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

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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.

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

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

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

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

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

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I break them down in the next video.

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185 sentences

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Learn to Draw FASTER Than Others”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: shape, artists, reference, drawing, draw. This video has 105 sentences and 1477 words to shadow. The speech runs for 8:10. The speaker talks fast, about 181 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 19 of its 105 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
simplify verb	/ˈsɪmplɪfaɪ/	To make simpler, either by reducing in complexity, reducing to component parts, or making easier to understand.
anatomy noun	/əˈnætəmi/	The science that deals with the form and structure of organic bodies; anatomical structure or organization.
combine verb	/kəmˈbaɪn/	To bring (two or more things or activities) together; to unite.
bend verb	/bɛnd/	To cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means.
mindless adjective	/maɪnd.ləs/	Showing a lack of forethought or sense.
silhouette noun	/ˌsɪluˈɛt/	An artistic depiction, often of a person's profile, in the form of an outline without any other visual details, similar to a shadow, made by cutting a piece of…
overlap verb	/ˌəʊvəˈlæp/	To extend over and partly cover something.
canvas noun	/ˈkæn.vəs/	A type of coarse cloth, woven from hemp (traditionally) or from cotton and polyesters, useful for making sails, tents, and overcoats or as a surface for…
pose verb	/poʊz/	To place in an attitude or fixed position, for the sake of effect.
realistic adjective	/ˌɹɪəˈlɪs.tɪk/	Expressed or represented as being accurate, practicable, or not idealistic.
uncomfortable adjective	/ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/	Not comfortable; causing discomfort.
precisely adverb	/pɹɪˈsaɪs.li/	In a precise manner; exactly.
anatomical adjective	/æ.nəˈtɑ.mɪ.kəl/	Of or relating to anatomy or dissection.
clipper noun	/ˈklɪp.ɚ/	Anything or anyone that clips.
clunky adjective		Ungainly; awkward; inelegant; cumbersome.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
go back to verb	To stem from; to originate in.
break down verb	To stop functioning.
draw through verb	To keep in mind the entire shape of an object as it is rendered artistically (including the parts of the object that will be covered in the final piece).
go through verb	To travel from one end of something to the other.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

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.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 28 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, doesn't, you'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: feather /ˈfɛðə/, cloth /klɒθ/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: illustration /ˌɪləsˈtɹeɪ̯ʃən/, isolation /ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/, measurement /ˈmɛʒ.ə.mənt/, proportion /pɹəˈpɔɹʃən/, observation /ˌɑbzɚˈveɪʃn̩/
Long words — get the stress right: anatomy /əˈnætəmi/, uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/, anatomical /æ.nəˈtɑ.mɪ.kəl/, inconsistent /ˌɪnkənˈsɪstənt/, coordinate /koʊˈɔɹ.dəˌneɪt/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like simplify, anatomy, combine.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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

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