Course In Progress
In this impromptu bonus lesson, I explain how I think about Searching Lines when sketching, show you 3 levels of 'losseness', and explain the practical application for each.
Newest
@great399
3mo
rough and clean, I don’t know if I got the idea right. Please I need some criticism
•
3mo
Cool stuff! Looks like you got a lot out of this.
Don't lose the energy when you go to clean up a drawing. It can get stiff.
Keep making more!
Agustin Gomez
3mo
I try drawing a rose but with this but the volume of the rose is killing me, don't know how to represent well volumes right now i just added lines to give the illusion
@luc_
8mo
Okay, wow!?
this actually helps and explains a lot.
a while ago I’ve been drawing from imagination a lot, and my first drawings looked really poor - but this makes me realize that I probably just didn’t explore my ideas enough with the searching lines, I just immediately jumped into the drawing after doing a thumbnail, without actually being sure what it is that I want to draw. I think that letting ourselves do a “bad” version of what we want put on paper first might give us a better idea of what do we actually want it to be. This sure is gonna change my approach to drawing!
Katka Cvachova
9mo
C3
5mo
Good job….i like the idea
Ary 27 P
1yr
Dauntae S
1yr
Hands are honestly my kryptonite but i did better than i thought i would
Isaiah
1yr
This, was a fun one. Especially drawing the hippo. Nice sweeping curves.
C3
5mo
nice attempt
Axel Gyllenstierna
9mo
Thank you for including the reference image, gonna steal that!
@pioneer_land
11mo
I love your style!
@kkingmd
1yr
most of what i’m doing now is “lost”, but every once in a while i a nice clean ellipse. i just fill each page of the sketchbook with practice and trust that progress will come. thank you for this insightful lesson!
@rennielindoso
1yr
This was very helpful because I used to get a sense of awkwardness, of not doing the right thing, whenever I had lost lines while i was designing a new character I didn’t really know yet how it was going to go, while I was still searching. It’s great to hear it is part of the process of figuring it out.
Zenas
2yr
I kind of like the lost and found lines
Sean MacLean
2yr
When I was trying the Mario Mushroom exercise, all my line were lost lines it was very frustrating and disheartening…
Emma X
1yr
Me toooooo T_T
@jax358
2yr
My attempt at drawing some animals.
•
2yr
Hi there! I think something that can help is to think about the basic shapes that make up the subject, helping inform the preliminary searching lines for your sketch. The course has a section that goes further into this, but you can start applying it here with a focus on linework. For example, the mouse can be broken down into a simple oval for the body and an oval for the head. Lightly sketching these major shapes in first will allow for cohesiveness and flow throughout your lines as you start adding in more details, since they act as unifying "big picture" guide and free you up from narrowing into a single stroke at a time.
@mingle757
3yr
For Miss Robot, I first used a red pencil to rough in the drawing. I think she turned out pretty well, but got a little messy. I traced over the first drawing to better see the final result. She still needs work.
Nicholas Allott
3yr
This is a good way of thinking about lines. Its nice to know they all have their place.
Theresa
3yr
Fantastic bonus lesson Stan…just clarified my ‘searching thoughts’ about the various introductions of the different line exercises. I just stopped spinning and started dancing!
@thewayofallflesh
1yr
That is a really good metaphour
@sheldron
3yr
@misepuca
3yr
Dang, that was helpful. Thanks. I feel like spend a lot of time and anxiety in this space.
@bonnieblue
3yr
Sketching from imagination from a velvet work & a hat. A character for my 2 yr old granddaughter to color. I worked it out on my tablet, then sketched w/ pencil
C3
5mo
I like the combination
Lynn Fang
3yr
Thank you Stan for confirming the use case of lost lines! That made me not so frustrated when I drawing down a mess to get my thoughts materialized. But in another case, if I'm not very good at drawing some kinds of shapes(especially ellipse), I tend to draw down "lost lines", even I'm so clear about which shapes they should be. I just can't control my arm and shoulder. Here is a typical failure below.
T.M. Dusablon
3yr
The tire proved to be much more challenging than I anticipated
John Daniels
3yr
Looking back through my last few days of drawings I noticed I end up with "lost" lines when I have no idea how I am suppose to translate a reference to the page. Those lines help me stay ahead of any fear from a blank page since no stroke is precious in that mess. This gives me the confidence to keep making marks until I figure things out.
If I am lucky enough to feel I know what I am doing, I start on "searching" lines. Otherwise it a second pass from the "lost" line scribble with a better plan of action. I still have to search because I'm not skilled enough to make clean lines without some under drawing.
"Clean" lines either come after lots of deliberation, hesitation and ghosting or are an over draw based on "searching" lines.
Barbara Van Asperen
3yr
Thank you, John, for explaining your proces of getting the feel by getting started. I recognize it and your explaining makes me feel better... It is a sort of a proces ... And I do it less when i am more confident with what I draw... But sometimes I don't get the feel of the markmaking at all. For me it is sometimes also a problem of not being able to concentrate.../focus.
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About instructor
Founder of Proko, artist and teacher of drawing, painting, and anatomy. I try to make my lessons fun and ultra packed with information.