Rhythm Drawing

Have you ever heard of rhythm drawing?

When you learn to draw, it's a very good idea to establish a rhythm of sorts, to feel the flow of the pencil beneath your fingers.

If your drawings are stiff and tentative, you can practice drawing in rhythm, or a type of rapid drawing, to help get rid of any awkwardness with a pencil.

I know the feeling of incompetence that any new artist feels when faced with a blank sheet of paper. You might ask "How do I start?" or "Where do I start?"

The first and easiest step is to roughly draw a border on your paper... See, you're off to a flying start, you've made some marks and that's the hardest part!

Use the edges of the paper as a guide for getting your border fairly straight.

It doesn't matter if you are copying a picture or copying nature, look for the main lines in your chosen subject and make some quick, light strokes on your paper.

Do this with surety and confidence even if you don't feel those sensations. (This sketch was done in seconds, very roughly, but you can already see what I want to portray.)

You want to firmly establish the habit of rhythm drawing and drawing rapidly so remember with every beginning there is always some uncertainty.

Your first aim is to make a fair start and produce good effects.

•   Let your pencil move backward and forward with quick movements.
•   You'll notice you create line after line.

About Rapid Drawing

You may have heard other artists speak about rhythm drawing or they could also have referred to it as rapid drawing. The two go hand in hand, you need to draw quickly to find a rhythm.

There is no doubt that rhythmic drawings contain energy.

The sketches below are rough and imperfect so you won't be afraid to try them. Pretty soon you will find that you can do much better!

Once you establish a rhythm, the drawing goes ahead very rapidly.

With free and regular movement of the hand, you will quickly progress.

Once your hand and eye have increased their skill, your touch becomes more certain and objects will emerge without much trouble.

Just be patient and if you practice rhythm drawing consistently, your reward is just around the corner!

Using Dots As Markers

Once you have your main lines down, you may prefer to mark some dots to guide you towards completing the outline of your subject. It really depends on how complex it is.

Take a look at this little exercise that shows how to follow dots with rhythm and contour.

On your paper, place random dots at different distances apart. The idea is to make an easy flowing curved line from the first dot to the last, avoiding breaks and angles.

Important:   Don't watch the pencil-point. Envisage a curved line that is already marked on your paper going through those dots.

Accurate drawing involves mental picturing. If you have difficulty doing this, the above exercise should help you to develop that skill.

Drawing With Rhythm

I can't stress enough that you can't improve your drawings without practice. All it takes is for you to find an exercise that interests you so you can continuously draw to improve. You can do this!

The rapid drawing exercise will not only show you a way of implementing speed into your work but it's also a great way to exercise your memory.

You will have your own audience who likes your artwork. People want to witness how you view the world so just draw what you see and like.

If you fall into the habit of rhythm drawing, your drawings will evolve on paper so naturally, I'm sure it will surprise you. Take care, have fun and enjoy!

Continue to enjoy reading more drawing tips (when you click that link, see the whole list on the right).