to something while drawing or designing. And for good reason.

Music in itself is so inspirational, emotional and engaging. So, it’s really effective in boosting or changing our mood. And because there are so many various music styles and genres, anyone can find some type that they enjoy. Plus, different styles of music work better depending on situation.

For example, when I do creative tasks, like coming up with new ideas and putting them on paper, picking the color palettes – I prefer calm tunes, music without words or strong emotional parts.  A good example is chill acoustic music, lofi playlists, or natural sounds like rain. It helps to focus and relax at the same time.

But when I do something technical and less creative, like polishing the sketches, or fine-tuning the near finished illustrations – I prefer something “heavier”. A good rock songs collection works wonders. Genres like soft rock, gothic country, folk rock, indie and alternative are quite nice in this case.

If you are looking for good playlists, I’ve been using MusicToFeel website. There are plenty of ready to go playlists there for various music genres. It’s a nice place to discover new music.

Podcasts and Documentaries

Music is not the only thing I like to listen to while drawing. Podcast discussing interesting topics is a great way to keep you in a working mood. Especially when your current work is somewhat boring, and doesn’t require your full attention.

If you are doing something that is monotonous, if it makes you uninspired and you feel like falling asleep – find a nice podcast or a documentary. It will keep you entertained, while you get the job done.

For example, after I have already completed the more creative part of a project (i.e., created the sketches and have done the color roughs), I find it very helpful to have a calm podcast playing on while I finalize the illustration. For me it can be an art related podcast, or anything about my hobbies (like flowers and gardening). Documentaries are also great. Believe it or not I even like to listen to crime series while I work 😆 

Listening to Audiobooks While Working

Audiobooks are a great alternative to music and docuseries. You can listen to your favorite author while drawing. It’s a nice way to pass the time. Of course, it works best if you don’t have to think too much about what you are working on. I mean if the audio story is way too interesting and exciting, it may distract you from your drawing.

But if the audiobook is engaging just enough, it can help you work longer hours. You just don’t get tired as much if you’re not bored. So, the trick here is to find the right audiobook.

Nature Sounds and Ambient Noise for Calm Atmosphere

If music, podcasts, audiobooks and documentaries are too much for you – nature sounds might be just what you need. Gentle tap of rain, the whisper of wind through tree leaves, or the soothing rhythm of ocean waves. Just writing about it brings in all these sounds in my head.

Nature sounds are effective method of calming down, relaxing and letting your creative powers come to life. Really makes illustrating or designing process much smoother sometimes.

There’s also something called “white noise.” It’s like a steady hum that can block out distractions. While it’s not what I personally choose, I know people who love it ‘cause it’s effective for them. You can always experiment with it so see if it works for you.

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Audio for Work

I admit that at first it used to be a bit tricky to choose the right audio for my drawing sessions. But once I figured out what works best for me, it became actually easy. Here are a few tips that I’m sure can help you to find your perfect sound vibe:

1. Adapt to Your Task. This is the most important one. You need to make a choice depending on what you’re doing. For example, if you need to summon all your creative forces and really concentrate on your work – pick something that will help you focus and WILL NOT distract you. Even if it’s a band or artist you love, it may be a wrong choice for that specific time and task at hand.
2. Know Your Mood: Do you feel like you could use an energetic boost? Pick an up-beat music. Do you feel stressed and want to be relaxed? Pick music that calms you down. Always pick sounds that match your vibe.
3. Create a Playlist: Make a special playlist for drawing. I have a couple playlists saved for different kinds of work and mood. This way you can get to work without wasting time on trying to find the right tune. Better leave searching for new songs for when you are free.
4. Experiment and Explore: And lastly don’t be afraid to try new music. You’d be surprised how some genres that you usually do not listen to can be great for your work flow.

Conclusion

Well, now you know how I organize my working process. Listening to music helps me to make it easier, it keeps me motivated and focused while I’m drawing and illustrating. Hopefully this will help you as well.