Portrait Drawings Started
2yr
Jake
I'm doing Proko's Portrait course, trying to go in open minded with no assumptions but it's proving tricky.
So far I have just covered the videos on the Loomis method.
Are the drawing exercises meant to be done of random heads (minus features) from your imagination, say, just a featureless head pointing in random directions? That might be where I am going wrong.
I think I find the size/shape of the chin tricky as well. I know my drawings aren't great, they'll need repetition. I would just appreciate being told anything glaringly obvious, with respect to the course that I am following.
Lastly, is it ok if I keep updating this thread as I progress through the course?
Asked for help
Priportions study first attempt at the musketeer. Warmup sketches beforehand.
Asked for help
Accidentally went away from using basic shapes and went on to just blocking them out
•
14d
These are still nice simplifications. No detail.
Using basic shapes will help when you try to draw more from memory.
I particularly appreciate how you simplified the rhino head. You went for a more dynamic shape rather than a stagnant one.
Asked for help
Doing the simplifying animals to shapes challenge whilst still trying to remember how to do lines
•
27d
Nice work keeping things simple.
Asked for help
This might be the third time I've done this but I'm enjoying it and seeing the difference between the different methods. It's not a lot for a "days" study but I have other commitments.
Asked for help
Just a repeat of my last study but with a different object. My glasses case.
Asked for help
I'm at the "drawing with line weight" part of the Drawing Basics course. I've chosen a small model of a pokemon to draw as it has complicated and simple bits. Though I have oversimplified the model to just focus on the objectives of the lesson.
The first drawing shows hierarchy, the most interesting bits having the heavier lines.
The second drawing is unity and seperation, uniting the pokemon/creature with one line weight and the base/pedestal with a lesser line weight
The last one shows closeness, the subject is leaning forwards so the head neck and body have the darkest lines and with the withdrawn wings being the lightest.
They are oversimplified but laying them all out like this does illustrate to me at least the difference line weight can make when used in different ways.
Asked for help
Doing things with line weight here for the first time...or first time in a while
Asked for help
Did some "Skating around the page" and other warmup before some still life studies.
Asked for help
I have done a quick study of my bedside table after some warmup drawings. Does anybody think my warmup drawings are worthwhile in the longrun or should just straight into some still life rough observations instead?
•
2mo
Warm-up drawings are useful for getting loose and into the flow, similar to how athletes warm up before a game. These exercises can focus on what you want to improve: gesture, line quality, or specific techniques.
But you also need to balance them with more focused studies, like still life observation. That helps you develop observational skills and a better understanding of form, light, and shadow. Both approaches have their benefits, and combining warm-ups with detailed studies will give you a more well-rounded skill set.
Asked for help
Did the challenge to fill up an a4 page as a warmup. It's the glamorous scene of a cluttered trash bin area!
Asked for help
The CSI challenge, bit crowded but we have two pears, a snail and a pair of boots!
Asked for help
Intro to lines lesson, drawing the snail.
In previous lessons Proko has talked about "warming up" the hands with drawing exercise to literaly gey blood pumping to them. My question is, is this all? Is it also not warming up the brain? If it is literal would any other hand exercises or massages work haha? Just wondering!
•
2mo
In my experience warming up the hands serves to warm up the brain as well. But I do think that as an artist, stretching and exercising is hugely important as we sit or stand at a desk for hours at a time. Not just for the hands!
Asked for help
So what happened? Did I go on holiday? Was I ill? No, I was a bad student. I did what Proko warned me not to do, I got hung up on perfectionism and wanting constant progress. But I'm back now, starting right at the beginning again. Hope this goes well.
The second image is a warm up exercise I do, practicing different angles and lines etc.
•
2mo
Welcome back! What matters is that you've come back to it. This is a good start, keep it up 👍
Asked for help
Second lesson, draw some fruit. Old shading habits die hard. Was meant to keep it boxy with no smooth transitions. Hand waivered a bit.
•
1yr
Hi @Jake, nice work! I think the first one is especially good, with its more accurate drawing. I'll do my best to help you further :) Keep in mind that Stan will probably touch on the things I mention further down the course, so don't stress over it 😎
- When drawing keep a vertical and a horizontal line in mind. The vertical line parallel with the vertical edge of the paper and the horizontal line parallel with the horizontal edge of the paper.
Having a clear idea of what is true horizontal and what is true vertical can help with the accuracy of the drawing. In the third drawing the pear looks like it's tilting the right --> the vertical relationships has not been captured accurately.
In the second value scale, the shape of the squares changes. Try to make the size of the squares consistent and edges truly horizontal and vertical. It might sound overkill, but it's good practice for capturing the more complex shapes of nature.
- I would encourage you to do another value scale. The steps look pretty good (you might want to darken the mid value and the second to darkest value. The value scale leans a bit to the light side). The main thing I notice is an uneveness withing each square. In your next one, try to make the values more even. This can take some extra time, but it's a great way to build value control skills. When shading a drawing, a change in value comunicates something, such as a change in form. If the value changes in the wrong place the form might not read the way you intended it to.
When doing the value scale I would recommend making the lines for the squares light, so that the edge is created by the filled in values instead (you'll get to practice edge control - in this case making a hard edge.)
I hope this helps :) Keep up the good work!
It's been a while. I was hitting a wall and had to acknowledge my faults, so I have bought the Drawing Basics course. They cheekily give a one time discount offer on "figure drawing fundamentals" at checkout as well....so I got that haha! But anyway here's exercise number one, lines!!!
•
1yr
Nice!
Is it the assignment for this lesson Project - Get Your Tools and Start Playing (I would encourage you to post your assignments under the assignments tab in the lesson), awesome! I'll take a look on you other post as well👍
