Project - Learning to Sketch from Observation
Project - Learning to Sketch from Observation
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Project - Learning to Sketch from Observation
courseDrawing BasicsFull course (182 lessons)
$159
assignments 1601 submissions
Rachel Dawn Owens
A VR girl of my own. I wanted to make her cooler, so I gave her a sword and a shield… and a cape.
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Level-1-Penguin.jpg
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Level-1-Spider-Hand.jpg
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Level-1-VR-Girl.jpg
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mp4
project-learning-to-sketch-from-observation.mp4
121 MB
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project-learning-to-sketch-from-observation-transcript-english.txt
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project-learning-to-sketch-from-observation-transcript-spanish.txt
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project-learning-to-sketch-from-observation-captions-english.srt
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project-learning-to-sketch-from-observation-captions-spanish.srt
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ASSIGNMENTS

Use the three reference images of clean line drawings and sketch them using simple loose lines. Don't try to match the cleanliness of these drawings. Instead, sketch them out with energetic, tapered strokes. Don't hesitate. Just practice moving your arm with confidence. If you draw some lines and then you realize that, Oh, shoot, I need to curve that more. Go ahead and just draw the new curve right over it. As you get more confident that you've found the shape, you can darken those lines and the lighter lines start to disappear. Focus on the big idea and the shapes the lines represent, rather than on each individual line. 

For you, Level 2 monster trucks, I want you to start with this Level 1 project as a warmup, and then head over to the Learning to Sketch from Imagination project page for your instructions.

If you'd like to have a chance to be included in the upcoming critique videos, you must submit your drawings below by March 9th 2023

Good luck and please have some fun!

@jjpowell92
Man, these ones were pretty brutal. I think my penguin looks pretty good in general, but he's a lot wider than the reference. My VR girl is a little off somehow, and the Spider Hand, while not terrible, looks skinnier than the reference. I think I probably need to spend more time on blocking out the basic shapes first, because by the time I realize that the sizing is off its too late. Does anyone have any other suggestions on what I can do? I also experimented a little with the texture lines on the hand. There were too many to just copy every single one, so I tried to zero in on the ones that seemed to have the most impact on the form.
@fruolsson
My attempt at the project. I think I can improve by making the lines less scratchy and more confident, especially in detailed areas where they get faded. The Spider Hand feels rigid, which I think could be improved with more fluid and expressive lines. Also, the VR Girl drawing feels flat, and the shapes could feel more 3d with better line weight and proportions.
Rostislav Komarov
I think that in this 3 drawings and after watching demo i really started understanding the concept and i planning practice more with this exercise but with different objects
Patrick Bosworth
Really nice job with these! Your proportions are looking good, and you're keeping your lines simplified. The hand and penguin are looking really great, but I noticed with the VR Girl the arms and shoulders lose continuity through the body. Try to look for long connecting lines through the body to keep them consistent. Hope this helps, keep up the good work!
Carlos Javier Roo Soto
As you can see I wasn't very loose with this sketch, or I shouldn't had tighten the lines. I should had avoided details with this assignment.
Nicholas Allott
First one. Opposite handed with an Intuos. It took me around 1hr 40m, which seems excessive. I had the reference off screen to draw.
Patrick Bosworth
Incredible to see you training both hands!! 🙌
Sabyasachi Goswami
My Shot at the Drawing from Observation part. Tried to focus on the sweeping lines and Tapered Stroke while loose sketching. Not sure if I got it right. I erased a lot during the Spider Hand. Struggling to get the light sketchy lines and making it darker instead, Request Critique and suggestions please.
@wilwin18
Haven't been drawing for a few days so felt really stiff today. But it was quite fun! And challenging. Especially the hand, omg it's bad haha
Brandon Brown
Focused on trying to keep loose! I found the hand quite challenging!
Martha Muniz
Nice work, great looseness! I think you definitely have good sketching habits down. One thing that can be helpful to remember is the CSI line variety from an earlier lesson. I notice a bit of a tendency to go towards curves here, so try incorporating more straight lines into your drawing, too. You may find that straight lines both help add variety and also help with accuracy and structure. Even with looser drawing, it's still helpful to keep straight lines as part of your drawing toolkit.
João Rudge
I really like this project. It was the right amount of challange to try to get the proportions and energy of each draw and at the same time trying to draw confident lines. I really like my sketch of the cartoon and the pinguins. The hands... well, no news there... nobody is happy drawing hands lol.
Melanie Scearce
Very nicely done! You nailed this assignment. The only thing I can suggest is that you continue to practice your long, loose tapered strokes. There's a few areas where your lines get a bit 'hairy,' meaning you used many shorter lines to make one long line. The mushroom warm up is a great way to practice the movements necessary to get those long strokes. I see that especially in the curves. It may be helpful to start a drawing session by doing a few mushrooms, here's a link to that lesson: https://www.proko.com/course-lesson/warmup-mushrooms.
Jon Brady
Sketching from Observation.
Hamza Hajji
Martha Muniz
I think you're on the right track! One thing that is very useful in loose, observational drawing is using an undersketch -- so very lightly drawing a simple, loose outline, like a basic shape, just to mark where the drawing will go. For example, the penguin could be a simple circle for the head and a larger oval for the body. Once you have that accurately placed, you can go over that sketch with your more detailed lines. This method is helpful in creating a more accurate and proportionate sketch, and helps you tackle one thing at a time when drawing instead of having to juggle the details at the same time as the proportions and placement. Hope this helps!
Nemanja Zivic
My attempts at the level 1assignments :)
Jacek Skowronek
Please critique
@kotka
12d
Did these as warm-up. Later when I watched Proko's critique video I realised I made the same mistake with the penguin and the girl - could have taken a lot more freedom and be bolder with the lines to exaggerate the poses. I don't know why it's so hard being brave! Going forward, I'll try to mix in drawing sessions where I'm not practicing real-life accuracy, just to mix it up.
João Rudge
Really like the flow of your lines in the hands sketch
Melanie Scearce
The changes you made to the design of VR girl are awesome, nicely done!
Rich Acosta
So using a light little underline helps a ton. I tried to focus on "searching" lines and line quality in general. I'm most pleased with how the VR girl turned out. I posted earlier, but again, the eye on the penguin was so tough. I don't know why but I have a really hard time with eyes. Even the VR girl took a couple of tries! Edit: I re-watched the instructions and I think I got way too caught up with having it look good that I lost sight of just focusing on the general shape and using really big sweeping lines. I'm going to try this again. Maybe with a new reference photo
Patrick Bosworth
These look really good! Your proportions across the board are pretty spot on! It's great to see your light construction lines, and how you're building up these sketches. I think you could continue to go a little lighter on your first lines before committing. Try ghosting the lines you're about to make a few times before laying down the final line like in the Mario Mushroom Warmup https://www.proko.com/course-lesson/warmup-mushrooms This also helps with laying down clean tapered strokes https://www.proko.com/course-lesson/how-to-draw-confident-lines-the-tapered-stroke Keeping your sketching/searching lines light, early on, helps you design these larger simplified shapes with more accuracy, and then you can commit to a darker line when you've found the one you're searching for. Try to look for the longest, simplest, continuous lines through the forms first, and then continue to break down from there. Sketching out a light "envelope" for what you're about to draw will also help you keep your drawing fully on the page. It looks like your VR Girl's feet got a little cut off (we've all been there!) By lightly sketching out an estimate for the top, bottom, sides, and middle of what you're planning to draw, you give yourself a scaffold to work within on the page that can be adjusted or erased as you lay in the rest of the sketch. Hope this helps, keep up the good work!
@jgroeschl
13d
This was interesting! I really had to force myself to not attempt to improve either of these and let them stay messy. Sticking with my 15 minute timer per each forced to my give up on that ghastly pinkie finger. Very fun indeed :)
Sean Haugen
Tried to stick to the lesson and focus on the lines and shapes.
Chloé Kanaumi
I have tried drawing the hand but I definitely suck too hard at proportions & especially so when it comes to anatomy. I really need to take the anatomy sketch class next haha. Anyways, here is my homework !
Melanie Scearce
Nicely done! I think your proportions look great here. Your line quality is overall pretty good; my suggestion would be to practice laying in your lines a bit lighter. There are areas where the lines have gotten a bit dark, maybe because you were searching for the right light. Keeping your lines light and only darkening the one that you feel good about will help keep your linework super clean.
@claymore10000
@jgroeschl
14d
I discovered on the previous project for CSI I got into the weeds and wanted to really try to discipline myself to actually sketch the thing QUICKLY. So I set a 20 minute timer and went for it. Certainly off in a few places as I ran out of my self imposed time (good lord the boots XD), but learning and enjoying it! :)
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