Maybe do some longer drawings in between these. Switch up what you practice if you’re getting frustrated here. Come back to it later.

Hey @Michael Giff! Nice work on the Zolly challenge!! It’s totally valid to feel frustrated with this exercise, especially early on, but it can still be helpful at any level with the right mindset. When you hear "timed drawing," it can feel like the goal is SPEED or perfection under pressure—but that’s not the point. The timer isn’t there to make you draw faster; it’s there to help you learn how to prioritize and simplify. If you had 30 seconds to explain how to defuse a bomb, shouting as many instructions as fast as possible won’t save the day. Clear, direct communication will. Drawing with a timer is similar, it’s not about being quick; it’s about figuring out what matters most and communicating that with clarity. What does the viewer need to see to understand the drawing? What lines can you leave out, and which ones carry the most visual weight? That kind of insight comes through study, repetition, and trial and error. From what I’ve seen in your timed gestures and perspective studies, you’re already doing a solid job blocking in big forms and finding the line of action in your poses. You just need more time per drawing right now to clearly express your ideas—and that’s totally fine! I’d recommend starting with longer times. Warm up with 5-10 minutes per image. Give yourself space to think and observe while you draw, and once you’re comfortable try shortening your time to 2 minutes, then 1 minute, etc, and if you’re up for it, 30 seconds or less. But remember: 30-second or less sketches are about clarity, and simplification, not speed and pretty drawings! The real trap for beginners is getting stuck trying to perfect one drawing, instead of building mileage by doing many drawings. In a 20 minute session of drawing, you get more mileage out of drawing 20 unique one-minute poses, as opposed to spending twenty minutes drawing 1 individual pose. The timer helps you avoid that trap, prompting you to do your best, and move on to the next one which is how you improve fast! Jeff Watts once joked that “Quick Sketch” is actually more like “Slow Sketch” because experienced artists often spend 5-10 seconds of a 30-60 second pose just looking at the reference before they draw. They don’t rush, they plan. Then they commit to only what matters most. That said, don't worry if this exercise isn't working for you. It's meant to be difficult, fun, freeing, infuriating, and bordering on silly when you get to 5-10 second poses! There's no need to grind if it's proving too difficult right now. But if you keep practicing, and try this exercise again in a few months, you'll be surprised at your progress. I hope this helps, keep putting in the effort, and you'll see your work improve! Don't forget to have fun!!

More... drawings... yeah, we'll call them that.