You’ve probably heard of Type A and Type B people. If you’re a Type B person, you can probably skip this article.
I’m classic Type A. There’s a deadline for everything. And when people walk slowly and get in my way, it drives me nuts! I’m very forgiving of older or injured folks. But young, healthy people who walk slowly and get in my way?
Everything I do, I do fast. If I don’t learn something fast, I get frustrated. That’s probably why I get frustrated learning foreign languages. I really struggle.
The good thing is the older you get, the more you learn to play to your strengths. Type A people get a lot done in life, then die young because we burn out and collapse. But, we’ve sure accomplished a lot!
Yeah, life’s a trade off. No such thing as a perfect life.
Anyways, drawing. Drawing is the root of all art. If you can’t draw, your art will suck. I detest Modernism as most of these people are hacks.
Sure, I love certain pop artists like Roy Lichtenstein, Gil Elvgren, Mel Ramos, and especially Frank Frazetta. That’s totally different. They actually had talent.
But the ones who just do abstract crap and can’t even draw? Those aren’t artists. They’re hacks.
5 minute sketches
So I do everything I can to be more like my heroes and less like those hacks. The best thing for me is a daily routine, which includes a 5 minute sketch as a warmup.
I take a picture. I’ve used a lot from Game of Thrones. This one is of Paulina Rubio because lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Spanish music, trying to regain the Spanish I used to know.
I love music. Paulina Rubio is a Mexican pop singer. A lot of her songs are actually pretty good. They make you want to get up and dance.
Plus, she’s hot, which definitely inspires me to draw her.
Was it any good? Of course not! It’s a five minute sketch. Had I had 15-20 minutes, it would be pretty good.
But that’s not the point of this exercise. The point is to increase your speed and efficiency. You learn not to waste time.
Does she look like Paulina Rubio? Sort of. Paulina looks way better than my five minute sketch. But that’s ok. Once again, it’s an exercise to improve your speed and efficiency.
Note the focus
Note what I focused on for this five minute sketch. Paulina Rubio’s three strongest characteristics are her eyes, her lips, and her hair. She’s known for her hair. How many pop singers have hair that can rival Paulina Rubio’s?
She also has the loveliest eyes and lips. I’m really going to emphasize them.
A year from now, my five minute sketches will look much better. I actually wish I had been doing this exercise all along. This is something I recently started doing.
But since you only got five minutes, focus on the characteristics that make the subject special, whether you’re painting a bowl of fruit, a seascape, or a person.
Super easy
Anyways, a 5 minute sketch is super easy. You set the timer on your watch or phone for 5 minutes. And then you draw.
You learn efficiency. You learn not to waste time. And you learn to just draw.
It helps your focus and your speed.
I like getting things done. It drives me nuts if at the end of the day, I feel like I haven’t accomplished something. That’s a horrible feeling to me. Guts me at the core of my being.
Yes, I’m classic Type A. Like I said, this article wasn’t meant for Type B people.
I sometimes envy them because they can do this thing called “relax.” That’s something I’m not capable of without a stiff drink.
Yeah, I’m flawed. But at least I’ll never lie to you.
Try it
Anyways, try it. 5 minute sketches. First thing in the morning. You wake up, grab a picture you like, set the timer for 5 minutes, and draw!
Then when the timer stops, you put the pencil down.
This is a lifelong thing that I actually love doing. A year from now, my five minute sketches will actually look pretty good.
