This is my Level 1. 3 for shadows and 2 for lights. I'm gonna be honest: I don't know exactly how to feel about my take on this project, but as Stan mentioned in some comments below, "it's just a drawing!" I've been taking drawing a bit more seriously for about a year and a half now (been drawing everyday, even if it is just some boxes), and I feel that the more I learn, the more there is to learn, lol. On one hand, this is great, because my admiration for Stan, for the people he brings here, and for the masters we study, only grows stronger. I admit that while the whole "the more I learn, the more there is to learn" thing can feel a bit discouraging, this gap really makes me appreciate illustrations, drawings, and paintings even more deeply. Sorry for the yapping, lol. Thanks for the lesson and the critique!

This lecture made me sob. Wow. Such a light hearted and profound lesson,

Hey there! Here's my Level 1 attempt and reflections: Materials used: 4B (mainly for shadow separation), HB (for halftones), and 6B (for occlusion shadows and final touches—though I'm still figuring out exactly what "final touches" should include). 1. My first challenge was with the HB pencil; it was overly sharpened, making it difficult to achieve smooth and subtle halftones. I believe this caused the halftones to appear too similar to the reflected light in the shadow area. 2. The toughest part was distinguishing clearly between the halftones and shadows. As I shaded the halftones, I noticed they appeared too close in value to the shadows, prompting me to darken the shadows further using the 4B pencil. However, I'm uncertain if this contrast is sufficient. 3. Another significant challenge was accurately shaping the shadow to reflect the sphere’s form. In the second image, I illustrated my uncertainty: should the core shadow have a sharper, more pointed form or a smoother, curvier one? I'm trying to visualize the form in 3D but couldn't come to a definitive conclusion. 4. Additionally, I realize I need to revisit earlier lessons, particularly on clean shading and value scales. I noticed some uneven shadow spots, causing the sphere to look more like a "clay ball with a highlight," as you mentioned. Apologies for the lengthy reflection—these were my main insights. I'll probably submit Level 2 after reviewing the critiques from this lesson. Thank you once again for an excellent lesson!

My compositions for the level-1-a.jpg. Any tips? Will do the letter b soon! Composition is indeed a magical subject. It is amazing how simple shapes and values can convey emotion. Also, those photos are incredible. Makes the job easier lol.

If I were to tackle this assignment, this is how I might start.

Did these 4 in Notan (sorry for bad camera). I'll try to do more with 3 value, but i actually think i prefer Notan, because it limits my value more, and stirs up my brain to choose. I'll try to do other ones, and later upload it. Thanks for the lesson!

Well, I won't be able to do all games with all models till August 15, so here are the ones i've made it! (all of them are Game 1). I kinda got lost in some details, afther seeing some submissions, I see i could have simplified some stuff maybe. And I decided to try out some markers. Thanks for the assignments!

Here's my gesture torsos! the numbered ones are from the reference images that you provided. I love doing those gesture lessons, it feels more free and relaxing.

Ok, this is my level 1. I did warm up with the simple dog house before, but making just a little more complex house and making the gesture decisions was not easy to do. I kinda just experiment and changed my mind mid-drawing. Also, i started making the structure with normal boxes before applying gesture (i found it easier to take one step at a time). I hope this is in the right track, I'll tackle more of those before jumping into the tree house. Any recomendations and critiques?

I tried to push the forms but looks like boxiness is now engraved into my brain :D Will have to draw more and push to exaggerate the forms.