How to Use the Plan

The plan is built for 20 minutes a day and needs nothing but a browser. You open today's assignment, set a timer, and draw, with no subject to choose and nothing to mull over.

Working on a laptop

20 Minutes and a Timer

The first 3 minutes are a warm-up: lines and ellipses. Then 15 minutes on the day's assignment, and 2 minutes to look at the result and save the file with the day number in the name. When the timer rings, you stop, even in the middle.

What to Do If You Miss a Day

Sticking with it is easier when you attach it to a ritual you already have. More on that in the guide on the daily drawing habit.

Week 1: Line and a Steady Hand

Week one is not about pretty pictures. It is about control of the hand. The task is to learn to put a line where you meant it.

Days 1–3: Lines and Arcs

  1. Day 1: 50 straight lines between two points, moving from the elbow, with no erasing.
  2. Day 2: 40 arcs in four directions, then 10 waves across the whole canvas in one motion.
  3. Day 3: a grid of 30 crossing lines, then 20 lines of different thickness through pressure.

Days 4–7: Ellipses and Simple Shapes

  1. Day 4: 60 ellipses at different tilts, each in one quick motion.
  2. Day 5: 20 ellipses drawn inside squares, a symmetry check.
  3. Day 6: a cube from three angles, then a cylinder and a cone.
  4. Day 7: 10 objects from the table, drawn with simple shapes only, 2 minutes each.

Week 2: Form and Proportion

Now lines turn into objects. The main skill of the week is comparing sizes by eye and not lying to yourself.

Days 8–11: Everyday Objects

  1. Day 8: a mug from life. A cylinder first, then the handle and the refinements.
  2. Day 9: a bottle and a glass side by side. Their relative heights matter.
  3. Day 10: a crumpled sheet of paper, contour only, no value.
  4. Day 11: a sneaker or a bag, an object with a complex silhouette.

Days 12–14: Measuring and Checking

  1. Day 12: draw an object while saying the proportions out loud: "the width is one and a half times smaller than the height."
  2. Day 13: the same object, then flip the canvas horizontally. Every skew shows up at once.
  3. Day 14: three objects as one group, checked by shrinking the picture to thumbnail size.

If the 20 minutes run out early, pick up extra tasks from the list of drawing practice assignments.

Shortcut

Save every file in one folder with names like day-07-ellipses. By the end of the month the folder itself becomes a visible chart of growth, and opening it will feel good.

Week 3: Value and Light and Shadow

Value turns a contour into volume. This week usually produces the most visible jump in the quality of the work.

Days 15–18: Value Scales and a Sphere

  1. Day 15: three value scales from white to black, each the full width of the canvas.
  2. Day 16: a five-step value scale with no blends, in even patches.
  3. Day 17: a sphere with one light source: light, midtone, shadow, and cast shadow.
  4. Day 18: the same sphere, but with the light from the side and from behind. The technique is broken down in the article on the value scale.

Days 19–21: A Still Life in Three Values

  1. Day 19: two objects, only three values: light, middle, and dark. No midtone blends.
  2. Day 20: the same set with a towel as drapery, and shadows between the objects.
  3. Day 21: a still life of three objects on separate layers. Ideas are in the guide on still life for beginners.

Week 4: Color and Composition

Color comes last, once value is under control. Otherwise bright shapes hide construction mistakes.

Days 22–26: A Palette of Three Colors

  1. Day 22: recolor the day 19 piece in three colors plus white.
  2. Day 23: one apple in a warm palette, then the same apple in a cool one.
  3. Day 24: sample the palette of a picture you love with the eyedropper, and paint it using your own object.
  4. Day 25: a piece in one color plus white and black. A pure value problem.
  5. Day 26: two complementary colors, one of them as an accent on 10 percent of the area.

Days 27–30: Your Own Piece from a Sketch

  1. Day 27: four sketches of one subject, postage-stamp size, then pick the best.
  2. Day 28: construct the chosen sketch on a large canvas, line only.
  3. Day 29: three values, the light, and cast shadows on a separate layer.
  4. Day 30: color, an accent, and final highlights. Rules from the article on composition will help you check the frame.

What to Do After 30 Days

The month is over, and you have thirty files in hand. That is material for a review, not just an archive.

Review the Folder of Work

Open day 1 and day 30 side by side. Write down three things that got better, and three that still fall apart. Those three weak spots become the topics of the next month.

A Second Round, a Little Harder

Go through the same plan again, with two changes: 30 minutes instead of 20, and harder objects. Instead of a mug, a wine glass. Instead of a sphere, drapery. Instead of a still life, a corner of a room in perspective. The structure stays. Only the bar rises.

Time to draw, not just read

Theory fades in a couple of days if you never use it. Open the editor and spend 15 minutes on what you just read. That is enough for the skill to stick.

Try it now

A free online editor: brushes, layers, a palette, and a shared canvas. No install and no sign-up.

Start drawing

Topics in this guide

← Paint by Number Online: Entertainment or Real Practice How to Draw from Reference: The Right Way to Use a Photo →