How many hours should we practice?

There seems to be a lot of different answer to this question so I would like to see what you guys think of this. I haven't tested out how many hours I practice, but I do notice a drop of concentration after 3-4 hours of study. Now the question is, are those studies really helping? I am not too sure about that, so I will be mindful from this day onward, on the way I study.

Another interesting data I found in this article http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/how-many-hours-a-day-should-you-practice/ is the principles shared in it. And I feel they can be applied for any skill set.

Lastly I haven't really thought of taking a day off of drawing, but I know Jake mentioned he takes a break from art and catch up with social/friends on Sunday, which makes perfect sense I believe, because your mind needs a break from the thing you do on a daily basis in order to get new ideas.

So how many hours do you practice? What is currently working for you? Would love to read insights.

natiwata

I think you already guessed it, but I don't think there's a right answer here because there are so many factors at play. I think a more important set of questions pertain to what you're trying to accomplish. For example, I often draw/paint for 5-8 hours at the studio I work at then come home and draw/paint fore a few more hours because my video game work is not the same as a passion project or illustration job.

Setting goals for yourself, entering contests, etc., can be a more measurable way of improving rather than just a set amount of time to practice each day. Also, for me practicing with good instruction, tutorials, or feedback helps me improve much faster than just drawing on my own.

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@natiwata
I do use instructional videos such as the svslearn/newmasteracademy/ctlrpaint, and soon when I get a tablet schoolism. But for someone who is not working, but have like a lot of free time in their hands, I think it would be a lot harder to maintain a constant stream of 8 hours practice each day.

So I do agree with you it all depends persons mood for that day, which determines how long they can practice.

@Damien-Rambacher
Yeah. I believe so as well. When you focus too much on the hours, you aim for just the hours and not the practice. But maybe what someone can do instead is use promodoro technique? What do you think of that. Like you set a timer, and don't pay attention to the timer, and just draw till you hear the bell ring or zen music whatever song you put.

Camomilla

I think practicing smart is just as important as practicing a lot. I have a list of things I'd like to improve;

Composition
Perspective
Environments
Lighting/shadow
Colouring

I try to work on at least a few of these things in every picture, even though it feels kind of overwhelming when looking at the list. There's no point for me to draw eyes for hours every day, because I already have a good understanding of eyes, and it feels comfortable to draw this. So I try to challenge myself to something difficult And I evaluate a lot. I don't have anyone critiquing my work at home or at work, so I try to look at my own stuff with a critical eye. I'm hoping to get more critiques here, even though my style is not quite in the realm of children's book illustrations.