Why I Teach People to Draw Fast
Feb 07, 2026
Most people do not struggle with drawing because they lack talent; they struggle because they spend too much time thinking and not enough time actually drawing. When adults tell me they “can’t draw,” what they usually mean is that they worry about getting things wrong. Planning a piece can feel productive, but it does not replace the act of committing lines to paper and finishing what you start. Confidence does not arrive before you draw; it develops through repetition. The more finished pieces you have behind you, the less intimidating the next blank page becomes.
This is the thinking behind my 15-minute doodle challenges. They are deliberately short, structured sessions designed to remove the space where overthinking usually takes hold. When you know you have fifteen minutes and a clear set of steps to follow, hesitation loses its grip. You begin, you keep going, and you finish. That rhythm matters more than the outcome of any single drawing because it builds momentum, and momentum is what most people are missing.
Working within a limited time frame also changes the way you relate to mistakes. When you are moving quickly through a drawing, small errors lose their drama. Instead of stopping to correct every imperfection, you adjust and continue. That shift is powerful. It turns mistakes into information rather than proof that you are “bad at art.”
There are fifteen of these doodle challenges, each built to fit into a busy day and simple enough to start without preparation. You do not need a full set of materials or a quiet afternoon. A Sharpie, a fineliner, some paper, and a willingness to begin are enough. If you want structure, start with the zombie and work your way through the series.
If you are trying to improve your drawing, the most effective change you can make is not to study more theory but to increase the number of drawings you actually finish. Set a timer, commit to the full fifteen minutes, and resist the urge to pause or restart. You do not need to draw perfectly; you need to draw regularly. When you make that shift, improvement becomes far less mysterious and far more predictable.
-Korp
