Drawing Basics
Getting Started
Lines
Shapes
Bonus Content
Mike Mattesi is back to conclude his lessons on shape. This time he shows us the difference between “dead” and “live” shapes and how it relates to The FORCE Method of drawing.
Newest
Chris Padilla
4d
Great introduction! Very excited to take a look more into the force approach through the books. Really amazing to see how quickly such energetic poses are captured!
pedrobranco
9d
Thank you Mike for the video. I decided to use some of these concepts last Friday in my figure drawing course but I'm not nailing the same dynamism you bring to the canvas. I'll post these 5 minute sketches, can anyone tell me what I'm missing?
Was still warming up in the left one so I ended up not darkening some lines, my bad. Hope it reads well in zoom.
8d
Mike talks about "bubble anatomy" where sometimes our drawings look too symmetrical and bubbly. Your arm in the drawing on the left is starting to fall into "bubble anatomy." Try to add a straighter line opposite of the curve lines in the arm and that will make it look more dynamic!
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Peter Bajzek
10d
Hello, @Mike Mattesi , I've been a huge fan of your first book for a long time, and I'm very glad to see your contribution to this course. There's one idea I've struggled with a bit, in regards to the "straight-to-curve" concept (or the related "CSI" line formations): It seems often a "straight" can actually be a slight curve, or perhaps a few small curves might be treated together as a larger straight. Am I being too literal or is it possible to view a particular line differently depending on context or what we're comparing it against?
9d
that's correct. a "straight" can be many things but not contend with the power of the FORCEFUL curved side. : )
Lin
10d
I have no idea if you read these @Mike Mattesi but you speak to my soul!!! The moment I saw your work, it was like...coming home somehow. I've always wanted to draw flesh with force, I just didn't know how to express it, or how to find resources that fully encapsulated what I had in my mind, that mix of graceful gestural fluidity combined with the solidity of flesh, of meat. Thank you for your invaluable work, I got your book from our library and if I do ok with it I will for sure purchase your courses. <3
10d
Hi Lin,
Happy to hear you are enjoying the book. Happy you found the FORCE home to visit.
Tuija Kuismin
11d
Mike Mattesi, thank you. These lessons on shapes are packed with information that comes at me fast - at first I thought I wouldn't comprehend it or be able to process it at one sitting - but the examples are fantastic and made me realize so many things. I'm itching to go practise now, this is awesome :D.
10d
My pleasure! Enjoy!
Zach Pipher
13d
I have a pretty philosophical question. I've been keeping up with the assignments. And i know proko has spoken on length about how the lessons are not so we can draw a good (pear, seal, apple, etc) but we're practicing the fundamental of the subject, But how do we get from here, drawing seals etc, to there, drawing our figure, or face, or masterpiece. I want to be able to draw really good action poses, or beautiful scenes with people smiling looking at each other. But at times i feel insecure that me drilling the practice doesn't get me closer to my goal. I assume it comes with applying the principle to other things. But then when i draw something for me, I don't accomplish anything near what i want to do. Sorry, this message just comes from a place of discouragement as I am not trying to not compare my self to other artists that started at the same time as me, but appear to be making tons more progress then me, but without this amazing course. As an artist my greatest weakness my whole life is fighting the feelings of insecurity that come along with feeling i'm not good enough or that I will never be good enough to be a masterful artist. Unlike something like a physical sport like baseball, i have a hard time seeing the ball being hit by the bat as progress when it comes to art.
10d
Gotta a bring on the blue collar mentality. Roll up your sleeves and make mistakes!
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loes roos
11d
I am not sure how old you are or how many hours you have put into drawing and learning to become better. The most important thing is enjoying the craft. Enjoying the learning. I think when you focus too much on the eventual goal you become impatient and most artist need a lot of hours to make good art. And the better you are at understanding proportions, shapes and figures, the faster you eventually will be. This course will take you in total around 18 months of drawing but it helps if you practice and go back, try out things. Dare to fail and accept you are not perfect. If you never try things out than it will never work. Everybody wants to be really good, but maybe the first objective is to enjoy doing exercises and invent projects. And understand what is needed.
Tokiwa Matsu
12d
Hi Zach,
I'm struggling with the same issues regarding confidence and applying the fundamentals to my own work.
I think just going through lessons and practicing is excellent, but it would be even more helpful if we also had a specific goal in mind when we choose to do them.
You can make the ball "hittable" by breaking your goals into small steps.
For example, you have these goals:
a. Draw really good action poses
b. Beautiful scenes with people smiling and looking at each other
But these goals are quite abstract, so I would ask myself what I need specifically to achieve these goals.
- What are "good" action poses?
Do I want to draw anatomically convincing, dynamic poses with good composition? etc. How about I draw 5 - 10 quick action poses every day for a week?
- What do I need to learn to draw "beautiful" scenes?
Do I need to learn how to draw the environment and facial anatomy?
Do I want to achieve this through painting or inking? Do I need to learn Color theory too? Maybe I can try to take one lesson on the topic each day?
Since all of the lessons on these platforms have a very structured approach, you would probably find courses and classes that fit every need.
Try drawing your subject, evaluate it, work on any skill you need to strengthen and repeat the process. Eventually, you will become able to draw what you mentioned as your goal :)
I assume you are already doing it, but keep at it and you will be there.
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Abdul Bari Abbasi
15d
Sorry for the bad picture quality
loes roos
11d
it is not that bad. We can see your lines
Gift Cards
Gift card for art students to use on anything in the Proko store
About instructors
Founder of Proko, artist and teacher of drawing, painting, and anatomy. I try to make my lessons fun and ultra packed with information.
Author of Force drawing books. My focus is teaching how you can express yourself purely with line and gesture.
