Following the idea of the 30-day drawing challenges, I made up 10 subject lists of 30 items each (10 “sets”), so that each will take you about a month to complete, if you do a drawing-a-day.

The 10 “sets”:

1. Objects (everyday objects you can easily copy, plus a couple of fantasy ones)
2. Human figure, performing specific poses or actions. Every human figure list is divided, 15 male and 15 female, so I have to practice both
3. Human faces, practicing different expressions and different hair styles
4. Human figure, now specifying “non-fantastic” roles and professions. Here the goal is to observe more carefully clothing, accessories, manipulating items…
5. Animals
6. Human figure, fantastic, historical of sci-fi types
7. Fantastic beasts and monsters
8. Vehicles (real and fantastic)
9. Buildings
10. Scenery

10 sets means about 300 drawing “challenges” or ideas, grouped by topics and building up towards increasing complexity and difficulty. (There is a sci-fi/fantasy theme in some of the lists, which you can skip over if that is not your thing). Already I am finding the need for some “supplemental” lists, that I will list here as the need for them grows.

Supplemental set 1 (Set 11): Hands

This is a big project. I’m only a few challenges in, so I’ll probably be changing many things as I go. I can’t, obviously, guarantee results; but I can tell you that I have personally learned a LOT just by trying to draw things that I hadn’t tried before.

Since I want to start with the basics (pencil sketches) and incorporate more advanced techniques all the way to digital painting, and hopefully develop something of my own style on the way, I’ve combined these sets with a list of 8 “techniques.” More on these in future posts. This is the list:

The 8 techniques:   (These will be explained further in a new post)

1.	Pencil studies: rough sketches of any kind; the goal is to investigate the “inner structure” of your objects.
2.	Clean lines (or “line art”): sketches are fun, but now push yourself to finish a drawing!
3.	2-D simplified sketches (like old clipart or signs).
4.	Digital line art, going from sketches to cleaned lines but on your computer or tablet. The goal is to become familiar with basic tools of digital drawing (tablet, program, brushes…)
5.	Digital doodling. Very basic/abstract, quick representations.
6.	Basic digital coloring. Begin exploring tools for coloring. The focus is on learning how to use the tools and exploring palettes, rather than on getting the details (shading, lighting) “right.”
7.	2-D design (traditional or digital), Another foray into the abstract, but here looking more intentionally for a “logo” look.
8.	Advanced digital coloring.

For the complete sets (a.k.a. “Challenges”) just expand this post!

This is version 1.0, uploaded on 9/8/2019. Changes and updates will be uploaded here (as I work through these myself and incorporate your feedback).

SET 1: Everyday (observable) objects
This is probably the least interesting of the challenges, but the best to begin with. Inanimate objects are less likely to wander about or get impatient, so they make excellent subjects for copying directly from real life! You will learn a ton about observation and hand-pencil coordination, and later on, about light and shadows. So be patient, work your way through this challenge! I’ve added a couple of less common objects for fun. No, I don’t carry a helmet around. Yes, I do have a sword.
set01_01	Chair	set01_02	Toiletries: soap, toothbrush, razor, etc.
set01_03	Flower vase	set01_04	Spear, harpoon or rake
set01_05	Tools (hammer, screwdriver & wrench)	set01_06	Table
set01_07	Door handle	set01_08	Table lamp with books, candleholder
set01_09	Sword, scabbard & dagger	set01_10	Wine glass
set01_11	Power tool (e.g. electric drill)	set01_12	Coffee mug
set01_13	Bed	set01_14	Caps, hats
set01_15	Old teapot	set01_16	Armchair (with sidetable)
set01_17	Pots & pans	set01_18	Round shield
set01_19	Empty helmets (Roman, viking, etc.)	set01_20	Sitting stool
set01_21	Water pitcher or weird-shaped bottle	set01_22	Shovel & bucket
set01_23	House keys in a ring	set01_24	Men’s shoes
set01_25	Travel bags or old trunk	set01_26	Women’s shoes
set01_27	Coat hanger or rack (with coats, hats, etc.)	set01_28	Eyeglasses or shades
set01_29	Large appliance (e.g. oven), preferably old	set01_30	Plant pot with plant

SET 2: Human Figures in Action
This is the basis for most of the future sets — none of your extremely-detailed vikings will look right if their pose is awkward or their proportions are off. So sketch, sketch, sketch! Like in future sets, I propose working alternately on male and female figures (left and right columns respectively), so you get a feel for both. You can switch them once you’ve mastered them. Tip: picture the whole figure, rather than the “right position” of individual limbs. Sketch vaguely, mannequin-like, then work on the details.
	(Male figures)		(Female figures)
set02_01	Walking	set02_2	Walking
set02_03	Standing, leaning against a wall	set02_04	Reading in bed or in a corner
set02_05	Crouching, thoughtful or looking for clues	set02_06	Crouching, hiding or sneaking
set02_07	Running in a competition	set02_08	Running leap
set02_09	Fighting stance, guarding/punching	set02_10	Kicking (martial arts, soccer)
set02_11	Running upstairs	set02_12	Cartwheel or pirouette
set02_13	Sitting and drinking	set02_14	Sitting, telling a story
set02_15	Climbing a rope or wall	set02_16	Hanging from a ledge
set02_17	Running, taking cover	set02_18	Crawling, taking cover
set02_19	Swinging a heavy object (bag, hammer)	set02_20	Tai chi or yoga pose
set02_21	Carrying a big, heavy object	set02_22	Dragging a big, heavy sack
set02_23	Walking on inclement weather (wind, rain, chilly)	set02_24	Interacting with clothes (putting on, taking off, trying on…)
set02_25	Watching TV on the sofa	set02_26	Sleeping on the sofa
set02_27	Dizzy, kneeling	set02_28	Swimming
set02_29	Falling, out of control	set02_30	Climbing through a window

SET 3: Human faces, expressions, hair styles
This is a fun but tough challenge. I’m not much help here. Learning to draw different types of hair is not so difficult, but most of my faces look surprised and angry at me. And all my female faces look like geeky guys. (So no wonder they look surprised and angry!) I have one tip, though: do experiment with different face structures! It’ll help you get a more general feel for face anatomy. (Don’t limit yourself to the typical manga-cuteness).
	(Male)		(Female)
set03_01	Bald. Smiling.	set03_02	Bald. Smiling.
set03_03	Little hair, thick eyebrows. Thinking hard.	set03_04	Short-cropped hair. Thinking hard.
set03_05	Roman cut (short-cropped). Angry.	set03_06	Short, “stylist” to one side. Angry.
set03_07	Short, forehead curl. Smiling happily.	set03_08	Pigtails. Smiling happily.
set03_09	Shoulder-length, loose. Scared.	set03_10	Short, unkempt. Scared.
set03_11	Short and curly, goatee. Puzzled.	set03_12	Long, complex tress. Puzzled.
set03_13	Medium-length and curly. Crying, sad.	set03_14	Long, very curly. Crying, sad.
set03_15	Pointy, manga-like. Shouting, angrily.	set03_16	Shoulder length, flattened. Shouting, angrily.
set03_17	Long, flowing hair, bushy beard. Thoughtful, cunning.	set03_18	Long, using many fancy pins. Thoughtful, cunning.
set03_19	Short, thick hair, short-cropped beard. Laughing out loud.	set03_20	Parted to both sides, twisted tips. Laughing out loud.
set03_21	Medium-length, unkempt. Surprised.	set03_22	Simple bun. Surprised.
set03_23	Long and wavy. Having a good time.	set03_24	Long ponytail. Having a good time.
set03_25	Ponytail, “5 o’clock shadow” beard. Sad, trying not to show it.	set03_26	Just-woken-up hair. Sad, trying not to show it.
set03_27	Just-woken-up hair. Sleepy.	set03_28	Thickly curled hair. Sleepy.
set03_29	Medium-length, 70’s, enormous moustache. Cocky.	set03_30	Complex bun. Cocky.

SET 4: Human characters, in everyday occupations
Try drawing from memory first; you’ll probably be surprised at how little you’ve really observed! This is a fun challenge because you’ll have to really look at things. Also this is where you learn how clothes fit around a body, and how the whole body pose must look right to make props look realistic. Tip: If your drawings look irredeemably off, try going back to sketching the body structure before you wrap it in clothes, uniforms and trappings.
	(Male)		(Female)
set04_01	Beachgoer. Carrying parasol, cooler, lots of trinkets.	set04_02	Beachgoer. Doing beachgoing stuff.
set04_03	Going to the ballgame. Cap, rumpled t-shirt, drink & food.	set04_04	Going out, daily or dressing up. With a drink.
set04_05	Computer technician, rumpled shirt and tie. Laptop and coffee mug.	set04_06	Executive, elegant. Dossier & cell phone.
set04_07	Doorman in uniform, holding the door, or heavy bags.	set04_08	Physician, writing on chart.
set04_09	Old professor, bunch of papers to grade.	set04_10	Policeman, pistol & walkie talkie.
set04_11	Rock guitar player, rock guitar.	set04_12	Rock/pop singer, standing microphone.
set04_13	Priest, glasses, prayer book.	set04_14	Orchestra musician. Various instruments.
set04_15	Fireman, water hose or axe.	set04_16	Gymnast, using gymnastic equipment.
set04_17	Repairman. Using/carrying tools, ladder.	set04_18	Rock/pop singer, standing microphone
set04_19	Secret service/man in black, service weapon	set04_20	Carpenter, tools or power tools.
set04_21	Journalist, camera (photo or video).	set04_22	Soccer player, soccer ball.
set04_23	Ice hockey player, hockey stick, ice skates.	set04_24	Gardener,  gardening shears, can.
set04_25	Baseball player, bat or mitt.	set04_26	Skater. Doing cool tricks.
set04_27	Cowboy. Saddling horse or riding.	set04_28	Scuba diver, diving equipment (carrying too much of it)
set04_29	Soldier, grunt, bazooka.	set04_30	Soldier, pilot, in a plane or on land with binoculars.

SET 5: Animals
Not there yet but so looking forward to it! Two things will probably give us trouble. One is head structure (my cat faces look like dogs’, and my dogs’ look like bears’). The other is the legs. (Tip: many quadrupeds have very long, articulate feet, that make it look as if their knees turn the wrong way. But it’s not really their knees: it’s actually their ankles!)
set05_01	Turtle	set05_02	Crow
set05_03	Shark	set05_04	Owl
set05_05	Crab	set05_06	Mouse
set05_07	Walking bird (ostrich, hen)	set05_08	Frog
set05_09	Spider	set05_10	Eagle
set05_11	Cat	set05_12	Hippo
set05_13	Cow or bull	set05_14	Lion
set05_15	Panda bear	set05_16	Kangaroo
set05_17	Fox	set05_18	Parrot
set05_19	Gecko	set05_20	Horse
set05_21	Deer or antelope	set05_22	Raccoon
set05_23	Elephant	set05_24	Crocodile
set05_25	Scorpion	set05_26	Octopus or squid
set05_27	Dog (various breeds)	set05_28	Gorilla
set05_29	Giraffe	set05_30	Wolf

SET 6: Characters, fantastic or historical
Another one I’m looking forward to. But I’d recommend to give set 4 a go first, so that we learn from observation how clothes and trappings work first.
	(Male)		(Female)
set06_01	Viking fighter. Buckler and hand axe	set06_02	Sorceress. Magical / glowing staff
set06_03	Dwarven warrior. Battle axe or warhammer	set06_04	Fair princess. Bird cage with birds
set06_05	Kung fu monk. Chinese curved swords, double-wielding	set06_06	Superhero on tights. Shooting rays or lifting a car
set06_07	Medieval king. Scepter	set06_08	Medieval queen. Elaborate goblet or wine glass
set06_09	Forest ranger. Bow and arrow	set06_10	Rogue / thief. Grappling hook
set06_11	Postapocalyptic warrior (car). shotgun	set06_12	Postapocalyptic warrior (motorcycle). Chain / morning star
set06_13	Wizard. Heavy cauldron	set06_14	Forest druid. Animal (“familiar”)
set06_15	Ancient librarian. Heavy tome	set06_16	Pirate captain. Harpoon or cutlass
set06_17	Roman soldier. Oval shield and short sword	set06_18	Cyborg. Missile launcher
set06_19	Musketeer. Rapier or musket	set06_20	Sky pirate. archaic telescope
set06_21	Medieval city guard. Spear or pole arm	set06_22	Winged fairy. Orb or magic wand
set06_23	Scottish bagpiper. Bagpipes	set06_24	Old hag / witch. Old staff / cane
set06_25	Barbarian warrior. Double-handed sword	set06_26	Tavern wench. Tray with beer mugs
set06_27	Futuristic soldier. Futuristic assault weapon	set06_28	Steampunk mechanic. Huge wrench or sledgehammer
set06_29	Mounted knight (any steed). Shield and lance	set06_30	Valkyrie. Shield and sword

SET 7: Vehicles
Planes are easy, cards are hard. Their wheels always look the wrong size to me.
set07_01	Small/ compact car	set07_02	Jet ski
set07_03	Sport/ racing car	set07_04	Motorcycle
set07_05	Passenger airplane	set07_06	Sailboat
set07_07	Jeep or pickup truck	set07_08	Tank
set07_09	Fighter plane	set07_10	School bus
set07_11	Hot air balloon	set07_12	Truck, semi or gasoline
set07_13	Fighter helicopter	set07_14	Bipedal tank/ robot (mecha)
set07_15	WW2 Fighter plane	set07_16	WWII Bomber (B-2 Fortress)
set07_17	WWI Fighter plane	set07_18	Power armor or futuristic personal glider
set07_19	Airship (fantasy or steampunk)	set07_20	Tall ship / pirate ship
set07_21	Hover car	set07_22	Road warrior car made of scraps
set07_23	Mini submarine / Bathyscaphe	set07_24	Tentacled robotic transport
set07_25	Reptilian creature with saddle	set07_26	Gunship
set07_27	Sci-Fi space fighter	set07_28	Space gunship / frigate
set07_29	Mobile dwelling on a giant beetle	set07_30	Walking house/walking castle

SET 8: Creatures, fantastic or prehistoric
Just go crazy!
set08_01	Orc or goblinoid	set08_02	Low-gravity alien (long-limbed)
set08_03	Animated furniture	set08_04	Lilliputian (diminutive person) riding on small mammal
set08_05	Ogre /cyclops	set08_06	Chimera (mix of 3 animals)
set08_07	Golem, rock or mud	set08_08	Humanoid alien
set08_09	Dragon (medieval)	set08_10	Dragon (Chinese)
set08_11	Troll	set08_12	Animated blob / Lovecraftian horror
set08_13	Werewolf	set08_14	Feline person
set08_15	T-rex	set08_16	Stegosaurus
set08_17	Creature of the deep	set08_18	Mermaid
set08_19	Vampire	set08_20	Ghostly maid
set08_21	Gargoyle / winged imp	set08_22	Zombie
set08_23	Saber-toothed tiger / lion	set08_24	Fish or reptilian person
set08_25	Mechanical scorpion / crab	set08_26	Hill-sized turtle
set08_27	Minotaur	set08_28	Bladed daemon
set08_29	Cyborg/ robotic panther	set08_30	Armored lizard

SET 9: Buildings (exterior)
Yep, people have to live in things. Better give them a try.
set09_01	Peasant hut	set09_02	Pointy church
set09_03	Corner store	set09_04	Inner city building (fire escape ladders, etc.)
set09_05	Gas station	set09_06	Bus station
set09_07	Farm or ranch	set09_08	Barn
set09_09	Suburban family house	set09_10	Docks / port
set09_11	Bridge, ancient	set09_12	Bridge, modern
set09_13	Snowed-in bungalow	set09_14	Hut on stilts
set09_15	Crooked hovel	set09_16	Antarctic base
set09_17	Moathouse or small castle	set09_18	Astronomical observatory
set09_19	Mansion	set09_20	Roadside inn/Motel
set09_21	Skyscraper	set09_22	Futuristic high-rise
set09_23	Airport (interior)	set09_24	Government building
set09_25	Cave or cliff dwelling	set09_26	Tree house / dwelling
set09_27	Gothic cathedral	set09_28	Underwater station
set09_29	Fairie castle or palace	set09_30	Evil lair. Whatever that is.

SET 10: Scenery / Terrain
Yep, things have to be on places. Wouldn’t want your evil lair to just fall through, after you spent hours decorating it with the mutilated remains of fallen heroes, would you!
set10_01	Sandy beach	set10_02	Seashore with cliffs
set10_03	Skyline	set10_04	Antarctica or glacier
set10_05	Desert	set10_06	Congested avenue
set10_07	Large cavern	set10_08	Clouds from a plane
set10_09	Mountain peaks	set10_10	Snowed forest
set10_11	Stormy sea	set10_12	Dark alley (ancient?)
set10_13	Prairie	set10_14	Mountain canyon
set10_15	Suburban drive	set10_16	Venetian channels
set10_17	Farming fields	set10_18	Mediterranean town by the sea
set10_19	Northern woods	set10_20	Medieval town
set10_21	Volcano	set10_22	Tropical forest
set10_23	Ghost town, old West	set10_24	Island in the mist
set10_25	Rice paddies	set10_26	Alien terrain with strangely-coloured flora
set10_27	Arboreal city	set10_28	Underwater reef
set10_29	Futuristic skyline	set10_30	Postapocalyptic skyline

SUPPLEMENTARY SET 1 [ SET 11 ] : Hands
Hands are tricky, and also wonderful to draw. Take your time, grasp the shape and dynamics first, and only then focus on details such as nails and knuckles.
set11_01	Resting hands	set11_02	Closed fist
set11_03	Clawing hand	set11_04	Holding club or racket (one-handed)
set11_05	Benediction, index finger pointing up	set11_06	Thinking, holding chin
set11_07	Pleading/ praying hands	set11_08	Shaking hands or holding hands, romantically
set11_09	Making the signal to stop	set11_10	Holding a glass (transparent, for greater challenge)
set11_11	Pushing an object with both hands	set11_12	Pulling a rope
set11_13	Holding and reading a small book	set11_14	Using a pen or pencil
set11_15	Holding a cigarette	set11_16	Holding a pipe
set11_17	Holding pommel of sword with both hands	set11_18	Driving, holding the wheel
set11_19	Holding a pistol or megaphone	set11_20	Aiming with bow and arrow
set11_21	Holding knife and fork	set11_22	Using chopsticks
set11_23	Throwing a baseball	set11_24	Plucking petals
set11_25	Tying tie or bow	set11_26	Using game controllers
set11_27	Playing the guitar	set11_28	Playing the recorder
set11_29	Resting feet	set11_30	Walking feet

Next:

• More on the 8 Techniques
• The “Rules”
• How to post and share your drawings so other Megachallengers can find them