4 strategies to make drawing a habit.
And a free download to boot~
Sketchifer
I could give you all the art knowledge in the world, but it wouldn’t matter if you don’t practice - a lot!
1. Don’t break the chain.
We are all completionists.
There’s something pleasing about a finished set, and something that makes us squirm when a piece is missing.
And yes, we can weaponize that for learning how to draw 😎
Use calendar days as the “set” to be completed, and mark an “x” for everyday you draw. At the end of the month, the visual feedback of a finished chain of x’s is highly incentivizing.
Download this free printable calendar, and hang it above your desk:
The single best way to improve, and be consistent in art is, “spaced repetition” - draw a little bit everyday.
Oh, and if you miss one day, that’s okay. Just try to never miss two days in a row 😉
2. Habit stack.
Group your drawing practice with something else you do reliably, everyday.
This gets you in the habit of flowing from one activity to another.
I drink coffee every morning. I know I will never miss that. So it makes sense to chain my drawing practice to that event.
Say I instead chained it to a time of day, perhaps 8am, the time I’ve usually finished consuming my coffee - well what happens if I sleep in that day? It’s now 8:15, I haven’t even made my coffee yet, I already feel like a failure, and I’m suddenly very demotivated, and more likely to skip practice that day.
By bundling my practice into another daily routine, I can stay up all night watching cartoons, wake up at noon, make coffee, and I’m already in the flow to practice my art!
3. Start small.
Don’t worry about putting in 6 hours of practice in a row at the beginning.
You wouldn’t expect to show up to the gym and day one be able to workout for 6 hours straight.
The good news is that showing up is the hardest part.
You might even set the goal to draw one single line everyday. With repetition, your stamina will build.
4. Decide.
Nobody ever became a great artist by not being sure whether they should do it or not.
If you’re not yet enrolled, take a class with us, and become a master artist.