My Top 10 Drawing Challenges

First Steps to Your Creative Journey

Mlky Way Across Your Map / Skull Verse Comics

Hi guys, it's Mlky Way Again!!!

I know sometimes we may find ourselves in a bit of a creative block where it may feel damn near impossible to keep working on our project, illustration, cover, or other, let alone know where to start it as we usually do.

Sometimes it's ok to take a step back and try something else to get the creative juices flowing again!

Me, personally, I like to do some little challenges on the side from time to time whenever I may be feeling exhaustion, fatigue, or I find myself just staring at a blank canvas of sorts.

Below, I included some of the things I tend to do whenever the creative block seeps its way back into my mind again, feel free to try any of them next time you find yourself in that awkward space where you may feel as though it's hard to start, continue, or finish your creative piece.

Warm-up & Flow

1. Color Shifting 🎨

Focus: Color Theory, Mood, and Visual Transformation

How to Do It:

1. Choose a Color Palette: First, draw out your oc or original character and color them as you usually would with their base color palette. Just be sure to include the colors used somewhere near them.

   
   

2. Pick New Themes: Next, choose at least three new, drastically different color schemes. Think about emotions (e.g., Rage/Fire, Peace/Water, Cyberpunk Neon).

   
   

3. Create Your Artwork: Using just your selected colors, create a piece that reflects this theme. Notice how the colors work together to convey feelings.

   
   

4. The Lesson: This exercise forces you to consider how color alone can completely change a character's story and mood without altering their design.

2. Reference, Memory, Imagination 🧠

Focus: Observation, Recall, and Mental Library Building

How to Do It:

1. Phase 1: Reference: Find an image of an object (a sneaker, a sci-fi gun, a detailed helmet, a guitar) and draw it carefully while looking at the picture the whole time. Get the details right!

   
   

2. Phase 2: Memory: Hide the reference photo! Find an object or picture of an object slightly different from the other and immediately draw the exact same object again from scratch, using only details you can remember. Don't cheat!

   
   

3. Phase 3: Imagination: Draw the object a third time, but this time, modify it heavily. Change its function, style, or material using only your imagination.

   
   

4. The Lesson: This drill strengthens your ability to observe, remember, and adapt visual information—a huge win for concept artists!

   
   
   
   

Deep Practice & Technical Skill

3. Random Prompt Drawing 🎲

Focus: Concept Generation and Unconventional Synthesis

How to Do It:

1. Collect the Prompts: Time to get weird! Use a random word generator, or ask three different friends to each give you one totally random, unrelated word. For example, "Cat," "Goth," and "Girk."

   
   

2. Brainstorm: Think of how these words can connect. Maybe she's human with cat accessories and eye shadow, maybe she's part cat...

   
   

3. Sketch: Create an illustration that unifies all three words into one cohesive scene.

   
   

4. Refine: Add details and colors to bring your drawing to life.

5. The Lesson: This exercise forces you to generate ideas quickly and make unlikely elements work together, which is basically the secret to unique storytelling.

   
   

Share: Show your masterpiece to friends or online communities for feedback. You may receive inspiring suggestions for your next piece!

4. Shape Filler 🔺

Focus: Creativity and Overcoming the Blank Canvas

How to Do It:

1. Draw Abstract Shapes: Start with several random shapes on your paper. They could be circles, triangles, or any form that speaks to you.

   
   

2. Character Creation: Transform each shape into a character. For instance, a circle might become a friendly robot, while a triangle could be a sneaky ninja.

   
   

3. Add Details: Give your characters unique features, outfits, and accessories to amplify their personalities.

   
   

4. Color: Use colors to add liveliness to your characters!

   
   

5. The Lesson: This is the ultimate "get started" hack because you aren't fighting a blank page—you're just playing a game with lines that already exist!

5. The Continuous Line ✏️

Focus: Line Flow and Observation

How to Do It:

1. Choose Your Subject: Pick an uncomplicated object or scene, maybe a coffee cup or a flower.

   
   

2. Set the Rules: With a pen or pencil, draw your subject without lifting the writing instrument from the paper.

   
   

3. Focus on Flow: Capture the essence through your lines, and don’t worry about details. The goal is flow and motion.

   
   

4. Add Elements: After finishing, you can add color or shading to enhance your continuous line drawing. A simple colored background might do wonders!

   
   

5. Reflect: After completion, think about how this exercise changed your perspective on drawing.

6. Cartoon Self-Portrait 🤪

Focus: Observation and Stylization

How to Do It:

1. Study Your Features: Take a good look in the mirror and note your unique traits, such as your eyes or hairstyle.

   
   

2. Customize: Don't forget to have fun with it and try to brainstorm things that speak to you as a person or incorporate your personality in a visual aspect that's fun and meaningful.

   
   

3. Sketch: Create a cheerful cartoon version of yourself, highlighting those features in your unique art style.

   
   

4. Add Personality: Incorporate items that represent your interests, like a book if you love reading or a paintbrush if you’re into art.

   
   

5. Color and Finish: Add vibrant colors to bring your cartoon self-portrait to life!

   
   

The Final Creative Test

7. Quick Gesture/Figure Blitz ⏱️

Focus: Speed and Anatomical Movement

How to Do It:

1. Set a Timer: Choose a time limit for each pose, such as 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

   
   

2. Find Reference Poses: Use online resources or ask someone to strike dynamic poses for you.

   
   

3. Draw Quickly: Capture the essence of each pose without focusing on precision. Aim for movement and energy!

   
   

4. Repeat: Do several quick sketches, striving to improve with each attempt.

   
   

5. Review: Look back at your sketches. You might be amazed at how quickly your skills can progress!

8. Childhood Memories Reimagined 🧸

How to Do It:

1. Select an Old Piece: Dig out a drawing you made as a kid or even dig up an old drawing from your past.

   
   

2. Analyze: Think about what drew you to that piece. What did you love about it, and what would you change now?

   
   

3. Redraw: Create a new version, using your current skills and perspective. This could be a more detailed dragon or a vibrant landscape.

   
   

4. Compare: Place the old and new versions side by side to review your growth as an artist.

   
   

5. Share Your Journey: Post both pieces online to showcase your artistic evolution!

9. Mask Iterations 🎭

Focus: Endurance and Variation

How to Do It:

1. Design a Base Mask: Start with a simple mask shape.

   
   

2. Create Variations: Draw multiple versions, altering features, colors, and styles for each mask. Consider how a nature-themed mask might contrast with a fantasy mask.

   
   

3. Explore Themes: Each mask can embody a different theme such as nature, mythology, or emotions.

   
   

4. Finalize One: Choose your favorite design and refine it before adding intricate details.

   
   

5. Showcase: Create a mini gallery of your mask drawings and share it with friends or family!

10. Imaginative Illustration 🌌

Focus: Mental Visualization and Concept Mastery

How to Do It:

1. Clear Your Mind: Spend a moment relaxing. Visualize a scene in your mind.

   
   

2. Sketch from Imagination: Draw the scene as it appears in your thoughts, without any references.

   
   

3. Add Details: Populate your scene with characters, objects, and backgrounds that enrich the narrative with a strong emphasis on essence, even if it doesn't contain any characters.

   
   

4. Color and Texture: Use colors and textures to enhance the emotion of your imaginative world.

   
   

5. Reflect: Think about how this exercise pushed your creative boundaries and visualization skills.

   
   

Creative Exploration Awaits!

Congratulations! You've just explored 10 engaging drawing challenges that can help shatter art block and elevate your skills. Remember, overcoming creative burnout is less about forcing perfection and more about finding joy and exploration in your art.

Now it's time to take action! Choose a challenge (or two!) from the list and share your creations. Inspire your friends and family to join you in these playful exercises. When we share our process, we build a community of artists who truly uplift one another.

Which challenge are you eager to try first? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or by filling ou the form on our home page, and don't forget to tag your friends to spread the creativity!

Happy drawing!

-Skull Verse Comics