Drawing for a short period of time can be more effective in improving your skills than drawing for a longer period of time. This is because, when you draw for a short period of time, you can focus on specific techniques such as contour, simple shading, proportion, and line confidence. When you try to draw something without a clear objective in mind, you will likely struggle with selecting a subject, erasing, starting over, and becoming frustrated with your results.
Here are some steps you can follow to draw effectively for 15 minutes:
- Choose a subject that will not move and has a simple outline. A mug, spoon, apple, or folded piece of fabric are good examples. Position the object in a location with consistent lighting and avoid choosing a subject that you think is impressive.
- For the first 3 minutes, do not worry about the details. Identify the overall outline of the object and draw it lightly.
- For the next 5 minutes, compare the measurements of the object instead of drawing what you think it should look like. For example, compare the height of the object to its width, or the angle of one line to another.
- For the next 4 minutes, add the largest areas of shadow.
- Finally, spend the last 3 minutes evaluating your drawing and indicating where it may be wrong. This step is important because it will help you observe your subject instead of just drawing it.
It is easy to get into the habit of drawing symbols instead of the object you are observing. For example, you may draw an eye as an almond shape, a leaf as a pointed oval, or a cup as two straight lines with a half circle on top. This happens because it is faster to draw from memory than to observe your subject. To overcome this tendency, make sure to slow down and draw what you observe. If the edge of an object is slightly curved, draw a curved line. If one side of the object is darker than the other, make that side of your drawing darker.
Another common mistake is applying too much pressure to your pencil too quickly. Dark lines are more difficult to correct and can lead to you committing to a drawing before you have properly understood the object you are drawing. Make sure your initial lines are light enough that you can easily correct them.
If you find that you are having trouble during a drawing session, do not discard your work. Instead, pause for a moment and ask yourself where you went wrong. Perhaps the bottom of a mug you are drawing is too wide, or a shadow you drew is not properly connected to the object. Jot down a note in the margin of your paper if necessary: “Top ellipse too flat,” or “Handle too high,” or “Shadow too dark.” That note is actually the “result” of the exercise. While it is nice to have a completed drawing, being able to properly critique your own work is how you will improve your drawing ability over time.
You will also find that the results of your practice sessions are easier to evaluate if you had a specific goal in mind. It is easier to evaluate a dozen quick studies of a shape than it is to evaluate a single drawing that you have worked on for a long time and erased dozens of times. When evaluating your work, compare your results from one day to the next and look for one way in which you have improved. Perhaps your proportions are more accurate, or perhaps you did a better job of keeping the light side of an object light. Perhaps your lines do not wiggle as much as they used to.
If you are showing your work to others to get their feedback, you will find that you get more useful criticism if you ask a specific question about your work. Instead of asking if your work is any good, ask if an object appears solid, or if you properly indicated that an object was tilted at an angle. If you ask general questions, you will get general advice. If you ask specific questions, you will get specific advice that you can use to improve your work during your next practice session.
Regular practice is more effective than occasional practice. Try to practice a little bit every day, and divide your time among shape, value, and proportion. Avoid drawing spectacular subjects, and avoid setting spectacular goals for yourself. One day you might practice contour drawings of things you find in your kitchen. Another day you might practice indicating shadow with three or fewer values. Yet another day you might practice measuring the basic shape of an object before drawing any details. Your daily practice may not seem glamorous, but is the means by which you will develop the skills you need to create glamorous drawings. With regular practice, you will eventually begin to see more than the outline of an object. You will begin to see its tilt and weight and the softness of its edges. You will begin to see the underlying structure of the object. At that point, drawing will not seem like guessing anymore. It will seem like observing.