The Learn to Draw in an Hour a Day Challenge: Episode 3
In last week's episode of the Learn to Draw challenge, I tackled my first real study by following a step-by-step excercise to paint a detailed flowerpot from a simple cone shape. Working with these foundational techniques was extremely helpful in practicing essential skills and building up my confidence - after this, I felt ready to move on to the next section of Richard Taylor's Learn to Draw in an Hour a Day: Light and Shade.
Follow along as I kick off 2026 by taking on the Learn to Draw challenge, documenting the process! If you missed episodes 1 and 2, you can catch up here and here.
"It is probably true that there is nothing more important in drawing than establishing a sense of light and shade - seeing where the lightest areas of your subject are and then matching them with the corresponding shading, leaving the middle tones to form the bulk of the object being drawn." - Richard Taylor, Learn to Draw in an Hour a Day
With the above quote, Richard Taylor opens his section on light and shade. By kicking off each excercise in the book with succinct explanations like this, Richard lays out a clear approach to each technique, making them accessible for even the newest beginners.
I decided to follow the step-by-step excercise to draw a lamp, which was a surprisingly interesting study: the sphere and cone shapes create a strong curvature that you can sketch with long, sweeping lines of varying pressure, which was genuinely fun to do!
At this point in the challenge, I was really starting to feel the mental benefits of drawing every day. Each little project became an escape from everyday life, and a quiet space away from my phone. Working with Learn to Draw in an Hour a Day and drawing smaller pieces regularly was a significantly more relaxing experience than my previous attempts to jump straight in to advanced compositions, as it forced me to master one technique at a time before moving on to the next step. This is so much more fulfilling because each finished piece feels like a true achievement that helps your skills to progress.
Outside of the actual drawing experience, I also found that I was thinking more creatively in general at this stage. When my mind would wander during the day, I would often find myself picturing different drawings or paintings that I could work on - to me, this signified one of the most positive impacts of taking on the Learn to Draw challenge in that I was becoming more actively creative.
Building a habit like this can take time, but the benefits are innumerable, and I can imagine that after completing the whole book I would feel truly creatively inspired: after all, if you have the capability to produce beautiful drawings, then what's stopping you from putting your wildest visions down onto paper?
Next week, I'll be sharing the final video instalment of my journey tackling the Learn to Draw challenge! Make sure that you come back here to find out exactly how you can WIN a copy of the fantastic Learn to Draw in an Hour a Day!
- Jenny, Bookmarked Hub Team Member
Want to garauntee yourself a copy? Pre-order Learn to Draw in an Hour a Day now at the link here!
