Krystan-Grace Art's Favourite Sketch Exercises

We all get Art Block, one of my favourite ways to beat art block is by doing sketch exercises. A sketch exercise is making a piece of artwork that’s purpose is to challenge you and push your skills/style. I’ve listed a few of my favourite sketch exercises below for you to try out at home!

1 minute sketches. 

Find a reference photo and give yourself 1 minute to sketch it out. This really helps with loosening up, removing fear of failure (as the drawing isn’t meant to look good!) and helping you with your anatomy skills. My favourite website for references with a timer is http://reference.sketchdaily.net/ 

Non-dominant hand drawing

This is something I’ve been trying to do more and more. Simply do some sketches (whether they’re 1min or 10mins+) with your non-dominant hand. For me this is my left hand and I find this really helps with finding new styles

Closed eye sketches

This exercise can lead to some pretty funny drawings - but what’s better than having fun whilst drawing? I know I’ve made some absolutely awful drawings whilst doing this sketch exercise but I have also surprised myself with some pretty cool stuff I wouldn’t have made if my eyes had been open, too! 

Upside down sketches

If you’re learning the anatomy of faces then this sketch exercise is a great one! It’s also great if you know anatomy really well but want to break out of realistic anatomical drawings into something a bit more stylised. 

Double handed sketches

I always find this one fun as it takes a lot more concentration than you think it would! I tend to choose subjects like faces that can be split down the middle and draw half and half at the same time. For a bonus sketch exercise, try this but with two different coloured pencils, or even drawing two different things on the same page at the same time! 

Now you have some sketch exercises to try out, start your art day with one of these to get your creative juices flowing! Don’t be shy, remember to send me through your sketches and let me know if you liked doing these sketch exercises on my Instagram at @krystangraceart

Stay creative!

Krystan-Grace Art