Here’s a 31-day daily drawing practice plan with each exercise limited to 15 minutes. The exercises are based on the concepts from the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.
Built with Claude 3 Sonnet.
Each day includes one line of context for the exercise:
Day 1 – Pure Contour Drawing (15 mins) – Draw objects without looking at paper to improve hand-eye coordination.
Day 2 – Negative Space (15 mins) – Focus on the spaces around objects rather than the objects themselves.
Day 3 – Upside-Down (15 mins) – Draw an inverted image to avoid symbolic thinking.
Day 4 – Gesture Drawing (15 mins) – Capture the essence of a pose or movement in a very short time.
Day 5 – Sight-Sizing (15 mins) – Analyze proportions by using a pencil as a relative measurement tool.
Day 6 – Value Study (15 mins) – Render just the pattern of lights and darks in a scene.
Day 7 – Portrait (15 mins) – Apply right-mode techniques to drawing the human face and features.
Day 8 – Pure Contour (15 mins) – Draw complex objects like furniture without lifting your pencil.
Day 9 – Negative Space (15 mins) – Try drawing the negative spaces between overlapping objects.
Day 10 – Upside-Down (15 mins) – Draw an inverted portrait or figure to avoid preconceived symbols.
Day 11 – Gesture (15 mins) – Do a series of very quick gesture drawings capturing motion.
Day 12 – Sight-Sizing (15 mins) – Analyze proportions of an interior scene or architectural study.
Day 13 – Value Study (15 mins) – Render value patterns of folded drapery or crumpled paper.
Day 14 – Still Life (15 mins) – Apply right-mode techniques to drawing an arrangement of objects.
Day 15 – Pure Contour (15 mins) – Draw a household appliance or tool in one continuous line.
Day 16 – Negative Space (15 mins) – Explore negative spaces in a natural outdoor environment.
Day 17 – Upside-Down (15 mins) – Draw an inverted view of your workspace or living area.
Day 18 – Gesture (15 mins) – Capture gestures and poses from watching people in a public place.
Day 19 – Sight-Sizing (15 mins) – Analyze proportions of a room interior or piece of furniture.
Day 20 – Value Study (15 mins) – Render patterns of light and shadow on a textured surface.
Day 21 – Animal Study (15 mins) – Apply right-mode techniques to drawing animals or pets.
Day 22 – Pure Contour (15 mins) – Draw a bicycle, machine, or object with many interlocking parts.
Day 23 – Negative Space (15 mins) – Explore negative spaces between buildings or architectural forms.
Day 24 – Upside-Down (15 mins) – Draw an inverted landscape, cityscape or tree study.
Day 25 – Gesture (15 mins) – Do gesture drawings of yourself in a mirror to capture different poses.
Day 26 – Sight-Sizing (15 mins) – Analyze proportions of a piece of furniture or architectural detail.
Day 27 – Value Study (15 mins) – Render the value pattern on a face or figure study.
Day 28 – Perspective (15 mins) – Use sight-sizing to analyze perspective in an interior or street scene.
Day 29 – Review (15 mins) – Review your drawings from the past week and reflect on progress.
Day 30 – Themed Project (15 mins) – Combine multiple right-mode techniques in a drawing unified by a theme.
Day 31 – Freestyle (15 mins) – Draw any subject matter while consciously applying the right-mode techniques.