Project - Learning to Sketch from Imagination

Lesson by

Stan Prokopenko

inDrawing Basics

11K

Course In Progress

Assignments 1.8K

Downloads 5

Project - Learning to Sketch from Imagination

Lesson by

Stan Prokopenko

in Drawing Basics

11K

Course In Progress

Assignments 1.8K

Downloads 5

Pick an animal, a bug, or some kind of creature, and find several reference photos to use as inspiration to sketch a new character.

Don't copy the photos. Feel free to explore with proportions and exaggerate or simplify things to make it your own. Do multiple sketches to experiment and try different ideas.

Once you think you have a clear idea of a character, do one full page sketch. Even in this final sketch, try to use loose, confident lines and focus on the shapes of the character you have in mind. We're trying something new here with this project by starting to develop our ability to draw from imagination. So it might be a bit of a challenge, but don't sweat it.

Let's keep it loose and rough with our sketches and just focus on letting those creative juices flow. Don't focus on the cleanliness of your lines. We're sketching, and when you post your assignments, please include the photos you found and all your experimental sketches.

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.

And don't forget to have fun!

@xdrummerxdan

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Would love some feedback

Melanie Scearce

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15h

Your lines feel a bit tight, try to keep them loose and don't be afraid to lay in a few light searching lines before you commit to the final line. You have a good eye for proportion so don't be afraid to explore a bit more!

Mal

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Seals 🦭

Rémy Bernard

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So everything is here. I just did not took the time to save the reference picture. My lines are getting better. Those raw sketch looks more like a craftsman work than before I started the course. Thanks a lot ! I lose energy super quickly when trying to draw from imagination, but I did it ! Even putting the goat and sheep in an illustration in progress from a DnD session (on the right of my paper) If you give me a feedback, please make it specific it helps me more ;) Edit : to see full size you can click the "..." when you open the attached file. I just discovered this

Rachel Dawn Owens

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Great work! This guy is my favorite. Something about his expression…

Adam Davis

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Carlos Pérez

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i love it , but i don't think elephant's legs work that way .

Tommy Pinedo

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Great looking elephant :D

Jyayasi (*Jay-o-she*)

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That's a cute little elephant! I am imagining that she saw something on the ground that startled her :)

@charmin

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The toads in the squares are my "from imagination" drawings :)

Winston Tang

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I find drawing from imagination really hard, I struggled to draw something without directly using the references. Most of these are studies based off reference, with a few skethes of me trying to draw from imagination. Will try again after watching the next videos.

Winston Tang

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Thank you for the feedback! I'll keep at it! Haha yeah, need to be more willing to accept the awkward learning phases.

Patrick Bosworth

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These are great sketches! Keep it up, it takes a long time, but gets easier the more you build up your visual library. Love the standing bear, and duck expressions!

Rémy Bernard

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It IS really hard ! The secret is to it be disappointed... to give yourself mercy, and to keep trying ! ;)

Wenhan Lee

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4 characters I made! I have not watched the demos or critiques. Feel free to provide feedback. - A cool whale. Originally I did not know what kind of whale I wanted to draw, but I eventually started giving it sunglasses and called it a day. - "Tankcon" (tank + bacon). Some Fakemon that I've visualized in my head for a while. Here I attempt to combine two things, a pig and a tank. I made many drawings because I was trying to get the face to look the way I wanted it to. Results were okay i guess. - A weasel. Just a weasel with a mean face. - "Porygon-B". Another Fakemon! It is a hybrid between a Doduo and Porygon2. My favorite sketches so far. This project seems like a good exercise for concept artists. Can't wait to do the next project.

Winston Tang

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These look really cool!

Rémy Bernard

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Hey I chose to do a weasel just like you ! But I'll post it in the critics post. Nice work btw !

Catssius

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Jerbobatea Also have L1 Project warmups attached

Michael Hall

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13d

Hammerhead Pisces

Ahmed Waseem

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14d

Hear is my first attempt at drawing from Imagination. i found this assignment really difficult. i will try to draw more from imagination.

Rachel Dawn Owens

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11d

It gets easier with practice. And very rewarding. These are great! Keep it up!

Sofy

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14d

2nd attempt: this time with a Blue-footed Booby, while watching the demo and actually having fun :)

Rachel Dawn Owens

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11d

You captured the spirit! These are perfect!!

Sofy

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15d

This was so difficult for me! Just a little quokka :) but it took a lot of trial and error just to make this little sketch. Feedback welcome :)

Grant

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15d

This looks great Sofia! You really captured the adorable character of the animal here in both of your attempts. My advice is refer back to what Stan said in the demonstration video and keep getting mileage with your pencil and using your imagination.

Sofy

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15d

Another try:

Daniel

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20d

Very challenging since I'm not used to drawing from imagination, but that is the main thing I want to learn in the journey. Open for feedback or tips!

Darth Illustrator

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21d

Project Learning To Sketch From Imagination I tried to create a realistic and one more cartoony character. It was super fun.

Sofy

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15d

Really cool

Martha Muniz

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16d

This would be an awesome character design for animation!

Rachel Dawn Owens

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21d

Woah. These look really good. Very strong shapes here

@cgble

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22d

I think(?) I misunderstood the original assignment because I thought we were *never* supposed to copy reference photos, and just jump straight into imagination drawings. But it seems that was not the case? So I tried again, this time copying first to better understand ~the essence of tiger~ :). Then a sketch of him chasing a butterfly. And now after two days of Head Empty, Only Tiger I think I am ready to move on....:) (FWIW I think this was a great time to introduce drawing from imagination, it made me realize how out of shape that mental muscle was)

@cgble

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22d

For reference here was my original attempt. I think I improved a lot.

Felipe Godoy

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23d

I consider myself as a level 1 student, but I wanted to try this one just for fun. I forgot to save my references but after a few sketches, and a few days, I came up with my depressed raccoon (I almost put a cigarette in his hand *kids, smoking is bad*). I know is far from polished, but it was just a try out on sketching from imagination.

@cgble

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22d

He definitely looks tired and done with everything haha, I'd say you succeeded at depressed raccoon

@serhouse

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23d

And another attempt, now with an anteater. It actually has many fun features like the nose, the claws, the tail, the tongue and the legs. The final result is in the comment.

Rachel Dawn Owens

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22d

These are awesome anteater drawings! And your final guy is so cool and original! Great work bringing some character into your drawings. You nailed the assignment!

@serhouse

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23d

An Anteater.

@serhouse

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23d

Here's my reference and studies of a lovely hyena. I love the way its body looks—it actually resembles an irregular trapezius. Sick! Also love the expression of its face and some punk hair on the back. The final superhero character is in the comment.

@serhouse

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23d

The Superhyena.

Siddhesh

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24d

I don't know why but i did something diff ,but it was so much fun , i'll do more of these but i need to say ,simple improvements , improves drawing drastically .

@serhouse

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23d

Lego animals! 🤍

@cgble

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25d

Cartoonifying the tiger felt a bit beyond me so I tried to focus on drawing him in poses that weren't in my ref photos, then his whole head from memory.

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Stan Prokopenko

Founder of Proko, artist and teacher of drawing, painting, and anatomy. I try to make my lessons fun and ultra packed with information.