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Nicole
•
22d
added comment inLoomis Method Front Downtilt – Real-Time Demo
Trying to do 10 loomis heads a day moving forward
Nicole
•
23d
LOCKED IN 💯 just cleaned my room, drew along uninterrupted. Was very proud of this, though the right eye looks sort of funky—it was hard to control the pencil when I was doing that part, so I’ll try again next time
Nicole
•
1mo
Graphite, I’m sensing an improvement in proportions, but I’ll work on likeness more and how shading works
Nicole
•
1mo
Asked for help
I’m using newsprint paper for practice, I’m having a hard time “seeing” my own sketch lines because light they’re nearly the same color as the paper so I just darken it, and then I have a hard time seeing the other lines because they’re all dark, and then a lot of the lines overlap. Any tips or bad habits I can wean off so I don’t confuse myself?
•
1mo
You could also try working larger, that way you can keep your sketch lines light and still be able to see them.
I agree with @Tommy Pinedo, using the right tools for the job is the best bet. Newsprint is cheap but something like regular copy paper is cheap also, maybe even less expensive. Especially when the goal is to get as much practice in as possible, cheap > quality.
Hey Nicole! Have you tried using a different type of paper like sketch or drawing paper? I have not used newspaper before so I am unfamiliar how much different it is between sketch paper which is what I use (65lbs). There are a couple of things I can suggest:
1. I had this same issue before in earlier assignments so what I did is I use two different types of pencils, I use a HB to lightly sketch out the boxes or the construction that I need. Once I feel everything looks good, I will use a 2B to fully commit and add the line weight.
2. Another thing I like to do is I like to lightly sketch out all of the boxes that I need to construct the 3d model. For example, on a different paper like scrap paper, Ill do a quick study of the anvil right, and Ill try to break it down to a few boxes. so for the anvil I broke it down to 4 boxes, 1 big one for the body, 1 big one that touches the ground and connects to the body, 1 small box for the back piece that sticks out and 1 box for the pointy part. From there Ill lightly sketch out those boxes on the paper I will do the assignment and Ill make sure everything looks good, then lighty again sketch out the details. I dont commit yet until everything looks good. Once I feel good, then Ill switch to 2B and commit.
I hope that made sense, but if you need me to clarify Ill be more than happy too :D
Great attempts Nicole :)
Thien Minh Pham
•
5mo
Asked for help
My first blind attempt and some criticism I see that I might have done wrong.
Nicole
•
2mo
Asked for help
My attempts in the course of 3 months :) The last two of course are the most recent. I always come back to this project if simply to test how I’ve been progressing. I’m very satisfied with how far I’ve come, but there’s still a long way to go
Nicole
•
3mo
Asked for help
Had a ridiculously fun time doing this…
I know the idea is to use less cross contour lines but I wanted to see how well I could control it (which is I discovered badly). It is fun though. Eventually I’ll be able to get good enough to do master studies
Nicole
•
3mo
Asked for help
Had to use my pen so it’s clearer, graphite doesn’t look as good when taken a picture of. Though it also doesn’t show the process I did. I’ll probably take photos of everything step by step from here on but have this for now
I asked a photographer friend what to do to help you take better photos of graphite drawings, this was her reply:
🖤 Lighting is everything. I always try to use natural light, ideally near a window with soft, indirect daylight. Avoid direct sunlight though—it creates harsh shadows and glare. If I’m indoors and it’s too dark, I’ll sometimes use two lamps set up at 45-degree angles to the artwork to keep the lighting even.
🖤 No flash! Flash almost always ruins the photo, especially with graphite—it brings out all the shine you don’t want.
🖤 Flat and straight. I either tape my drawing to the wall or lay it flat on a clean surface. I make sure my camera (or phone) is parallel to the artwork so there’s no weird distortion.
🖤 Keep it steady. I use a tripod if I can, or just balance my elbows on something to avoid camera shake. It makes a big difference in sharpness.
🖤 Watch for glare. Sometimes even with good lighting, the dark areas can reflect too much. I just move around a bit and tilt the paper or the camera slightly until the reflections disappear.
🖤 Edit lightly. I’ll do a quick edit in an app like Snapseed or Lightroom—just enough to brighten the image, boost the contrast a little, and crop it neatly. I try not to overdo it because I want it to look as close to the original as possible.
Nicole
•
3mo
Coming back to this almost a month after my first attempt. Still not “there” yet but I like this better than before
