Drawing for Relaxation

This drawing technique is perfect for non-judgement: your aim is to put down as many lines as you can using a soft pencil allowing your subject to take shape. I chose my exuberant oregano plant, draping it over my sketchbook for a full multisensory mindfulness through making experience.

1. Choose a subject and set up your artist's space. Consider doing this first thing in the morning instead of scrolling or watching the news. Morning light is wonderful for creativity.

2. Select your materials: a simple HB pencil will do or a couple of pencils of different strengths if you have them. If you want to add colour or ink choose some colouring pencils or watercolour paint and some ink pens. Do you have a sketchbook you never use? Get that! Or if not, any bit of paper you can get your hands on, remember this is about letting go of perfectionism and enjoying the process of making. Art is also about seeing what materials you have and what you can do with them.

3. Time to draw! First of all, forget about the part of yourself that cannot draw and remember that this is about relaxation. Finding the right line isn’t easy, that is why learning to draw takes a lot of practice; this is also why this exercise is so wonderful as drawing practice and is relaxing too. You don’t need to reach for your eraser, you will be drawing lots of light pencil lines paying some homage to the shapes you see in your subject. Do it relatively quickly, as though you are sculpting lines with your pencil rather than carefully attempting to perfect them. As you put down many light lines, your subject will emerge, and you can begin to press down harder on the lines you wish to pop out, making them darker and bolder.

4. Relax, relax, relax. Remember this activity is for you, to connect you with the part of yourself that simply loves to create without judgement or criticism.

5. When you are ready to complete your practice, add the date and put the picture in a safe place, congratulations you have finished some mindful drawing!

Extras

I came back to my piece over the next few days to add colour by colouring it in with watercolour pencils and to add definition with a black fineliner.

If you are happy with your piece, you don’t have to colour it right away, photograph or scan it in so you have a template for mindful colouring.

Happy mindfulness through making.