Eight Reasons To Draw Circles Every Day
Whether you’re a seasoned artist or beginning your journey, drawing circles is a simple but very effective exercise you should consider adding to your creative practice. Here are eight reasons to draw circles every day:
1. Warmup
Drawing circles is a simple warm-up exercise to do when you are going to sit down to draw or paint. It will loosen up your hand, which may help get all the jitters out, giving you controlled and fluid strokes like calligraphers and hand-letterers warm up with pages of figure eights and ovals. It is an artistic stretch also to warm your mind for the creative process.
2. Movement
Drawing circles is a great way to practice drawing with your whole arm. The kinds of marks you make when you draw are different than writing. For everyday writing, most of the movement comes from the wrist. In sketching and drawing, the movement comes from your arm, even your shoulder, unless you need more detailed work. Drawing circles, especially for beginners, is a good way to practice what may be a new movement type.
3. Learn Different Grips
The way most of us hold a pen or pencil for everyday writing, like the tripod grip or something similar, is a restrictive motion that comes mainly from our wrists. Different pencil grips for drawing allow for more expressive and gestural lines, like an overhand grip that extends the movement beyond your wrist. If this is a new way to hold a drawing tool, having something simple, like circle drawing, will simplify the practice and give your body time to get used to this new technique.
4. Explore Line Variations
Most drawing tools, even many pen and ink tools, show variations in how thick or thin and how light and dark the marks can get depending on how much pressure is applied or the angle of the tool on the paper. Accomplished artists are intentional about these variations, and it is a learnable skill that will distinguish your drawings. When doing your circle drawings, you can practice this by starting with light marks and then going darker as you find the correct placement for your circle. And when you move on to practicing spheres, these line variations can add depth and volume to this simple shape.
5. Play with Art Supplies
These circle warmup drills are a fun way to explore your art supplies and learn the various textures, line weights, and colors you can get from your drawing tools. It’s a practical way to understand different drawing surfaces and refamiliarize yourself with forgotten tools. It’s also an excellent exercise to learn the differences between pencil grades, for example, how much lighter an HB pencil is than an 8B. You may discover a new favorite tool in this process!
On these pages, I tested different sizes of micron pens, pencil hardness, and a colored pencil set.
6. Master Basic Shapes
One method to improve your drawings is to break down complex forms into basic shapes. Circles, ovals, squares, and rectangles are fundamental shapes artists use to simplify complex structures. I like practicing with circles first, as it’s a fluid and flowing movement that gets your whole arm moving. But drawing all the other basic shapes, even just sketching pages of lines, are helpful exercises to develop your drawing skills.
7. Something is Better than Nothing
For days that feel blocked and uncreative, have a go-to warmup drill, like drawing circles, to get you going. It will save time trying to think of what to draw, and new ideas can pop up once you get your hand into a flow. The hardest part is getting started, and as Picasso famously said, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” And if all you do is a page of circles, you still accomplished something to nurture your creative practice today.
Try this exercise on digital drawing apps. It’s an effective way to test out digital brushes. Here I am playing with the feel of different “Inking” pixel brushes in Adobe Fresco.
8. Progress, not Perfection
No one can draw perfect circles, but the more you draw circles, the better you will get at it. Same with drawing in general. It’s a lifetime practice that is always evolving. Building the routine and enjoying the process is the goal.
Final Thoughts
Improve your drawing by building a sustainable habit that fits your daily routine. Easier said than done, right? Drawing circles is a fun and non-intimidating way to practice and improve, and it lets me feel like I can get some art practice even on the most hectic days. Look for simple hacks that resonate with you and can easily integrate into your life. And enjoy your journey!
