Here we look at tackling a flower, using the principles of leaf construction and applying them to a different, but similar form that follows the same principles of being flat and following the flow of external forces.
The demo video includes full audio and discussion of the concepts demonstrated in the drawing.
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Here's the reference image we'll be working from. It's clearly got a number of flowing petals that all come out from a central point, we'll be focusing on these primarily.
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We start out with just a few marks. First we want to establish the path the stem is going to follow, and ultimately how it connects to the head of the flower. We've done this with a flowing line (the arrow coming down and to the right), and a couple of contour ellipses to start establishing the base of the flower's head.
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Applying the branch construction technique covered earlier in the lesson, we draw a stem along the path we established in the previous step.
Remember that in order to maintain control over this longer curve, we're building it up in segments that go from one ellipse past the next. As we lift our pen, we aim that stroke towards the ellipse that follows. The goal here is to have each segment we construct overlap the previous one, causing them to blend smoothly into a continuous stroke.
We've also added a bit of a hemisphere or dome form to help build out the core from which all the petals flow.
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For each individual petal, we've constructed a separate "flow" line, as covered in the leaf construction exercise. While these are petals, and not leaves, the same principle applies because both are relatively flat and as such are heavily impacted by the flow of wind and air currents that surround them. You'd apply the same tactic to any such object or form.
Make sure you're drawing each flowing line with confidence and with consideration for how those forces are going to be pushing on your leaf. Don't draw shallow, stiff lines - take your time, apply the ghosting method, and don't half-ass it. The flow line is the core that defines the behaviour of each leaf or petal.
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Again, following the leaf construction method, enclose the flow line from tip to tip with two edges, creating the overall shape of the petal. Do your best to have the petal end where the flow line does, and push through those lines with confidence again.
Don't be afraid to let the petals fold back on themselves. All we're doing is guiding lines that flow through space.
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Now the petals on this flower are pretty simple, but if you ever need to add any edge detail like wavy, fraying or spiky edges, avoid the following:
Zigzagging your lines, each deviation from the previous phase of construction should be drawn as a separate stroke, maintaining the basic mark making rule of each stroke maintaining only a single trajectory.
Ignoring the initial enclosing edge of the shape - your details should always come off that initial edge and then return to it.
Working subtractively - don't cut back into your basic leaf shape, or any form if you can help it. Work additively, always attaching new forms to those you've already established in space. Subtractive construction, while a viable option, usually requires far more spatial awareness of both the form already on the page and the piece you're cutting away, and it's very easy just to think about them as they exist in 2D, thus flattening out your drawing.
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At this point, the main focus of this demo is over. I'm paying a bit of attention to the pollen and other flowery bits towards the center, fleshing some of those forms out as little balls, but I won't be taking that very far.
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We finish off this drawing with a bit of detail here and there. Notice that while there are many lines running lengthwise along the petals (which you can see in the reference image as well), each one should be drawn with care, to follow the same flow of the petal itself. I'm also allowing these strokes to taper a lot more, by applying much less pressure, though the confidence of the stroke is still more important. If you aren't mindful of each stroke that rests on a surface in your drawing, you risk contradicting the construction you've already laid down.
While I have a massive library of non-instructional art books I've collected over the years, there's only a handful that are actually important to me. This is one of them - so much so that I jammed my copy into my overstuffed backpack when flying back from my parents' house just so I could have it at my apartment. My back's been sore for a week.
The reason I hold this book in such high esteem is because of how it puts the relatively new field of game art into perspective, showing how concept art really just started off as crude sketches intended to communicate ideas to storytellers, designers and 3D modelers. How all of this focus on beautiful illustrations is really secondary to the core of a concept artist's job. A real eye-opener.
Having your work reviewed by others is critical, as those who are just starting out aren't in a position to properly judge their own work, and won't be for quite some time. Don't be afraid to show your struggles - it's by analyzing your mistakes that we can help you grow. Perfect homework is not what we're looking for; we just need it to be complete.
There are currently two places you can get your work critiqued by the community - Reddit and our Discord Chat Server.
Both of these are completely free.
If you are interested in receiving extra help, I critique the work of those who support Drawabox on Patreon.
All of these private critiques are done through reddit, in specific threads where students post their work as a comment, including a link to their work (often hosted on Imgur, though most image hosts are okay).
My requirements are more strict than the free community critiques:
The minimum pledge for this lesson is $10.00/month. The orange button above will take you to the reddit thread for this lesson, you can post a link to your work there and I'll be notified. Once I catch the submission, I'll add it to this backlog spreadsheet.
Pledges are collected at the beginning of the following month, but you may start submitting your work immediately. If you're a new patron, I'll be reaching out to your shortly to collect your reddit username.
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