Summary
Highlights
Draw some angular shapes on the left and copy them on the right. Focus on the size of the shapes and the angles. It's helpful for evaluating reference photos or real-life objects.
Fill a page with cross-hatching in different directions. This improves hand-eye coordination and is relaxing.
Fill a page with circles, starting with big ones and gradually filling the gaps with smaller and smaller circles. This is useful for practicing circular motions.
Draw a circle with a dot in the middle, then draw circles between the dot and the outer circle. Repeat, making the circles in the middle, which exercises hand-eye coordination. The shapes aren't limited to circles, and other shapes like squares and tirangles can be used.
Draw a wiggly line (like a snake) and then draw a parallel line next to it, maintaining an equal space between the lines. Fill the page with these wiggly snakes to improve confidence with parallel lines.
Copy the wiggly snake shapes on the right side. This is more difficult than making parallel lines and is a great exercise.
Draw a line down the middle of the page. Draw random shapes on the left side and then try to copy them as a mirror image on the right side to exercise the artist's eye and copying skills.
Copy a square and triangle using only straight lines without lifting the pen/pencil. Copy the initial shape by making stitches, or small dots, and then going over those stitches. This helps creating a final sketch.
Copy kid's drawings to evaluate shapes and sizes, and compare the sizes of the heads compared to the ears. This is a great basic exercise to improve drawing skills.
Practice pressure control with a pressure-sensitive brush. Create vertical, horizontal, or diagonal lines, varying the pressure to create thick and thin lines.
Use a black and white reference photo and try to evaluate the values. Pick a value from the portrait with your color wheel and compare it to the real value to evaluate ability to pick darker or lighter values.
Pick some random reference photos and try to pick matching colors, utilizing the color wheel. See if you tend to pick cooler or warmer colors.