Why Practice Drawing Exercises?
If you’ve ever looked at your character sketches and thought, “Why do they all feel the same?”—you’re not alone. Many beginners jump straight into creating finished characters before building the skills that make them feel alive and unique.
That’s where simple drawing exercises come in. Think of them like warm-ups for your imagination. You’re training your eye, your hand, and your creativity—all at once.
Exercise 1: Silhouette Sketching
One of the fastest ways to improve your character design is to focus only on their *shapes*—no details allowed!
- Take a sheet of paper (or open your favorite digital drawing tool).
- Draw ten random character silhouettes using only black—no outlines or faces.
- Make each one as different as possible: tall, squat, angular, rounded, off-balance, heroic, creepy, cartoony.
This exercise forces you to think about *body language* and *visual clarity*. If the pose reads well in silhouette, you’re on the right track.
Exercise 2: Shape-Only Character Creation
Challenge yourself to draw a character using only three base shapes—circle, square, and triangle. You can stack, stretch, or overlap them, but no realistic detail.
Try these steps:
- Pick a personality: shy, bossy, goofy, elegant.
- Choose a dominant shape to reflect that vibe (e.g. square for sturdy or triangle for edgy).
- Build the character’s body and head using only those shapes.
This teaches you how *shape language* influences how we perceive personality—even without facial expressions.
Exercise 3: 30-Second Gesture Drawings
Great character designers are great pose artists. Gesture drawings train you to capture *movement* and *attitude* quickly.
Here’s how to practice:
- Use a gesture drawing website like Line of Action.
- Set the timer to 30 seconds per pose.
- Sketch the *essence* of the pose—no details, just energy!
- Do 10–15 gestures in one session.
Don’t worry if they look messy. The goal is to train your brain to spot motion, weight, and action—fast.
Want to Go Deeper?
If you’re excited about building stronger characters, these drawing exercises are your secret weapon. But if you’d like to learn from pros and get structured feedback, check out the character design classes at Artist School. They specialize in helping beginners develop confident drawing habits.
Final Thought
You don’t need to be a “good artist” to start designing great characters. You just need a pencil, a little time, and the willingness to practice. These exercises aren’t just warmups—they’re launchpads for creativity.
You’re building something powerful. Keep going.