Project - Simplify from Observation

Lesson by

37K

Course In Progress

Assignments 6.5KLesson NotesDownloads 9

Project - Simplify from Observation

Lesson by

Stan Prokopenko

in Drawing Basics

37K

Course In Progress

Assignments 6.5KLesson NotesDownloads 9

Use the reference photos in the downloads tab or go find your own reference and start drawing! Remember, this project is all about simplifying to clarify.

Make sure to keep these 3 things in mind:

Shapes - Draw your shapes with straight lines
Values - Use only 5 values. 2 in the shadow and 3 in the lights
Edges - Make every single edge sharp!

I'll publish my drawing demos of both levels next Tuesday so you can watch me go through the problem solving process. For a chance to be included in the critique videos, you must submit your drawing to the community by January 26th, 2023, so I can begin filming and producing the critique video.

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I don't feel confident about trying the portait just yet so I only did the pears for now but at some point I'll come back to it.

Rob Hagen

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12h

My first attempt. I def think I over complicated the shapes and used too many values. If this is correct and anyone has any other critiques please throw fire at it. I took this course to get better at painting and be able to handle criticism. Hope to be a proper craftsman one day.

@banane

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before and after watching his explanation, definitely helped a lot :D

Martha Muniz

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21h

Great improvement, looks awesome!

Rémy Bernard

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Hey everyone, I'm 38yo, I've got back to drawing 4 years agoand just finished 2nd year of artschool (I dared !) so I have some practice already. I felt I'm still lacking in fundamentals so here I am during my summer. I've written some comments on my drawings. The apple feels to dark compare to it's shadow. I've had some difficulties placing the first value below light to the actual highlight pops out. I found it hard to make sharp edges, hence simplifying the shape in a rough chiseled sculpture. That's why I'm here !

Melanie Scearce

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16h

Hey @Rémy Bernard! Kudos for keeping up your studying through the summer break. The apple reference is difficult to work from because the lighting is so diffuse. The pears are lit from one light source which creates those distinct shadows. I think you handled it well given the difficulty! Good luck with your studies.

Rémy Bernard

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(Wow ! Watching the thumbnails makes my mistakes so obvious ! I keep being amazed by that even though my teachers have been saying this throughout the whole year)

Chirantan Talukdar

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Here are my first, second and third attempts! I'm having trouble shading consistent values, any help?

Rémy Bernard

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Hi Chirutan, I'm starting the course too. I hope it's ok if I dare give some advices. I'd say on your 3rd work, in the middle of the pear you shaded a kinda shapeless area. For better result, take time to draw precisely the shape of the area you're going to shade. For consistent values, you can practice to shade squares. Don't bore you out though ! 5 minutes as a warm up and let's go. It comes with years of practice anyway.

Jonathan Fink

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This is my second attempt at simplifying the pear. I think it's an improvement from my first attempt but still not exactly sure what I should work on or focus on. I'm definitely someone that's starting at zero. All critiques and advice welcome and appreciated. Time to watch the demo! (Image 1: Second attempt - Image 2: Reference - Image 3: First attempt)

Rémy Bernard

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Hi Jonathan, I'm also starting the course but I've got practice behind me. Just compare the picture and your drawing while squinting your eyes. It will simplify the values and you can see on your second attempt for exemple that the shadow on the base is going to high. Squint your eyes regularly throughout your shading process.

Darth Illustrator

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Project 01: Simplify From Observation Lay-In and blocking shadow shape was easy. after that I struggled with putting dark and light halftones.

@anastas

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Max Long

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My submission. Obviously, there is a reason that I am taking a fundamentals course.

Jeremy Johnson

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First attempt! The highlights on the pear are missing since I accidentally smudged my drawing. Not too happy about that.

Jonathan Fink

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Hello. I attempted the pear drawing. Not great but not horrible. I spent about 30 minutes on this. Laid in the contour with an HB, started the shadows with a 2B, built the darks up with a 4B and the darkest dark with a 6B. Initially used the side of the pencil then found that shading with the tip got a better result. Any constructive criticism is welcome, be harsh on this as long as it's about the drawing. ; ) Thank you for your time and I'll see you around! (I also think I'm going to try this one more time tomorrow before I watch the demo. Couldn't hurt.)

@intii

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My attempt with strawberries. I used a 2B and a 4B.

Patrick Bosworth

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Nice! I like your shapes, and you really committed to the values. Watch out for patchy spots in your values, try to keep every step in value as uniform as possible across the whole shape! Keep up the good work!

@luisfelipep

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Hello everyone! Glad to be now a part of this class. Here's my assignment. Somehow I feel I might have missed the point of it, but I guess I'll find out now that I'm about to watch the demo video :-)

Harigovind N

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I think I have a lot to improve

@ason

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The one on the left is the drawing I did before the demo, and the one on the right is one I did after the demo, my wrist is hurting after doing them both. :)

Melanie Scearce

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Nice, your shapes are more thoughtfully designed in the second drawing. Great improvement! Try to put less emphasis on your wrist when you're drawing and move the articulation up to your elbow. It might take some practice but it'll save your wrists and keep you loose and gestural with your drawing.

@naraa

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My first attempt.

@ason

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Nice!

@ethanf

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Man... definitely coming back to this one. I'm thinking where I went wrong was a combination of oversimplifying the pear and losing sight of the light values. Any critiques are welcome, good luck fellow beginners!!

@lif3mocks4rt

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My attempts at the first project, I feel like I struggled most getting all five of the values out of my pencil, I don't think I get enough distinction between light shadow and dark halftone. Also felt like I oversimplified in some areas or didn't quite understand the right line placement. Would love opinions on the works as a whole!

Reuben Francis

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Made in Krita. My first try with pear. Though I am more comfortable with pencil and paper decided to do in PC because i am definitely be doing more digital art as my aim is doing game art and level design. How did this turn out? Not happy with the digital look but Liked the way I was able to emulate pencil. As I am doing digitally, do I have to emulate pencil or stick with the digital look. Also, drawing with Wacom for the first time my figures pain shading the pear. Any tips?

Roberta Putrinskaitė

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Pear 3 after demo! Tried simplifying more as on the first try I had more complex shapes

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About instructor

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Stan Prokopenko

Founder of Proko, artist and teacher of drawing, painting, and anatomy. I try to make my lessons fun and ultra packed with information.