Project - Simplify from Observation
Project - Simplify from Observation
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Project - Simplify from Observation
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Vance Viggiano
When you can't decide on Level 1 or Level 2. I thought it might be fun to try it on gray paper. Everyone's work is inspiring! Happy to be learning with you all!
LESSON NOTES

Alright guys, let's jump into the deep end and see how you do! I feel like we've been talking a lot and not drawing enough. So, before we move on to learning about Lines, I want to give you an opportunity to spend some time doing a simplified drawing. You’re going to draw a pear or portrait if you’re doing the level 2 project. I know… A fruit isn’t the most exciting thing to draw, but it’s going to allow you to focus on the process I’m going to show you, instead of being distracted by a difficult subject matter.

This will let us see where you're at with your skills. It’s totally fine if you're at zero. Kind of expected actually. But, you'll identify right away what you struggle with. And you’ll be introduced to a lot of the skills that you’ll be working on improving in this course.

You can draw from the photos I provided in the downloads tab, or find your own fruit and draw from life. Pick a fruit that has an interesting shape you like. Put the fruit on your desk and shine a light on it. Move the light around until you like the balance of light and dark shapes. 

If you don’t want to draw the photo I provided, or you want to do more than one, feel free to find your own photo. Just make sure you choose a photo with a strong single light source that creates a clear separation of lights and shadows. Many moons ago I wrote a blog post about good photo reference.

Make sure you take a photo of it from your point of view, so you can include it when posting your drawing in the community. If you want to be critiqued by me or others in the community, we'll need to see what you were drawing. 

Join us in the premium course to get access to this lesson, full lesson notes, assignments, demonstrations and critiques!

DOWNLOADS
jpeg
level-1-pear-1.jpg
2 MB
jpeg
level-1-pear-2.jpg
2 MB
jpeg
level-1-pear-3.jpg
2 MB
jpeg
level-2-portrait.jpg
1 MB
mp4
project-simplify-from-observation.mp4
183 MB
txt
project-simplify-from-observation-transcript-english.txt
5 kB
txt
project-simplify-from-observation-transcript-spanish.txt
6 kB
file
project-simplify-from-observation-captions-english.srt
9 kB
file
project-simplify-from-observation-captions-spanish.srt
8 kB
ASSIGNMENTS

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.

@faaraway
18h
Kind of fell apart from the nose down but I don’t hate the top half.
@fabian87
22h
@faaraway
23h
George Dramalis
@almrugby8
Very much a beginner but here's the 1st pear assignment
@myzhou
2d
level 1 pear 3! had some issues making the different values in the middle very distinct.
Tim Norris
Circled back around to this one after skimming ahead for a while. Felt impossible before. Still needing to develop my eye for values, but this feels like a battle won in the war, however marginal the score. Now to watch the demo to reveal how slim the victory really is... 😁 Please share constructive criticism! Any guidance, particularly with value, is hugely appreciate.
Tim Norris
46m
I see now that this project deserved to be more than a newsprint study with one pencil...
Tim Norris
I think the jaw proportion is off. I skipped the musketeer too. Bet that will help also.
Tim Norris
Blackwing Matte on newsprint
Vincent Poree
I did the one tracing around the edge in order to practice with the draw pad. The other I did free hand. They are ok, I guess for a first time. But the important thing is I am also getting used to the software and concepts.
@gailisaacs
@neanea
3d
struggled a lot with this one, had to cheat and watch a bit of the demo to figure out how to shade the shadow, if anyone got any advice, please do tell!
Kathryn
3d
Before and after the demo. I forgot to use straight lines for the before.
Matthew Herbert
Hello, Just started sketching and I am loving it. Please an you critique the attached drawing. Many thanks
Edwardd
3d
level-2 portrait before watching demo. I find that I struggle with Shapes more than I thought.
@muddysoul
I am not sure if the community is still active here but here goes first project haha. Looking forward to drawing a lot more and hopefully get somewhat decent at drawing by the end of the course.
@neanea
3d
my first attempt, not quite satisfied with how it turns out tbh. pls give me advice on how i can improve
Dylan Barr
I bought this course in 2024. Finally picked it up again. After watching the demo, I noticed I didn't spot some of the less obvious value changes. I found getting consistent values tricky. I also noticed I tended to want my pencil strokes to follow the lines when shading in, but I liked the demo result of using shorter, horizontal strokes in "tiles" that seemed to give more shape. Interesting.
@everettl
horrific
@kurodore
Pear
@liarlyre
Pear
Michael Bonifacio
I think I could simplify further but happy with the main values.
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