The following simple exercises are important to do for improving your coordination and hand-eye control. The more you do them the faster you will improve. Whereas with Dynamic Gesture drawing we are targeting learning how to move fluidly, and with traditional Life Drawing classes we study to refine anatomy. Here we want to target fine motor control, repetition, and a intimate understanding of your tools. The goal is to gain great familiarity with existing patterns, or invent our own. And learn how each can be rendered and stylized by any given implement. This will become a key element in developing your own visual grammar, or a recognizable traditional one.

Part of why we use simple patterns while we do this is so you can focus on the line qualities you get and not think much about what you are drawing. I also encourage general inventive doodling as part of this regime. ideally this will help you acquire skills useful when drawing fine detail and textures. Try to become as comfortable with these as handwriting, looking to be able to modulate and control the level of detail and precision without too much trouble. In time these practices should lend you the control you will need to make marks with greater intentionality, control and grace.

Original post by Syn Studio’s Dynamic Drawing teacher Salgood Sam, a well established illustrator and cartoonist. You can check out his homepage here!