Free Drawing Exercises to Become an Artist

Do you want to learn some drawing exercises so you can warm up before you start illustrating? Check out this guide

Illustrator Sarah van Dongen (@sarahvandongenillustration) uses fun methods to develop her ideas and knows that the best ideas come when we least expect them. She encourages you to draw from observation, and without restraints.

Before you set off to create a finished illustration, you should start with some warm up exercises. Draw using a variety of materials and fill up your sketchbook pages as you practice. This type of routine free from expectations helps you overcome the fear of the blank page, and to further develop your style.

You will find some of Sarah’s favorite drawing exercises in this resource. Try them all out, over and over, using different materials.

You may know some of them already, but it never hurts to try them out again.

Draw something that’s in front of you or from a picture, but without looking at the page, or without taking your pencil off the page. Look at a subject for a few minutes, then draw it from memory.

Draw a scene in paint, using only shapes. Or draw only the negative space between objects. Don’t forget to have fun.

After clicking on the button below, you will find a file in .pdf format in the Downloads folder on your computer containing the 5 pages Free Extra Drawing Exercises, by Sarah van Dongen.

If you want to learn more, you can sign up to Sarah van Dongen’s course Exploratory Sketchbook: Find Your Drawing Style.

You may also like:

- 10 Free Online Classes for Improving your Illustrations
- What Is Naturalist Illustration and its Fundamental Steps?
- Melanie Chadwick: Philosopher of Sketching
- Daily Sketching for Creative Inspiration, a course by Sorie Kim.
- Architectural Sketching with Watercolor and Ink, a course by Alex Hillkurtz.