Sketching isn’t always about creating a perfect drawing - sometimes it’s simply about slowing down, reconnecting, and giving yourself a few peaceful moments in your day. In this video, I’m sharing 3 gentle sketching exercises that I personally use to unwind, de-stress, and find calm.
Whether you have just 5 or 10 minutes, these mindful practices will help you breathe, observe, and enjoy the act of drawing without pressure or perfectionism.
In this video you’ll learn:
🌿 A slow, continuous contour drawing exercise
🌬 How to “draw your breath” to reconnect with your body
✏️ Expressive mark making to explore emotion and energy
These exercises are simple, grounding, and perfect for building a mindful creative habit. If you enjoy this style of sketching and want to go deeper, you’re warmly invited to explore my Tiny Moments online course - a self-paced program designed to help you build a gentle, presence-filled sketching practice.
Want more guided Tiny Moments?
My online sketching course Tiny Moments is a mindful, self-paced program that helps you weave small bursts of creativity into everyday life, one sketch at a time. Find out more about Tiny Moments.
Free stuff
Materials I love
*some of these are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase on the site after clicking these links, I could earn a commission.
- Large Moleskin Sketchbook
- Pocket Moleskin Sketchbook
- UniPin Fine liner pens
- Lamy Safari Fountain Pen
- Blackwing Palomino Pencils
- Winsor and Newton Sketchers Watercolour Set
- Caran D’Ache Neocolor II watercolor wax pastel set
- Winsor and Newton Designers Gouache
- Grey Brush Pen (Pitt Artist Pen)
- Polychromos Pencils
About me
I’m Susan – artist, author and sketchbook hoarder. I teach aspiring sketchbook artists just like you, how to live more creatively, re-discover your inner artist, build confidence in drawing, fill sketchbooks and make art you can be proud of. Find out more about me.
To re-discover your love of sketching please visit my Start Sketching page.
