Bonus Drills

LESSON TWELVE

Although practicing our lines, curves, and circles is essential, not everything we draw will rely on those fundamental skills. There will be times when variation and texture are better conveyed through a broader range of shapes and patterns. While we’ll explore this in more depth in future assignments, you can begin experimenting now with simple forms, such as triangles, squares, rectangles, twirls, and short lines as a way of expanding your visual vocabulary.

Exercise Nine

For this exercise you are once again going to be relying on the over-laying method to practice these simple shapes. Repeat each stroke multiple times, aiming for control and accuracy while keeping a sense of rhythm and flow. Basic shapes like these will become building blocks down the line, for creating texture and decorative elements later on. As you draw, consider how these shapes might be used to design texture, can you picture them forming patterns that can be used to creatively depict a visual library?

In the early stages of your journey, even basic exercises can present a challenge, but don’t let that discourage you! As mentioned before, mastery isn’t something you will achieve in the following weeks, it will come with patience, steady practice, and time. If you integrate these exercises into your regular warm-up routine, they’ll gradually become second nature. You’ll find that you no longer need to focus consciously on execution as it will flow effortlessly when needed.