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5 Drawing Goals For Beginners That You Can Start Today!

Aimlessly pursuing a hobby can be somewhat freeing, but also very scary.

You won’t be able to track your progress as easily, and the number of possibilities available to you can leave you with a blank paper in front of you. 

This is why having art goals helps you improve way faster and steadily!

Not only that but it will make the whole progress throughout your artistic journey way more fun, trust me.

So, let’s get onto the best drawing goals for beginner artists!

1) Try A New Medium/Tool Once A Month

drawings of different drawing materials and tools

It’s liberating to try something new once in a while. And, at times we want to try everything at once.

This can be a bit overwhelming since every tool has its learning curve, and going from one to another quickly means you might not learn any of them.

Or, at least, it makes the whole process much more difficult!

So here’s my recommendation: pick a time of the month when you’ll try something new!

Pick one medium that you want to focus on most of the time.

Then, make a list of other tools you want to try out.

illustration of different art mediums to draw and paint with
There are so many art mediums to choose from!

Put them in order of preference and choose the one you want to start with.

Then just pick a time in your calendar where you’re going to practice with it.

It can be for as many days as you want, but I recommend going for more than one day to make it a better drawing goal.

This way, whatever you learned will remain with you for longer.

15 Best Drawing Materials For Beginners cover

Now that you know what you want to learn, you have something to look forward to every month!

A time where you get to do something different. A nice change of pace in your routine.

Plus, you’re learning something new!

Really, it can’t get better than this!

Here’s a quick list of some new Mediums and Tools you can try out:

  • Watercolors;
  • Alcohol-based or water-based markers (they are very different to use, but both so much fun!);
  • Charcoal (one of the messiest tools that exist, but sometimes it’s good to allow ourselves to draw something messy!);
  • Canvas. Instead of paper, why not try something a bit different? If you’re working with paint, then canvas is probably a good choice to go with;
  • Acrylic paint;
  • Wood Board. This might sound a bit weird but wood has very interesting textures, which means you’ll get very interesting results with it. Not only that but you can use several tools in this one!
  • Ink;
  • Pen. Either fine liners, brushes, or simple pens like the Bic ones! They’re all very fun to work with and should be given a chance.

You can also go to my recommended tools page, there are a lot of tools and mediums in there along with some personal recommendations, that might inspire you!

These are just some examples, there’s so much out there to try out!

Do some research on the things that interest you and just go for it. 

There’s no better time than right now.

You can even go and learn some two-point perspective drawing with your new tool (here’s a guide).

2) Share Your Work (At Least) Once A Week!

Increase your Online Reach with Social Media! Tips for Self-Taught Artists

If you want people to see your work, consistency on social media is key!

Growing your social presence is very important.

But I’m not sharing this art goal because of the numbers.

Sharing your work once a week will help you feel more comfortable with your art being seen by others.

You also start to feel more comfortable with receiving feedback, if that’s what you’re looking for. 

Not only that, but you’ll get a better understanding of how each platform presents your art, and even teach you how to write a nice description for your work with practice!

This might not seem too important at the beginning.

But as you grow and start to want for people to know about you and to find you, you’ll learn how to best get their attention.

This is done not only through your art but also through your words and how you present yourself online!

Social media isn’t easy and you need more than your art to be successful at it.

So take it easy, step by step. Share your work because you enjoy it, find like-minded people.

Give and receive feedback and, above all, have fun!

3) Make 1 Sale In The Next Month

This is one of those drawing goals where you don’t have to feel pressured to do.

Many artists just like drawing, sculpting, etc, as a hobby and don’t care about earning money from it.

And, if that’s the case, stick with it!

Sell Your Art Online, A Complete Guide for Beginners! Learn to diversify your income by selling your art.

Still, selling your first artwork can be an amazing experience.

It really makes you feel better about yourself and your skills.

It can also lead you in very interesting paths.

Now, it doesn’t matter the actual price of the sale.

Even if it’s a 2$ sticker, that’s completely fine and actually quite amazing!

Just try and focus on getting that sale in the allotted time.

I recommend setting up a store on Redbubble.

It’s very easy to do and doesn’t take a whole lot of time.

Sell your Art Online! Treat your Art as a Business. This is a great art goal, to make a sale.

I’ve been selling my art online for quite some years now and even created a class on how to set up your online store.

So if this is something you want to learn more about, check it out here.

After setting up your store, you just need to reach out to your followers on social media or even just go around town asking if anyone’s interested in your work.

Get yourself out there!

One last note, feel free to change “the next month” to “the next 2 months” for example, if you feel that you need more time.

Or do the opposite and change it to “the next week” if you feel confident!

What matters is, if you want to do this, you take a step towards that goal!

One other thing, if instead of making 1 Sale you prefer to do Art commissions, that’s a good goal as well! Get one art commission this month. Here’s a guide on how you can sell art commissions easily.

4) Finish 1 Whole Art Project In The Next Month

We all have several projects in our minds that we want to get to someday.

But, the truth is…most of the time we end up forgetting about them.

Art projects, just like goals, are very important!

They help you be more consistent as an artist. This is especially true during a long art project, such as a webcomic, a graphic novel, or even a zine.

Illustration of different art projects for beginner artists
Art projects are a great way to learn as an artist!

With that said, you don’t need to do a long project! In fact, if you’re thinking of doing an entire graphic novel in 1 Month, I highly discourage you!

There’s just too much you need to do, so don’t overwhelm yourself.

You can, however, split a big project in smaller parts and work on it, one after the other.

Alternatively, you can focus on smaller art projects.

Drawing Fantasy Ears with a more Fishy look. For example for Mermaids.

For example, a themed sequence of art. Like 4 different mermaids, one for each season of the year.

Or 12 small sculptures, one for each zodiac sign.

Find something that interests and captivates you!

And adjust the time frame to suit you and your project.

Instead of just thinking about projects, really write them down and see which looks more doable at this moment.

This is the first step! Afterward, give yourself a due date for this project and write it down as well.

Now you’ll feel more motivated to finish it!

Just don’t give it a lot of time or you’ll just end up postponing it and never get around to it. (trust me on this!)

But the moment you write down your goal and set up a time to finish it, it will get much easier to start!

5) Set Your Schedule AND Draw Daily

set a timer and schedule to draw

This might seem like a weird art goal, but hear me out. 

The schedule isn’t just to make sure you work during working hours.

More importantly, this makes sure you take the breaks that you need.

Generally, artists tend to focus too much on their projects, and then they forget to take healthy breaks and even eat!

Not only that, but having a schedule ensures that you make a routine out of drawing.

If you want to improve and grow as an artist, you need some consistency.

And what easier way to achieve that, than by creating a schedule that fits your needs?

What’s important here is that you set a schedule that works for you, including breaks!

It can be daily, weekly, every weekend, you name it! What matters is that you can stick to it.

Are You Drawing Enough cover

Also, nothing you choose right now is set in stone.

If you choose a schedule but then realize it’s not for you, or it’s too hard to keep up, then make any modifications you need for it.

You might even need some tries until you find the best schedule for you.

But don’t give up on it, both your body and mind will thank you!

Sidenote: These are generally S.M.A.R.T. Art Goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Based). If one or more of these need some changes to meet your current skill level, just do it!

For example, change “the next month” to “the next 3 months” so you don’t feel as pressured.

Related Questions

I’ve set the drawing goals, but how do I stick to them?

I advise you to use an alarm on your phone to remind you, write them in a daily journal, or have a physical calendar with the dates for your drawing goals!

Be sure to also keep some milestones in between, just so you know you’re making progress on your art goal!

How can I make art less frustrating?

That’s a great but hard-to-answer question. To make art less frustrating it depends on each individual person, but most of the time this means you need to take a break.

And remember, your art skill is not equal to your worth as a person. Read more here on how to deal with artistic frustration!

5 art goals for beginners that you can start today, pinterest cover
DonCorgi

Patricia Caldeira is the main writer here at Don Corgi. She's an art teacher with over 20.000 happy students across many platforms and courses!

Enjoy your stay and as always:
Keep on drawing!

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