A useful timer gives your drawing a clear stopping point. The right duration depends on what you want to notice: the movement of the whole figure, the placement of body masses, or a small relationship in clothing or perspective.
Start with one goal. If you spend most of the session worrying about finishing, choose a longer duration. Untimed practice is also a valid choice.
Match the timer to the task
| Duration | A practical starting task | Question to ask afterward |
|---|---|---|
| 30 seconds | Place the gesture, torso and main limb directions. | Can I recognize the overall action? |
| 1 minute | Add major shapes and compare one gap between them. | Did I preserve the pose while adding structure? |
| 2 minutes | Compare overlaps, body masses or visible support. | Which relationship needs another look? |
| 5–10 minutes or Untimed | Examine a selected construction or clothing problem. | Can I explain one detail more clearly? |
These are suggested exercises, not performance targets. Adjust the duration to your experience, energy and drawing method.
Use 30 seconds to choose what matters
Open the jumping collection and select one reference. For your first study, place the main body direction, the torso and the largest limb shapes. Leave the face and fingers alone.
When the timer ends, ask whether the action is still readable. If the sketch feels disconnected, repeat the same pose and concentrate on the relationship between torso and pelvis. You can also increase the time. A fast unfinished sketch does not automatically mean you chose badly.
Give structure one or two minutes
A one-minute study gives you room to compare a few large shapes. In the homepage setup, choose 60s. On an individual reference page, choose 1 min. These labels describe the same duration.
For a two-minute pass, pick one relationship before starting: shoulder tilt against pelvis tilt, a hand against the torso, or a seated figure against its support. Work on that comparison before adding small contours.
Check your result: Point to the feature you intended to study. Can you identify what changed between your first attempt and this one? Write a short observation in your own notes if that helps.
Use longer studies for closer observation
The homepage offers 5 min, 10 min and Untimed options. Individual reference pages offer 30s, 1 min, 2 min and Untimed. Choose Untimed on a specific pose when you want a longer uninterrupted study.
The clothing-folds guide is one place to start. Establish the garment’s large shape, then examine a single bend or support point. Longer time can be useful for observation; there is no requirement to fill the drawing with more detail.
Choose how the session behaves
Single-pose practice starts from an individual reference page. The timer begins when its image loads. When time is up, that image stays on screen so you can review it. Starting again or choosing another reference remains your decision.
Free Practice continues through references until you finish the session. Use it when you want repeated studies and can decide when to stop.
Class Mode follows the schedule shown in the setup. Read that schedule before starting. A suggested sequence in a blog article does not automatically become a Class Mode session.
The five-minute warm-up on the homepage provides ten 30-second references. Its five minutes describe drawing time; loading and pauses can make the full session longer.
Finish with a useful check
After any session, choose one sketch and name one thing to revisit. Keep that note in your sketchbook or drawing app; DynamicPoses does not store your artwork or a record of these learning observations.
The references are fixed AI-generated images. A confusing joint or contact may be an image error. Check another source, choose a different reference, or use Report flaw during practice. A timer can organize your attention, but it cannot verify the reference or judge your drawing.