Now that you know about the tapered stroke and simple CSI lines, it's time to learn how to sketch! Here's your next project.

Level 1 demos are done and it's time to move on to level 2! In this lesson, I show you how I would approach the level 2 CSI project.

I enjoyed the habit of drawing everyday during the 12 Days of Proko. The timer tool is great and there are lots of professional photos to work from. I took one day off from it and got right back on it. Now the habit is a fixture in my daily routine. I've been posting the images in the two week challenge thread in the Drawing Fundamentals Course, but since a.) this will be a longer habit than two weeks and b.) not everyone on Proko is enrolled in that course, I'm starting a thread here. Anyone inclined, feel free to join in. Use the timer and whatever photos you have packs for, or are freely available. Here are a few two minute sketches from me--mostly from the Viking Volume 2 Pack. 22nd Day of Proko and counting.

The first project of the Drawing Basics course is to challenge yourself to simplify the shapes, edges, and values of a pear or portrait from observation. I provide you two photo options over in the downloads tab. Being able to simplify is a very useful skill to be able to communicate clearly in your drawings.

Alright level two-ers...Since you've already got some experience with sketching, I want to give you a bit more of a challenge to start practicing sketching from Imagination!

Alright guys, now that you’ve had some time to work on your level 1 “Learning to Sketch from observation” project. Ill show you how I would approach the sketches.

Here’s a project to help you avoid chicken scratch. We’re going to simplify our drawings to C curves, S curves, and straight lines.

It’s time to simplify those snails and boots! I show you how I would do it in these step-by-step demos for the level 1 CSI project. Make sure to check back tomorrow for my level 2 demonstrations!

Before we get into learning about lines, I want to give you an exercise to help you warm up your hands and draw nice fluid lines. This warmup is a fun way to help you practice drawing ellipses.

For this project, we're going to design our line quality to be more interesting by practicing organizing the line weight.

In this first head drawing and construction lesson, we’re focusing on the basic setup. I use a four-step process to lay in the head's gesture, covering various positions. First, I address the cranial mass, often starting with a sphere or egg shape for simplicity. Next, I consider tilts to avoid static, vertical alignments. Then, I introduce the jaw and a T or cross for facial symmetry. Finally, I factor in perspective, using ellipses to indicate whether the head is viewed from above or below. This method ensures dynamic, expressive head drawings.

It’s time to ink a page! Practice inking techniques like hatching and line variation. Ink over provided pages and your own pencil work. Make blue line prints.

In this project, we'll practice measuring accurate proportions with a portrait. Using our measuring toolkit we'll break down the face into basic shapes, starting with the biggest shapes and working towards smaller details.

We've mapped basic proportions and now transition to understanding the side plane of the head. This step involves identifying four points: hairline, base of nose, temple, and back of skull, to define the temporal fossa. Drawing is about sculpting, so we cut and add to approximate the reference. This process helps in developing features like the ear, jaw, and cheekbone, and understanding the structure and rhythm of the face. We'll be diving deeper into each feature of the face later, but this will be a good roadmap for you to see how we'll be using the steps we've learned so far.

Feeling defeated on this one. Realistic proportions are a weak point for me but I feel I’m understanding it better with simplifying. Any tips/critiques please? I’d appreciate it a lot. Thank you.

It’s time to combine all 8 steps together and draw some portraits.

Tapered strokes are super important to create confident and visually appealing drawings. By connecting lots of small, tapered lines we can construct one clean complex line. Also, tapered strokes are essential in gestural loose drawings that carry energy and have a playful charm.

Maybe I'm stuck in a mentality there's only one right way to do it, but how common is proko's bean method? Like it's different from how I've glanced up on vilppu or steve huston and while they don't explicitly bring up the bean method, do they have anything in common with it? It's confusing me which ideas to follow and which ideas to discord.

These quick sketches were done in under 6 minutes each. They were drawn with a mechanical pencil and rollerball pen on printer paper

The long awaited day has finally arrived! I'm ready to teach you perspective, check out the introduction to the course. PRESALE! Save 25% during our early bird launch.!