Feature Image: Comparison of 15 minute sketch vs. a longer version

ROVING SKETCHERS SERIES 03: CREATING AN ART HABIT

Recently I’ve been participating in Doug Jackson’s Boatober 2025, and as well as doing a long (and often laboured) version of each of his daily challenges, I’ve also been doing a 15 minute version of the same subject (see featured image). Having a tight deadline to get your sketches done it a great way to limit the amount of detail you include, determine how to define your focal point, how to loosen up your ink lines, and simplify your colour palette.

I’ve also discovered that on more than one occasion, I’ve preferred my lively and gestural 15 minute version of the sketch, more than the one I’ve spent an hour on, even though my quick version is often chaotic and the perspective is less than perfect.

Try establishing a daily art habit for yourself and see what you discover. How do you start? Here’s some tips from me and my sketch buddy Jo Brown.

Art Habit Tips from Jay

Instagram: @rovingsketcher

You can create a daily art habit with minimal effort and a few art materials. All you need is fifteen minutes a day, something to draw with and something to draw on.

Take a break from social media, grab a pen or pencil and any old scrap of paper. Sketch something. Repeat on a daily basis. As your confidence grows you can transition to a sketchbook and experiment with different art materials.

To begin with, it’s not about creating perfect sketches, or feeling confident about posting your art on Instagram. It’s about exploring, having fun, and creating a daily habit. 

Draw for yourself. You don’t have to show anyone. This approach gives you the freedom to throw caution to the wind and just create, without fear of being judged.

I’d quite happily sketch and paint all day every day, but when life gets in the way I make sure I create something, anything, no matter how small. My default creation is a blind contour or continuous line sketch, which can be completed in less that five minutes. It’s something you can create while you wait for the coffee to brew or your toast to burn.

Art Habit Tips from Jo

Instagram: @prickly_witch

Blind contour and continuous line are my go-to techniques too. They are great ways to warm up before a longer sketching session, but can also result in successful standalone sketches.

Blind contour sketches train your hand and eye to work together and are very useful to monitor progress.

My early blind contour portrait sketches were barely recognisable as people at all, but these days I usually manage to get all the features inside the face!

Challenges such as the collection of monthly Kick in the Creatives offerings:

… and Draw This in Your Style (#DTIYS) challenges on Instagram and Facebook are very useful for getting into a sketching habit. Participants are generally encouraging towards new/inexperienced artists and positive feedback helps strengthen the habit.

Tips and Resources from other Roving Sketchers

Koosje Koene shares a Draw Tip Tuesday tip to help you build your creative habit. One drawing at a time!

I saw a recent post of Koosje that encouraged her followers to create moments not masterpieces. This approach is a great way to limit the stress we put on ourselves to achieve perfection as the end result, and focus instead on the creative journey itself.

This is part of our Roving Sketchers series.

Do you have any tips that help you ease your way into creating an art habit? Would love to read about them.