How to Draw Faster

Hello everyone, today we’re going to talk about a goal that many artists set for themselves at one point or another: to draw faster. Whether it's to improve, fill a sketchbook, capture movement, or simply increase flow and fluidity, learning to draw quickly isn’t just about pure speed, but about confidence, understanding, and simplification.

Why do you want to draw faster?

Firstly, it's important to understand why you want to speed up. Is it to become more efficient in your studies, to capture scenes on the fly during your travels, or simply to go back to a freer and more spontaneous stroke movement? The answer changes the way you practice.

Drawing quickly does not mean rushing, but rather getting down to the basics. It involves observing, understanding the scene, and simplifying shapes without focusing too much on details. The more you know what you want to show, the clearer and more fluid your stroke will be.

In reality, it's not your hand that needs to speed up, but your observation. When the eye quickly understands the volumes and important lines, the hand naturally follows, with confidence and a light touch.

Finally, do not forget that what you consider to be "drawing quickly" for yourself may not be the same for someone else, and that's not a problem. Everyone has their own pace, their way of observing and constructing an image. The important thing is not to go faster than others, but to find the rhythm that allows you to remain both focused and relaxed. It is at that point that drawing becomes fluid, natural and truly enjoyable.

For example, the drawing below took me about 70 hours. I suppose that for you, that seems an extremely long time, but for me, it's the opposite, as this kind of image can usually take up to 100 hours, so I consider 70 to be fast.

Simplify shapes

When starting out, there is a tendency to lack a bit of discipline in drawing, and that’s completely normal. While not everyone is looking for a precise methodology, it is exactly this structured approach that leads to an optimized process and, eventually, the ability to draw faster. The most common way to proceed is simplification. The idea is to not get lost in the details, but to lay down clear foundations to build the drawing.

A human body, for example, can be simplified into a few basic shapes: a cylinder for the arms, a sphere for the head, a cube for the torso. This construction step enables quick placement of proportions and axes of motion without getting caught up in the smaller elements. Once these large body parts are established, you can refine the contours, add shadows, and details that will bring the whole drawing to life.

This method makes drawing faster, but also more confident. Your strokes become more accurate because you already know where you are going. You're no longer trying to represent everything at once; you build your drawing step by step, with clarity and efficiency.

Draw every day, even just a little

Speed comes naturally with practice. The more you draw, the more your hand gets accustomed, your movements become precise, and your brain anticipates the shapes even before you draw them.

Drawing quickly is not a matter of talent, but of muscle memory. Each sketching session, each page in a sketchbook enhances this familiarity. It is better to draw for 15 minutes a day than for 3 hours once a week: regularity breeds automation. The ideal is to set aside some time every day to practice, even if only for a short period. You can choose to do imaginative drawing, or observational drawing, or even practice exercises... The most important thing is just to draw.

Learn to let go

Many people draw slowly not due to a lack of technique, but because they're afraid of making mistakes. They search for the perfect line, erase, correct, and start over... and the drawing loses all spontaneity. However, the secret to drawing quickly is to accept imperfection. An imperfect, yet lively, stroke conveys much more energy than a rigid and controlled line. Be bold and make the stroke, even if it's not right: it's by letting the pencil glide freely that the hand becomes more flexible.

You may have thought to yourself, "my sketch is better than the inking" - this is often because the strokes were more basic and therefore convey more dynamism. That's exactly the principle to aim for.

Work on visual memory

Drawing fast also involves learning to remember what you see. When you observe a model, a landscape, or a scene, take a few seconds to mentally visualize the outlines before drawing them. This will help you be more confident when drawing from memory.

Visual memory develops like a muscle. Practice sketching everyday objects without looking at the sheet, or after only a few seconds of observation. This exercise pushes you to synthesize information, which naturally speeds up drawing. One of the best exercises is to observe the subject for one to two minutes and then try to redraw it in about the same amount of time.

Use the right tools to draw faster

Some tools promote speed:

- An ink pen or a fine marker avoids the temptation to erase.
- A soft pencil or charcoal enables shapes to be drawn quickly.
- Fine-grain paper offers less resistance and facilitates smooth strokes.
- Test different media to find the one that best complements your technique. A good tool does not speed up drawing alone, but it does enhance comfort and spontaneity.

Below you have an example in charcoal, a particularly effective technique for quickly sketching lively and expressive drawings.

Draw from life

Nothing develops speed as much as outdoor observational drawing. Whether it's on the street, at a café, or in a park, these situations force you to draw quickly, to capture the basics before the scene changes. It's an excellent exercise for learning to simplify, prioritize shapes, and find your rhythm.

To conclude, drawing faster is not a race against time, it's about learning to trust your eye and your hand. Speed comes from clarity: the more you know what you want to draw, the more accurate and natural your strokes become.

So, don't try to set a record, but find your own pace. Each quick sketch is an opportunity to be unrestricted, gain confidence, and rediscover the joy of drawing.

Writer and illustrator: Chloé Pouteau