Five Drawing Exercises To Improve Accuracy And Skills

Explore flexible drawing materials, from cheap student paper and graphite pencils to markers and watercolor, and learn to adapt any medium—even digital—for practice.

Practice blind contour drawing by tracing the outer edge of objects without looking at the page, using vertical, horizontal, and clock cues to train eye-hand accuracy.

Practice two-minute blind contour drawings across six images, focusing on one subject per image, applying tips from the previous lesson, with a 10-second warning to finish before the next image.

Follow along as the instructor demonstrates blind contour drawings using the coffee cup and the same images, sharing ideas from prior videos and guiding you to improve accuracy and skills.

Develop decisive line work in semi-blind contour drawing by using the clock technique to guide angles, vertical and horizontal cues, and single continuous lines, with tweaks to avoid sketchy results.

Practice semi-blind contour drawing with two-minute sketches, focusing on the same six images to compare with the first practice, guided by a countdown and a demo.

Engage in Robert's semi-blind contour assignment, using the same drawings and images, then compare to blind contours to evaluate similarities, differences, and edge sensitivity.

Explore negative space drawing by identifying edges and the space around objects, from a coffee cup to a figure, and use tone and edges to reveal silhouettes.

Explore negative space in quick two-minute sketches by comparing lines to frame edges, focusing on the space outside the subject to improve accuracy and seeing your subjects more clearly.

Complete six two-minute drawings focused on negative space between one or more objects, select an area, apply tips from previous lessons, and note the 10-second transition to the next image.

Explore negative space drawing with brush and burnt umber ink, analyzing how the spaces between objects connect edges and curves to improve drawing accuracy and sensitivity.

Flip your photo reference upside down to force a new perspective, practice semi-blind contour and negative space, and focus on shapes and angles to improve accuracy and drawing skills.

Join a six-image series of two-minute upside-down drawings that focus on a single object, with a 10-second warning to wrap up before the next prompt.

Practice upside-down drawing to enhance accuracy by focusing on contours, edges, and negative space, using the clock method and abstract shape comparisons to improve value and line quality.

Practice drawing with your opposite hand using watercolor to sharpen control, explore angles, right angles, and clock-face references, while diversifying subjects from still life to landscapes.

Improve accuracy and skills by completing six two-minute drawing exercises focusing on one object using your opposite hand, with end alerts and a forthcoming left-hand example.

Practice the opposite hand by drawing with the left hand to heighten sensitivity to horizontal and vertical relationships, negative space, and edge quality, while sharpening form on a flat surface.

Learn to draw with straight lines by interpreting curves through sequences, guided by the photograph’s edges, and explore a dynamic, angular look on curved-edge subjects.

Engage in a straight line assignment reel of six two-minute images, focusing on one object per frame and applying straight line techniques to improve accuracy and skills.

Robert's straight line assignment uses graphite to study a familiar subject with straight and curved lines, emphasizing edges, vertical and horizontal negative space, and the clock method.

Conclude by choosing two or three exercises to continue for several weeks, repeat them to improve accuracy and skills, and practice seeing abstractly through shapes and design rather than copying.