87 drills

Drawing Warm Ups

One timed drill at a time, with what to do and what it practises.

Drawing Warm Ups

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Pressure ramp from faint to black2 min. Pull long strokes that start as a whisper and end at full dark. Trains pressure control in one motion.

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All 87 drills

Warm-up 14

Box of parallel lines, no ruler 2 min. Fill a box with evenly spaced strokes and never go over one twice. Trains spacing and a steady pull.
Fast squiggle, slow retrace 2 min. Throw down a quick squiggle, then trace over it as slowly and exactly as you can. Trains accuracy on curves.
Ghosted lines between two dots 2 min. Plot two dots, hover the stroke three times, then commit in one pass. Trains a confident line from the shoulder.
Linked loops across the page 1 min. Keep the pencil moving in joined loops, large then small. Wakes up the wrist and the elbow.
Other-hand scribble box 1 min. Fill a box with loops using the hand you do not draw with. Takes the pressure off before the real drills.
Plate-sized circles from the shoulder 1 min. Lock the wrist and swing big circles on a full sheet, five laps each. Loosens the whole arm.
Pressure ramp from faint to black 2 min. Pull long strokes that start as a whisper and end at full dark. Trains pressure control in one motion.

Show all 87 drills (80 more)

Warm-up, continued

Row of circles between two rails 2 min. Rule two lines and fit circles that touch both rails and each other. Trains round shapes at a set size.
Spiral in, spiral out 1 min. Wind a spiral inward with even gaps, then unwind a second one. Trains control of a slowly tightening curve.
Star of lines through one point 2 min. Draw a line at every angle through one dot without turning the paper. Shows which directions you avoid.
Tapered strokes that flick to nothing 2 min. Land, pull and lift so every line ends in a point. The same stroke draws hair, grass and fur later.
Twenty dots joined with straight strokes 2 min. Scatter twenty dots, then join any two with a single stroke each time. Trains aim at every angle.
Wavy line shadowed ten times 2 min. Draw one wave, then repeat it beside itself with an even gap. Trains judging distance along a curve.
Zigzag that changes tempo 1 min. Run a zigzag across the page, tight and fast, then wide and slow. Trains rhythm and crisp direction changes.

Line 14

Concentric circles, five deep 3 min. Start with the outer circle and nest four more with even gaps. Trains a steady curve at shrinking sizes.
Copy an angle by eye 3 min. Draw a random angle, copy it beside itself, then check with tracing paper. Trains reading tilt.
Dashed line that stays on course 2 min. Draw a page-wide line in dashes, lifting between each. Trains restarting a stroke on the same path.
Five texture swatches with one pen 5 min. Bark, fur, brick, water and gravel, each in a small square. Good pen sketch practice with no subject needed.
Freehand squares and equal triangles 3 min. Draw them by eye, then check sides with a ruler. Trains judging equal lengths and right angles.
Halves, thirds and fifths by eye 3 min. Mark the divisions on a freehand line, then measure. Trains the proportion sense every drawing leans on.
Hatching swatches in four directions 3 min. Fill four squares with even strokes: upright, level and both diagonals. Find your weak direction.
Mirror a wiggly half across a centre line 4 min. Draw half a vase shape on one side of an upright line and mirror it on the other. Trains symmetry.
One ruled line, eight freehand on top 3 min. Rule a line, then retrace it freehand eight times. Where the bundle frays is where your aim drifts.
One smooth curve through three dots 3 min. Plot three dots and pass a single curve through all of them. Trains planning a curve before you draw it.
Ribbon that keeps its width 3 min. Draw a long S, then a second line that stays the same distance away all along. Trains parallel curves.
Same leaf outline at three line speeds 3 min. Draw one leaf slowly, briskly and as fast as you can. Compare which speed gives the cleanest edge.
Straight lines in three lengths 3 min. Ten short, ten hand-width, ten page-width, each in one stroke. Long lines need the shoulder, not the fingers.
Ten pebbles with heavy undersides 3 min. Outline ten pebbles, then thicken only the lower edges. Trains line weight as a stand-in for shadow and mass.

Form 16

Bean shapes with wraparound rings 3 min. Draw soft bean forms and wrap rings round them that show which way each end faces.
Cylinder pointing straight at you 3 min. A pencil or torch aimed at your eye: a wide near ellipse and hardly any side. Trains foreshortening.
Cylinders built on a tilted axis 4 min. Draw the axis first, set an ellipse square across each end, then join the sides. Trains ellipse angle.
Desk objects reduced to basic solids 5 min. Turn five things on your desk into boxes, cylinders and balls. A mug is a cylinder with a C stuck on the side.
Ellipses that touch all four sides of a box 3 min. Draw a skewed four-sided plane and fit one ellipse that touches each side once. Trains circles in perspective.
Four basic solids from imagination 4 min. A cube, a cone, a cylinder and a sphere sitting on one table. Most subjects are built from these four.
One box turned in four steps 5 min. Draw the same box rotated a little each time, like frames of a spin. Trains imagining a form from new sides.
One-point street of boxes 5 min. Set a horizon and one vanishing point, then draw boxes above, on and below eye level.
Ribbon twisting in space 4 min. Draw an S line, copy it lower down, join the ends and shade the undersides. Trains overlap and turning planes.
Sphere wrapped in cross-contour lines 3 min. Turn a circle into a ball with curved lines like latitude and longitude. Trains thinking round the form.
Stack of books above and below eye level 5 min. Draw three stacked books twice: once looking down on them, once looking up. Trains eye level.
Ten boxes, no two facing the same way 5 min. Draw each box freehand and let its far edges close in slightly. Trains turning a form in space.
Trail of overlapping balls, near to far 3 min. Shrink each ball and tuck it behind the last. Trains depth from overlap and size alone.
Tube that bends round a corner 4 min. Draw a curved centre line, string ellipses along it at changing angles, then join them.
Two-point crate from one upright edge 5 min. Two vanishing points on the horizon, the nearest corner first, every side edge aimed at a point.
Wedge cut out of a box 4 min. Draw a box, then remove a slice and show the new inner faces. Trains subtracting from a form.

Value 14

Cast shadow of a mug at three lamp heights 6 min. Move the lamp and draw only the shadow each time. A lower lamp throws a longer shadow.
Cross-hatching ladder, one layer to four 4 min. Add a new direction of hatching to each box. Trains building darks in layers instead of pressing harder.
Crumpled paper in flat patches 10 min. Crumple a sheet, light it from one side and draw each facet as one flat value. No outlines.
Cube with three planes in three values 4 min. Top, lit side, shaded side. Keep each plane flat and let the value change only at the edges.
Eraser drawing on a grey patch 6 min. Cover a box in mid-grey graphite, lift the lights with an eraser, add the darks. Trains working from the middle.
Five-step value scale in pencil 4 min. Rule five boxes. Leave the first as bare paper, make the last your darkest dark, and step evenly between.
Five-value sphere under one lamp 8 min. Highlight, light, mid-tone, shadow, cast shadow. Keep a paler rim in the shadow where the table bounces light.
Hatched value scale by spacing alone 4 min. Make five values with one pen by changing only the gap between lines. Closer lines read darker.
Match five greys from a photo 5 min. Pick five spots in a black and white photo and shade a swatch to match each. Hold them side by side to check.
Smooth gradient bar with no bands 4 min. Shade a long bar from dark to paper without a visible step. Trains a gradual change of pressure.
Stippled gradient strip 5 min. Dots only: pack them tight at one end and thin them out toward the other. Denser dots read darker.
Three-value thumbnail of the room 5 min. A matchbox-sized sketch in white, grey and black only. Trains grouping values before detail.
Two-value study of a lit object 5 min. Squint, call every area light or dark, and fill the darks flat. Trains seeing the shadow as one shape.
White egg on white paper 8 min. Everything is pale, so the differences are small. Trains finding values inside the lights.

Observation 15

Blind contour of your own hand 3 min. Eyes on the hand, never the paper, pencil never lifts. The drawing looks odd; the slow looking is the point.
Bunch of keys at life size 6 min. Small, flat and full of exact gaps. Errors in proportion show at once, so measuring gets honest.
Carry every angle of a box to paper 4 min. Hold the pencil along each edge, keep the tilt, lower it to the page. Trains angles you assume you know.
Corner of the ceiling: three lines that meet 3 min. Copy the three angles exactly as you see them. None of them will be the right angle you expect.
Envelope of straight lines round a shoe 3 min. Enclose the shoe in five or six straight strokes before any detail. Trains big shape first.
Gaps between houseplant leaves 5 min. Draw the spaces between the leaves, not the leaves themselves. Forces you to see shapes instead of names.
Negative shapes round open scissors 3 min. Two finger holes and the wedge between the blades: three shapes that pin the whole object down.
Negative space of a chair 5 min. Draw only the gaps between the legs, rungs and back. The chair appears without you drawing it.
Same mug from three eye levels 6 min. From above, level and below. Watch the ellipse of the rim open, flatten and disappear.
Sight-measure a bottle at arm's length 4 min. Lock your elbow and compare width to height along the pencil. Put the ratio on paper before any outline.
Slow contour of your hand with glances 5 min. Follow the edge with your eye and look down only to restart a line. Trains drawing what is there, not a symbol.
Ten gestures at thirty seconds each 5 min. People, pets or a paused video. One line for the action, then head, ribs and hips. Stop at the bell.
Upside-down copy of a line drawing 10 min. Turn a line drawing upside down and copy it edge by edge. Without a name for each part, you copy shapes.
Window of card, draw only what is inside 6 min. Cut a small rectangle in card, frame part of the room and draw it to the edges. Trains cropping and placement.
Your shoe in one continuous line 4 min. Look at both shoe and page, but never lift the pen. Trains commitment and crossing over forms.

Memory 14

Bicycle from memory, then from a photo 6 min. Draw it cold, then check the frame, chain and forks against a picture. A humbling test of what you really know.
Copy, hide, redraw 5 min. Copy a simple drawing, turn both face down and draw it a third time from memory. Compare all three.
Five animal silhouettes filled in black 5 min. No reference. Trains recalling the outline that makes a thing readable at a glance.
Five-second glance, then draw 2 min. Glance at an object, cover it and draw the big shape only. Trains grabbing the whole before the parts.
Hand pose you held a moment ago 4 min. Hold a pose for thirty seconds, study it, relax the hand and draw the pose. Check by making it again.
Hidden half of a symmetrical object 4 min. Cover half of a vase or a lamp and draw the missing half from what the visible side tells you.
Look for a minute, draw for two 3 min. Study an object for sixty seconds, turn away and draw it. Correct it afterwards in a second colour.
Remembered chair rebuilt from boxes 5 min. Pick a chair you know well and construct it from box forms. Memory gives the facts; construction makes it stand.
The side of the mug you cannot see 4 min. Draw an object on your desk from behind, then turn it round and compare. Trains rotating a form in your head.
This morning's breakfast table 5 min. Draw the plates, cup and cutlery where they sat. Trains recalling layout, not just objects.
Three things from today's walk 5 min. Draw three things you passed today, in the order you passed them. Builds the habit of looking on purpose.
Where was the shadow 4 min. Note a lit object's shadow direction and length, look away, draw both. Trains remembering light, not just shape.
Yesterday's subject in ten lines 3 min. Redraw whatever you drew last session using ten strokes at most. Shows what you actually learned from it.
Your front door without looking 4 min. Draw it from memory, then go and check the handle side, panels and letterbox. Trains noticing.

How this list was compiled: Original list of drills written for Draw This Next, September 2026. Each line opens with our own suggested time for one round. Technique terms follow their Wikipedia articles, checked 2026-09-19: blind contour drawing (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_contour_drawing), contour drawing (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contour_drawing), gesture drawing (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gesture_drawing), hatching and cross-hatching (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatching), stippling (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stippling), negative space (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_space), foreshortening (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspective_(graphical)) and shading (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shading). Licence: own work

How it works

These drawing warm ups are 87 drills for a blank sheet, from ghosted lines between two dots to a five-value sphere under one lamp. Each drill says what to do, what it practises and roughly how many minutes to give it. Pick Warm-up, Line, Form, Value, Observation or Memory, press Pick another drill, then its timer, so the clock decides when you move on.

Read the full guide

Deal one drill, or build a short routine

The line under each drill's name gives a suggested time, the instructions and the skill it works. Press Pick another drill for another. Three drills from the Warm-up group come to about five minutes, a complete warm-up. Five from All make a fifteen-minute routine: draw until you have done a line, a form, a value and an observation drill. Seven make a week of daily sketching exercises.

Let the timer end the drill, not your mood

The timer over each drill takes its suggested length. The time at the start of each line is our suggestion for one round: warm-ups take a minute or two, the crumpled paper study takes ten. A warm-up will eat the whole session if you let it. At zero, stop mid-box and move on.

What the six groups practise

Warm-up drills have no subject: loops, spirals and ghosted lines, where you rehearse the stroke in the air before committing. Line covers aim, spacing and line weight. Form is boxes, cylinders and ellipses. Value runs from a five-step scale to an egg on white paper. Observation holds sight-measuring and the blind contour of your own hand, a drill Kimon Nicolaides set out in The Natural Way to Draw in 1941. Memory is look, hide, draw, check.

Draw page-wide lines from the shoulder and short ones from the wrist. If a long line wobbles, your fingers are doing a job meant for your arm.
Do the line drills in ink. Pen sketch practice leaves every miss on the page, and the misses are the feedback.
Date each page and keep it. The same ellipse drill a month apart tells you more than any single sheet can.
Pair a drill you enjoy with one you dodge. The star of lines through one point shows which directions you avoid.
Cheap printer paper is the right surface for art warm ups. Nobody ghosts a confident line on a sheet they are afraid to waste.

Questions and answers

How long should a drawing warm up take?

Five minutes is plenty before an ordinary session. The fourteen drawing warm up exercises under the Warm-up group take one or two minutes each, so three of them fill the time. If you only have twenty minutes to draw, do one: ghosted lines between two dots, then get on with the drawing you sat down for.

What does a fifteen-minute routine look like?

One warm-up for two minutes, one line or form drill for four or five, and one value or observation drill for the rest. For example: linked loops across the page, ellipses that touch all four sides of a box, then the five-value sphere. Keep the warm-up the same all week and change the middle drill every day.

Which drills suit a complete beginner?

Start with the box of parallel lines, the row of circles between two rails, the five-step value scale and the blind contour of your own hand. They are simple drawing exercises that need no subject and no perspective, and they work as beginner sketching exercises. Leave the two-point crate and the crumpled paper until boxes feel comfortable.

What are negative space drawing exercises?

Negative space is the empty area around and between the parts of a subject. In these drills you draw only the gaps: the shapes between a chair's legs and rungs, the spaces between a houseplant's leaves, the finger holes and the wedge of open scissors. A gap has no name, so you stop drawing your idea of a chair and copy the shapes that are there.

Are these warm-ups or drawing practice exercises?

Both. The Warm-up group is only for loosening up: use those as warm up exercises for drawing before a session. In the other five groups every drill has a job: the Line group holds the drawing exercises to improve aim and spacing. When you want a subject, the random things to draw generator deals one, and the 30 day drawing challenge generator plans a month of sketching practice.