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Picture Learn to Draw in 15 Banner

Learn to Draw in 15 Minutes a Day

Drawing is the 'bones' of art. You have to be able to walk before you can run
Picture Leaf Element

Here are two simple and fun exercises to get you started in becoming better at drawing accurately. With practice, you can learn to draw not only what you see, but what you imagine.

You'll need a stopwatch/timer, paper (anything will do!), pen, pencil, or marker, and a few random objects like toys, kitchen implements, or jewellery  Whatever you have around is fine. Alternatively, you could use images found online. In some ways these are easier to draw from because they're already flattened to a two dimension. You'll also need a gentle attitude toward yourself. Your masterpieces maybe quite a ways down the road at this point, so expecting to make drawings you're proud of at the start is unrealistic and will lead to frustration. In fact, just plan to throw away your drawings at first. The goal is to enjoy yourself and learn.

Observational Drawing


Picture

We look at things all day long. But how often do we look hard enough to memorize the details?

Look at one of your objects for one minute. Try to memorize the overall shapes, and those of the details. Think about proportion and relationships. Then put the item away and draw it. Yes, you will certainly be embarrassed by the first few, or dozen, drawings. It's okay; everyone is! Study your drawing versus the object for another minute. What did you miss? What did you remember but get wrong? Now, put the object and drawing away and draw it again for one minute. Look at the object and both drawings. Did you get more accurate? Toss those drawings in the recycle bin and repeat the whole process two more times to total 15 minutes for today.

10 - 4 - 1 Drawing


Picture

Take an object or image and draw it for 10 minutes. Aim to at least consider all parts of the object - don't just start at the top and work your way down.

Sketch the image roughly, then refine the image a little bit, and finally add details. At the end of 10 minutes, do the same thing on fresh paper in four minutes. You will not get as far, but you may observe and correct inaccuracies from your first drawing. Finally, start fresh again and sketch the same thing in one minute. Whew! This one will look like a scribble, but try to get the "gesture", or basic idea, of the object without details. This can feel overwhelming and confusing at first. If you keep an attitude of exploration and fun, it can be exhilarating! This is also one of the best ways to learn to very quickly observe something and sketch it.

Alternating just these two exercises for 15 minutes each day you will see improvement in a matter of weeks. Keep a few of your drawings from these exercises to look back on when you're not sure you're progressing. It is easy to not realise how far you've come when progress takes place little-by-little.

Never ever give up and draw a little every day rather than one day per week. Doing both at the same time would of course be even better.

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MARTINA POOK ©  2016-2022                     |                     68 Armstrong Way, Highland Park, QLD 4211                    |                   Trading as Martina Pook                  |               ABN 54905 254 156
  • Home
    • Art School Surveys
    • Mailing List
    • Art News Blog
  • Art Tips
    • 1 Year Drawing & Painting >
      • Daily Watercolour Practice >
        • January
        • February
        • March
        • April
        • May
        • June
        • July
        • August
        • September
        • October
        • November
        • December
      • Daily Drawing Practice >
        • January
        • February
        • March
        • April
        • May
        • June
        • July
        • August
        • September
        • October
    • Art Business Tips >
      • Before Starting A Business
      • Earn from Your Drawings
      • Pricing Your Artwork
      • Art Business Planning
      • Arts Marketing
      • Artist Media Release
      • Artist Proposal Writing
      • Creative Website Writing
      • Copyright (eousness)
      • Organise Your Art Business
      • Networking for Artists
      • 5 Tips for Instagram Success
      • The Power of Pinterest
      • Art Is A Business
    • Free Art Business Books
    • Free Art Instruction Books
    • Free Stockphoto Collection >
      • Art Students Photo Collection >
        • Peculiar Photo Collection
        • Landscape Photo Collection
    • Artists Reference Photos >
      • Artist Reference Bundles
    • Best Art Websites
    • Book Recommendations
    • Gift Ideas for Artists
    • Art Magazines
    • Art Organisations
    • Art Accountants
    • Art Competitions
    • Art Infographics
    • Artists Info Sheets
    • Artists Signatures
    • Web Tools For Artists
  • Martina's Articles
    • Painting Tips
    • 15 Must Have Skills for Art Students
    • Art Competition Benefits
    • Benefits of Art Classes
    • Coloured Pencils Article >
      • Coloured Pencil Studies
    • Colour Mixing Article
    • Did You Know?
    • Learn to draw in 15 minutes a day
    • The Art of Learning Art
    • Why We Need Creativity
  • Art Workshops | Classes
    • Art Materials Lists >
      • Art Material Glossary
    • Art Student Portal >
      • Arts Ministry Liberti
      • Drawing Introduction >
        • Line Contour Variation
        • Measuring Proportions
        • Atmospheric Perspective
        • Shading Laws
        • Composition
      • Painting Introduction
      • Portrait Drawing Introduction >
        • The Eye
        • The Nose
        • The Mouth
        • The Ear
        • The Head
      • Coloured Pencil Introduction
      • Colour Mixing Introduction
    • Gallery >
      • Kids Art Gallery
      • Teen Students Gallery
      • Adult Art Students Gallery
      • Student Scholarship >
        • 2018 Scholarship Winner
        • 2018 Scholarship Winner
        • 2017 Scholarship Winner
        • 2015 Scholarship Winner
      • Artist in Residence >
        • 2017 Artist in Residence
      • Opportunities for Students
    • Gold Coast Art Teachers
    • Refund Policies
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