Basic Training
Getting Started
Your first task is to fill an entire page with lines. Don’t worry about making anything pretty or precises - the goal is to focus on the feeling and speed of your lines. To produce more confident strokes you need to establish a moderate drawing speed. If you move too slowly, the line tends to wobble; too fast and you lose control. You need to find a pace that feels steady and produces fluid lines.
Each line should be made with one continuous motion. Resist slowing down to fix your trajectory, or to go back over it. If the result isn’t perfect, that’s expected. After each line, reflect briefly on what may have gone wrong (or right!) and focus on improving the next one.
Many beginners fall into the trap of using short choppy marks to draw a single stroke. This can be due to hesitation, lack of confidence, or if you draw with your fingers; if your lines are curving you are using your wrist or elbow. You should instead be using your shoulder. If your lines are scratchy or curving refer back to Warming Up.
Take your time. Don’t rush. This is a foundational habit that, with regular practice, will completely change the way your lines feel and behave on the page.
Exercise One
Begin by drawing lines that stretch from the top of the page all the way down to the bottom. Make them as long as you can. For now, your focus is not perfection, but the feeling of the motion.
How does it feel to move your whole arm?
Are you moving too quickly or maybe too slowly?
Wobbly or uneven lines are expected at first. What matters most is that the stroke be completed in one fluid motion. Consistency will develop with time, so be patient. Leave space between each line as once your page is filled with down strokes, return to the gaps and draw new lines moving from bottom to top.
Once you have explored vertical lines, turn your attention to horizontal strokes. Use the same sheet of paper, begin drawing lines from left to right. As before, focus on fluidity and arm movement. Then return to the top of the page and fill in the empty spaces with strokes moving right to left.
You can continue to repeat this process, adding more lines between the existing ones. Over time, it will help you develop more precise spacing, smoother motion, and the ability to choose strokes that suit the direction and energy of your drawings.
Learn what direction is most comfortable and creates a quality line.
Not everyone can create a perfect line in all directions. These line-drawing exercises are designed not only to help you identify which direction comes most naturally, but also how to improve your ability to create confident quality lines no matter the angle. Take this opportunity to experiment with stroke direction and grips. Ask yourself: Which direction felt most natural? Was one smoother, faster, or more difficult? Did the behavior of your lines change depending on the direction of the stroke? Theses observations will help you better understand your current strengths and where you’re control can grow.
