There is a lot that can be done in terms of thinking about your work, and how you approach it.
One of the examples I always use in class has to do with water. I use this as it is a very important to me personally but also because it is easy to illustrate.
For example, let's make a list: a shower, a rain shower, a puddle, a puddle with a reflection, a puddle with a green stem sprouting up from it, a creek, a creek in the mountains, a creek with an abandoned tire sticking halfway out of it, a small pond/lake with a kid on a tire swing above it (see the connection between these last two?), a rain boot stuck in a mud puddle, a swimming pool, a swimming pool with someone jumping in it so it makes a splash, a small kiddie pool with a water ring in it, a small kiddie pool floating in a larger pool with an inflatable toy in it, a life raft in the middle of the ocean, a waterfall, a waterfall splashing on rocks, a series of three waterfalls (odd numbers are always good), a goose reflected in a lake, the Mississippi river with a paddle boat on it, Huck Finn on a raft, the ocean breaking on the beach, the ocean washing up some sort of treasure, the ocean washing away a heart - or other message - that has been drawn into the sand on the beach, a rubber ducky floating in a sink of water, a kid in the bathtub playing with toys, just the toys and little bits of water left over from a kid's bath, lily pads floating on water, and on and on and on
Those were just off the top of my head over the last two minutes (yes, I timed myself). Some came from the idea before, some came just from thinking of my own experiences such as backpacking in the Sierra's and giving children baths.
Sometimes when thinking about a project or study drawings I feel like it is best to just begin by brainstorming, and that doesn't even have to be drawing per se.
When I look at your list and think of "an antique", this is exactly what I would do, make a list.
Next I would think about context and maybe even make a list of where that subject might be.
Later I would look for pictures - after I have a lot of options.
I want your "drawing" for today to be a times writing exercise.
Take "an antique", "under wraps", and "a machine" and set your timer for five minutes. For each of these topics I want you to make a list of as many things as you can think of for each of them. If it's me I'm just going to make a list as I did above - which to be true is sort of difficult to read, or make a bullet pointed list or write sentences out for each idea.
Just don't stop writing for each topic until your timer goes off. Five minutes for each. If you can fill a double page spread with so many ideas for these three prompts that is a good start.
No, that doesn't mean write large, just as many things as you can think of.
One big requirement...make this list in PENCIL ONLY.
Some of your topics will be more complex and less obvious than these, but we'll deal with those later.
On your mark, get set, go!
