Do this everyday in 2026 to improve your drawing skills

Improving Your Drawings: A Three-Step Exercise

Introduction to the Exercise

• The speaker expresses a recent obsession with improving their drawing skills and acknowledges feeling stuck, a sentiment that may resonate with others.

• Kab introduces himself as a professional illustrator with 15 years of experience and presents a three-page practice method aimed at enhancing drawing skills and developing personal style.

Step 1: Understanding Volume

• The exercise begins by emphasizing the importance of accepting mistakes while using a ball pen for sketches, promoting a mindset of learning through failure.

• Participants are advised to choose simple objects (not faces or human bodies) for this exercise, focusing on breaking down these objects into basic volumes like spheres, cones, and cubes.

• The first page's goal is to analyze the chosen object in terms of its 3D shapes and how they interact; understanding volume is crucial for avoiding flat drawings.

• If struggling to find an object, participants can look for items made from simple shapes; cross contours can be added to enhance the perception of volume.

• Kab reassures viewers that initial sketches will not be perfect; warming up is essential, akin to preparing for a run rather than completing it all at once.

Step 2: Exploring Shape Design

• After mastering volumes, the next step focuses on making drawings more interesting by shifting from accuracy to shape design—an area where many artists struggle.

• Kab reflects on his own fears regarding shape design, noting that accurate representations can still lack visual interest if not thoughtfully composed.

• Shape design involves considering how shapes exist on the page rather than just in space; it's about creating engaging relationships between different shapes within artwork.

• This part encourages detaching from strict accuracy and experimenting with how angular parts contrast with one another in compositions.

• Good art relies on interesting arrangements of shapes; even abstract works challenge traditional composition principles by redefining shape interactions.

Conclusion

The three-step exercise aims to help artists break free from stagnation by focusing first on understanding volume before transitioning into creative shape design. By embracing mistakes and exploring both dimensions and compositions, artists can develop their unique styles while enhancing their overall drawing skills.

Exploring Shapes and Styles in Art

Understanding Object Silhouettes

• The discussion begins with the idea of overlapping shapes and how drawing the silhouette of an object can lead to interesting artistic explorations.

• Emphasis is placed on exploring not just the object itself but also the negative space around it, which is crucial for shape design.

Applying Knowledge to Art

• The speaker encourages artists to apply their understanding of volume and shape by drawing from imagination rather than direct reference, marking a significant step in personal artistic development.

• Artists are reassured that focusing on volume and shape will enhance their drawings, regardless of accuracy; enjoyment in the process is highlighted as essential.

Experimentation and Style Development

• Artists are encouraged to experiment with proportions and angles, filling pages with doodles while varying line weights for creative expression.

• After experimenting, comparing new drawings with previous ones helps identify changes made during the creative process, leading to personal style discovery.

Self-Critique for Improvement

• Acknowledging both liked and disliked aspects of one's art is vital; artists should document these observations to focus on areas needing improvement.

• The importance of identifying specific issues such as proportion or perspective is emphasized as a way to guide future practice sessions.

Bridging Gaps in Knowledge

• The speaker notes that gaps in knowledge hinder artistic improvement; thus, studying specific areas where one feels lacking is necessary for growth.

• Viewers are invited to subscribe for further insights into analyzing drawings critically and addressing common artistic challenges through additional resources provided.