Hi there, I'll be looking at your work today.
The flow and perspective demonstrated in this exercise are good. The individual arrow widths look like they expand/contract with distance, showing an understanding of 3D space. The only issues here are in execution. The curve for the arrow should be smooth with minimal wobbling. Hatching lines should be neat like all other straight lines in this course. These two issues are best solved with more ghosting and drawing from the shoulder. Finally, the arrow heads should begin at the end of the curve such that the curve is not sticking out unnecessarily.
Save for the bottom two, the leaves flow well and have dynamism in their central lines. This is great because a common issue is that this center line is very stiff and straight, leading to extremely 2D leaves. Meanwhile, the two bottom leaves appear to be unnaturally folding and bending, which is the opposite of the common problem (discussed here). Consider using C and S curves with mild bends in the future. Finally, there appear to be a few correction lines, which should be ideally avoided.
Looking at this exercise, there are a few issues to address. Starting with the ellipses, their execution could use improvement. Ideally, they are drawn through twice and have minimal wobbling. Furthermore, the tails of compound strokes are visible. Careful ghosting to the next ellipse is the best way to fix this issue. Alternatively, reduce the number of ellipses in a branch to draw fewer strokes. Finally, consider the degree of the ellipse as a part of these branches (step 1 of the exercise). This is a very challenging exercise, and mistakes are very common.
Most plants demonstrate an understanding of 3D space through their constructional methods. The petals of the various flowers show this best through their bending. Only a few of the forms aren't drawn through completely, which still should be included. Examples include the main stem on the flower on the second plant, and one of the pitchers of the last plant. Constructional techniques are a core part of this course and should not be skipped.
Some of the edge details on petals appear to be rushed and disordered. These details should be conscious and added with intent, so consider how each of the little protrusions and bends belongs to the whole of the subject.
Finally, pay attention to how forms intersect. Many plants, such as the first plant and the flowers with many petals have many different leaves/petals in a 3D world and will overlap with each other. There appears to be some apprehension on how to approach this interplay, but it is better to include overlaps in your constructions and figure it out from there with line weight and cast shadows.
Overall, I think there are a few areas to work on. That being said, this is complete.
Next Steps:
Lesson 4
I have to agree with everything you said, especially about the leaves and branches exercises, I feel like I had a tough time to visualize branches with the ellipses.
As for the plants I feel like I could of definetely done better, but I have to admit, I don't usually draw plants, other than this lesson, I have drawn plants properly years ago.
Thank you so much for the review! I would only ask a quick thing, what exercises do you recommend? Maybe just draw some more branches, from imagination or from reference?
I recommend branches as an exercise. The most important concept behind a branch is the way the degree of the ellipse shifts. I suggest re-reading Lesson 1's section on ellipses if visualizing them is difficult.
Thank you again! Have a nice day!
Some of you may remember James Gurney's breathtaking work in the Dinotopia series. This is easily my favourite book on the topic of colour and light, and comes highly recommended by any artist worth their salt. While it speaks from the perspective of a traditional painter, the information in this book is invaluable for work in any medium.
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