How to Make Drawing Fun! (Again)

Drawing has always been a cherished activity for many of us. From the first doodles as kids to more refined works as adults, it’s a way to show our creativity. But sometimes, we might lose that initial joy. It happens. The paper seems more intimidating than inspiring. If you’ve felt this way, know that you’re not alone.

In this article, we’ll share simple steps to help you find that joy in drawing again. Whether you’re experienced or just starting, there’s a way to make drawing enjoyable. Let’s get started and bring back the fun of drawing!

How to Make Drawing Fun!

Rediscovering the joy of drawing requires a combination of changing one’s perspective, experimenting, and revisiting the foundational reasons why drawing appealed to you in the first place. Here are some steps to help you make drawing fun again:

No expectations make drawing more fun

Drawing, for many, begins as a spontaneous expression of creativity. It’s often initiated by the pure joy of making marks on a page and watching lines and shapes come to life. However, as one progresses in their artistic journey, there can be a clash between this initial playful enthusiasm and the weight of self-imposed or external expectations.

Approach drawing as a process, not an outcome. When you free yourself from the pressure of producing a perfect piece, you allow yourself to enjoy the journey. Embrace imperfections; they often lead to unique and surprising results.

Drawing for fun taps into our primitive desire to express and communicate. Just as children can lose themselves in a world of doodles, adults can reconnect with this childlike wonder, unburdened by the need for perfection.

High expectations lead to pressure

When you advance in skill or perhaps even turn professional, there’s an underlying pressure to consistently produce high-quality work. This can come from oneself, peers, mentors, or an audience. The fear of not meeting these high standards can sometimes hinder creativity. The apprehension of making mistakes can prevent taking risks or trying out new techniques.

In our digitally connected age, artists are continually exposed to the works of countless others. While this can be inspiring, it can also lead to unhealthy comparisons and unrealistic benchmarks.

On the flip side, high expectations can serve as a motivating factor. They can push an artist to refine their skills, seek out education, and strive for mastery. Drawing for fun and dealing with high expectations don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

With self-awareness and deliberate efforts, one can find a fulfilling balance between enjoying the act of drawing and striving for excellence.

Make drawing fun with challenges

Incorporating challenges into your drawing routine can reignite your passion, push your creative boundaries, and make the whole process much more enjoyable. Here are some ways to make drawing fun using challenges:

Theme-Based Challenges: Commit to drawing a specific theme for a week or a month. For instance, “ocean week” might involve drawing different marine animals each day.
Time Constraints: Set a timer for quick sketches. This forces you to prioritize, focus, and often leads to surprising results.
One Continuous Line: Try to create a drawing without lifting your pen or pencil from the paper. It teaches fluidity and can yield some interesting abstract forms.
Limited Palette: Choose only 2 or 3 colors and create a drawing using just those. This forces you to think creatively about shading and contrast.
Silhouette Challenge: Draw using only silhouettes to tell a story or create a scene.
Opposite Hand Drawing: If you’re right-handed, try drawing with your left hand and vice versa. It can be amusing and offer a fresh perspective on your capabilities.
Blind Contour Drawing: Look at an object and draw it without looking at your paper. This is a great exercise to enhance hand-eye coordination and often results in quirky, fun sketches.
Collaborative Drawing: Start a drawing and have a friend or family member continue or complete it.
Story Dice Inspiration: Use story dice (dice with pictures or symbols on them) to roll and get random elements that you have to incorporate into a drawing.
Redraw Old Art: Take an old piece of your artwork and redo it to see how much you’ve improved. It can be rewarding and challenging to reinterpret past ideas.
Negative Space Drawing: Instead of drawing the object, draw the space around the object, focusing on the shapes and spaces between objects.
Random Word Prompt: Use a random word generator online to get a word prompt for the day and draw your interpretation of it.
Mix Media: Challenge yourself to use two or more different media in one piece, like ink and pastel or watercolor and colored pencils.
Tiny Art Challenge: Draw on a very small canvas or paper. The constraint can push you to think differently about details and composition.
Public Challenges: Engage in community challenges like Inktober, where artists create based on daily prompts for a month. These can provide both structure and a sense of community.
Texture Challenge: Pick different textures (like wool, metal, glass) and challenge yourself to depict them as realistically as possible.

Remember, the aim of these challenges is to have fun and explore different facets of your creativity. They can provide a refreshing break from the usual routine and reignite the joy and spontaneity in drawing.

Goals can make drawing fun again

Setting goals can introduce structure, direction, and a sense of achievement to the drawing process, all of which can greatly enhance the enjoyment. Here’s how:

Clear Direction: Without a goal, drawing might sometimes feel aimless. Setting objectives provides a clear direction and purpose, guiding your artistic endeavors and keeping the momentum going.
Sense of Accomplishment: Every goal achieved, no matter how small, offers a rewarding feeling of accomplishment. This positive reinforcement can boost motivation and make the process more enjoyable.
Progress Tracking: Goals allow you to track your growth and development over time. By setting benchmarks, you can reflect on your progress, identify areas of improvement, and celebrate milestones.
Structured Learning: If you’re aiming to master a particular technique or style, setting goals can help structure your learning process. This can make your drawing sessions more focused and productive.
Challenge and Exploration: Goals can encourage you to step out of your comfort zone. Whether it’s trying a new medium, adopting a different style, or drawing a subject you’ve never tackled before, these challenges can reignite the spark of curiosity and fun in drawing.
Consistent Practice: Setting goals, especially with deadlines, can promote consistent practice. The regularity not only enhances skill but can also transform drawing into a fun ritual or routine.
Community Engagement: Sharing your goals with a community or friends can introduce elements of camaraderie and gentle competition. Engaging in group challenges or collaborative projects can make drawing a fun, collective activity.
Personal Expression: Goals rooted in personal interests or passions can enhance the emotional connection to drawing. Crafting artwork around personal narratives or themes can make the process more intimate and enjoyable.
Exploration of Themes: Setting a goal to explore specific themes (e.g., nature, emotions, fantasy) over a period can turn drawing sessions into exciting adventures of discovery.
Skill Diversification: Setting objectives to learn varied skills, like shading, perspective, or anatomy, ensures you’re always learning something new, keeping the drawing process fresh and exciting.
Portfolio Development: For budding professional artists, the goal of building a diverse portfolio can be motivating. Each drawing becomes a valuable addition to a growing body of work.
Rewards System: Pair your goals with rewards. For instance, after achieving a challenging goal, treat yourself to a new set of art supplies. This adds an extra layer of incentive and fun.

Incorporating goals into your drawing journey provides direction and purpose, turning every session into an opportunity for growth and joy. By celebrating each achievement and embracing challenges with enthusiasm, drawing remains not just a skill but also a continuously evolving source of pleasure.

Use new tools to make drawing fun

Familiarity can sometimes result in monotony. Introducing a new medium can completely change your perspective. Experimenting with different textures, colors, and effects can reignite your passion and inspire different styles or techniques.

For example, transitioning from traditional mediums to a digital platform can be thrilling. Tablets like the Wacom series or the iPad with Procreate offer a plethora of brushes, effects, and features that can mimic real-life drawing or go beyond.

Change your environment

Drawing in a new setting can introduce fresh stimuli for your senses. Nature, for instance, offers an array of colors, sounds, and forms. An urban setting, on the other hand, can provide dynamic scenes and characters. Every environment has its own energy that can translate into your art.

Collaboration makes drawing fun

Combining ideas with another artist brings a fresh perspective. You can learn from their techniques, get introduced to different styles, and create something truly unique from a blend of both artistic visions. Collaboration in drawing and art can infuse the creative process with fresh ideas, diverse perspectives, and a shared sense of accomplishment. It can transform the often solitary act of drawing into a communal, interactive, and fun experience.

Two minds often bring more ideas to the table. Collaborating allows artists to inspire each other, leading to creations neither might have thought of alone. Working with someone else can expose you to new techniques, styles, or concepts you might not be familiar with. It’s an opportunity to learn directly from another artist.

Use collaboration as a chance to teach each other new skills. Workshops or mutual training sessions can be both informative and fun.

Embark on more ambitious projects together. Large murals, detailed scenes, or thematic series can be more feasible and fun when tackled jointly. A collaborative partner can provide real-time feedback. Constructive criticism can lead to immediate improvement, while positive reinforcement can boost confidence.

Attend Workshops

Workshops expose you to different instructors with varied experiences and approaches. Even revisiting the basics under a new mentor can offer fresh insights and techniques you might not have encountered before.

Draw from life

Real-life drawing sharpens your observation skills. You’ll notice details, shadows, and perspectives that photos might not capture. It’s an exercise in being present and absorbing the world in its real-time essence.

Experiment with abstracts

Abstract art is all about breaking the norm. It’s an opportunity to play with forms, colors, and compositions without the need to represent reality, allowing for a more emotional or intuitive expression.

Rediscover your interests

Think about subjects that resonate with you personally. Drawing what you love or are passionate about often results in art that’s more genuine and engaging, both for you and the viewer.

Share and get feedback

Sharing exposes you to viewpoints you might not have considered. Constructive criticism can guide improvements, while positive feedback can boost motivation. Engaging with a community offers a sense of belonging and shared passion.

Revisit old works

Older works are a reflection of your journey. They can remind you of past inspirations, show you how far you’ve come, and even offer unfinished ideas worth revisiting.

Stay curious

Curiosity fuels creativity. Being open to new experiences, constantly learning, and seeking inspiration in the mundane or the extraordinary ensures that your artistic journey remains a continuous adventure.

Remember, the essence of drawing lies in the pleasure of creation itself. By keeping an open mind and continually seeking ways to evolve, drawing will always remain an exciting and fulfilling endeavor.