ART GUIDE - 10 effective exercises to fill your sketchbook, have fun and develop your skills ✏️

As for what you can create in your sketchbook, sky's the limit... ☀️  

You can draw what you like, what is difficult for you, what you are currently learning, create a diary, scrapbook or even cut out various patterns from its pages.

In this post, however, I want to list 10 examples which I think are very effective when you want to do both: quickly develop your skills and have fun at the same time.

1. Perspective studies

They don't have to be very complex, constructed forms (learning perspective can be extremely extensive), but just doodle some cubes 😊  

This is a very important exercise that teaches spatial thinking and perspective. Sketch levitating cubes in all sorts of positions and with different vanishing points. Start by sketching with references, then repeat the task from memory. My Concept Art teacher reminded us of this exercise very often and now I see he was right. Even if you have no problems with perspective, such an exercise is a very good warm-up for your hand and mind.

2. Form and transform

The next step is to draw other simple solids and then add their distortions. Imagine someone grabbed the cube you’re drawing and stretched or twisted it. Try to draw it. 

It is an amazing exercise to help understand complex forms and prepares you to draw from imagination.

3. Creativity and fun

This is a very popular exercise that I do too rarely: ask someone to draw various, weird shapes in your sketchbook, and then create drawings of them. 

This exercise helps to develop imagination and creative problem solving, but is also just plain fun and enjoyable.

4. Visual library and still life doodles

Expanding the visual library is extremely important. It helps you create more elaborate and convincing worlds for your characters and allows you to draw much faster. 

Draw simple objects from your surroundings or even from photos. Here you will find a board with some aesthetic references.

5. Anatomy studies

Drawing anatomy is usually very boring or very enjoyable and relaxing. There's nothing in between lol. 

I always liked biology lessons in school - especially when we were learning about the human body. I think this translates into my art. Knowing what's "inside" helps a lot in thinking and understanding the forms of the face and body.

6. 100 heads, 100 hands, 100 feet

Whenever I am fascinated by something that is difficult for me to recreate, I start to draw it many times and from different perspectives. That's why I think 100 Heads and 100 Hands Challenge are brilliant exercises. But it could be 100 of whatever you want and need 😊 

It's good to know your natural pace - don't draw too fast and don't stop at one drawing for too long. Try to set a realistic goal (e.g. 50 feet) and a realistic time for yourself (e.g. 15 days). Being systematic and achieving a goal is more important than a record number. A goal that is too difficult can be daunting.

7. Dynamic figures

I think figures are valuable when they’re dynamic. It is something that I am eager to learn! My characters are usually too stiff. 

...So I practice finding the lines of action, drawing with Force by Michael Mattesi and watching animators sharing their tips on YouTube. I'll get there one day!

8. Copying art of your favorite artists

So you thought copying was bad? Nothing more wrong. Nobody could learn to draw well without copying what they like. I was copying a lot of Disney characters in my childhood. Now I like to copy a character from the graphic novel sometimes. Here, for example, from Paper Girls. 

Thanks to this, you learn how to think and make decisions from the perspective of your idols. Of course always remember to credit the original author 😉 

9. Making things more difficult: drawing from life and with permanent media

This is something I have been defending against for a long time. I was drawing by nature when I was 16 and I wanted to get into the Academy of Fine Arts. It was a torment. While the others were partying and sleeping until late hours on Saturday, I was having a nude drawing class in the early morning. Now I would like to go to such classes, but then I felt strange, awkward and I didn't understand what I was doing! Only now I am glad that I did it.

Drawing from life forces you to draw directly from your subject. You don’t get ready-made solutions for light and shadow from the camera. Your brain needs to strain harder. It is an essential exercise if you want to develop artistically.

Another difficulty that greatly improves your skills is drawing with permanent media, such as a fine-liner. This way you think more about each line and visualize it before putting it on the paper. Although it is very difficult at first, this helps you draw faster and more decisively.

10. Drawing from memory/imagination

I started practicing drawing from memory only a few days ago but I can already see the effects. First, I draw something from the reference to warm up, then I turn the page and draw the same thing, but from memory. Then add modifications - such as different facial features or different head positions. This way of drawing is more demanding, but it makes you focus a lot more on memory and mark in your brain how something really looks like. 

Try it, it's a great exercise. For me it is relaxing because I don't need to look for references. I just put a pencil on the paper and draw!

I hope these tips will help you when you feel blocked or just confused of what to draw 🧡😊 

What are your ways to practice effectively? Share it in the comments!

Hugs,

Gaby