Can You #Draw50Things?

This challenge is not for the faint of heart!

One of the toughest assignments for artists is to illustrate scenes with lots of STUFF, like the inside of a candy store or a jam-packed stadium. It can be very challenging to include a lot of stuff without the image feeling cramped and chaotic.

That’s why Will Terry created the #Draw50Things challenge, so artists can practice illustrating crowded scenes. It’s harder than you might think!

The Rules

Decide on a scene with a single focal point, and fill it with 50 different, recognizable objects. In order for it to count, your audience must be able to identify each object!

You may not count items that are attached to the interior or exterior of a structure such as flooring, lighting, cabinets, signage, roofing, windows, shelving, fencing, trees, etc. If you need tools to take it out of a room, out of the ground, or off of a building you can’t count it.

You may repeat objects like candy canes or widgets but only count one of them in your 50.

You may not count parts of an object. For example, a cupcake has 3 parts: cup, cake, and icing but you may only count it as one object. Likewise, a person is only one object - you can’t count each article of clothing they are wearing...however if they are carrying something in a pocket, on their shoulder, or in their arms you can count it.

In order to be counted your audience must be able to identify each of your 50 objects.

Social Media

Be sure to tag your work with #draw50things and #svslearn so we can check it out!

How-To

Not sure where to start? We got you covered! Check out Will’s Draw 50 Things class, it will show you how to illustrate complex scenes in an organized, step-by-step way. And if you are new to illustration, be sure to check out his Creative Composition class first!