The mountains of Santa Cruz are a great place to practice drawing fast. While on a mountain bike ride, I completed the ink study shown above in just a few minutes. Being able to draw anything, anywhere—fast or slow—is how I like to roll.
Legendary teacher, Kim Nicolaides wrote, “For an artist, the important thing is not how much he knows, but how much he can do” during the time he takes to make a drawing.
According to Nicolaides, the amount of work accomplished in a drawing depends on how you pace yourself. He wrote, “In order to concentrate, one can act furiously over a short space of time or one can work with calm determination, quietly, over a long extended period.”
“In learning to draw, both kinds of effort are necessary and the one makes a precise balance for the other,” continues Nicolaides. “In quick studies you will consider the function of action, life, or expression. In long studies you will will develop an understanding of the structure of the model, how it is made.”
What makes drawing so exciting is that we never know when a new challenge will present itself to us. We just know that we will be ready to draw fast and furious, slow and curious, and everything in between.
Founder and drawing coach at the Scribbles Institute, Rob helps adults and kids learn basic drawing skills for work, school, and enjoyment. He is the author of a number of how-to-draw books.