Why You Should Build A Daily Sketching Habit

Created by Pierre Kleinhouse -

Sketching habit is good for those who want to learn arts, whether they’re creating artwork at the beginning or they’re experts in making several sketches. Having a sketchbook is highly crucial to their development as artists. It might be easy to say that they don’t have adequate time daily for maintaining the habit. Even worse, they might say that they don’t know how to start or what to sketch. 

The importance of sketching habit is as good as having a daily practice, by having a sketchbook. This thing will assist anyone to deliver lots of ideas for their current upcoming projects. 

Improving Sketching Habit

Most of the time, experienced artists provide their sketching about any object, a person, or any creature. They don’t even know what to draw either. They just look at some movies or sit in a park to find any character that they might be sketching first in their sketchbooks. They will develop those sketches after they find ideas. Believe it or not, experts don’t make such a habit within months. They do it for years. The sketching habit should be a daily routine for years. They finally learn how they can criticize their own sketches by focusing on some areas that they find hard to improve fast. 

For beginners, they should learn to improve their sketching habits daily before finding their mistakes. If they are already worried about the mistakes, then they won’t start. They need to start with a daily routine of sketching habits. Setting themselves up with a daily schedule is not enough. They need to make a series of repetitions. But, it is even more important to apply the right mindset. 

Created by Shallu Narula

What is the right mindset? It is a mindset that forces anyone to put this habit as a daily routine or an obligation. This step takes months before they finally consistently apply this habit. But, this mindset will help them in making drawing much easier with a more relaxed mind.

How to Start

1. Get The Sketchbook Ready

This is the most important tool for everyone, even for experts. They can create lots of experiments on new objects, along with new methods. They can even develop their basics of sketching further. Some artists with years of experience even try to capture moving objects from various scenes. A sketchbook is perfect for any sketch that an artist can apply about things around them.

Most experienced artists keep a sketchbook and open it daily. They apply a sketching habit relentlessly. Sketching becomes their daily routine. It is true that most beginners love to buy very fancy sketchbooks. The result is that they don’t want to put any sketch within. This is why it is much better to buy a sketchbook with an average design. They can be spiral-bound sketchbooks or any stitch-bound ones. Place the sketchbook in a place where it is easy to find, in a comfortable room with a good place to sit and draw. 

Created by Sinevir

2. Set The Time 

A sketching habit should be a daily routine. Yet, beginners might find this difficult. Then, they can just start by spending twice or three times a week. Missing a day or two might be acceptable. But, the determination to do it every single day should be strong. A beginner requires to be very intentional about making a schedule, at least half an hour for drawing daily. For experts, five to ten minutes is the right time for scribbling any object to their sketchbooks.

Setting aside daily for this habit should be done persistently. Drawing a sketch might require 30 minutes for beginners who have been consistent for a month or two. But, some artists might need at least two hours. Don’t be downhearted if it takes too long. The key is to maintain the daily habit by reducing the time gradually. The point is the ability to avoid the tendency to stop drawing daily.

Well, of course, some people might come across unexpected moments. They might be absent in sketching for days. But, it doesn’t mean that they can just stop for good. It might be hard to start. But, starting slowly is still good to keep the habit becomes a daily routine again. If possible, they can find extra time for the whole week or for making up all of those lost drawing hours.

The aim of working with an unbending schedule is the best way to keep anyone honest. Routine things can be boring. But, a daily sketching habit should be the main thing to do for any artist. Placing a schedule board is very necessary. Or just use a calendar to mark your daily sketching habit. Circling the date in the calendar after sketching is good. This idea is the best way to remind anyone to maintain the habit daily.

After it is possible to remember daily sketching, then it is no less important to apply a schedule. For those who don’t want to maintain their title as ‘beginners,’ then they need to apply a certain schedule. It is true that drawing at any time is fine. This is particularly for those who find ideas out of the blue. But, scheduling makes things easier for drawing daily. The schedule reminds everyone that one has to do it. It will improve a sketching habit in a better way.

Created by Jean Piero Montilla

3. Making Specific Subject 

For beginners, they can start with several subjects that they like. This is to ensure that they can start very well. A sketching habit is easy to develop when a person likes certain subjects. Then, he can make a lot of improvement with a daily sketching routine.

At first, prepare the sketchbook for sketching out lots of ideas that come across the mind. It can be the thing that they see or imagine. Drawing favorite objects can be much easier than drawing others that seem difficult to start. 

Use each page of the sketchbook wisely. One object for one full page is good. But, it is not an obligation. For beginners, they can divide one big page into various sections, or they might prefer to use smaller sketchbooks for drawing an object with a big size. 

A portable sketchbook is highly recommended for users to bring it anywhere, wherever they like to draw comfortably. A big sketchbook is good whenever it is placed at home. Beginners might want to try a small one, with at least 3.5x5.5 inches. Pay attention to the page numbers and thickness to avoid hassles. Have another bigger one with at least 9 x12 inches to be placed at home. 

They can start small with lighter pencils. Graphite pencils are recommended. This is because they should begin with sketching that doesn’t require complicated details—common shapes from common objects like a table, a book, and so forth. Once beginners are successfully sketching the basic shape, then they can build details up.

Sketching one object until the finishing touch is good. But, most beginners feel like they don’t have ideas to finish their sketches. It is not a big deal to start a sketching habit. But, daily sketching on a sketchbook can be a medium where your ideas turn into reality. Starting is much more important than the finishing process. Of course, starting well with a good finishing is much better.

Created by bulutxin

4. Learn from Mistakes 

Even professionals made mistakes during the sketching process. But, beginners make mistakes in using ‘the chance.’ They spend time sketching things whenever they have time. Even if they do it every day, they only use any time to start. Most of them don’t even start on the first day, and they forget sketching on the next days until they really forget their first aim. 

Those who have started well for two weeks should maintain good habits. It is more challenging to maintain the sketching habit instead of starting it. This is particularly when they don’t finish all objects completely. A habit of sketching will become a daily routine whenever users consistently do it.  

Created by Jens Claessens

Best Sources of Sketching for Beginners

Of course, beginners should start with easy objects. A face is an easy object, as long as it doesn’t have too much detail. At least, they can create a face with two eyes, one mouth, and one nose, with two ears. They might not be able to add details that might be necessary to enhance a real look. 

But, they might be bored in sketching a face on a daily basis. They should try other objects such as: 

1. Book

Whether the book is open or close, it is a good thing to start. It is better to draw a book from the left side whenever beginners have already mastered the right way to draw the book from the front side. Or, beginners might want to draw a pile of books in a drawer. 

Created by slc.scribbles

2. Eggs or Fruits

Eggs have similar shapes. But, it doesn’t mean that drawing a basket of eggs is easy. However, it is always recommended to try sketching eggs in a basket by adding details, shading, and also other interesting parts that make the sketching look excellent. If drawing a basket of eggs is easy to master, then enhance a sketching habit for fruits with various sources. Fruits have different shapes, along with elaborate details. Choose some fruits which can be very challenging to sketch, like strawberries, kiwis, and others that have some complicated details on the surface. The more colors that they try to draw, the faster they can increase their sketching habit.

Created by kisstothka

3. Toys 

Toys are always adorable to see, particularly when they are still on the racks of any store. It is challenging to draw toys of various sizes, shapes, and colors. Toys are the only subject that has lots of colors. This is a very challenging object for everyone, either beginners or experts. If it is possible, sketching several kinds of toys on their supermarket racks is totally fun. 

Created by Pako

4. Laundry Fabrics 

Of course, choose the unfolded fabrics. They are such a mess for some people. But, they become the most interesting thing to draw for beginners, who want to enhance their ability in adding details and drawing some curves and elaborate drawing styles. 

Created by fridaartistry

5. Another Side Of The Hand 

Let’s try drawing one of the hands. It is nice to draw a left hand for those who are drawing with the right hand. It applies the other way around. This object has details, particularly when the hand has some rings on the fingers and bracelets. 

Created by Andy Edwards

6. Drawing Tools 

Drawing tools for drawing is cool. The details of the brush are very elaborate. Drawing from several angles will be very demanding. 

Created by Sun Sun Wong/a>

7. People on Public Areas 

Isn’t it fun to draw the activities of people in public areas? They can be at a park, beach, mall, restaurant and many other places. Anyone can just sit nicely to watch what people do. They can be laughing, holding hands with their partners, drinking, eating, laying down on a beach, sitting nicely on lounge chairs, and many more. There are endless ideas to start a sketching habit with demanding objects.

Created by ann sho

Imagination Rules 

Rare beginners try to build a sketching habit from their imagination. The fact is that they can increase their creativity faster through their imagination. Practicing from a subject that doesn’t exist in a real-life is the best thing to do daily. The more frequently a person draws a real object, the better ability for him to draw things on his imagination. 

Still, the most recommended method to get a better sketching habit from the imagination is by making observations several times. By doing so, anyone can learn about transforming what one’s sees into a masterpiece. Sketching things from the imagination will allow anyone to lean on the observational practice.

What are those ideas of sketching from the imagination? First, let’s imagine a unique shape. It can be a cube, an ice cream cone, a diamond ring. Those objects seem familiar though rare people want to have a desire to make those objects for their sketches. They might think that sketching a face is the right way to start. But, they can make sure that they can challenge themselves with more complicated objects. 

Created by Marius Kindler

Then, they can try to sketch a waterfall. Some people don’t see waterfalls themselves. This is why imagining waterfalls, along with the details of the splashing water, can enhance the ability to add details of objects. The best details to add are the rocks around the waterfall. Rocks around the river have various shapes and curves. It is even more fascinating to add some trees and interesting backgrounds like the blue sky, flying birds, and many more.

The last interesting imagination object for daily sketching is one’s own face. Imagine how fun it is to draw one’s own face, particularly in certain expressions like laughing or cringing. This is the most challenging object which can be beyond anyone’s imagination.

Created by Marius Kindler

Summary 

All in all, there are three important things that everyone, either beginners or professionals, should conduct. Sketching habits cannot show up within one night. It is also hard to build it within a month. It can take a lifetime. 

The first is a commitment. Without a commitment, it will be hard to start a sketching habit. The comprehension that they can establish the habit will give them good benefits instead of merely feeling satisfied with the final result. The drawing habit is important, even if it takes less than an hour daily. They can enjoy the results of improving their sketching skill. The fact is that sketching is fun. Yet, a serious effort may take time. And this is a hard thing to accomplish.

Anyway, a commitment to doing things shouldn’t be based on fun. Most people stop their sketching habit because they don’t find it fun. The fact is that the more challenging the sketching steps, the more achievement they will get in finishing the object. Don’t give up on this because people can easily give up whenever they make simple mistakes that millions of people do similarly. The key is to have a strong commitment to reaching advantages whenever they manage to accomplish drawing. 

Created by Marius Kindler

The next thing to consider is giving a reward. There is nothing wrong with earning a reward after finishing a project. But, make sure that the reward is worth the effort. It means the reward should be given after finishing a series of targets that is hard to accomplish. For example, a person might want to reward herself with a series of body treatments after finishing daily sketching for a whole month. She can give herself better rewards whenever she can draw objects with good finishing. 

So, let’s have fun sketching with as many objects as possible. Without practice, it will be harder to increase the flawlessness in creating objects in a sketch.