Funny, right now I have just started to listening music while trying to draw something, and then I find this thread.
I am not an artist, but I always listen music that fits to situation I want to show on picture or fiction.
And since I almost never listen songs, I listen only ambients from games or soundtrack from cartoons or movies.
If I create something about existing universe of book/cartoon/movie, I try to find some music from it's universe, or from similar universe. If existing music for some reason doesn't fitting for atmosphere of scenes I create, then I play something completely different that fits situation. Or if it's my original universe - I just play something similar to it.
If it's mystery - I listen mystery ambient, horror - dark ambient, funny - cheerful song, etc.