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Gannon Beck
•
10mo
added comment inThe Brow
I finished the course this week, but am just now getting around to posting any of my notes.
Also, here is my review of the course:
For anyone looking to take this course, I would say that a general understanding of form is essential. If you're not comfortable with form, try the Drawing Basics course first, and that course will get you ready for this one.
For those who already have form thinking in their back pocket, this course is amazing. Marco's explanations of how the planes are formed and fit together are first rate. I've studied the planes of the head before, and have studied from Andrew Loomis's book, Micheal Hampton's book, as well as Stan Prokopenko's portrait class, yet I was surprised how much new information I came across while working through this course. The rabbit hole goes deep indeed.
Once we got to the color portion of the course, I have to say that Marco's explanation of how light works is hands down the best one I have ever come across. I've barely started working with the knowledge, yet somehow my color work has upgraded significantly. I can't wait to see what happens as I develop a little muscle memory with it.
If you're wondering which courses you should take between this one and Stan's, my answer is that it's a good idea to do both. With any knowledge you consider critical, it's a good idea to consult more than one source. Hearing the same information in a variety of ways will help it sink in. Also, while there is significant overlap between the two courses, there are parts that don't overlap.
If you're wondering which course to take first, I would say it depends on your skill set at the beginning. If you feel comfortable doing boxes in perspective, but not circles, then I would say do Marco's course first. Stan's course involves using the Loomis method, which will require you to place an ellipse on the side of the head as a construction approach. Marco's constructions don't quite go that far and are largely based on box construction. On the other hand, you're comfortable with all the construction regarding boxes and circles, I would do Stan's course first. Additionally, Stan works in black and white throughout the course, which will give you additional experience working in values.
This course is an absolute steal. In addition to getting on the path to mastering the planes of the head, you will get what I consider and absolutely mind blowing explanation of color.