I just wrapped up another YouTube livestream and realized something — I’m rusty with my gesture drawings. Lately I’ve been focused on longer pieces, and my quick-drawing skills have taken a hit. Why should this matter to you? If you were drawing along with me, maybe you struggled too. A big part of that struggle comes down to touch. Gesture drawing is like a muscle — it needs regular, short bursts of training. I’m not talking hours a day, just 20–30 minutes.

You can’t expect to dive into timed poses without warming up this skill. Practice one- and two-minute drawings. It will help you:

• See faster
• Avoid over-outlining
• Loosen up
• Try new techniques
• Economize your line

Gesture drawing is its own art form. There’s no single “right” way to do it — trial and error is key until you find your style.

During the livestream, I started with a mechanical pencil on small paper and it felt stiff. But once I switched to a china marker on big newsprint, everything clicked. My favorite drawing happened at the very end. So, get out there and draw for the wastebasket. Ignore the idea of one correct approach — experiment and have fun.

And if you want a second set of eyes on your work, my Artist’s Accelerator Four-Session Coaching might be just what you need to get over that gesture drawing hump.

— Matthew