Speed Dating Croquis  

This exercise is suitable for all regardless of age or artistic skills. The exercise can be done in pairs or in a bigger group. If there is not an even number of participants, groups of three work as well. 

To be able to do this exercise, you will need drawing tools: paper (standard A4 copy sheet, notebook, etc.) and pencils. When working remotely, you need a video meeting service such as Teams or Zoom, a computer that has a web camera and a sufficiently stable internet connection. 

The goal of the exercise is to warm up the group, get to know each other, have fun, train observation skills, and stimulate creativity. And encourage people to draw – everybody can!  

Participants draw quick portraits in pairs so that they draw and act as models at the same time. There are couple of variations how to make the drawing: 

1) The participants draw with the non-dominant hand. So, if you write and draw with your right hand, use instead your left hand.
2) The participants draw without looking at the paper. Concentrate on looking at the person you are drawing, do not look at the paper!
3) The participants draw with the non-dominant hand and without looking at the paper. 

All these three variations make it easier to participate without experience of drawing portraits, without specific drawing skills or without feeling that I’m not good at drawing.  

The duration of each drawing session is about two minutes, after which the “speed dating partner” is changed. The exercise can be repeated as many times as desired. The time spent on drawing can be changed depending on the composition of the participating group.  

Through a video meeting service participants are asked to keep their cameras on during the exercise. The participants choose one of the others’ videos to start drawing. It could be interesting if the participants don’t say who they are going to draw. The facilitator of the exercise clocks the drawing time. 

At the end of the exercise, you can spend some time discussing the exercise and exchange experiences. You can reflect on the experiences and feelings about the exercise and discuss about drawing. You can also ask what kind of observations the participants made when drawing. Those who wish can show their drawings to others or even give them to the models themselves as a gift. A collage can be made from the drawings of willing participants. 

Time needed to this exercise varies depending on the number of the participants. 

The exercise can be carried out live or remotely. When working live, you need a space where the whole group can work at the same time. The chairs are arranged so that the participants can sit facing each other. It is easier to draw if you have tables or writing pads that can be held on your lap. When the instructor of the exercise announces that the time has ended, the participants change their places so that they can draw a new person.