Project - Rhythms
Project - Rhythms
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lesson video
Project - Rhythms
courseDrawing BasicsFull course (185 lessons)
$159
assignments 506 submissions
Rachel Dawn Owens
A little mantra that might help some students on this one.: ’Design. Don’t copy.’
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Rhythm Project Assignment Images.zip
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project-rhythms.mp4
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project-rhythms-transcript-spanish.txt
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project-rhythms-captions-english.srt
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project-rhythms-captions-spanish.srt
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ASSIGNMENTS

It’s time to draw the figure! Use the rhythms method I showed in the previous lesson to draw the poses from the photo references in the downloads tab.

Deadline for submissions to be included in the video critique is 10/6/2023.

  • Capture the gesture of each pose using rhythms.
  • Spend at least 5 minutes on each pose, ideally 1-2 hours per session. Take breaks as needed.
  • Shoot for accurate proportions by eyeballing placement of the rhythms. Have an idea of where the line will end before you execute the line.
  • Use the the template as a starting point, but observe the pose. Remember that each pose might have some of their own unique rhythms that differ from the template I proposed. This will develop your own rhythms over time.
  • Balance loose, energetic lines with more committed singular lines. Don't let it get too messy. Consider what we've learned about line quality.

Level 2

There are a few ways to make this more challenging. Mix and match based on your comfort and experience.

  • Set a timer for 5 minutes to force yourself to draw only the most important rhythms.
  • If that's too easy, go for 3 minutes.
  • Practice developing the overhand grip.
  • Try charcoal pencils (sharpened like a bullet) on newsprint paper.
  • Add another layer of smaller rhythms indicating the muscle masses. You can add some time to the clock.
Ronald Moss Jr
I just skimmed through the downloaded poses and chose 4 random rhythms to draw. Just had to use what I learned as best as I could and focus on my own. And stop trying to get it perfect on my first try. So, please feel free to criticize and please keep it positive. Thank you very much.
Aradhya
6h
I think maybe you should review the previous lessons before rhythms and practise those first, I can see you're not applying what we learned in previous lessons so my advice would be to review them, practise them and then come back to this project. Keep practising and you'll reach the level. Don't give up!
@jorge21
2d
Here some gesture drawing
Rio
3d
Finished these a week ago but was not very proud of them again. Kinda let things get to my head but. I shouldnt let my self doubt get in the way of progressing. Im proud of the line weight variation here, im still new to it but this is the biggest leap ice made so far.
Sneek
4d
I'm awful at proportions but I'll keep practicing.
Melanie Scearce
Keep practicing! With this lesson you're focusing less on the correct proportions and more about designing the energetic connections, so it's not as important here, but I definitely recommend revisiting the Measure Proportions project multiple times as you continue through the course. It will get easier with each iteration! No need to get stuck on it, but if proportions are something you struggle with, practicing in tandem as you continue on will help you build that skill more quickly so you can apply it to your other current projects.
Carlos Javier Roo Soto
Before moving on to the perspective portion of this course and back to Marshall's perspective course. I wanted to compare this 2 drawings: The first one I did it when I started this course and the second one as a closing drawing for sketchbook I'm been using. The biggest improvement I see was that I started to use line weight and I don't think that great of a job here, but other than I don't see big improvements. I think one of the biggest reasons is that I didn't do projects or draw for fun as much, and it was practice practice practice. And I'm gonna have to start doing more of those. See anything I should work on other than taking good pictures of my drawings? What are your thoughts?
Ronald Moss Jr
This kind of skill is what I am here for.
@jorge21
7d
here are some of my gesture.
Bag of Snakes
Really enjoyed getting into these. I found finding the rhythms a very natural process and really helped unlock drawing the figure. I think my pencil work is still a bit locked up, and need to work on drawing from the shoulder more. I got a little caried away on the last one and extended the brief a little, but I dont think I compromised the rhythm work. All feedback welcome
Carlos Javier Roo Soto
Here's my final batch for this assignment, I tried to use my whole arm for these but my line quality turn out pretty bad. I focused on measuring and rhythms, don't think I succeed but What do you guys think?
Chuck Ludwig Reina
These look great Carlos. I think you did a good job with the rhythms for sure. One thing to look out for is the length of your torso. You're tending to put a little bit too much space in the obliques area. Generally when a figure is standing upright, you can fit only about a fist in between the bottom of their ribs and the top of their hip bone. I did a little sketch to indicate where I might put the hips. Keep up the good work!
@robikobi
13d
This was probably the first assignment where I felt I wasn't ready for lvl 2. It was really frustrating trying to do them somewhat quickly (I still needed on average 9-10 minutes for each one) and failing with the proportions over and over again. After watching the demos and the critique video, I noticed I was focusing too much on following the contours rather than catching the flow of the body and adding structure to some parts later. What I also don't like about them is the quality of the lines. When I felt I did good however, it was actually quite fun. I will definitely add this to my practice sessions, at least 1x a week.
Carlos Javier Roo Soto
With the level one I focused on measuring and didn't play enough with the shapes or find good rhythms, as for level two I tried and see what happens when I decrease the time of the sketch. How do you think it turn out? And advice can you give me besides doing Figure Studies?
Rich Acosta
Absolutely had a hard time with these. I did all the poses at least 3x, trying to get more "flowy" each time. I feel like it started to click a little more, and these are just a few from my final batch. I started to focus more on rhythm and less on drawing the shape. Sometimes (many times actually) the proportions are off. I just figured if I do a LOT more of this, that will improve. But I tried to let go and just be more loose and flowy with my drawings. It didn't always work.
Caden Y
20d
Bag of Snakes
Great work. Wonderful combination of free-flowing pencil movements and accuracy. Very expressive
@kotka
20d
I challenged myself to do all poses, as well as trying different tools and grips. It took two days while also doing other courses and own projects. All figures are between 5-9 minutes long. There was a lot of erasing on some... While doing this, I also tried varying the size of the figure as well as squeezing in figures between two others. Some results became more harmonius than others. I did this because I am impulsive, love the process more than planning, and need to become more deliberate with the layout of my drawings. I use the Royal Talens Art Creation sketchbook and its paper is sooo sensitive to charcoal! It was almost impossible not to smudge or draw lightly! It put a lot of pressure on me to keep focused and not do unnecessary twitches with my hand. I started with seven minutes for some figures, then went down to five and somehow still managed to overwork them, especially with overhand charcoal grip. I suspect that this is because of the sensitivity of the paper and all the small smudges, which sparks my imagination to add more structures when I instead should just stop.
Richard
26d
Been unable to continue with course recently, but wanted to get back to it. Spent time with rhythms project. These are all charcoal, i like some of them more than others, even though i got perspective wrong on 12 i like how it turned out.
João Rudge
Im keepin up with this project.... trying to feel more loose but still missing something....
Melanie Scearce
Straight lines could be what you're feeling is missing! These are great, they have lots of movement, but too many curved lines can make a pose feel noodly and ungrounded. Your drawing in the bottom left is really successful because of the variety of lines you used. You found the goldilocks balance of curves vs straights: not too curvy and crazy, and not too straight and stiff. There's a nice weight to that drawing. Try to apply that idea to your rhythm drawings moving forward!
João Rudge
Im having a great time doing this rhythms exercises. For the huge advance that I get just in over a month of course I can say for certain that Im better now than when I begin. But Im really at lost if this is the "right" way of doing this, if im gettin the ideal of gesture, flow and rhythms or Im just happy that I can draw bodies and motion better now. As usual any feedback is welcome.
Janfit
1mo
The rules are to put your jester into it! I think. I think you captured the movement of the figures nicely, but you can add more fluidity, more line expression. That is not easy for me to do, but I can see it.
João Rudge
Another batch. Still happy with the result but not seeing much improve from the first one. I have to develop my lines and flow.
João Rudge
Just finished my first batch of sketches. Definitely there was an improvement in line quality and flow during the process. I feel it a loss of flow and gesture in the ones that I try to develop details and line weight. Im happy but sure there is margin for improve. Any feedback is welcome.
gunk
1mo
I like that you’re drawing through the figure to connect one body part’s gesture with another! You’ve also got a good sense of when to use curves, straights, and corners where necessary. About your question on how adding details lose flow - Stan mentioned in a previous video that smaller details should be purposefully designed/changed to follow the bigger flow that you’ve already established, rather than copying what you see. Be open to exaggerating or manipulating any shape you see. So, the process would be: Establish the biggest, simplest rhythms first -> add/design details (such as muscles) that follow the flow of those biggest rhythms on top -> check if the added details altogether still read as the same big rhythm you’ve established prior. Think of it like- carving? That seems to help for me.
@pablo_dispatch
This was certainly the hardest one yet! I found it the most difficult to get the proportions right while focusing on the rhythms. The first pic is my very first attempt , ~5 min per pose, and the second one is my attempt at level 2 after watching the demos (and 2 weeks of practice, sweat and tears 😅), ~15-20 min per pose. Any feedback is appreciated :)
Tanjiro Hisana
Im definitely gonna do this project again. I didn't feel as though I allowed my rhythms to have a full idea before I committed to a line, but it was a fun exercise! I want to work on less searching and more planning with strokes
Tanjiro Hisana
(Here's the 4th drawing)
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