When I stretch my hand stability improves not just because my arms are more warmed up but also because I'm able to relax and get in the mood.
Lines:
The lines in your superimposed lines exercise are a bit wobbly. I think you're focusing too hard on accuracy and where the endpoints will land rather than drawing a confident, smooth line. There could also be a little more variation in size, maybe throw in a curve or two.
Your ghosted lines and planes all reach the planned endpoints, but they are rather wobbly. Again, having a confident, smooth line is your first priority. It's okay if the lines don't always hit the points, but just focus on using your shoulder.
Ellipses:
Boxes:
Further comments:
I noticed that you are using pencils. Please switch to fineliners if you can, but for Lesson 1 and the 250 box challenge, ballpoints and gels are allowed as well. (see: https://drawabox.com/lesson/0/4/whatabout)
Next Steps:
Revisions:
1 page superimposed lines
1 page ghosted lines
1 page table of ellipses
(pen if possible, please!)
Here are the funnels and ghosted lines:
And here's how the story goes:
I was just starting Drawabox when all of a sudden things happened and I had to go abroad to visit family. I decided to just take some pens and paper and continue my work while I was there. Some of those pages got left behind. When I came home was a bit confused on what I should do, so I just moved on to the 250 box challenge at home. I also finally made an account and joined the Discord because my internet and device access was very spotty while I was travelling. I decided to just finish the 250 box challenge and post, but realised that I would first need critique on lesson 1. I shared what I could find on Discord but someone suggested that it would just be best to just redo the assignment and get critiques for the whole thing given that I had lost quite a few pages. I've also got my 250 boxes posted right now as well.
Well, what works best for you works best for you! Just don't hit undo, even if you think a line looks "too off" because it helps you get a more accurate measure of your work. The perspective on the boxes looks a lot better and you can see them getting smaller in the distance.
Next Steps:
250 boxes- you can do it!
You did 50 boxes a day! I highly suggest that for future exercises, you slow down a bit and do a smaller quantity per day in order to see the most improvement. It sounds counterintuitive, but this helps you avoid things like rushing, burnout, and lets you take the time to really reflect on your skills. Placement and line quality have improved in general, but they can still be a bit rough. I'm going to mark this as complete, because you have done all 250 boxes and shown growth, but I am going to suggest some exercises for you to do about daily for at least a fortnight. Remember to take your time on them.
Next Steps:
Exercise:
Turn the page vertical and split it into equal top and bottom parts.
Split the top part into a left and right side.
Superimposed lines on the top left.
Ghosted lines on the top right.
2-3 boxes a la 250 box challenge on the bottom
https://imgur.com/a/B67Gdkh If instructions are unclear, just divvy up your page like this.
Move on to Lesson 2.
Were they done digitally? I thoroughly suggest using paper according to the guidelines in lesson 0. https://drawabox.com/lesson/0/4/why
The ghosted lines/planes seem okay, but this would be easier to judge if you were using paper because of various factors that affect performance in digital tools.
I don't really see as much box size variation in the organic perspective exercise.
Next Steps:
Please do exercises in ballpoint pen or fineliner if you can. You don't have to redo it all, but try to do at least a third to a half of each exercise on paper.
Redo two/three panels of the organic perspective and try to have some more size variation as they move to the back.
Some superimposed lines showed some fraying at the beginning. Make sure to set your pen down on the exact point the original line starts at and then draw to avoid this.
Your ghosted lines look very good. A few have a little wobble to them but I think that as you do ghosted lines and superimposed lines for warmups and such these will go away.
Nice, confident ellipses.
The main issue with your boxes is line quality and placing the vertices, which I'm sure will improve when you do the 250 box challenge.
I too can relate to your shaky hands. I suggest stretching your arms and hands before getting to work
Next Steps:
Do ghosted and superimposed lines as warmups.
Stretch beforehand and take stretch breaks.
Move on to 250 boxes.
In order to avoid the exaggerated corner that STRATOCRUISER is talking about, I suggest you first ghost the general direction you think that line should go, then add a point as you're ghosting. Do the same for the other line of the plane, then figure out where that final vertex should go, ghost the lines to that final vertex, then draw them in.
I mostly agree with @CHEESENEEPS, but would like to add that if you can, please use proper A4/letter sized printer paper instead of your sketchbook. It is much more comfortable to draw on.
A few critiques on these things
Ghosted lines:
A little bit of arcing can be seen. Make sure you draw with your shoulder. Sometimes, people also have a natural tendency to arc their lines, so if that's you, consciously think about the straightness of your lines as you draw. Personally, I find that stretching my arms before hand and ghosting the lines more helps.
Ellipses:
Haha, we have the same problem- trying to keep them snug within their boundaries. Make sure to spend more time just ghosting them. I like watching some of the student made videos to get a sense for how long they are ghosting so I don't rush.
Rotated boxes:
Make sure the panels underneath are rotating as well.
Next Steps:
When warming up, take your time with Ghosted and Superimposed lines a bit. Move on to 250 boxes.
This recommendation is really just for those of you who've reached lesson 6 and onwards.
I haven't found the actual brand you buy to matter much, so you may want to shop around. This one is a "master" template, which will give you a broad range of ellipse degrees and sizes (this one ranges between 0.25 inches and 1.5 inches), and is a good place to start. You may end up finding that this range limits the kinds of ellipses you draw, forcing you to work within those bounds, but it may still be worth it as full sets of ellipse guides can run you quite a bit more, simply due to the sizes and degrees that need to be covered.
No matter which brand of ellipse guide you decide to pick up, make sure they have little markings for the minor axes.
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