Shadowing Practice: Learn to Draw FASTER Than Others (SECRET Chinese Method) - Learn English Speaking with Video

Kies een oefenmodus

Elke modus opent een volledig scherm oefenruimte.

105 zinnen

Als zinnen te kort of te lang zijn, klik op Bewerken om ze aan te passen.

The truth is, most of the time we spend practicing drawing is hurting us more than it’s helping us.

For the past few months, I’ve been studying anatomy every day, forcing myself to stay consistent.

Until it led me back to the same uncomfortable question.

Why does it still feel like nothing has actually changed?

And no matter how much time you spend… you’re still starting all over again.

So if this doesn’t work...

how are you supposed to learn drawing at all?

That's why I spent months on Bilibili, studying how Chinese artists actually learn.

And what I found is something extremely simple, but crucial, that most artists don't even realize they’re missing.

Stay with me until the end, and you’ll learn the secret skill Chinese artists use that turns your practice into real progress.

Most of the time, a “good study” just means doing lots of detailed copies.

But if that’s true… why does all that effort feel pointless?

If all you do is just copy everything you see, this doesn’t create real progress.

That mindless copying is exactly what makes every new drawing painfully slow and frustrating.

So if this doesn’t build a skill… what actually does?

On Bilibili I learned that Chinese artists taught drawing through 抓型 (zhuā xíng) or shape capturing.

It’s the ability to filter what you see, so instead of just copying, you’re forced to make it your own.

Look at these two.

Which one looks better?

Obviously this one.

On this study I spent a whole day, forced myself to get a perfect copy… and I get it… but it looks like tracing.

But here, I spent just ten minutes… testing completely different options.

So what does zhuā xíng actually look like?

If you look at artists like Ask, they build everything from very simple shapes, yet it looks complex and alive.

But when you draw studies, you just can’t resist copying every tiny change in the silhouette… every wiggly line.

And honestly… that could work.

If those shapes were even possible to remember.

But it doesn’t.

Like... with anatomy here.

If all you do, like me, is try to learn fully detailed, realistic anatomy from the start… you’ll never stop relying on references.

Change the pose… and you’re stuck again, searching for another reference.

And that creates a gap between what you want to draw… and what you actually can.

So the real question is… why are you even trying to learn it this way?

If you reduce all the useless visual noise to a few simple lines… you can actually draw it without looking back at the reference.

That’s exactly what 切形 (qiē xíng) or shape cutting is.

So how do Chinese artists train this skill?

If you don’t really understand what you’re drawing… how are you supposed to simplify it?

Especially if you don’t even know the rules.

So the easiest way to start is to find these shapes directly over your reference...

and only then try to repeat them on your own.

That’s what I do inside Milanote, where I keep my references and notes… which makes the whole study process and tracking progress faster and more painless.

So here’s the rule.

For each big shape, you only use five to seven straight lines.

If you use less, the shape becomes too primitive and loses character.

If you need more, it’s already too complex to control or remember.

And this is exactly what most artists miss about observation.

But how does this actually help you?

Look at this.

How are you supposed to draw a bent leg like this?

Relying only on references you train yourself to make the same decisions over and over again.

Instead of thinking in shapes as something you can move and change.

Look at how it works in zhuā xíng.

I take those same pieces and slightly transform and overlap them… and now the leg is bent.

You didn’t add anything new.

And this works for everything you study.

Because when you practice like this, you’re not just memorizing shapes.

You’re learning how these shapes relate to each other.

Until you try to draw it.

Even if you repeat these shapes perfectly, it doesn’t mean the drawing will look right.

Because shape cutting only gives you structure… but without proportions, every attempt will be inconsistent.

So how do Chinese artists control it?

Instead of starting from a blank canvas, you match the aspect ratio of the reference first and divide the space with simple cross-lines.

Look at this.

Now every part has a fixed position and you can finally see how much space each part takes, and more importantly, control every direction and line length while drawing.

his 形准, Xíng zhǔn or shape accuracy is the main reason why so many artists still struggle when studying.

Now you know how to build this skill fast… and actually make it work.

But what happens next?

On the third part of zhuā xíng, you can finally finish it...

And this is where your old habits ruin everything you just created.

If you go back to copying like before… yeah, with shape capturing you’ll copy it faster and more precisely.

But if it was useless before, why should it start working now?

So Chinese artists learn to add details through 过滤器 guòlǜqì or a visual filter… but unlike shape cutting the limit expands, so now you have two more types of lines to work with.

And those three lines are what actually save you from starting mindless copying again… while still capturing all the details you need.

Because if you look at realistic art even where you’d expect a perfect anatomical silhouette shapes are simplified.

And that's how artists like Ask keep consistency across their illustrations.

At this point, shape capturing looks like a complete skill but all these steps only help you practice.

So what are you actually supposed to do?

Many artists get stuck studying perfect shapes in isolation but none of it actually works until you make it fit the style you want.

That’s what you’ll find inside the Free Adapt Kit, a simple guide to break down any style step by step.

If you want to get better at learning, grab it for free in the description.

So how do you actually apply zhuā xíng in your own art?

When you start drawing, there’s this strong feeling to challenge yourself and draw everything from imagination.

But instead of ignoring references, the real secret is treating them like Lego blocks, where you take different parts and combine their simple shapes into something completely new.

So the first thing I do is build my reference board using Milanote web clipper, which makes it easy to collect everything without interrupting the process.

I like that every image keeps its original source, so when I need something similar, I can easily find it.

And finally, Milanote is available for free with no time-limit so sign up for a free Milanote account using the link in the description.

But the real problem starts when you actually try to use more than one reference.

So how do you combine them?

The character I picked has two main parts in the design.

The clothes, which easily fit the pose… and the wings.

They're my favorite part… But are they actually that hard to draw?

Without shape capturing, the first instinct would be to start copying the feathers...

how they bend, overlap each other… searching through different bird wing references.

Instead, break this into two separate parts that you can build and layer together.

But if you try to use a basic coordinate system here… it gets... a bit overwhelming.

So I went back to Bilibili… and what I found was a more advanced Xíng zhǔn that actually makes this usable.

The main difference is that instead of drawing lines across the whole canvas, you place them only on the object you’re building and where they simplify measurement.

So now you can precisely combine parts from different references at any scale or angle… because you’re only measuring what matters.

But if even this method still feels clunky and uncomfortable… that’s exactly how it should feel.

100

You didn’t really think the most important thing Chinese artists learn is just a grid with simplified shapes, right?

101

The real goal of zhuā xíng is to train yourself to process every stroke in your head before you draw it.

102

As soon as this skill runs in the background, you’ll finally be able to draw from imagination.

103

But to get there, you still have to go through every step of the process first.

104

Even though shape capturing takes time to build, but you can already use stylization techniques that make things much easier.

105

I break them down in the next video.

App downloaden

Alles wat je nodig hebt om vloeiend te spreken

AI UitspraakScoor elke zin

IPA OefeningBeheers elk geluid

WoordenschatBouw je woordenschat op

WoordenspelLeren terwijl je speelt

Scan QR

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

FOR YOU

Aanbevolen Video

185 zinnen

Woordenschat en spreektips bij deze les

Deze spreekles op niveau B2 is gebaseerd op de video “Learn to Draw FASTER Than Others”. Deze woorden komen het vaakst terug: shape, artists, reference, drawing, draw. Deze video bevat 105 zinnen en 1477 woorden om na te spreken. Het gesproken deel duurt 8:10. De spreker praat snel, ongeveer 181 woorden per minuut, dus reken op verbonden en ingeslikte klanken. 85% van de woorden hoort bij de 3.000 meest gebruikte Engelse woorden; de rest kun je beter vooraf bekijken. 19 van de 105 zinnen zijn vragen, dus het is goede oefening voor vraagintonatie en korte antwoorden.

Belangrijke woorden in deze video

De 15 moeilijkste woorden uit de video, met uitspraak en betekenis:

Woord	Uitspraak	Betekenis
simplify werkwoord	/ˈsɪmplɪfaɪ/	vereenvoudigen, versimpelen
anatomy zelfstandig naamwoord	/əˈnætəmi/	anatomie
combine werkwoord	/kəmˈbaɪn/	combineren
bend werkwoord	/bɛnd/	buigen, plooien
silhouette zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˌsɪluˈɛt/	silhouet
overlap werkwoord	/ˌəʊvəˈlæp/	bedekken
canvas zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈkæn.vəs/	canvas
realistic bijvoeglijk naamwoord	/ˌɹɪəˈlɪs.tɪk/	realistisch
uncomfortable bijvoeglijk naamwoord	/ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/	ongemakkelijk
precisely bijwoord	/pɹɪˈsaɪs.li/	precies
anatomical bijvoeglijk naamwoord	/æ.nəˈtɑ.mɪ.kəl/	anatomisch
clipper zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈklɪp.ɚ/	klipper
clunky bijvoeglijk naamwoord		onhandig, onbeholpen
frustrate werkwoord	/ˈfɹʌsˌtɹeɪt/	frustreren
memorize werkwoord	/ˈmɛm.əˌɹaɪ̯z/	memoriseren, uit het hoofd leren

Phrasal verbs die je zult horen

Woord	Betekenis
break down werkwoord	stukgaan, kapot gaan

Zinnen om te herhalen

Korte, volledige zinnen uit de video die je in alledaagse gesprekken kunt gebruiken:

Especially if you don’t even know the rules.
How are you supposed to draw a bent leg like this?
You didn’t add anything new.
You’re learning how these shapes relate to each other.

Uitspraak om op te letten

De spreker gebruikt 28 samentrekkingen en verkorte vormen, zoals you're, doesn't, you'll. Spreek ze kort uit, zoals je ze hoort.

De “th”-klanken: feather /ˈfɛðə/, cloth /klɒθ/
De klanken “sh” en “zh”: illustration /ˌɪləsˈtɹeɪ̯ʃən/, isolation /ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/, measurement /ˈmɛʒ.ə.mənt/, proportion /pɹəˈpɔɹʃən/, observation /ˌɑbzɚˈveɪʃn̩/
Lange woorden — let op de klemtoon: anatomy /əˈnætəmi/, uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/, anatomical /æ.nəˈtɑ.mɪ.kəl/, inconsistent /ˌɪnkənˈsɪstənt/, coordinate /koʊˈɔɹ.dəˌneɪt/

Klanken die Nederlandstaligen lastig vinden:

Stemhebbende eindmedeklinker — /b/, /d/, /g/, /z/, /v/ niet verscherpen: bend /bɛnd/, pose /poʊz/, memorize /ˈmɛm.əˌɹaɪ̯z/, primitive /ˈpɹɪmɪtɪv/, divide /dɪˈvaɪd/
/æ/ — opener dan de Nederlandse “e”: anatomy /əˈnætəmi/, overlap /ˌəʊvəˈlæp/, canvas /ˈkæn.vəs/, anatomical /æ.nəˈtɑ.mɪ.kəl/, transform /tɹænsˈfɔɹm/
/g/ — een harde plofklank, geen Nederlandse “g”: wiggly /ˈwɪɡ(ə)li/, grid /ɡɹɪd/

Zo oefen je met deze video

Luister de hele video één keer zonder te spreken en noteer de woorden die je niet kent.
Begin op 0,75× snelheid, spreek zin voor zin na en ga terug naar normale snelheid zodra het makkelijk gaat.
Neem jezelf op en vergelijk met het origineel; let daarbij op woorden als simplify, anatomy, combine.

Wat is de Shadowing-techniek?

Shadowing is een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde taalleermethode die oorspronkelijk is ontwikkeld voor professionele tolkentraining en gepopulariseerd door polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. De methode is eenvoudig maar krachtig: je luistert naar native Engelse audio en herhaalt het onmiddellijk hardop — als een schaduw die de spreker volgt met slechts 1–2 seconden vertraging. In tegenstelling tot passief luisteren of grammaticadrills, dwingt shadowing je hersenen en mondspieren om echte spraakpatronen tegelijkertijd te verwerken en te reproduceren. Onderzoek toont aan dat het de uitspraaknauwkeurigheid, intonatie, ritme, verbonden spraak, luisterbegrip en spreekvaardigheid aanzienlijk verbetert — waardoor het een van de meest effectieve methoden is voor IELTS Speaking-voorbereiding en echte Engelse communicatie.

Shadowing-techniek: lees de volledige stap-voor-stap-gids →

Shadowing Practice: Learn to Draw FASTER Than Others (SECRET Chinese Method) - Learn English Speaking with Video

Kies een oefenmodus

App downloaden

watch this if you're an artist with no talent.

真正的学习中文的方法就在这里

Kim Jung Gi - How to Become a Master

100 Days of Bad Drawings

Rubik's Cube: How to Develop FASTER Turning Speed!

AI Animation Pipeline: How I Make Cartoons 100% With AI

10 drawing exercises to dramatically improve your anatomy ✏️

How to draw backgrounds

Unfortunately, YouTube Really Is This Simple

How to Teach Drawing to Kids | Basic Drawing Tricks!

Louise Despont Draws Deep | Art21 "New York Close Up"

7 Japanese Method to Build Discipline and Success