Uncomfortable's Advice from /r/ArtFundamentals

A simple demo (relating to lesson 6) that I just did for a student, figured it'd be useful

http://i.imgur.com/K4i9Dfs.jpg

2016-10-26 00:34

Uncomfortable

osku654

2016-10-26 05:24

Is there some reason for steps 4 and 5? I cant figure out why they are necessary.

[deleted]

2016-10-26 05:30

They're for getting the other four squares. The diagonal line through the center results in an accurate mirrored line.

This depends on getting that perfectly straight line extending through the center though, and in these subdivision-based solids even a five degree or two millimeter error in the beginning compounds throughout the rest of the drawing and makes it non-solid in the end. I'm working on the Everyday Objects part and my problems are coming from accuracy, not from solids or subdivision.

osku654

2016-10-26 05:37

Makes sense! Thanks!

Uncomfortable

2016-10-26 13:33

Thanks for the excellent explanation!

Uncomfortable

2016-10-26 13:32

They're actually imperative - steps 4 and 5 are where you actually transfer the measurements from one side to the other, ensuring that the width and height of each corner is consistent as you move them around in 3D space. More than anything, this whole demo is an example of how and where to use this technique - drawing a line some distance away from the center of a plane, then mirroring that same distance across to the other side. I discuss it in greater detail in the intro video for lesson 6.

gwjrabbit

2016-10-26 13:23

I laughed out loud at the little cartoon at the top.

Uncomfortable

2016-10-26 14:19

<_< it's more or less how I picture all of my interactions with my students.

[deleted]

2016-10-26 14:44

Something thats always upset me a little is that you tell people to only use pen for this stuff. How is someone supposed to erase all those lines when drawing in pen?

Uncomfortable

2016-10-26 15:13

I don't do anything akin to erasing in any of the demos in the given lessons. For example:

I specifically use a brush in those demos that has no opacity variance (only size is set to pressure). It's actually considerably more difficult to control than a fineliner because of all sorts of digital finickiness. The point of the matter is that once you've drawn all your lines, you can use line weight and fill areas in with black in order to emphasize and bring forward certain lines, while pushing others back. The lines are all there, but these tricks let you organize them, and communicate to the viewer's eyes which ones are important and which ones aren't.

[deleted]

2016-10-26 19:05

Thats fair, but what do you recommend for someone who doesn't want all those extra lines?

Uncomfortable

2016-10-26 19:43

Keep in mind that my lessons aren't about teaching people to draw. Meaning, I'm not teaching people to draw a mess of lines, so that's the only way they'll be able to produce art. I'm teaching people how to learn to draw. The use of all these extra lines, the use of ink, and so on are all tools to ensure that students understand and internalize the concepts that are important.

Down the line, after lots of repetition and practice, you will start to need those lines less. Gradually you'll behave as though the lines are there before you've even drawn them. Now when it comes to more technical drawings like these, the tricks are difficult to estimate but when actually drawing something for some purpose other than learning, you can avoid a lot of the extra linework by using a ruler. For example, steps 4 and 5 show how you'd draw a line going from the end of one mark, through the center, to find the same distance mirrored across - you could just use a ruler instead of actually drawing a physical mark.

It's incredibly damaging to go in thinking about "I want to draw beautiful things!" because then you become far too focused on the final result. What's important is that you focus on the process, how you learn to think in 3D space, and so on. That, at least when using the methods I espouse, requires a lot of extra, well planned and well executed marks that contribute to your understanding of the object you're drawing, moreso than the final drawing itself.

95Mb

2016-10-26 15:58

Haha, this reminds me when I tried to make an AT-ST using Three-Point Perspective.

Turns out, that cabin is fucking ridiculous.

Uncomfortable

2016-10-26 16:12

Ahaha, my god, actually drawing the vanishing points for that? I imagine you either ran into a problem where your drawing ended up really small (due to having to fit the VPs in your page) or your perspective ended up overly dramatic (due to having VPs too close to the object). That's why I really push for using boxes to imply VP positions.

Still, all things considered that sounds like an interesting thing to try.