How long should I practice per day to be good at sketching?

Hey guys, It’s Chou-Tac,

A question I receive pretty often is:

How long should I practice per day to be good at sketching ?

I tell my students to draw at least 15 minutes per session to get into it.

Which means it is the minimum needed to absorb the lessons and have a first practice – but also the time frame for your mind to be hooked and desire to draw longer.

We artificially create addiction for your sketching routine.

I prefer do not mention how long is needed, as I would like you to feel it when you draw. Some may want to draw 20 minutes while others 2 hours or even all nighter.

If you wanna progress fast even if you are busy, do not focus on HOW LONG ? But on following your heart. Do not take it like a to do list, and let your passion dictate how long you should draw. So you will draw much longer, and much more often. 🙂

That way, sketching is going to be your lifestyle and be part of your routine. Busy or not, you will find time. Do you see what I mean ?

While people watch TV (average 3 hours 40 per day) or play games or browse Facebook, you sketch.

As a designer, sketching will be as important as eating. As well as you need to eat to survive, you will feel that need to sketch.

When I was student,
I remember sketching after class in the subway. My classmate Ambre told me: “Damn you are always sketching !!” Actually, I just couldn’t wait to reach home to sketch, because my brain was still “hot” from the afternoon sketching session we had. I still have so much I wanted to drop on paper. So I had to sketch it now !

Do not even let you class time schedule to dictate how long you should draw. That’s the difference between doing your homework, and bring life to your projects !

No matter how busy you are, where you are, try to sketch as much as you can.
Even a little will make you progress.

You know what ?

You do not even have to draw every single day !
There is days you can draw longer while others not at all. It is totally fine.

A good thing when you take a break is your brain is actually processing datas. And it happenned that after a while you draw even better than before – without much knowing why. 🙂 I love that feel !

However, as a beginner, there is not anything much to process yet. ; ) So I recommend you guys to do not stop practicing for too long. Ok ? At least once a week, with no maximum time frame is best.

Remember that : 

What matter the most to improve FAST is not “How long you practice” or even “Sketching everyday”. It is sketching with: Good Focus, and Good Guidance. So you maximise every single session you do, even if they are short.

Cheers,
Chou-Tac