A bicycle wheel from face-on to edge-on1 page. Five ellipses in a row, each narrower. Note how the spokes bunch toward the sides.
A bottle upright, tilted and lying down1 page. Mark the centre line first each time. Note what the ellipse at the neck does.
A door from shut to wide open in five steps1 page. The hinge edge never moves. Note how fast the far edge shrinks as the door swings.
A folding umbrella shut, half open and open1 page. Three stages down the page. Note where the ribs meet the cloth in each.
A key near, at arm's length and across the room1 page. Draw it at the size it appears each time. Note which details are gone by the third.
A shoebox with its lid on, off and leaning1 page. Same box, same spot. Move only the lid and note which edges you can no longer see.
A toy truck seen from six directions2 pages. Front, back, both sides, top and underneath. Note which view tells you the least.
One book closed, open flat and standing open1 page. Three drawings in a row. Note which edges stay parallel and which start to fan.
One chair from the front, the side and above1 page. Three drawings on one ground line. Note which legs hide which in each view.
One hat on a table, on a hook and in a hand1 page. The hat changes shape with what holds it. Note the one edge that stays the same.
One mug drawn from six angles1 page. Turn the handle a little each time. Note beside each where the handle meets the rim.
One shoe turned through a full circle2 pages. Eight views in a ring, like a clock face. Note the view where the shape is hardest to read.
One spoon seen from five heights1 page. Raise your eye level a step each time. Note when the bowl turns from an oval into a line.
One teapot drawn at four sizes1 page. From thumb size to the height of the page. Note what you had to leave out of the smallest.
Scissors open, half open and shut1 page. Keep the pivot in the same spot in all three. Note how the gap between the blades changes.
Light 15
A ball lit by a flashlight held close, then far1 page. Two drawings. Note how the edge of the shadow goes from sharp to soft.
A ceiling corner at noon and again at dusk1 page. Three tones for three planes, twice. Note which plane changed the most.
A fence post's shadow at three times of day1 page. Same post, same view. Note the hour and measure each shadow in post-lengths.
A glass of water on a sunny sill1 page. Draw the bright patch it throws as carefully as the glass itself. Note the patch's shape.
A lit room seen through a doorway from a dark hall1 page. Keep the hall one flat dark. Note what shape the light makes on the floor.
A row of bottles with the light behind them1 page. Draw them as dark shapes with bright rims. Note where the light leaks through.
A scarf dropped on the floor, lit from two sides in turn1 page. Two drawings. Map the darkest folds first. Note which folds vanish when the lamp moves.
A sheet of paper folded into a zigzag1 page. Shade each face as one flat tone. Note the order from lightest to darkest along the folds.
A stack of white plates under one lamp1 page. Draw only the shadows, with no outline. Note where one plate's edge disappears into the next.
How far a lamp's light reaches across a table1 page. Set three small things at different distances and draw all three. Note which loses its shadow.
One egg with the lamp moved to four places1 page. Left, right, above, behind. Note where the darkest part of the shadow sits each time.
One paper bag standing, slumped and squashed1 page. Three drawings under one lamp. Squint and map three tones. Note which state needs the most dark.
One pear by lamplight and by daylight2 pages. Same pear, same spot, two kinds of light. Note which gives the harder shadow.
The same window at three hours of the day1 page. Morning, noon and dusk in three boxes. Note which wall the light lands on.
Three stacked boxes lit from the front, then from behind1 page. Two drawings side by side. Note which faces turn darkest once the light moves behind.
Surfaces 15
A brick, a pebble and a sponge side by side1 page. Same lamp, same pencil. Note what kind of mark each surface asked for.
A drinking glass empty, half full and full1 page. Three in a row. Note how the far rim bends where it passes behind the water.
A feather whole, then one strip of it enlarged1 page. Small drawing at the top, a magnified strip below. Note which edge is neat and which is loose.
A glass marble beside a rubber ball1 page. Two circles of one size. Note where each keeps its highlight and what the marble shows inside.
A knitted sleeve, close up1 page. Draw one stitch large, then a row, then a patch. Note where the pattern repeats.
A metal spoon, front and back1 page. Draw what each side reflects. Note which side turns the room upside down.
A puddle still, then stirred1 page. Still on the left, disturbed on the right. Note what happens to the edges of the reflection.
A shiny kettle beside a clay flowerpot1 page. The same light on both. Note how sharp the reflections are on one and how soft on the other.
A soap bubble, a balloon and a balled-up sock1 page. Three round things. Note which shows the room, which a single glint and which nothing.
A wooden tabletop: grain, knot and edge1 page. Three close-ups. Note how the grain lines bend around the knot.
An orange: peel, pith and segment1 page. Three textures from one fruit in three boxes. Note which needs dots, which lines, which tone.
Bark from three different trees1 page. Three squares drawn close up. Note whether the cracks run up, across or in plates.
Crumpled foil next to smooth foil1 page. Two patches. Note how the highlights break into small hard shapes on the crumpled one.
Fur in three lengths: short, shaggy and fluffy1 page. Three patches the size of a matchbox. Note how long each stroke is and where strokes overlap.
One paving stone dry, then wet1 page. The same square of ground before and after water. Note what darkens and what shines.
Nature 15
A fern frond: whole, one leaflet, one tip1 page. Three scales down the page. Note how the small part repeats the shape of the whole.
A pine cone from the side, the tip and the base1 page. Three views. Note how the scales spiral and count the rows you can see.
An onion sliced at three heights1 page. Three slices drawn as rings. Note how the rings change from the top to the middle.
Five pebbles sorted from light to dark1 page. Draw them in a row at true size. Note which looked darker until it sat beside the others.
Grasses from one patch of ground1 page. Pick five kinds and draw the seed heads at double size. Note how each one branches.
Leaves of one tree, largest to smallest1 page. Lay five in a row and draw them at true size. Note what changes besides the size.
One bird at the feeder in ten quick poses1 page. Ten small drawings of a few lines each. Note the pose it returns to most.
One branch drawn once a week for a month2 pages. Four drawings from the same spot. Note the date and the first thing that changed.
One cloud drawn four times as it drifts1 page. Four boxes, the same cloud. Note which edge changed first.
One flower from the front, the side and behind1 page. Three views of the same bloom. Note how the petals join the stem at the back.
One weed followed from bud to seed1 page. Three or four drawings of the same plant on different days. Note what the stalk does.
The same tree from near and from far1 page. One drawing at leaf level, one of the whole shape. Note which shows the tree's character.
Seed pods shut, then split open1 page. Draw each pod closed with its open half beside it. Note how the seeds are packed.
Shells from one handful, each drawn twice1 page. Draw each from the side and from the opening. Note which way the spiral turns.
Three kinds of tree as outlines only1 page. Stand well back and draw each whole outline, no leaves. Note which is widest at the top.
How it works
Sketchbook study ideas that fill a page with one subject drawn several times. Each names the single thing to change between drawings, such as the angle or the lamp, and what to write beside them.
Read the full guide
How a study page works
Draw the subject, change one thing, draw it again. One spoon seen from five heights changes only your eye level. One egg with the lamp moved to four places changes only the light. The note beside each drawing is half the study, so leave room for it.
Art study prompts by what you want to learn
Pick One object turned for form, Light for shadows, Surfaces for mark-making and Nature for looking closely. Fur in three lengths asks for three kinds of stroke. A fern frond drawn whole, then one leaflet, then one tip, shows a shape repeating at three sizes.
Keep everything else the same: same pencil, same seat, same size. Then the change you made is the only thing to see.
Write the note straight away. By tomorrow you will not remember which shadow was sharper.
Questions and answers
What is a study in a sketchbook?
A page of repeated looking at one subject. You draw it several times and change one thing each time, such as the angle, the light or the distance, then note what happened.
Do studies have to be finished drawings?
No. Small and quick is fine. One bird at the feeder in ten quick poses takes a few lines each. The page is for finding out, so a wrong drawing with a good note still counts.
Where are faces, figures and hands?
Hands have their own list, hand study drawing prompts. Faces and figures are left out so this page can stay with objects, light, surfaces and nature.
How is this different from warm-up exercises?
Drawing warm-up exercises are short drills for line, form and value. A study page is slower: one real subject, looked at again and again.