Hi there! I think that the after drawings show great improvement! Really nice job. I would suggest you keep practicing with the same amount of focus and commitment. Maybe try out some different references and try to apply what you learned from the demos again. That way you can really work on solidifying the lessons.

Hi there! I think you did a really nice job with the study. Regarding the warmup exercises for the overhand grip, I think doing the ones Stan showed earlier in the course: Page Skating Light, Medium, Dark Lines Straight Taper Trace the Ruler Connect the Dots And simply using the overhand grip, should help you become more comfortable with it over time.  

Hi there!  I think you did quite well! You were patient enough to do the shading right (there are no random blank areas, which is good). You have 5 distinct values. Also very good. And you used straight lines to simplify the shapes. Again, very good. The subject you chose was also not an easy one. So hats off to you for being patient and paying attention to the instructions. The only thing I would suggest is to make the lines have the same value as the shading for that area. Right now they stand out, especially in the lighter top section and the leaf. If you haven't done so already, watch Stan's demos and then do a couple more attempts. Overall, I think you did an excellent job! 

Hi there Lane! While I'm also just a student taking this course, I hope that my thoughts on this matter can help you out. The way I understood this lesson is that you take a drawing from a master you like, something you feel really inspired by and really like looking at (because that’s what you’re going to be doing intently) and then you analyze only the line quality (basically the 3 elements of line quality that Stan mentioned – the shape of the line, value, and edge). Now, it's very important to keep in mind that you don’t need to be able to understand everything about the artwork you’re looking at. In your car analogy, you mentioned that it feels like you’re trying to disassemble it and then reassemble it all with your mind. I agree that it would be extremely difficult. But in this case, you don’t have to disassemble the entire car, just a very small part of it, like the wheels. The same goes for the master study. You don’t have to analyze every aspect of the artwork and understand it perfectly, that would be quite overwhelming, especially for beginners like us. You just look at line quality. Also, if it’s a very complex subject you can analyze only a small part of that. Let’s take an example. I’ve attached a drawing of a wolf from Aaron Blaise. Now, it’s quite complex, and if we were to analyze everything like shading, shape design, etc. It would be quite difficult. But for the purposes of this lesson, we can ignore all that and look only at the paw. And for that paw, we analyze only the line quality. We then try to recreate those lines and at the same time attempt to understand what decisions were made and why (again in terms of the shape of the line, value, and edge). If by the end of your study, you got even the tiniest lesson out of it, that’s excellent. You can move on to another drawing if you want to. If a year later you come back to this drawing with improved skills and a new perspective you’ll learn something entirely different. So, don’t pressure yourself to deconstruct and understand every single aspect of the artwork you choose. Just pick a small part of it and analyze the line quality. See what you can discover. :D I hope this helps. Good luck and don’t give up!

Attempt no. 2

Hi there Jamie! I can relate to the feeling of frustration you are experiencing. It’s something I have come across quite often on this challenging journey of learning how to draw. And I’m sure many others have as well. However, with that begin said, I have to disagree with your comment. Now, my counter-arguments here are not intended to shut you down or anything like that. I just think that changing your mindset when looking at these lessons can help you improve quicker and find more enjoyment along the way. To keep it organized, I’m going to address your comment point by point. Also please keep in mind that I’m a student like you, I struggle and make mistakes like everybody else. But I hope that my comments will be of some help. ** 1. Struggling with the initial assignment - “Having struggled with how to approach this assignment at the start…” I understand you’re frustration here. I don’t think there is one assignment so far in this course that I got 100% right from the start. However, I think that this is also the point. Stan explained it earlier in the course. The “short” assignment videos don’t show a lot of examples and don’t really go step by step because it can be very useful for us beginners to try and wrap our heads around the assignment. Even if we might not get it right from the beginning. These exercises and projects are supposed to be practiced a lot, not just once. And that initial step of figuring out what the assignment is about can be very useful to go through. We do get shown, in the demos, step-by-step how to approach things. The good thing is that by then we should have already analyzed the assignment and can now clear up any confusion that might have come up in our first attempt. I personally like to do the assignments 3 times. Once before watching the demos (where I normally struggle the most – which is expected), once after the demos (where I also analyze what I am doing differently this time and why – based on what I learned from the demo), and a third time after watching the critique. Now, obviously doing the assignment 3 times is not enough. That’s why I try to keep these assignments in mind and practice them whenever I have some free "study time" or include them in my own projects. My main point here is that the struggle we experience when first attempting the assignment is a good thing. Especially when we get plenty of opportunities, later on, to discover how we went wrong about it and also understand why. 2. Critiques of people who are not beginners - “does anyone else find it super frustrating that Stan gets wrapped in analyzing submissions from folks who are way, way beyond the beginner level?” I don’t really see that happening. I just watched this critique video and I think 80% of it was critiques of level 1 beginners (in a combined level 1 + level 2 critique video). Yes, some at the end were more advanced but even Stan said at one point (around min. 33) that what a student submitted was a bit more advanced, it was also not in line with the assignment, so he won’t critique it. Also, assuming the people who are more advanced are here to get likes or try to show off is, I think, unfair. If I remember correctly, the course was presented as being for beginners and intermediates who want to brush up on their fundamentals. Not only for complete beginners. There is also a wide range of level 1s and level 2s in this course. And that’s normal. Not all level 1s are exactly the same and neither are the level 2s. Some might be level 1 at line quality and level 2 at proportions. You can’t expect this to be a course where everybody’s skill is exactly the same. Therefore, not all critiques can be universal. Having 10 critiques all repeating the same thing would not be useful at all. I found the critique videos to always cover work from across all skill levels (from absolute level 1 to more advanced level 2). There was always something to learn for everybody. Overall, I think it’s important for us to learn how to analyze our own work, figure out what our weak points are, and focus on improving those. And the critique videos offer an excellent opportunity for that (in addition to having straight-up valuable feedback). 2.2 When the “excitement” happens - “but it feels like he's getting distracted by "ooh this is nice" and not focusing on the actual lesson at hand” I think this is actually quite important to happen. While learning, it’s normal to get frustrated, that’s just part of it. And it's important for us to learn how to accept being in that uncomfortable state (I really recommend The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle on this subject). However, remembering to sometimes take a step back and just be excited about art is also very important. More often than not, I got into a very gloomy mindset about my work. I was not happy with my progress and disappointed with my results. But, whenever I saw Stan get excited, even at the most simple of things (like a silly-looking hippo), it reminded me that having an overall excitement about art and the process of making it is essential for morale and overall enjoyment. If this was all the critique videos were – Stan being excited about work from more advanced students – I would have agreed with you. But there are plenty of critique examples and valuable information for both skill levels (even in those "ooh this is nice" segments). 3. Why bother? - “I could care less if my own submissions are critiqued, but it leaves at least me with a "Why Bother" feeling when we're examining stuff from concept artists...” Well… then don’t. This isn’t a race to see who can finish the fastest and get a critique by Stan. Again, I feel that the critique videos, whether split into two (for level 1 and level 2) or combined, always had a good balance and covered the entire skill spectrum for both levels. I think it's way more important, when watching these videos to look for what applies to your case. What I like to do when watching these critiques is have my drawings for that assignment in front of me and look for critiques that cover work that’s similar to mine. What’s more advanced, is just a bonus - something to keep in mind for when I’m getting to that skill level. ** My conclusion here would be to really focus on the lessons, take notes, focus on the assignments, and then analyze the demos. One at a time. The critiques are a bonus. Don’t get hung up on people who are better at certain things or who have more experience. I look at those who are more advanced with excitement for what lies ahead and with appreciation for the hard work they put in to get to that point. When it comes to learning, first and foremost, focus on your work and try to improve that. If you feel like you didn’t quite understand a lesson. Go back, watch it again, and ask questions. This is not a race. We are not machines who learn the same way and improve at the same rate. Some things might “click” for you faster and others might require more practice than usual. What’s important is to find a way to stick with it long-term. If you do that, eventually, I’m sure you’ll end up at the skill level you want to be. And in my opinion, this is one of the best courses out there to start you off the right way. This response ended up being way longer than I anticipated. :D I hope it helps. Take care and don’t give up! :)

Hi there! This is really nice! I applaud your commitment to analyzing your work and taking notes! I also like how you take your time and think about each shape and what mood it could convey. I definitely need to do more of that as well. The only thing I would note is to also keep in mind your line quality. The buffalo seems to have some timid lines that are a bit wobbly. An idea would be to split more complex curves into shorter segments. This would allow you to draw each segment with more confidence. Also, and I might be wrong on this, but the digital brush you use seems to be some sort of... oil painting brush? Now, I’m not saying you need super special tools to create good art. I’m sure you could make this particular brush work as well. But in the beginning, you might want to play around with different brush options and see if you can find anything that resembles a graphite/colored pencil. Something that would allow you to draw more comfortably with speed and confidence. I hope this helps. And again, great job with the self-analysis!

 Hi there! Thanks for your input! That’s a really interesting point. You’ve definitely given me something to think about. Cheers!

Hi there! I noticed that you posted a lot of the assignments for the drawing basics course on your profile dashboard. I’m not sure if this is intentional or not. If it is, then I apologize for the comment. But if you wish to share your progress with the other students and have a higher chance of getting some feedback, then I think its better you share your posts in the comment section for the corresponding lesson. In the case of “Project - Simple Animal Portraits,” you could post your assignments where the arrow points in the attached screenshot. That way, students and instructors alike can see your work and give you feedback. If you post on your dashboard, only people who click on your profile or people who follow you can see the posts. I hope this helps. Have a great day!

Hello Pamela! Really nice variations. Based on some of the shapes you chose, each character seems to have a distinct personality. Great job! One thing I would suggest is maybe to try and simplify some of the shapes more. What stands out most to me are those so-called “combs” – the red crest they have on their head. The shapes you chose seem really complex. Maybe something simpler (while also trying to match the personality of each character you created) would be more in line with the assignment. Also, don’t forget your line quality and the CSI method. Staying a bit more loose and confident with your lines might help with keeping shapes simpler. I hope this is useful. :D Gook luck and have a great day!