The Learn to Draw in an Hour a Day Challenge: Episode 1
The Benefits of Drawing
Happy New Year! January is well underway, and, depending on where you are in the world, you're likely in the midst of freezing weather and icy storms. What better time of the year is there to beat the January blues by staying in the warmth of your home and picking up a new hobby that not only boosts happiness, but engages the brain?
Art is a popular creative outlet with endless niches to explore, but the recognised benefits of drawing are often overlooked. Scientists agree that drawing activates multiple areas of the brain, helping to improve motor-skills, focus, problem-solving, spatial perception and more - and that doesn't even include the emotional benefits! The calming practice of drawing also soothes the soul by easing depression, releasing stress, and providing an expressive outlet.
Taking on the Challenge
With such innumerable benefits to practicing art, I decided that 2026 was the year that I would finally learn this wonderful skill with the help of Richard Taylor's Learn To Draw in an Hour a Day.
This unique book is a complete guide to learning how to draw at your own pace, whether you would like to work on it for an hour a day or over the course of one weekend. With techniques ranging from the absolute basics to more advanced compositions, Learn to Draw in an Hour a Day is packed with expertise that can be utilised by total beginners, casual artists or those who haven't practiced their skills in a long time and are looking for a refresher.
In taking on this challenge, I'm hoping to not just get a break from the screens with a relaxing hobby, but also to sharpen my artistic skills and develop positive habits - imagine how much better life would be if you incorporated creativity into your daily routine! Follow along to see how I used Learn to Draw in an Hour a Day to embark on my drawing journey, and stay tuned for all four installments to find out how you can WIN a copy of this fantastic book!
Getting Started
I kicked off this challenge by starting where seemed to make the most sense - at the beginning. After perusing through the opening sections which cover art materials and how best to use them, I decided to warm up by practicing some basic techniques and simple shapes. Richard Taylor, the book's author and a prolific art tutor, has the philosophy that breaking down objects into shapes makes it considerably easy to start drawing them. He encourages you to practice this approach, and visualise the shapes of everyday items that you may like to draw - for example, a "bedside lamp as a cone balanced on top of a sphere."
Starting with these basic shapes was fantastic in helping me to get over the hump of how and where to begin drawing, as they leave no capacity for hesitation or overthinking. They also gave me the chance to work on shading, light and colour within simple subject matter - all-in-all, this simple project was surprisingly fulfilling, and motivated me to approach future work with these essential techniques in mind.
Next week, I'll be putting this theory into practice by turning a basic cone shape into an actual object - see you then!
Excited to start YOUR creative journey? Pre-order Learn to Draw in an Hour a Day at the link here today!
