A Better Way to Practice

Whenever I learn something new, I feel like nothing is getting into my brain. Then, a few weeks later, everything suddenly clicks.

The older I get, the funnier I find this process, remembering how frustrating it used to be.

I've recently started logging my practice, and it's been an eye-opener into how I function when learning. Looking back at my progress made me realize a few things I'd like to improve.

Eight weeks on, one week off

I'm going to experiment with cycles of eight weeks of structured practice followed by one week away from the routine.

The idea comes from my workout routine, where eight weeks feels long enough to accumulate enough practice to see meaningful progress without being so long that I end up exhausted by the end.

The week off wouldn't necessarily mean stopping everything, but rather taking a break from structured exercises to work on side projects or simply enjoy what I've learned.

Setting weekly goals

After two weeks, I realized that simply following a routine wasn't enough. I needed goals to give each week some direction and regularly evaluate how things were going.

Monthly goals feel a bit too distant, especially when I can't predict how quickly I'll progress. Weekly goals give me something concrete to aim for while letting me review what worked, what didn't, and what needs to change before planning the following week.

Nothing particularly ambitious, but enough to maintain some focus without having to figure out what to do every day.

Making the exercises count

When I started doing line-art studies of characters I like, I focused too much on reproducing details rather than understanding the underlying structure.

After watching a few demonstrations, I changed my approach. I now start with proportions and basic shapes, correcting mistakes before moving on to the line art. This way, I'm learning how characters are constructed rather than simply copying their outlines.

It's interesting how a subtle change in approach can make the difference between completing an exercise and actually developing a skill.

It also made me reconsider how strictly I should follow the course. I'd rather adapt exercises to what I need to improve than complete every assignment exactly as prescribed.

The goal is to learn to draw, not to finish a course.

What's next

I'm curious to see how much progress I can make with a more focused approach.

If there's one thing I'd recommend, it's to start logging your practice. Not necessarily to track how much you're doing, but simply to better understand how you learn, what works for you, and what doesn't.

And, as usual, I expect my brain to take a few weeks before letting me know whether any of it worked.