Uncomfortable in the post "250 Cylinder Challenge"

2016-01-18 23:38

Form-wise, they're alright, but I have to ask - what's up with your line quality? The cylinders themselves are immensely chicken-scratchy and sketchy. It doesn't seem like you're ghosting your lines carefully or applying much of what was covered in lesson 1. I am glad to see that you're drawing through your ellipses decently, but you really need to work on getting out of that sketchy habit.

Also, while your minor axes aren't scratchy, they are a little wobbly which throws off their purpose. Make sure you apply the ghosting method (I think you need to go back and reread that section in lesson 1) to keep them straight and smooth, and also make you draw the ellipses so the minor axis (which is always drawn first) cuts completely through the ellipse, so you can be sure that it does cut the ellipses into two equal symmetrical halves.

I'll mark this challenge as complete, but be sure to work on the issues mentioned above.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-18 23:30

Not bad! There's a few issues I'd like to mention, but you've generally done quite well so I will be marking this lesson as complete.

The first thing that jumped out at me is that your first page of rough perspective boxes shows some pretty wobbly and wavy lines. This shows me that you're not applying the ghosting method here as you should be. It does improve somewhat on the next page, but remember that your time investment needs to all go into the preparation phase - when you execute the line, you do so with a quick, confident stroke.

On an unrelated note, I would like you to go over your completed rough perspective boxes as described here: Lines Not Lining Up With Vanishing Point. It will help you get the most out of this exercise.

Your rough perspective boxes are done quite well, but I did notice that you approached it with an underdrawing first, which you then darkened with another pass. I'd like you to avoid this approach for my exercises. The reason is that it tends to diminish the training of one's confidence, which is as much a goal of these exercises as any other. Think through the lines you're going to draw, and then execute with confidence. You will make mistakes, but that in itself is necessary - to come to terms with those mistakes, and accept them as inevitable, and eventually to learn how to work around them when they happen.

Lastly, I do notice some struggling with your organic perspective boxes, although over the set you do improve here as well. I'd like you to move onto the 250 box challenge next. This will help you get some extra practice with constructing these arbitrarily rotated boxes, and wrapping your head around how they sit in 3D space.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 2: Organic Forms, Contour Lines, Dissections and Form Intersections (version 3)"

2016-01-18 23:23

Pretty nice work. In general, you're doing quite well, but there are a few areas where you're missing instructions.

• You're Not Drawing Through Ellipses - I see this both in the organic forms with contour ellipses, as well as in your earlier form intersections.

• You're drawing a few clusters of form intersections, rather than one big network of intersecting forms that fills up the entire page. I mentioned in the lesson that the focus is not actually how the forms intersect, but more your ability to draw many forms within the same space and scene, maintaining cohesiveness and consistency between them.

Aside from those points, your work is really well done. Your dissections are getting a little too preoccupied with form and pushing outside the boundaries of what I want from that exercise, but your textures are well drawn and your observation skills are solid. I also like the fact that your organic forms with contour curves aren't just simple curves, but rather the fact that you've got them twisting and turning shows me that you understand that these contour lines are really just lines that exist on the surface of the form, helping describe it to the viewer.

I do want you to do one page of form intersections though, as the lesson describes it - a single network of intersecting and interconnecting forms that fills the page.

Also, it's great to hear that you're in a life drawing class. I do want to mention that as you're getting instruction from multiple sources, try to keep them separated. Do the exercises your instructor there teaches you as they describe them, and do my exercises as I describe them. There's a good chance they will contradict each other in some ways, especially considering that my approach to art education is very, very different from the traditional approach you'd see in most prestigious art schools.

Uncomfortable in the post "250 Box Challenge (#3)"

2016-01-18 23:17

I think there's a lot of room to improve. You're demonstrating a lot of the common mistakes, like Far Planes Larger than Near Planes. The important thing to keep in mind is that Drawing Through your Forms will help you identify those mistakes. I noticed you did it here and there, but for the most part you neglected to do so.

Secondly, when you're correcting, don't circle your mistakes - actually draw the correct line. If you knew immediately that your line was wrong when you drew it, don't correct it immediately. This is a bad habit, as it draws attention to your mistake. Instead, we want to separate drawing and correcting so we don't fall into the habit of correcting as a knee-jerk reaction.

I'm going to mark this challenge as complete, as you did draw 250 boxes, but know that you still need a lot of work in this area. Draw through your boxes and keep the near/far plane thing in mind. That which is further away should be smaller, never larger.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-18 22:59

Definitely a vast improvement. I am going to mark this lesson as complete, but I'm going to point out a few issues as well, primarily with your boxes.

First off, I'm glad to see that you're checking and correcting after the fact, in a different colour (rather than doing so immediately as a knee-jerk reaction). To take things further, I'd like you to go over the completed rough perspective boxes as described here: Lines Not Lining Up With Vanishing Point, basically plotting each line back to the horizon to see how far off from the vanishing point it is. With this information, you can consciously compensate for the mistakes you tend to make, the next time you attempt this exercise.

When it comes to rotating boxes, you are certainly still struggling. This is not abnormal, and at this point it is expected. I've got a few comments on how you're approaching things right now.

First off, I'm noticing that when you feel uncertain of things, you try to figure things out in pencil first. Don't do this - start and end with pen. You need to get accustomed to making, and having to deal with your mistakes.

Secondly, try to avoid drawing explicit vanishing points when dealing with these rotated boxes. Each box has its own set of vanishing points. The very act of rotating a box causes the vanishing points to slide along the horizon, or move in space, relative to the amount they've been rotated. Remember what a vanishing point is - it's a point to which all lines that are parallel to one another converge when drawn in 2D. If any two lines converge at the same point, they are parallel in 3D space. If you're drawing all of your forms according to the same vanishing points, you're probably working in a grid, which allows for no rotation.

Dealing with all of the vanishing points that are generated from lots of rotated forms tends to become overwhelming, which is why at this point, I encourage people to set them aside.

You know the vanishing points exist, but try to think about how that box is going to turn in 3D space, and what it'll look like. In the organic perspective exercise, it's more arbitrary, but in the rotated perspective exercise, it's gradual. Things move step by step. Try to picture in your head, a box that's turning, rather than working from a strict vanishing-point based approach.

That isn't to say the vanishing points don't exist - they do - but right now thinking too much about them will cause you to stumble.

Like I said, I'm going to mark this lesson as complete, but I'd like you to move onto the 250 box challenge next. Be sure to read the notes there and follow the tips. It should give you plenty of practice with this challenging subject.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-18 22:51

I generally hold my pen as I do when I'm writing, although if my pen's ink flow is being shitty, I'll try to hold it upright (perpendicular to the page). I make sure not to rest my wrist or arm too much on the page, so I can force myself to draw from the shoulder. This is going to be difficult, I'll admit - this is not something most people are used to, as they are forced to use muscles that generally aren't active.

Also, make sure you ghost through the motion several times first, and once you become accustomed to the motion, draw with a persistent, confident pace. Remember that you're to draw through the ellipse, so the inevitable inaccuracies of the first pass that come from drawing more confidently will be compensated for in the second pass. Just trust your arm to know what it's doing.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-18 22:42

Not bad! You're generally doing a good job. There are a few issues I'd like to highlight, though.

First off, your ellipses are generally looking a little stiff and wobbly. This is because you're drawing them slowly and carefully, investing all of your time in the drawing phase rather than the preparation phase (remember the ghosting method from part 1? it should be applied here, and everywhere.) By drawing slowly, your brain interferes and tries to guide your hand, making little corrections as you go along, which causes your ellipses to wobble and become uneven and misshapen. Instead, you want to ghost through that motion until you get accustomed to it - this imprints onto your arm's muscle memory, so when you finally execute, it's done with a consistent, confident stroke that is fast enough that your brain cannot interfere. Basically, your arm has practiced plenty and knows what it's doing. If you draw slowly, your muscle memory doesn't kick in.

For your rough perspective boxes, you're coming along well. I encourage everyone to do this - you should go over your completed homework as explained here: Lines Not Lining Up With Vanishing Point. It'll help you identify certain trends in your mistakes so you can compensate for them the next time you attempt that exercise.

Remember that we're not expecting perfection here - all I want to see is that you understand what you should be aiming for, and I do see that in all of your exercises.

Lastly, I do notice some struggling in your organic perspective boxes, both in the construction of arbitrarily rotated boxes, as well as in the quality of your lines (you should probably be ghosting/preparing more, and executing a little faster to keep the lines straight and smooth). I'm going to mark this lesson as complete, but I encourage you to move onto the 250 box challenge next.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-18 22:36

Not bad! There are a few issues I noticed, but for the most part you're doing quite well.

Here are some areas where you can improve:

• Super Imposed Lines, Fraying/Separation on Both Ends

• Your hatching/shading is generally pretty sloppy - keep your lines parallel and consistent, and make sure they stretch all the way across the surfaces they're covering, from edge to edge. No floaters, no scribbling, no zigzags, and as little overshooting as possible.

• Be sure to go over your completed rough perspective homework as described here: Lines Not Lining Up With Vanishing Point

• The arbitrarily rotated box constructions in your organic perspective exercise are coming along nicely, but they do need some more work. You've got a lot of this going on: Far Planes Larger than Near Planes.

I'm going to mark this lesson as complete, but I do encourage you to move onto the 250 box challenge next to get some additional work with those arbitrarily rotated boxes.

Uncomfortable in the post "Nathan Aardvark - A lot of great (free) daily tips/tricks that you should all check out"

2016-01-18 22:33

Chances are slim! Things are pretty busy at work, and I don't generally travel too much. I'll be sure to let you know though if I happen to be in the area in the future.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-18 22:30

Nice work! Your exercises seem to be fairly well done. There are a few issues I noticed with your organic perspective boxes, but they're generally better than I usually expect from this exercise, as most people do struggle with them.

The biggest issue I noticed was this: Inconsistent Foreshortening Between Boxes in the Same Scene. Also however, I think as you start to get a little tired into the second page, I notice problems with your near/far plane size relationships.

Lastly, I did also want to mention that you should be a little tidier with the hatching lines you use for shading. They're nice and parallel, but make sure your lines stretch from edge to edge on the plane, with no floaters and as little overshooting as possible.

I'm going to mark this lesson as complete - if you want, you can move onto the next lesson, or you may want to take a look at the 250 box challenge to get a little more practice with your arbitrarily rotated box constructions. It's up to you.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 2: Organic Forms, Contour Lines, Dissections and Form Intersections (version 3)"

2016-01-18 22:24

Definitely much better. Feel free to move onto the next lesson.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 2: Organic Forms, Contour Lines, Dissections and Form Intersections (version 3)"

2016-01-18 22:23

Definitely a marked improvement. As you continue to practice your organic forms with contour curves, I'd slowly pull back the overshooting over time, working your way to stopping altogether. For now though, it's a great way to train your brain and hand into understanding how the form exists in 3D space, and how that line should wrap around.

Feel free to move onto the next lesson.

Uncomfortable in the post "Nathan Aardvark - A lot of great (free) daily tips/tricks that you should all check out"

2016-01-18 22:23

I think it's a really interesting take, to have little tastes here and there. The structured approach drawabox uses definitely has benefits when dealing with beginners, but once you start looking at more experienced artists, the things they want to learn tends to spread out considerably, making a buffet more desirable. In that sense, we're not really competing with each other, but rather covering different bases.

Unfortunately I only lived in LA for six months while I was studying at Concept Design Academy. At the moment I'm living in Halifax, Canada.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 2: Organic Forms, Contour Lines, Dissections and Form Intersections (version 3)"

2016-01-18 22:19

Solid work across the board. You seem to know what to aim for with each exercise, and are moving in all the right directions. When playing with texture, you may want to practice how you would go about demonstrating a gradual shift in density, moving from very dense high-contrast areas of detail to sparser detail and eventually empty space where the detail is implied. That's something that as you continue to practice and move forward you'll have to experiment with.

Anyway, feel free to move onto the next lesson.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 2: Organic Forms, Contour Lines, Dissections and Form Intersections (version 3)"

2016-01-18 22:17

Solid work. You struggle a little at the beginning of your organic forms with contour ellipses, as well as the contour curves, but you seem to figure things out and pull through by the end. Your dissections are looking pretty decent. You're doing a good job of observing the detail present in the exercises. The next step - and this is more of something to keep in mind as you continue to practice - is to start thinking about how each texture is really just a collection of light shapes and shadow shapes, and working towards being able to organize those shapes in a way that maintains the illusion of the texture, but tones down the amount of contrast in a given area. Like I said, this takes time to develop, but as long as you keep it in mind while you practice, you will make subtle moves in that direction.

Lastly, your form intersections are looking solid. I see confident line work and a decent understanding of 3D space.

Feel free to move onto the next lesson.

Uncomfortable in the post "Nathan Aardvark - A lot of great (free) daily tips/tricks that you should all check out"

2016-01-18 18:35

That's great to hear. There's so many great resources on the internet, it's too bad it's so hard for people to find them! I'm not gonna lie, when I first saw your page, I went "HISSS COMPETITION," before I thought about it for a second and figured open sharing is probably the best policy.

Uncomfortable in the post "250 Box Challenge (#3)"

2016-01-18 17:42

http://i.imgur.com/PgilBxs.png

Uncomfortable in the post "250 Cylinder Challenge"

2016-01-17 06:02

I think it's better to reinforce the idea that anything that is integral to your construction should be drawn as confidently as the main drawing itself, and anything else should be left out. Switching to pencil creates a hierarchy of importance that won't benefit you in the long run.

Uncomfortable in the post "250 Cylinder Challenge"

2016-01-17 02:58

Why pencil? These are all exercises after all, if a line is important, there's no reason to try and hide it.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-16 23:27

You're not expected to submit perfect work. You do the exercises to the absolute best of your ability, and you submit it. Based on what you submit, I can generally find specific issues that you can work on. Sometimes however it is just a matter of practice, and the struggles you're encountering are perfectly natural. Long story short, tough through it. If it's really catastrophic and you feel that you could do better, then scrap it and start over, but if you feel that this is the best you can muster right now, finish it off.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 2: Organic Forms, Contour Lines, Dissections and Form Intersections (version 3)"

2016-01-16 19:50

Definitely looking better. I am noticing some issues with your box constructions (you know the usual near/far plane issues) but you're generally doing considerably better. Just be sure to continue keeping an eye on those kinds of things. I'll mark this lesson as complete.

Oh, you should also at least take a look at the material in the 250 Cylinder Challenge. I go over how important the minor axis is when constructing a cylinder, which is something you seem to have forgotten from lesson 1.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-16 19:48

Pretty good! Generally you seem to be moving in the right direction with all of your exercises. I did notice a bit of stiffness with your ellipses in planes, so you may want to read this: Stiff, Uneven Ellipses. Also, I definitely see some struggling with your rotated boxes, but I can see clearly that you know what you should be aiming for - it's just a matter of continuing to practice and improve.

Lastly, your organic perspective boxes are on the weaker end, but this is completely normal. Most people struggle considerably with the idea of constructing arbitrarily rotated boxes in 3D space. I'm going to mark this lesson as complete, but I'd like you to move onto the 250 box challenge next. Be sure to go over the additional material there, and take your time working through the challenge.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 2: Organic Forms, Contour Lines, Dissections and Form Intersections (version 3)"

2016-01-16 19:45

See? I knew you could do it. Your textures look vastly better. There's still room for improvement, but you're absolutely on the right track. As you continue to practice while moving forward, you'll discover different ways to use line and shape to create other subtle effects.

Your contour curves are also better, but continue keeping an eye on that. It's very easy to slip back into the habit of not wrapping them around convincingly, so you've got to be vigilant.

I'll mark this lesson as complete.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 6: Drawing Everyday Objects (version 3)"

2016-01-16 19:43

Your form intersections are looking pretty decent. The organic intersections are alright as well, but I am noticing one issue there - Contour Curves Do Not Wrap Around Organic Forms. I've likely mentioned this in the past, and we may have solved the issue, but you're slipping back into that pitfall. Keep an eye on it.

In general though, there is another thing I'm noticing - your linework is coming out rather sketchy and a little haphazard. You're also not drawing through any of your ellipses, as you should be for every ellipse you draw for my lessons. I think you may also be sliding back when it comes to applying the ghosting method to your lines - thinking and planning before executing a mark with a confident stroke.

Lastly, it doesn't look to me like you're drawing with a felt tip pen - this looks like ballpoint to me.

Anyway, go ahead and move onto the extra 4 pages of every day objects. Remember to apply your ghosting method, to draw through your ellipses, and most importantly, draw the objects as though they are form intersections, drawing a collection of forms rather than attempting to draw a specific object from observation. You're observing, breaking down into simpler forms, then reconstructing those simpler forms.

Create a new album for your next additions - in this case it was fine because the addition was totally different from the previous material, but generally if you have an album of every day objects, and then add four more pages to it, I won't know which ones are new and which ones are old.

Uncomfortable in the post "250 Cylinder Challenge"

2016-01-16 19:25

The constructions are looking good. At times, I am noticing that some of your ellipses look just a little oddly shaped - like they're nearing rounded rectangles rather than ellipses, so keep an eye on this. I noticed that by the end you abandoned your minor axes. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this - your results weren't bad, but I wouldn't get into the habit. Your minor axis will be very useful when you start combining cylinders with other objects, where you have to orient them in a specific manner. So don't outright toss the baby out with the bathwater.

Still, your cylinders are coming along nicely. Keep up the good work!

Uncomfortable in the post "250 Box Challenge (#3)"

2016-01-16 19:22

Looking good! I'm glad to see you drawing through the boxes - your constructions are solid and your application of line weight is excellent. Keep up the good work!

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-16 19:21

Nice work! I'm generally seeing that you understand what you should be aiming for with these exercises. Your results for your lines and ellipses are well done, and your boxes show a lot of growth. I'm very glad to see the red lining on your rough perspective boxes. Estimation does take time to hone and perfect, but you're well on your way.

One thing that I did notice, which is a very minor point in many regards but still rather important, is that you applied some fairly sloppy hatching lines in your rotated boxes. This of course has nothing to do with form or whatever else, but it is still worth mentioning that anything you add to a drawing should be done so conscientiously, and with care. Hatching lines should be consistent, parallel and stretch all the way a surface from edge to edge, with nothing floating arbitrarily on the plane, and no scribbling either. After all, you could just as well have chosen not to apply any hatching, and in this case that would have made this exercise look a little better.

I can see that you've been struggling with your organic perspective boxes, which is completely natural. It takes time to develop a sense of how to construct arbitrarily rotated boxes in 3D space, and most people struggle with it.

I'm going to mark this lesson as complete, but I'd like you to move onto the 250 box challenge next. Be sure to read the extra notes and watch the video linked there. They, along with the additional practice, should help you solidify your sense of 3D space. Also another thing you may want to try for part of the 250 box challenge is, not unlike the rotated boxes exercise, try drawing series of boxes that are gradually turning in space, as though they were tied together by a string (like this: https://i.imgur.com/fiON7aV.jpg).

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-16 19:15

It's coming along nicely! I certainly like the volume of work you've done, filling in each page to the brim. There's a few issues I noticed, but you're doing quite well.

• In your funnels, I notice your ellipses getting kind of misshapen. Your ellipses in other areas are generally quite well done, and the difference is that with the funnels, you're drawing more with your brain, rather than following what your arm naturally wants to do. You're likely drawing a little slower here, which gives your brain the chance to interfere. Try to avoid this by investing the time during the ghosting/preparation phase, and drawing with a fast, persistent, confident stroke.

• You are definitely struggling with your rotated boxes and organic perspective boxes, but this is completely natural. This sort of spatial sense takes time and practice to develop, and you're moving in the right direction. With your rotated boxes keep pushing yourself to turn each subsequent box a little more (I can see the sort of discomfort and fear fighting back against your desire to turn each box, but it'll abate as you continue pushing yourself).

I'm going to mark this lesson as complete, but I'd like you to move onto the 250 box challenge next. One thing I've seen some people do that looks to be quite helpful, when working on the 250 boxes, is to try envisioning a string flowing through space that passes through a row of boxes, each one aligned to the string (like this https://i.imgur.com/fiON7aV.jpg). I think the challenge in general will help you work through the spatial issues and solidify your understanding of how to construct these arbitrarily rotated forms in a more organic manner.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-16 19:08

It's coming along quite nicely. There's a few issues I'd like to point out, but generally you're doing pretty well.

• Super Imposed lines: Fraying/Separation on Both Ends

• Boxes in general - I do notice that your lines tend to be falling short of their goals fairly often, leaving gaps in your box constructions, or overshooting at times. This leads me to think that you might be rushing a little too much, so try and ease up and spend more time in the preparation phase of the 3 step ghosting method.

• Rough perspective boxes - I encourage you to go over your completed homework for this exercise as described here: Lines Not Lining Up With Vanishing Point, to help you identify the more subtle mistakes you make so you can compensate for them the next time you attempt the exercise.

• Your rotated perspective boxes are coming along well, though I do notice that at the sides, I think you're faltering a little and not actually pushing the rotation of those boxes as far as you should. They look quite similar in orientation to their neighbours. Keep this in mind as you continue to practice this exercise.

• Your organic perspective boxes do show a few common mistakes (moreso in the first page than the second), such as Inconsistent Foreshortening Between Boxes in the Same Scene and Far Planes Larger than Near Planes. This particular subject takes a lot of time to develop, so everyone struggles with it.

I'm going to mark this lesson as complete (remember, this means that I think you understand what you should be aiming for with each exercise, though you should still continue practicing them as you move forward). I'd like you to move onto the 250 box challenge next, however, so you can get some more practice with the idea of constructing arbitrarily rotated boxes in 3D space.

Uncomfortable in the post "250 Box Challenge (#3)"

2016-01-16 19:00

There's definitely some improvement over the set, but I want to draw your attention to one of the tips included in the challenge page that you didn't take advantage of: Draw Through your Forms. It's important that you read everything and apply what's there, rather than jumping headlong into drawing.

I'll mark this challenge as complete, but I strongly recommend that you continue practicing these, while drawing through your boxes to get a better sense of how each box sits in 3D space, so you can continue to correct your mistakes.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-16 18:58

Not bad! There are some common issues I noticed, so we'll work on those, but you're definitely moving in the right direction.

Here's the major issues I noticed:

• Super imposed lines, Fraying/Separation on Both Ends

• Funnels, Not Aligning Ellipses to the Minor Axis. Less than that, I'm just not 100% sure you understand the purpose of the minor axis in this exercise (by the fact that you left it out of some of them). Keep in mind that when it comes to aligning ellipses in 3D space, the minor axis is SUPER important.

• When applying hatching lines (to shade your boxes), make sure the lines are consistent, parallel and stretch all the way across a given plane from edge to edge. Don't let any of the lines float in the middle of a plane or overshoot an edge.

• Boxes in general, Not Framing Compositions

• Rough perspective boxes, Guessing, Instead of Knowing. This is an important one.

• It would also help to go over your completed rough perspective box exercises as described here: Lines Not Lining Up With Vanishing Point

• In your rotated boxes, I noticed that your lines get super wobbly. Read this: Wobbling, Drawing Too Slowly and Carefully. Continue to apply the ghosting method to everything, rather than just trying to draw "slow-and-steady". Your marks should be made confidently, which will throw off your accuracy, so you'll have to prepare and ghost through the drawing motion beforehand to compensate.

Your organic perspective boxes certainly need work as well, but this is expected, as the idea of constructing arbitrarily rotated boxes in 3D space is one that requires a spatial sense that develops with time and practice. We'll get some extra practice on that front once I mark this lesson as complete by moving onto the 250 box challenge, but before that I'd like you to redo the rough perspective boxes exercise.

Edit: Oops, I just realized you did the 250 box challenge already. I'll move onto critique it, but I still want you to redo the 2 pages of the rough perspective box exercise before I mark this lesson as complete.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 3: Drawing Plants (version 3)"

2016-01-16 18:49

Nice work! Your forms are generally very well done, and I like the experimentation you're doing with your textures. I have just two points to mention to you, but I'm marking this lesson as complete so feel free to move onto the next one.

First off, when constructing your forms - in this case, specifically leaves and petals - build up your complexity, and never jump into a level of complexity that has no underlying scaffolding supporting it. What I mean by that is, if you have a leaf that has a wavy or frayed edge - those waves or jagged edges are an additional level of complexity on top of just a simple, smooth edge. You should start off with a smooth edge first, and then add the additional detail on top of the scaffolding the simpler form gives you.

Try to use this kind of approach when constructing leaves: http://i.imgur.com/9E8wD83.png. Start off with a center line to establish the flow of the flat form through 3D space. Then enclose the space with two simple curved edges. Then add the more complex detail on top of that. This way you're breaking everything up into simpler phases. It's common for people to get caught up in the complex detail, and ending up drawing a leaf that does not bend and twist through 3D space believably.

The second point is just about using too much hatching when adding texture. Hatching isn't actually a texture you see often in nature, rather it's a short hand in drawing for "I don't know what goes here, but I don't want to leave it blank." Instead, try to pay closer attention to the textures and visual elements present in the texture of that section. If you spend more time studying your reference, you'll find not only details, but how those details are arranged and balanced against one another to give the illusion of a given surface quality.

Anyway, like I said, very nice work. I'll mark this lesson as complete.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 2: Organic Forms, Contour Lines, Dissections and Form Intersections (version 3)"

2016-01-15 16:19

There isn't much more to say on the subject that I haven't already mentioned. You're looking at your reference, seeing a few details, and then spending the rest of your time drawing. You need to do the opposite - spend 90% of your time studying the object and only ever draw for a second or two before going back to studying your reference.

Your dissections are a little on the simplistic side, to the point that they're looking cartoony. You need to spend more time really studying your reference images, looking at what kind of visual elements are present that give a texture a certain look (rough, smooth, bumpy, sticky, wet, etc.) and how they're spread out over the entire surface (are they applied evenly, or do they cluster in groups?). When you look away from your reference, the vast majority of what you absorbed will be immediately simplified by your brain. You don't realize this is happening though, so generally you'll happily draw what you think you remember. It's important to force yourself to look back at your reference constantly, after only a moment or two of drawing.

There's a hell of a lot more present in a kiwi's flesh than lines and dots. For example, each seed sits in a channel, and these channels radiate out from a star-burst type shape in the center. Like this: http://i.imgur.com/Yc8Wao6.jpg?1. You're not taking the time to identify things like this, you just see seeds, lines, and then draw.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-15 13:45

It's generally much more productive if I give you a critique based on actual work you've done, rather than shooting blind hoping that I'll hit what you're not quite understanding. So, complete the homework to the best of your ability and submit it, and based on your mistakes I should be able to help you more effectively.

Don't be afraid to fail - no one's expecting perfection, just submit the best that you can muster right now.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-15 00:15

Try not to think too much about it. Control is important, of course, but if you let your brain interfere too much while you're actually drawing, they'll wobble awkwardly and look bad. Try to relax and just let your arm do what it wants to do.

Also, Peter Han actually does talk about 'truing-up' ellipses. He doesn't stress it in the way that I do, and my beliefs have certainly diverged from his in the two years since I took his class, but it is something I initially pulled from him.

Anyway, it might be better to show me some before you get too deeply into it. Try the whole not-thinking-too-much thing, and show me the results. I'll make a decision based on that of how you should move forwards.

Also, if possible, try to compartmentalize what you learn. Don't outright abandon the things you've learned previously for my philosophies. When you're done all of my lessons, revisit these issues and decide which option works best for you in the end.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 3: Drawing Plants (version 3)"

2016-01-14 21:03

Not bad. There is one thing that jumps out at me though that we should be able to correct fairly easily. It's about your leaves/petals, or really any other sort of flat form.

The way we construct these is the same as how we approach any other 3D form - we start with the simplest possible scaffolding, and we increase in complexity over successive passes. In your drawings, I see you jumping into wavy-edged leaves very early, on your first pass with no underlying scaffolding to support that kind of construction. Instead, this is the approach you should be using: http://i.imgur.com/9E8wD83.png. Start off with a center line to designate how the form flows through 3D space, then establish the general surface area by adding the side edges with simple curves. You can then add fraying, waves, or whatever else within the framework of the information you've already laid down.

The benefit is that you first establish how that form flows through space, then you add the complexity. If you try to tackle them simultaneously, you're more than likely going to lose a believable sense of how the form bends and twists.

Another point to keep in mind is that you're probably going a little too crazy with the contour lines. These things are not simply intended to be thrown all over the place - they're tools to help convey the idea that your forms have volume. Using a couple here and there will help convey the message, creating a wireframe is overkill. Furthermore, you should first identify any natural details that serve the same purpose - pretty much any detail that runs along the surface of an object does the job. Only if you cannot find one, should you add your own. Even then, know that keeping them evenly spaced out usually makes the object seem man-made rather than natural.

Anyway, other than that your work's coming along nicely. Decent experimenting with texture and rendering (though I notice some scribbling in areas where you got lazy, so try to avoid that). I do think there's plenty of room to grow in all of these areas, but the next lesson should give you a much better opportunity to do so. Feel free to move onto the next one.

Also, you should probably go back to lesson 2 and read the dissection section again - I've updated it recently, and it may contain some extra information that could help in the texturing department.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 2: Organic Forms, Contour Lines, Dissections and Form Intersections (version 3)"

2016-01-14 20:50

Not bad. Your dissections' textures are decent, and your form intersections are well done. Your arrows are also fairly solid. The only area where I have a bit of concern is with your organic forms with contour curves - the contour curves don't quite wrap around the rounded forms convincingly. You can read up a little more on this common issue here: Contour Curves Do Not Wrap Around Organic Forms. Be sure to also watch the video linked there.

I'd like you to do one more page of organic forms with contour curves before I mark this lesson as complete.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 2: Organic Forms, Contour Lines, Dissections and Form Intersections (version 3)"

2016-01-14 20:47

Very nice work! I really like your results, there's only one thing I'd encourage you to work on. You've got a very enthusiastic, jump-in-pen-point-first kind of attitude towards this. I don't want to dim your enthusiasm, the energy is very confident and bold, but I do want to encourage you to spend a little more time thinking before you put the pen to the page. Try to solve more of your spatial and visual problems in your mind before you make a mark.

What I'm noticing is that a lot of your lines are doubled up - you draw a mark, and then you draw another to reinforce it immediately after. This is a common sign of a lack of confidence. Generally your line work is actually quite confident, and fairly accurate, but I think you've still got this holdover from days-gone-by that you should work towards shedding. So just try to stop yourself from making that extra mark. The best way is usually to apply the ghosting method to every mark you draw, since it demands that you stop and think before adding anything new.

Aside form that, everything's great. I especially like the textures in your dissections - a nice balance of visual information and simplicity, your details are organized in a way that is quite pleasing to the eye. Your form intersections also feel quite solid and well constructed.

I'll mark this lesson as complete, so keep what I mentioned above in mind as you move forward.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 2: Organic Forms, Contour Lines, Dissections and Form Intersections (version 3)"

2016-01-14 20:44

Yup, post it as a response to this comment and if it's done properly, I'll mark the lesson as complete. Otherwise I'll let you know what you should work on and we can repeat the process.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-14 20:43

Generally, very well done. There are two mistakes that I'm seeing though, one comes from not reading the lesson carefully enough, another is more of a tweak to how you approach mark making.

The first - Not Drawing Through Ellipses. I'll admit that your ellipses are generally quite well done, but I am still adamant that everyone who submits homework to my lessons draws through their ellipses. You're more than welcome to draw ellipses however outside of my lessons, but I want to make sure that when you draw ellipses, you do so with the confidence and speed that drawing through an extra time before lifting your pen allows you to do.

The other - this is actually somewhat similar to the previous point. When ghosting your lines, I'm noticing just the tiniest bit of shake or wobbling in your lines. It's almost unnoticeable. When applying that three step process, your last step - actually executing the line - should be done swiftly and confidently. This will guarantee a smooth, straight mark. What it also will do is potentially throw your line off into a slightly inaccurate direction. To compensate for this, we invest the majority of our time into the second step, ghosting through the drawing motion to build up the muscle memory required to make the mark confidently, without letting our brain guide our hand.

I'd like you to do one more page - or even a half of a page, really - of the table of ellipses. All I want to see is that you're drawing through them and doing so with a persistent and confident pace.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 2: Organic Forms, Contour Lines, Dissections and Form Intersections (version 3)"

2016-01-14 20:35

Your arrows are looking great. Your organic forms with contour ellipses are good but I'm on the fence about your organic forms with contour curves. They're almost there, and I feel like you know what to be striving for (giving the impression of wrapping the curves around a rounded form) but you're falling just a little bit short. I think you just need to practice it a little more to push it beyond the fold. There's more information here on the topic: Contour Curves Do Not Wrap Around Organic Forms.

Your dissections are a little on the simplistic side, to the point that they're looking cartoony. You need to spend more time really studying your reference images, looking at what kind of visual elements are present that give a texture a certain look (rough, smooth, bumpy, sticky, wet, etc.) and how they're spread out over the entire surface (are they applied evenly, or do they cluster in groups?). When you look away from your reference, the vast majority of what you absorbed will be immediately simplified by your brain. You don't realize this is happening though, so generally you'll happily draw what you think you remember. It's important to force yourself to look back at your reference constantly, after only a moment or two of drawing.

Your form intersections are pretty well done. I like the confidence of your lines and the fact that you're drawing through your forms. I do want to point out though that some of your boxes don't quite sit right in perspective, so be sure to continue practicing those. You may also want to look at the information in the 250 cylinder challenge, specifically how to construct a cylinder using its minor axis.

I'd like you to do one more page of organic forms with contour curves, and one more page of dissections.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 2: Organic Forms, Contour Lines, Dissections and Form Intersections (version 3)"

2016-01-14 20:30

There are some issues we need to iron out before you'll be able to move onto the next lesson. I'll break things down by exercise.

• Arrows - There's a few things wrong here. First off, the demo in the lesson shows me drawing a single continuous curve/wave, then attempting to draw another identical curve/wave matching the previous one, but a little below it. Instead of doing this, you drew a series of broken lines, breaking the flow of the overall form. Furthermore, your lines are also rather wobbly, which shows me that you're missing several major points form the previous lesson. You're drawing too slowly (investing all of your time in the execution phase rather than spending time ghosting through the drawing motion and executing quickly and confidently), and you're probably drawing from your wrist rather than your shoulder.

• I also noticed that you did underdrawings in pencil - I don't want to see any underdrawings at all, it undermines the confidence working in ink forces you to develop.

• Organic forms with contour ellipses - your ellipses are very stiff and wobbly. This relates to the same issue I mentioned before, where you're drawing too slowly and carefully, instead of spending most of your time in the preparation phase and then drawing with confidence. The idea of drawing through your ellipse a couple times before lifting your pen is intended to give you the freedom to be a little bolder and more confident with your stroke - but if you draw slowly, your brain will interfere and make little corrections as you draw, making the time you spend ghosting through the motion to build up muscle memory pointless.

• Organic forms with contour curves - these aren't too bad, but there are some major issues. First off, I want you to watch this video from the lesson. You've drawn some of your contour lines as really wide ellipses, which shows me that you don't actually understand what the contour lines represent. That video, specifically the part where I talk about rotating a disc in 3D space, should clarify some of that. Also, don't draw multiple curves on top of each other. Take your time going through the 3 step ghosting method from lesson 1 and draw a single curve.

• I'm noticing you chicken-scratching in a lot of your drawings, across many exercises. This is a really bad habit you need to avoid. Chicken scratching basically means drawing what should be a single continuous line as smaller segments. It's a sketchy approach beginners use because they don't have the confidence to try to draw a single flowing line, and they also do this because they're used to drawing from their wrists instead of their shoulders.

• Your dissections are alright - some of your textures are quite well done, though the DNA one doesn't actually have anything to do with texture at all. You're still chicken scratching though - you should go back to lesson 1 and read the break down of the ghosting method again, under the lesson tab for part 1. This is the method you should be applying to every single mark you make. If you force yourself to think through each mark, it will help you avoid falling into these bad habits.

• Your form intersections are okay. There are a few issues but they're minor. For example, drawing through your forms is great, but don't do it with dashed lines - use solid lines only. Also, be more consistent with your hatching/shading, if you choose to apply it. You don't have to, and the form intersections you did without hatching looked much better. You may also want to look into the 250 box challenge.

I'd like you to redo the organic arrows, organic forms with contour ellipses and organic forms with contour curves.

Uncomfortable in the post "250 Cylinder Challenge"

2016-01-14 20:02

The problems you're experiencing are natural, and it is wise to do what you can to salvage a drawing without making overt corrections. It may look a little off, but in the context of an entire drawing, it becomes less noticeable. As you continue to practice, you'll start to find that it gets easier to judge the placement of your ellipse, relative to the minor axis.

I definitely like what I'm seeing - confident ellipses, lots of attention paid to your minor axis. One thing to practice as you move forward is trying to construct a cylinder within a box, as covered in the video. It's really not different at all from what you're doing, but it allows you to orient your cylinder specifically relative to other objects in a scene. The only difference in the approach is that you start off with a box, and then you find the midpoint of two of the box's planes and draw a line between them. This line becomes your minor axis, and you pretty much ignore the box from there.

Anyway, great work.

Uncomfortable in the post "250 Box Challenge (#3)"

2016-01-14 19:57

Coming along nicely. I like the fact that you drew through your boxes, and that you took the time to ghost through your lines, focusing on drawing singular, clean marks. Your corrections also seem to be on point.

As you move forward, you should continue to work on adding dynamism through line weight. I see some areas where you did vary the line weight a little, though you have a tendency to push the internal lines of your form, rather than first establishing the outer edges of the box's silhouette. This will cause the box to start to feel like less of a cohesive object - you generally want the external edges to be a little thicker, to help 'group' the lines of the box together.

Anyway, great work, keep it up. I'll mark this challenge as complete.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-14 02:43

Beats me. Every few months I stop free critiques for a month and restrict them to people who donate to keep myself from burning out. If the workload ends up becoming too heavy though, I'll probably end up switching to that approach on a more permanent basis, but things are stable right now.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-13 23:54

Not bad. There's a couple things I noticed that you can work on as you move forward, but generally you've done pretty decently.

First off, I am noticing that your ghosted lines are looking a little wobbly. You should invest less time in the execution of the line (step 3) and more time in preparation (step 2). The execution should be a quick, confident stroke, just fast enough to keep your brain from interfering with its need to make tiny corrections, which manifest as wobbling. Drawing faster does cause you to become less accurate, so instead you spend your time getting used to the drawing motion in stage 2. Ultimately, a smooth, straight, inaccurate line is better than a wobbly accurate one.

I do notice that your organic perspective boxes, though they're coming along nicely, do need a little more work. Constructing arbitrarily rotated boxes isn't easy and doesn't come immediately to most people, so I do ask most to get some extra practice with the 250 box challenge. Same goes for you - it'll also give you a chance to practice your ghosting more.

So, I'll mark this lesson as complete - move onto the 250 box challenge next.

Uncomfortable in the post "250 Box Challenge (#3)"

2016-01-13 23:50

Very nice work! I don't really have much to say in the way of critique - your constructions are solid, and your use of lineweight is good. I'll mark this challenge as complete.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-13 23:47

Not bad. Just a couple observations:

• Your ghosted lines are a little wobbly - try not to invest your time in the execution phase, actually drawing the mark should be quick and confident to keep the brain from interceding and causing your hand to wobble with its micro-correcting. Instead invest your time during the ghosting phase, which will help compensate for the inevitable inaccuracy that comes from drawing fast.

• Your ellipses are kind of stiff and wobbly as well - the reason is the same. With the ellipses, I encourage people to draw through them because it helps people draw them faster and with more confidence. If, however you still draw with a slow, beleaguered stroke, the lines will still wobble and the ellipse will still come out uneven.

Your boxes are generally quite well done. I did notice a little bit of uncertainty with the organic perspective boxes, which is totally expected at this point. If you'd like extra practice, I'd recommend looking into the 250 box challenge.

Otherwise, feel free to move onto the next lesson whenever you feel ready.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-13 23:40

Nice work! Your lines and ellipses are really solid. Your boxes start off strong, and generally your rough perspective boxes are pretty good, but I definitely encourage you to go back over your finished rough perspective exercises as described here: Lines Not Lining Up With Vanishing Point.

Your organic perspective boxes do still need some work, but this is totally normal. It does take time to establish a solid understanding of how to construct arbitrarily rotated boxes in 3D space.

I'm going to mark this lesson as complete, but I'd like you to move onto the 250 box challenge for more practice with those organic box constructions.

Uncomfortable in the post "Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes (version 3)"

2016-01-13 23:37

Generally, your work is excellent. You're right that it falls apart a little when you get to the rotated boxes, but the rest of it is very solid.

It might help, when dealing with the rotated boxes at first, to just keep the example from the lesson open and copy it, to get a sense of how to space things out. Also, try to use the boxes already present in the scene to inform your decisions on how you're going about constructing another. For example, the central horizontal and vertical lines are a little easier, but then when you get towards the corners things go a bit nuts. Try to look at it like multiplication tables - one of these corner boxes is the sum of one box from the horizontal line, and one box from the vertical line.

Anyway, I am going to mark the lesson as complete. I'd like you to move onto the 250 box challenge next. You can do more of the rotated boxes as part of the 250 boxes, and you can also experiment with more freeform construction, like in the organic perspective boxes (which also needs work, though it's moving in the right direction).