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Some changes I made to my submission after watching this.
Also a PSA: I feel this needs to be said.
WD40 isn't a lubricant. Yes, it is an oil. Yes, things do stop squeaking. BUT!
WD stands for Water Displacement and is a penetrating oil. It's meant to force water out of places it shouldn't be, like the nuts rusted to the bolt on your bike that won't turn. Spray it on and wait a while and it will turn! You use it to free up seized up pieces that should move like a rusted hinge. It also strips heavier oils away, cleaning out oils that probably should be there, making it worse long term.
What you want is 3-in-1 oil or some light lubricating oil. For things like ball-bearings in the wheels you'd use a light grease. WD40 would strip the grease already in the casing and you'd end up constantly spraying WD40 in to clear out and then when that evaporated they'd seize up again.
Okay. I'm sorry, I just had to say something.
LESSON NOTES
What's in Premium?
In the premium lesson, you'll learn how to simplify shapes and values in your drawings by designing value groups. Using a graphite drawing from a photo reference, the instructor demonstrates how to:
- Start the drawing by getting the proportions right, considering gesture, rhythms, shape design, form, structure, values, and composition.
- Map the proportions using measurements and a ground truth to ensure accuracy.
- Define rhythms and shapes by simplifying complex forms into straights and corners to emphasize structure.
- Simplify and shadow map by outlining shadow areas and filling them in to establish clear light and shadow separation.
- Establish values using two tones initially, focusing on large shapes before details.
- Use tools like blending stumps and charcoal powder to create tones and edges.
- Control contrasts and composition by setting the full value range and guiding the viewer's eye with focal points.
- Decide when to simplify or add more details, moving from a basic level to a more refined drawing.
Get this lesson and more in the premium course!
DOWNLOADS
demo-designing-value-groups-level-1.mp4
2 GB
demo-designing-value-groups-level-1-transcript-english.txt
57 kB
demo-designing-value-groups-level-1-transcript-spanish.txt
59 kB
demo-designing-value-groups-level-1-captions-english.srt
96 kB
demo-designing-value-groups-level-1-captions-spanish.srt
104 kB
COMMENTS
This is very difficult. First of all, recreating an analog feel digitally is extremely hard.
I bought something called The Photoshop Master Pack | Photoshop Brush Set, which can be purchased from this website.
The second image was drawn in Photoshop using this brush. It’s a very good brush.
After that, I think it’s just a matter of getting used to it. You’ll probably go back and forth between Level 1 and Level 2 several times.
A lot of mistake but I am very new with shadowing so I'm still happy with this work. Simplify is pretty difficult and I have hard time to see what is a floater and what is a significant detail.
Lacked motivation lately to continue course. Got stuck with this one, afraid to put in the work and then be disappointed with myself. Just needed to remember I do this for fun. Here we go with an attempt!
Hello everyone. I attempted the Cast1 Level 1. I failed to stay within the 5 values range for level 1, I realize that, I will work on it on the next one. I tried to use the value tool in Proko to understand the composition but that confused me more. I proceeded by trying to separate the light family and shadow family. I wanted to understand how Stan did the value composition for the background. in mine I just went with my guts lol. Thank you for all the helpful feedback so far.
after watching the demo this really helped me alot, it looks better than my pervious attempt
@Stan Prokopenko, I saw this lesson on the free livestream yesterday and want to thank you! Amazing. Loved it very much and found a lot of inspiration. Good success with the course.
Second attempt at lv 1 after the demo. Looking for some help/critique…..I had some success around the eyes, nose and shadow side (viewers left) of face where the values make clear planes. But the right/light side of face and the beard just look flat, like I’m rendering some weird alien tiger fur pattern…!
Probably due to badly designed shapes that are trying to match the value patterns I think I see, but which don’t properly consider the structure/anatomy underneath? Maybe they are too boxy and complicated (all those zig-zag edges)? Would some curves have helped?
My sense is that level 1 to level 2 should be part of the same workflow - start big, progressively add in detail…as Stan has done in the demos. But, like my project submission, I cannot see how I can take this to level 2 with more values and subtler transitions. It feels like the shapes and values are fully committed and it would take a lot of erasing and re-working of shape edges to evolve to a final rendering? Perhaps my value choices are too contrasty and I should have picked the light shadow and halftones to have been much closer? Maybe I need to darken the halftones to solve?
Lot of questions there but appreciate any tips from the community. 👌
Really cool simplifications on the forms, nice work there! If I had to make some critiques, here's what I would fix first.
- the thing that immediately stands out more to me is the overly dark values that were used around the eyes. I understand that we're working with a limited set of values, but in this case I think your darkest color should maybe be closer to halftones in value, because now it creates a large contrast that isn't there in the original piece. This is especially on the eye on the left, where you almost outlined some features, whereas the original cast there's barely any contrast there.
- from a rhythms perspective, I feel like there's too much spiky lines in the beard area that don't connect neatly to each other, which is hurting your overall shape design. The biggest indicator is the shadowed region in the center, where maybe some simplification / alteration could enhance the sense of gesture and rhythm, of the beard, connecting it with other parts of the face as well.
Still a great work, congrats!
ummm, I did it again. Is it better? Yes, is this what I am satisfied with? No, do I still wanna kill myself? Yes, and am I gonna try again? Yes but not recently I feel burnt out already.
here’s my own critique:
1) I learned about changing shape design in between object/subject which I was unaware of, first time.
2) I was patient, calm and didn’t had any thoughts to kill myself (atleast while doing this)
what I think should improve:-
I was overly dependent on video than first time, i need to learn edges and shifting the gradient in planes. I believe I need to learn adapting shape design in tonal studies which I have never done before, same with line quality, perspective and forms. I can always do the contour for shapes but never in between shapes which are complex to me right now.
how I am gonna do this:-
by not touching my sketchbook for a week, I tried my best but this was overwhelming and a bit frustrating. I will focus on painting so I don’t forget tonal values but I want a bit rest just a bit.
I like it. You're on your way!
For me, leaving out details in level 1 is very hard.
This here looks good!
Ive started a new attempt on this. I also want to show my next step in my learning to be a good draftsman. A little bookshelf in the livingroom where I can have my art books easy accessable when i draw. Started to collect art books this year. I just show the half that is mine 😄
Some changes I made to my submission after watching this.
Also a PSA: I feel this needs to be said.
WD40 isn't a lubricant. Yes, it is an oil. Yes, things do stop squeaking. BUT!
WD stands for Water Displacement and is a penetrating oil. It's meant to force water out of places it shouldn't be, like the nuts rusted to the bolt on your bike that won't turn. Spray it on and wait a while and it will turn! You use it to free up seized up pieces that should move like a rusted hinge. It also strips heavier oils away, cleaning out oils that probably should be there, making it worse long term.
What you want is 3-in-1 oil or some light lubricating oil. For things like ball-bearings in the wheels you'd use a light grease. WD40 would strip the grease already in the casing and you'd end up constantly spraying WD40 in to clear out and then when that evaporated they'd seize up again.
Okay. I'm sorry, I just had to say something.
This is clearly not a level 1. Not trying to flex, I just don't always read everything.
Thank you for this experience. Didn’t think I would have the patience to finish it. Or would be able to at all. Think I made a little step. 🐥
The photo accentuates the blacks too much though. The second I took from a distance and looks more like the blacks it has.
ummm.. yeah i am going to do it one more time and with better paper, i have to rush out fast because paper stopped holding darker graphite and started shining, this is canson mixed media, medium grain... i will try rag paper or something else. One more thing about this how to have thought process of not killing yourself while doing this, i am not joking this requires patience with calmness, i was frustated as hell.
This is a good attempt. Yes I believe being an artist requires a a good amount of patient if you want it to come out good. Quick sketches, thumbnails, or a type of study can be quicker. If I notice maybe an assigment or a personal project requires more time, I will do it in two days or more if needed. I try to enjoy each process :)
It was a great lesson that combined everything. The starting tube was simple and amazing. It taught me that I need to simplify further, way further. My favourite part was how it looked a bit like Marshall at the end!
yo am i alone or someone else wanted to die while doing this, been working with demo since two days about to go 3rd freakinn day😾
Thank you Stan for this demo. Seeing it from a blank sheet to every “mistake” along the way and how you fixed them - that is how I learn. It isn’t “magic” like so many artists on Instagram who edit their videos make it appear. Every time you demo I think -this is why I’m here at Proko for this type of content and lessons. It’s real, and reaffirms that “mistakes” and experimentation are all part of the drawing process and how we learn. And thank you for using a real pencil and paper.
Thanks for this demo Stan - definitely seeing some different choices and thought processes that I should take on board - particularly re straights and curves when designing shapes. And designing big shapes then small ones. I've missed a lot and I can see a lot I need to catch up on!
Its useful to see you take time with the block in, whereas I tend to rush mine and fix later but it makes design a mess.
