Try These Drawing Challenges To Level Up Your Art Game

When you’re just starting to learn how to draw, finding the motivation to stick with your art until you see results can be a challenge.

So what’s the best way to deal with that kind of challenge? Fight fire with fire, and embrace drawing challenges.

Just for Artists! Push Yourself to Draw More!

Becoming an artist, even learning to draw artfully, is a challenge. That's the way you like it. But it takes a lot of hard work -- a lot of time -- before you see the results you want. Stay motivated and reward yourself with IRLA Drawing challenge medals. Get a series of five medals that mark your milestones for creating more drawings. As you set more goals and make progress in your drawing challenges, your IRLAs give you the motivation to do more and more.

By setting specific goals and timelines, drawing challenges can help you develop discipline, try new things, and push your creative boundaries.

As the creator of many short-lived webcomics, I credit sticking with drawing challenges as a way to keep myself drawing, even on the days I wasn’t entirely motivated.

If you’re also interested in pushing your art game to the next level, read on, because today we’re sharing five drawing challenges that are sure to keep you engaged and growing.

If drawing is a challenge enough as it is, why take on a drawing challenge?

Just as regular exercise and healthy eating habits can improve our physical health, regularly practicing drawing can have significant benefits for our creativity, mental health, and overall well-being.

More than those general benefits, drawing challenges can also help us break out of creative ruts and try new things. By setting specific themes or prompts, we're forced to think outside the box and explore different styles, techniques, and subject matters. This can help us expand our skills and develop our artistic voice.

That's where drawing challenges come in. By creating specific, measurable goals and timeframes, drawing challenges help us stay accountable to our practice and give us a sense of accomplishment when we reach our goals.

These beginner drawing challenges are inspired by our drawing challenge medals. We recognized that the path to a drawing habit can be a long one, and it’s helpful to have milestones and achievements to mark that path. From celebrating drawing streaks to the idea of putting your finished work out there, this IRLA Drawing Pack is ideal for drawing aficionados of any skill level.

1. Choose your sketchbook and tools

This challenge may seem simple, but it can actually be quite difficult for beginners to know where to start.

With a thousand types of pens, pencils, materials, and paper to choose from, analysis paralysis can set in fast.

While it’s true that choosing the right sketchbook and tools can make a big difference in your artwork, it shouldn’t keep you from getting started in the first place.

My advice is to start with basic materials and work your way up from there. Just grab a simple sketchbook you can dedicate to your drawings, a set of pencils, and an eraser. As you gain experience, you’ll understand the kind of effects you’re trying to produce or the techniques you’d like to try, and you can research different brands and tools to achieve them.

When you’re ready, you may also like this piece about setting up your own artistic studio space.

2. Draw every day for a week

Once you’ve got your tools, it’s time to start a consistent drawing habit.

It can be difficult to make time for drawing every day, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes.

The challenge is to draw something, even if it's just a quick sketch, every day for a week. It's worthwhile because it helps you develop your skills and build momentum in your practice.

For a successful week, set aside a specific time each day for drawing, even if it's just 10-15 minutes. It’s this daily practice that can really help you hone your drawing skills.

3. Draw every day for a month

Getting from a week to a month isn’t just as simple as stringing together four weeks, as any missed day will set you back.

Here what’s important to focus on is pushing yourself to draw different ideas or use different techniques. By giving yourself different drawing tasks, you can help maintain the interest that’ll be necessary to tackle a full month of drawing.

To achieve this drawing challenge, it is helpful to plan ahead and set realistic goals for yourself. This doesn’t have to be a streak of four-hour days for a month. Set up a manageable amount of time, and then you can celebrate on the occasional day where you surpass it.

If you need inspiration, we’ve gathered some examples of just how much your drawing can improve when you stick to it for a month.

4. Go to an art museum

This challenge is about more than just attending an art museum. It’s about using the visit to inform your art and get inspired by other artists' work.

Going to an art museum can be intimidating, especially if you're not used to looking at art critically. When done consistently, it will open up your own art as you experience new ideas and perspectives.

To make the most of this drawing challenge, research the museum beforehand and pick out a few pieces or exhibits that interest you. Take your time and really look at each piece, paying attention to the details and the artist's intentions. Don't be afraid to ask questions or talk to the museum staff if you're unsure about something.

For bonus points, here are some drawing challenges you can incorporate into your next museum visit.

5. Choose a piece to share publicly online

These drawing challenges culminate with one of the biggest fears artists face: sharing your work with others.

Choosing a piece to share publicly can be scary. At the same time, it's also empowering. Even more beneficial for the artist, it’s an opportunity to get feedback and connect with a creative community.

To prepare yourself for this challenge, choose a piece that you're proud of, but also one that you feel comfortable sharing. Don't be discouraged by negative feedback, but use it as an opportunity to learn and improve.