The professional artists that you admire had the same goals you do today. In the beginning, they wanted to become professional artists too. Why they can do it, but some other artists change their target by choosing a different career, and some of them are struggling with their work, never achieving the goal they want to reach. So what makes professional artists apart from others? Do they have a mysterious power?

The secret to their strength is a repeating system called – “Habits”.

What are habits? 

Habits are a way of training your brain to behave automatically. Something that you do often and regularly, sometimes without knowing that you are doing it

“Habits matter because they help you become the person you want to be”.  – James Clear

One of the best and most effective things the right habits can do is help you become the person you want to be. Just think about it this way: You are what you do, and the more often you do something, the more important it is to who you truly are. You have a choice in every moment to become the artist you were meant to be.

Why Should sketching be a habit?

Drawing is a Skill, so you can learn how to draw even if you are not talented. Skills take time and persistent practice to develop. And clearly, if your desire is to draw well, then you need to create a drawing habit.

Making a commitment to drawing every day, for even just a few minutes, will lead to drastically substantial results. You may not see these improvements every day, but you will over time. Creating a drawing habit, and sticking with it, will improve your skills – it’s almost guaranteed.

Remember, drawing is not a “talent” that some are born with and others are not. It is a skill that anyone can learn and develop. However, when we start a new habit, there’s nothing automatic about it. We have to commit and force ourselves into the activity, doing it every day. Unfortunately, If you don’t make room for it in your week, you won’t make room for it in your life.

So, How to Form a Daily Sketching Habit? 

1. Set Up a Schedule and Make a Commitment

I know. You’re busy. Our time is important and you may tell yourself that you just do not have the time to start an important habit for your art career like sketching every day. Saying that you “don’t have the time” is really just an excuse. Waking up 30 minutes earlier, or skipping a few hours of Facebook or Tiktok is enough for this beneficial habit.

To get into a habit seriously, you must set up a fixed schedule to sketch every single day, not just sketch whenever you have free time.

This might be 10, 30 minutes, or even for just a few minutes every day, you will see results in your skill. Since the more often you draw, the more easily it becomes a habit, then you should consider drawing more than once a day.

I found it easier to group my morning routine with my sketching habit. You can commit time to sketch at the start or the end of the day and you might consider combining your new habit with your old ones.

If you drop a day because you can’t make the time for some reason. In that case, make sure that you add the extra time for sketching the next day. Working on a rigid schedule would help you to be honest about your work.

2. Find Your Tools and Bring Them with You

Nobody said sketching needs to be done with a standard pencil on a huge, blank paper. Nowadays, there are many choices of tools that artists can choose to do sketching. I myself choose the A5 sketchbook with some mechanical pencils and the iPad pro 11 inches with apple pencil 2 because they’re handy and compact, really easy to carry with me.

For an artist, a sketchbook performs a rather big role. We draw what we see on the spot and that’s the masterpiece of the artist. Even if you just want to go for a cup of coffee, you can just easily take out your SketchBook to draw something at a cafe in 10 to 15 minutes.

Make the SketchBook a daily part of your life. Keeping a sketchbook reminds you that you are an artist. Keeping it where you can see it sends a message to the brain that your art is important and should have time devoted to it.

Get into the habit of bringing your sketchbook and pencils with you wherever you go. Buy a bag that fits your supplies and makes you excited. I got a medium black bag that can contain my iPad pro 11 inches, a sketchbook, a charger, and a small purse of pencils. Make sure you’re always ready for inspiration when it comes.

3. So what to draw?

That blank sheet of sketch paper staring at you can be terrified, but it doesn’t have to be. You can’t just wait for inspiration to start. So, make a plan for what you will draw. I suggest you try Pinterest, pin the ideas you like and make the collections such as Portrait reference, Animal, Nature, Kid, Food,…Or collect ideas around your life like a cup of coffee, a tree, a flower, or a portrait of your family member, even your hand. It can be anything at any time. The point is to just draw something.

Be prepared for “artist block” when you start your new sketching habit. You can also make room for that by preparing the album called “Pick one & sketch”

You can consider joining some art challenge, just search “Drawing art challenge” and there are a million results for you to draw.

 

In Conclusion

To form a daily sketching habit the first thing you need to do is start. Pick a day or start now. Get your tools and start sketching. OK! You’ve finished 1 simple sketch for an hour, then you need to make sure to do it again the next day and for 30-60 days straight. Then slowly increase whenever you have extra time and gauge your progress.

As a result, your creative habit becomes ingrained into your daily routine. Once it’s a habit, you won’t have to make yourself do it.

I hope that you will plan to schedule your sketching habit right after reading this post.