10 ESSENTIAL SKETCHBOOK WARM-UP EXERCISES TO GET INTO THE CREATIVE FLOW

Summary from the TLDR Design newsletter

Sketchbook warm-up exercises help artists loosen up physically and mentally, improving line quality, coordination, and focus before drawing. Common warm-ups include mark-making, drawing parallel lines, circles, shading, scribbling, blind contour drawing, 3D forms, gesture sketches, and creating variations—all designed to build confidence and fluidity. Some artists warm up by directly planning elements of their upcoming sketch.