Before I started this course I was frustrated that everyone seem to start with boxes. They don’t come naturally to me and I always prefer to start with organic shapes - the result has always been better for me. Imagine my delight hearing it's actually SMART to start with a blob! While listening, I tried applying this on a vehicle I'm not familiar at all with. I had to piece together several different images to make a plan and still, I see a lot of perspective weirdness and mistakes. For example, the placement of the wheels seems asymmetrical to the main part of the tank. At the end of the course, I will post my remake of this one and see how I have improved.

This was my simple object that i thought might be fun to draw (Batduck).

I think im really struggling with form and depth so trying to really focus in on the elements that help to build form in perspective.

I realized that when you’re out of practice with drawing, your lines lose precision and your ability to keenly observe and break down the relationships within the subject becomes weaker. I love this challenge, though!

I have only just started the blob today, but the blob approach is really helping me with the anxiety of creating form from imagination.

Tried the blob approach on half a robot.

3 pages of blobs and boxes! This exercise wasn't new to me since it's also in Stan's drawing basics course, but that alone provided an important lesson because it reminded me that doing an exercise once doesn't mean you've mastered it!! As it is, I will add this one to the rotation and remember to come back to it every now and then. Page 1: I stayed pretty basic with this page, doing some blobs and boxes, then trying some fruits and curved forms, and finally some snake-like forms. For reference, I used the sample sketch Marshall provided in the video, and it revealed something hugely important: darken the areas where lines meet to add depth! I guess this works because you're simulating occlusion shadows? In any case, I was stunned by the difference it made. Page 2: This was the addition and subtraction page. I tried both carving pieces out of larger blobs, and sticking multiple blobs together to create complex forms. This went well overall, but I think I need to push it further to really test the limits of this technique. Once I can construct a humanoid figure out of blobs, I can rest. Page 3: Snakes! I decided to try this after being reminded of how powerful contour lines are and that I need to practice with them. I found it INCREDIBLY difficult to figure out the overlaps and process where contour lines become inner edges and vice versa. They came out pretty well in the end, but they also took me ages and I wasn't able to break away from reference. Once I can draw a bending, twisting snake from imagination, I can rest.

It's always nice to know that you can start thinking with 2d forms before solidifying them as boxes. It's much quicker to use blobs to make new drawings.

Blobs to Boxes

I love this blob technique! I feel like it's helping me with curve confidence and ellipses a bit as well. What a great idea!

Sorry Mr. Marshall! Been really busy with work and life stuff so I haven't been able to hit the classes as much as I wish I could. Still drawing a good daily just not been able to focus on doing the classes, but I want to change that. Here I did more of the blob exercise with the spooned part and the squared up!

Long live the blob approach! =) This lesson was a game changer for me and I really feel I'm improving little by little, one step after the other. Thank you!

I'm not sure if i get the idea of blobs correctly I would be greatfull for any feedback

Started practising the Blob Approach with a few simple blobs. At first I struggled a bit because they didn't look right, but got better many blobs later. This exercise also made me realise how good Peter's suggested drawing warmup routine was in one of the previous lessons (the warmup where we drew lots of straight lines). I can see (and feel tbh!) how wonky my edges are when trying to draw a box around the blob, even though the edges are so short. I think if I had done the warmup at the start, my edges could have been straighter.