Sketching Every Day: What 365 Days Taught Me

I committed to one sketch a day for a full year. No rules on medium or subject — just mark-making, daily.

What Changed

Speed. By month three, I was capturing a pose or scene in under five minutes. Not because I rushed — because my hand stopped second-guessing my eye.

Comfort with bad work. The streak forces you to publish bad sketches. Day 47 is rough. Day 48 still gets posted. After a while, the judgment quiets.

A visual archive. 365 sketches is a diary. I can open any week and remember exactly where I was and what I was thinking about.

What Didn't Change

I'm not a better painter because of it — I'm a better observer. Painting still requires patience and planning that daily sketching doesn't train. They're complementary, not equivalent.

Should You Do It?

If you're stuck, yes. Streaks remove the friction of starting. The blank page is less scary when you've filled 200 of them.

Start with a cheap A6 sketchbook and a single pen. Don't optimise the setup — optimise the habit.