Welcome to the first video in my newly revived YouTube series, where I’ll be exploring creativity by putting artistic exercises, prompts, and creative methods to the test.
Rather than simply demonstrating techniques, my goal is to experience them firsthand and honestly answer a simple question: Do they actually help us become better, more creative artists?
🎥 Watch the full video below and let me know what you think
For this first experiment, I’m trying artist Anita Reynolds’ 7-5-3 Line Drawing Exercise, originally shared through the Newlyn School of Art.
The challenge sounds almost too simple: draw the same reference image three different times using only seven lines, then five lines, and finally just three lines.
But what happens when you remove almost every mark you normally rely on?
Does working with severe limitations sharpen your observation? Improve your compositions? Lead to more intentional drawing?
Or is it simply an interesting exercise with limited practical value?
Instead of treating this as a tutorial, I approached it as an experiment. You’ll see my process, hear my thoughts as I work through each stage, and find out whether I think this exercise deserves a place in my own studio practice.
This is the first video since reviving the channel, so I’m still settling into being on camera and learning the editing process. I’d rather share the journey than wait until everything is perfect. My hope is that both the artwork and the videos will continue to improve with every experiment.
If you enjoy thoughtful explorations of creativity, I’d love to have you along for the journey. Please consider subscribing on YouTube, and if you have a favorite creativity exercise, drawing challenge, or artistic prompt you’d like me to test in a future episode, leave a comment here on the blog or over on YouTube. Your suggestions may become future videos.