How to draw everyday: 4 laws to draw consistently

We’ve all been there: you’re motivated, you pick up your pencil, and draw. It’s so great, and you’re spending like 2 hours each day sketching and painting. You know you’re gonna be the next Miyazaki.

There are 4 laws that will help you build a daily drawing habit. Now I’m sharing the method with you.

The 1st Law: Make Drawing Obvious

Ever notice how you automatically reach for your phone when you sit on the couch? Or grab your coffee mug first thing in the morning? Our surroundings shape our actions more than we realize. The good news is, we can use this to make drawing just as natural as checking your phone. 

The trick isn’t motivation or talent – it’s setting up your environment so drawing becomes the easy choice.

1.1 The Habits Scorecard

Think you know when you could be drawing? Let’s find out. Most of us are running on autopilot throughout the day, missing dozens of potential sketching moments. The Habits Scorecard helps you spot these hidden opportunities.

The Process:
1. Write down your daily habits from wake-up to bedtime
2. Mark each habit: (+) for helpful, (-) for unhelpful, (=) for neutral
3. Look for those sneaky moments perfect for drawing

1.2 Implementation Intentions

“I’ll draw more” is about as useful as “I’ll start eating healthy.” Your brain needs specifics – think of it as giving your inner artist an actual appointment rather than a vague someday.

Formula: I will [DRAW] at [TIME] in [LOCATION]

Real examples that work:
• I will sketch for 10 minutes at 9:00 AM at my desk
• I will practice figure drawing at 6:00 PM in my reading chair
• I will draw one object at 7:30 PM at the kitchen table

1.3 Habit Stacking

Already have a solid coffee routine? Great – let’s piggyback on that. Habit stacking is like giving your new drawing habit a reliable ride with an established habit.

Formula: After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [DRAW]

Try these:
• After I pour my morning coffee, I will draw one object from my breakfast
• After I finish lunch, I will sketch whatever’s on my desk
• After I sit down for my evening Netflix, I will draw for the first 5 minutes

1.4 Environment Design

Your space can make drawing either the obvious choice or an uphill battle. Let’s make it the easy option.

1. Make drawing obvious
   • Keep your sketchbook open – a closed book is like a “do not disturb” sign
   • Create a cozy drawing corner that practically whispers “come sketch here”
   • Have sketchbooks everywhere – by the couch, on your desk, near your bed

2. Make distractions less obvious
   • Keep your phone out of sight during sketch time
   • Clear the visual noise from your drawing space
   • Turn your setup away from screens

3. Prepare your environment
   • Have your tools ready to go
   • Keep your references within arm’s reach
   • Make your space inviting, not precious (I know it’s hard, but don’t be afraid to “destroy” your pretty sketchbook with an ugly drawing – otherwise, you’ll never even use it!)

Remember: You’re not creating a perfect artist’s studio – you’re just making it easier to pick up that pencil than to scroll through Instagram.

The 2nd Law: Make Drawing Attractive

Our brains are wired to chase things that feel good. It’s why scrolling through social media can become automatic, while starting a sketch feels like pushing a boulder uphill. But what if we could flip this around? The second law is about making drawing the thing your brain craves.

This is where a bit of psychology comes in handy: every habit has a craving behind it. The key is to make drawing the most appealing option in the room.

2.1 Temptation Bundling

Pair something you need to do with something you want to do. It’s like creating your own reward system, but better because you get the reward right away.

Formula: I will [DRAW] while [ENJOYABLE ACTIVITY]

Try these bundles:
• Draw while listening to your favorite podcast
• Sketch during your morning coffee ritual
• Practice gesture drawing while watching TV shows
• Join a virtual drawing meetup with friends

2.2 Join the Right Culture

We’re social creatures who tend to adopt the habits of those around us. When you surround yourself with other artists, drawing becomes the normal thing to do.

So, find your art tribe & share your art with tem:
   • Join online sketching groups
   • Follow active artists on social media
   • Participate in drawing challenges
   • Share your work, even if it’s just with one friend

2.3 Create a Motivation Ritual

A pre-game routine can get you in the right headspace for drawing. Athletes have warm-up routines – artists can have them too.

So, how do you design your ritual?

1. Choose your trigger: Make your favorite drink, set a timer, etc.
2. Keep it short: Stretch for 2 minutes or spend 30 seconds clearing your desk.

Your ritual should feel like stepping through a doorway into your creative space, even if that space is just a corner of your kitchen table.

Remember: We’re not trying to rely on motivation – we’re making drawing so attractive that it becomes the default choice. Think of it as psychological design rather than force of will.

It is the anticipation of a reward—not the fulfillment of it—that gets us to take action.The greater the anticipation, the greater the dopamine spike. – James Clear

The 3rd Law: Make Drawing Easy

Did you know that Leonardo da Vinci carried a small sketchbook tied to his belt, making it impossible to forget? This simple habit helped him create over 13,000 pages of drawings and notes during his lifetime. The lesson? Make your tools accessible, and you’ll use them more.

3.1 Reduce Friction

Every extra step between you and your drawing practice is an opportunity to get derailed. So, remove the barriers:

1. Physical barriers: • Keep drawing tools unpacked and visible • Have multiple sketch stations •
2. Mental barriers: • Stop waiting for inspiration • Remove the pressure to create masterpieces • Lower your expectations for each session

3.2 Prime Your Environment

Your future self is lazy – help them out by setting things up in advance.

• Sharpen pencils before you need them
• Keep sketchbooks open to fresh pages
• Have references ready
• Clear your drawing space after each session
• Charge your iPad

3.3 Master the Decisive Moment

Small choices are the stewards of our habits. The moment you pick up your pencil is more important than the hundred moments that follow. Make this moment as easy as possible.

• Morning: Sketchbook next to coffee maker
• Work breaks: Small sketchbook on desk
• Evening: Drawing tools by your relaxation spot

3.4 The Two-Minute Rule

Here’s a surprising fact: Picasso created over 50,000 artworks in his lifetime, but he didn’t start by painting masterpieces. He started with small sketches, just like everyone else. The Two-Minute Rule isn’t about limiting your drawing time – it’s about making the habit so easy to start that you can’t say no.

This rule works because of a simple truth about habits: getting started is the hardest part. Once you begin drawing, you often find yourself wanting to continue. It’s like pushing a heavy boulder – it requires enormous energy to start moving, but once it’s rolling, it takes much less effort to keep it going.

What makes itparticularly powerful for artists is that the 2-minute rule removes the pressure of creating something significant. When you commit to just two minutes, you free yourself from the weight of expectations. Ironically, this often leads to longer, more productive sessions.

Two-Minute Drawing Tasks:

• Quick gesture drawing
• One continuous line drawing
• Three-shape sketch
• 30-second portrait

3.5 Automation

While creativity itself can’t be automated, everything around it can be.

Automation works because it takes advantage of our natural tendency to follow pre-made decisions. When you’ve already decided when, where, and how you’ll draw, you bypass the mental negotiation that often prevents you from starting. 

1. Digital automation:
   • Drawing time reminders
   • Progress tracking apps
   • Reference image collections (my drawing prompt generator my also come in handy)
   • Social sharing schedules

2. Physical automation:
   • Workspace reset routine
   • Drawing kit preparation

3. Social automation:
   • Scheduled drawing meetups
   • Accountability check-ins
   • Progress sharing routine
   • Community engagement plans

When all these elements work together – reduced friction, primed environment, mastered decisive moments, two-minute starts, and automation – drawing becomes less of a conscious choice and more of a natural flow in your day. Once you begin, the act of creation takes over, and the habit builds itself.

The less energy a habit requires, the more likely it is to occur. – James Clear

The 4th Law: Make Drawing Satisfying

We’re more likely to repeat behaviors that make us feel good. It sounds obvious, but here’s the catch: our brains are wired for immediate satisfaction, not long-term rewards. This presents a unique challenge for artists because the real rewards of consistent practice – improved skills, a developed style, a substantial portfolio – take time to materialize.

The Fourth Law bridges this gap between immediate and long-term rewards. While you can’t rush the process of becoming a better artist, you can engineer small wins and satisfying moments that keep you coming back to your sketchbook.

What is immediately rewarded is repeated. What is immediately punished is avoided. – James Clear

4.1 Use Reinforcement

The time gap between action and reward is crucial for habit formation. The closer these two are, the stronger the habit becomes. This explains why social media is so addictive – the reward (likes, comments) comes almost instantly.

Most artists make the mistake of only finding satisfaction in finished pieces they’re proud of. This sets up an unrealistic reward schedule that can’t sustain a daily habit. Instead, we need to find satisfaction in the process itself, creating immediate rewards that keep us coming back.

1. Process celebrations:
   • Mark completed pages in your sketchbook
   • Use a satisfying stamp or sticker system
   • Track your daily drawing streak (I use Habitica for that)
   • Share your process, not just results

2. Progress tracking:
   • Keep a log of drawing time
   • Document improvements, however small
   • Create before/after comparisons
   • Maintain a digital portfolio of all work (I treat my Instagram as a portolio, and Cara also has a great portfolio option)

4.2 Make “Not Drawing” Unsatisfying

The key is to make this constructive rather than punitive. You’re not punishing yourself for missing a day; you’re creating a gentle pull back to your practice. This works because our brains are more motivated to avoid negative feelings than to pursue positive ones.

1. Create positive tension:
   • Empty spaces in your habit tracker
   • Blank pages in your sketchbook
  • Penalty points in Habitica

2. Accountability methods:
   • Public commitments
   • Online challenges
   • Progress sharing

4.3 Habit Tracking

Habit tracking might seem like just another task, but it’s actually a form of instant gratification. Each mark on your tracker gives you a hit of satisfaction, doesn’t it? Check these tracking methods:

4.4 Never Miss Twice

This rule is the safety net of habit formation. Everyone misses a day occasionally – even the most successful artists have off days. The key is not to let a missed day become a missed week. If you didn’t draw on Monday, make sure you can spend at least two minutes drawing on Tuesday, and try to maintain the drawing streak again. This principle works because it prevents the perfectionist trap that often derails artists: the feeling that if you can’t do it perfectly, you shouldn’t do it at all.

A simple bounce-back plan

   • Minimum viable drawing session: Set a time for 2 minutes, and make the first step!
   • Emergency art kit: I recommend a set of a pencil (I like HB or 2B) and a rubber.
   • Alternative practice methods: It might be that you’ve been sticking to one theme/medium/type practice for a long time, and you’re simply bored. If that’s the case, explore new areas. For example, if you mainly paint landscape in watercolor, try simple gesture practice with ink.
   • Quick recovery exercises: Do simple exercises. If you start with them, it will be easier to move on to something more complicated. 🙂 Examples: figure gesture drawing in 30-60 seconda intervals. [CREATING A BIG LIST OF DRAWING EXERCISES IS MY GOAL FOR 2025, SO STICK WITH ME 😝 You can subscribe to my newsletter to be sure you won’t miss it.)

Remember: The goal isn’t just to draw more often; it’s to become the kind of person who draws naturally and consistently.

But I don’t know what to draw!

Don’t know what to draw? Choose something you like, something that inspires you, or evokes nice memories.

I usually draw from my photos, and I take photos of places I’ve been to. This way, they mean something to me and are not just random and generic photos from the Internet.

A few ideas on what you can draw:

• a quick sketch from imagination,
• a drawing of an everyday object (for example, something from your desk or room),
• a life drawing,
• do some drawing exercises (I would save this for the worst days, when you really have ZERO motivation), or…
• 💖 TOP: use my drawing idea generator (you’re gonna love it, I promise).

How to draw everyday: complementary methods

To give yourself an additional boost, you can also try the methods below.

A. Participate in a daily drawing challenge 

It’s a great way to improve your drawing skill very quicky, yet quite extreme. In the end, drawing every day for 30 days is very draining, both physically and mentally.

However, I can promise you that after one month you’ll see a definite difference in your art. And if you’ll post your drawings online, you can even get 1000+ followers overnight (no clickbait – quite unexpected, but it actually happened to me).

Don’t know what challenge to participate in? Here’s a list of monthly art challenges.

B. Set a daily alarm to remind you to draw

It’s quite prosaic, but maybe the reason you can’t keep drawing everyday is because… you forget to do it. I know, I know, it’s super obvious, but maybe it applies to you? If that’s the case, simply set on a daily alarm that will remind you about it.

C. Count how much time you’ll spent drawing per year

Let’s assume you decide to draw for 17 minutes everyday. Seventeen minutes per day for 365 days is roughly 104hours, which is equivalent to 4 days and 3h of drawing. 

These 17 minutes are not a lot per day; you probably waste more time mindlesslsy watching tiktoks. You definitely can find some time to draw. 

One year passess, and you’ll have drawn for 104 hours. 104 hours vs 0h makes quite a difference, doesn’t it?

Calculate how much time you could spend drawing per year. Then, every time you don’t have the motivation to pick up the pencil, think about it. Think about where you can be in one year if you stick to your resolution.

How to draw everyday. Summary

Building your drawing skills is more achievable than you might think. Just give it a try; you’ll be amazed at how your skill level can soar. 

Let me know in the comments below if the method worked in your case. I believe in you!

Art Newsletter

Be sure to sign up for my newsletter for more art learning resources and blog updates: