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What can be drawn precisely because of time limits — what croquis teaches us

  • Jun 12
  • 3 min read

Updated: 3 days ago


A monochrome fashion sketch depicting a person standing with their back turned on a white background. A work with the left half of the body painted black, and a signature at the bottom.
｜ModeCroquis｜What emerges by not drawing

June 7, 2026.


I attended the "Small Croquis Session" hosted by Mariko Sagami, which is held every three months.


I am invited on a regular basis, and having the opportunity to talk with people who love croquis and to see other people's drawings is always good inspiration.


Today the weather was unfortunately poor, but as it was humid, I headed to the venue while thinking things like, "Maybe I'll go with a slightly harder pencil.


" Fortunately the rain was not so strong, and I arrived without getting very wet.


An exterior photograph of Enokojima Art, Culture and Creative Center, Osaka Prefecture and the former Osaka Prefectural Government Building taken after the rain. A documentary photograph capturing a street with a vertical sign, a stone monument, and the stairs in front of the entrance.
[On the way to the croquis session] Light rain after a long time. The smell of the humid air is also pleasant.

This time, it was a costume croquis inviting a female model.


I think every time, no matter how many times I participate in croquis, there is always some kind of learning.


There are new discoveries, of course, but having continued to draw croquis for many years, there is a feeling like remembering my original intention.


I think the goodness of croquis is being able to feel anew things like, "As expected, this kind of thing is important," and being able to reconfirm as a physical sensation what I had understood in my head.


This is a little different from staying in a room and drawing alone.


In an environment that is not one's own place, in the midst of many people, looking at an actual model with the naked eye, drawing within a time limit.


At first glance, it is a situation with many constraints, but precisely because of that, there are things that become visible.




■ Constraints create concentration

A photograph of a drawing during the creation of Mode Croquis. A sketch capturing the silhouette of the person and emphasizing the movement of lines.

There are cases where drawing freely works better, and there are also things gained by drawing within a certain degree of constraints.


Even for the same act of "drawing," I think it changes greatly depending on the environment. In the case of drawing freely, bound by nothing, it is suitable for trying various things or freely shaping what comes to mind.


However, on the other hand, when feeling unmotivated, concentration sometimes hard to continue.


In the case of croquis, there are constraints such as time and the subject to draw. At that point, a situation where one inevitably concentrates is born.


Of course, when awareness is directed at things other than drawing, only time passes, and one cannot concentrate well.


However, the moment one's awareness enters the subject and lines begin to connect naturally, one may ride the flow into drawing all at once.


At that time, the problems and thoughts usually held leave the head, and one is concentrating on drawing itself.


And after finishing drawing, a pleasant feeling of fatigue remains.




■ What concentration leaves behind

Left: A photograph of five croquis works created by Shu Natsume laid out in a horizontal row on a desk. Right: A photograph capturing the scene during the critique session. Each participant is talking about their own work and exchanging opinions.
[Critique session] After drawing, a time to exchange opinions about each other's drawings.

I think the post-drawing feeling of croquis has something a little similar to sports.


Even in sports, within constraints due to situations and rules, concentration increases, and there are moments of facing one's own state.

I feel that croquis also has a similar movement of the spirit.


Precisely because of that, as time becomes shorter—10 minutes, 7 minutes, 5 minutes, 3 minutes, and finally 1 minute—there is no leeway to trim appearances, and something raw easily remains.


I think the part where croquis is not merely dessin strongly appears around here.

This is a very interesting part.


However, if one leans too much only toward this feeling, one loses track of what one is drawing, and on the contrary, if one leans too much toward dessin, this time the picture becomes rigid.


Precisely because of that, I think what was drawn decisively around the time the hand got a little used to it easily becomes a good croquis.


In order to produce this "decisiveness" as well, I think time limits are a necessary element. And that also means "giving up.

" Not trying to draw everything.


Within the limited time, what to choose and what to discard.


In the attitude of facing croquis, I think one's way of thinking about things appears as it is.

At the same time, I think it also means that through drawing croquis until now, I have been taught many things.


Thinking so, it was a day that made me feel anew that croquis is, after all, my starting point.






A monochrome line drawing depicting a woman sitting sideways with her legs extended on a white background. A work created by Shu Natsume expressing a quiet, pensive facial expression. A signature is included on the right side.
｜7-minute croquis｜It is not bad to be firmly conscious of dessin, but...

A line drawing depicting a woman sitting sideways on a white background, croquis-ing on a sketchbook on her knees. A signature is in the lower right, and the notation ©Shu Natsume is included at the bottom.
｜3-minute croquis｜I think even this degree holds up sufficiently

▶ Instagram：@shu.natsume

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