Doodle while you play! Doodle while you work! Heck, doodle when your hands would otherwise be idle!
Leonardo Perezneito has been a favourite of mine on Youtube for some time. So much so, that I started sponsoring him on Patreon a little while ago. I find his style and approach to be engaging, fun, and informative. So, check out his videos!
Today, though, I wanted to focus on one video in particular and that's the video on doodling. As Leonardo points out, the doodle is a great way to loosen up before getting "serious" about what you're going to do. As a hobbyist, my "serious" is still very loose and fun, but there is something to be said for just letting the hand wander over the essential form.
That brings me to the second point... Doodling allows you to just consider the basic forms of the subject rather than worrying about detail. You can just let the shape develop and not worry if you have done the eye correctly or if the mouth is realistic. Basically, it's form and shadow, no detail, and yet the essentials to make it something people will recognize will come out.
In any case, enjoy: