Project - Learning to Sketch from Observation

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Course In Progress

Project - Learning to Sketch from Observation

15K
Course In Progress

Use the three reference images of clean line drawings and sketch them using simple loose lines. Don't try to match the cleanliness of these drawings. Instead, sketch them out with energetic, tapered strokes. Don't hesitate. Just practice moving your arm with confidence. If you draw some lines and then you realize that, Oh, shoot, I need to curve that more. Go ahead and just draw the new curve right over it. As you get more confident that you've found the shape, you can darken those lines and the lighter lines start to disappear. Focus on the big idea and the shapes the lines represent, rather than on each individual line. 

For you, Level 2 monster trucks, I want you to start with this Level 1 project as a warmup, and then head over to the Learning to Sketch from Imagination project page for your instructions.

If you'd like to have a chance to be included in the upcoming critique videos, you must submit your drawings below by March 9th 2023

Good luck and please have some fun!

Newest
@pierreyves
Hello there. I loved the exercise because the drawing was pretty fast and smooth, except for the VR girl which demand more attention. Thanks for your help and your return
Chris McHenry
Not the best, but didn’t want to spend 2 hours trying to make a sketch look perfect. I definitely need more practice with tapering though.
Johan de Jong
This was a nice assignment!
Mike Racki
Melanie Scearce
Great job filling the page without running out of space!
Lau Dabo
5d
this was fun! and went much faster than I thought :)
Rachel Dawn Owens
Looks awesome!
Tanjiro Hisana
I did these sketches while in class!
Martha Muniz
Awesome, great looseness and line quality! Also great job applying guidelines for the VR girl sketch, which helped mark the placement with great results. The same principle also helps with sketches like the penguin and hand - for example with the hand, extending a line from one side of the wrist to the opposite side would help place the two points more in unison. Thinking this way helps with any future sketching from reference you may want to try out in the future -- you're already on track so keep up the good work!
Charlie Aguero
I had fun!
Eryk Świątek
Melanie Scearce
Looks great! Your lines get a bit scratchy in some areas in the penguin drawing, but overall nicely done 👍
RB CG
7d
a second attempt with my own photos
Melanie Scearce
Keep up the sketching! When you're drawing hair, like in your sketch of the long haired dog, try lightly laying in some simple shapes to use as a guide for the hair pattern. That will help you design the hair more intentionally.
Gustavo Duarte
third attempts
Martha Muniz
Nice work! You definitely got good proportions to the references. Don't feel too tied to copying perfectly for this exercise though. Practicing good sketching habits like looser linework and searching lines first will help you get closer to accurate proportions and clean linework later on. Keeping a light hand when you first start to draw, using longer basic strokes, then coming back with the darker pressure and details when you feel confident in your foundation is key to the process. You're already on the right track, keep going! You got this :)
RB CG
8d
have no idea if I did it right
Katerina Waddoups
In the past I hated doing this type of exercise since I struggled so much to keep a steady line, drawing from my shoulder felt so foreign and difficult. But this go around I actually was having so much fun I ended up putting in a lot of the details (like on the vr girl) after I felt like I had the big shapes down... Had a lot of fun with it!
Grant
9d
Here is my first attempt at the level one project images. Looking at them now it feels like I might have been too stiff. Feedback is appreciated!
Zetagé
10d
Hi! Sharing what I did. I hope I did the assignment this time, as I haven't watched the demo yet.
@mallowmarsh
the arm took a while😅
Osiris
15d
These are my attempts:
William
15d
Very happy, though I feel that I need to be better about not doing scratch marks and searching too many times.
Kzip
16d
Still pretty happy with this fledgling attempts. Excited to learn more and improve.
Jacob Granillo
Good job Kzip!
Stevie Yaas
Hello, posting my attempts at the drawing from observation projects. I had a lot of fun with these. I struggled most with the VR Girl but I think they all turned out okay. Proportions are still off and the spider arm looks a bit broken. Looking for some feedback. I am not very experienced in drawing but I will still give the sketching from imagination a shot.
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Founder of Proko, artist and teacher of drawing, painting, and anatomy. I try to make my lessons fun and ultra packed with information.
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