Boxes : Plotting Perspective : Homework Help!

8:22 AM, Monday September 2nd 2024

I really need help with the Plotting Perspective homework. I read through and watched all the boxes parts. As I was watching the video for the homework, at the beginning, it was fine! I understood the horizon line drawing, and the vanishing points. Connecting them, then drawing the two outer edge lines, and connecting those. What really stumped me, was drawing the boxes 4-5 times. It looked like a lot! And it seemed really confusing!!

If anyone has any tips, please tell me!

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10:40 PM, Monday September 2nd 2024
edited at 2:09 AM, Sep 3rd 2024

I'm unsure if you're having difficulty with a particular aspect of the exercise, so I've just guessed at some potential problem areas. Most importantly, being able to follow along with what an instructor is doing is one thing, and being able to do it on your own is something else entirely. The struggle that happens when the video ends and it's time to do the work yourself is important, and it's okay if you don't nail it right away. The important thing is that you try, even if (especially if!) it's hard.

If you're having trouble drawing boxes on your own, watch the video again. This exercise essentially provides a formula for how to draw a 2-point perspective box, and once you understand the gist of it -- draw a vertical line, run the top and bottom to both vanishing points, add two more vertical lines, etc. -- then you will have the freedom to apply that formula elsewhere on the page by choosing where the first vertical line will go and how tall to make it, where the next two will go, and so on. It's like learning a math formula. Once you know how the formula works, you can put in your own values and solve any problem.

If you're getting lost in the jungle of lines that arise as you draw multiple boxes, just try your best to keep track of the lines that are relevant to you at this moment and don't get distracted by the lines of other boxes you've already completed. You will develop a better eye for ignoring or focusing on lines with practice.

If you're hesitant about having boxes overlap, just go for it anyway. Overlapping boxes provide a good sense of depth, and the bunches of lines all together will get you more comfortable with focusing on the lines that are important.

edited at 2:09 AM, Sep 3rd 2024
4:21 PM, Wednesday October 16th 2024

Sorry for the late response. Do you think it may be easier if I use different coliured fineliners for different boxes?

7:08 PM, Wednesday October 16th 2024

That would certainly make the exercise easier, but I wouldn’t recommend it. All the lessons in Drawabox are written very carefully and students are expected to follow them to the letter. This exercise expects you to use a single, black fineliner, and it’s supposed to be challenging as a result. You will ultimately get more out of this exercise by struggling with it rather than making it easier on yourself. My best recommendation is to just dive in and do your best.

7:07 PM, Thursday February 6th 2025

I just completed that part without colour, thank you!

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6:21 AM, Thursday September 5th 2024

That's the intended reaction! Or at least part of it~

It's been a bit since I've seen that video, but I'm fairly sure that there's one video/exercise not long after it in the lesson plans that has you create an even more chaotic and difficult-to-parse picture. I believe it's the rotated boxes exercise. If you watch that video, Uncomfortable explains that the chaos becomes easier to understand the more you do it, and that you shouldn't worry if you mess up (or something along those lines). Obviously you should still try your best to be intentional, but if you mess up, don't worry about it! Make a mental note on what you did wrong and, most importantly, why you might have made that mistake, and move on! This course isn't about nailing everything on the first try. If you could, you wouldn't be here. It's about making mistakes and learning from them. The worst thing that can happen is starting over, which isn't all that bad!

TL;DR: Just go for it! It's gonna be confusing, and that's okay. That's how you know that this course is challenging you in a productive way.

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