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
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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.

Nikolai
β€’
6h
I like the aesthetic of ink/fineliners more but I guess a pencil is better for practicing
Anna Gooch
β€’
19h
My attempt before the demo, I found the lighter areas to be much more difficult than the shadows.
Melanie Scearce
β€’
19h
That is a common sentiment! It's more difficult to determine where the planes are in that illuminated half of the pear, and even tougher evenly shade those lighter value shapes. Nice job!
@razara
β€’
1d
Here's the attempt I made before watching the demo. I can already see some areas with mine that I could improve, like the shadow definition and values. And my lines aren't too sharp. I'm hoping some more eyes on it could see things I can't, if possible?
Chuck Ludwig Reina
Nice work. One thing to look out for, and you'll see in the demo, is the concept of the core shadow. The area where it transitions from light to dark, and is often the darkest part of the shadow on a form because it is not getting any reflected light. This is a great tool in our tool belts for making a flat drawing look 3d. Check out the demo video and it will show the idea in a little more detail. Also, I find it really helpful to draw a little value guide on the page when I do these, so I have something to work against. But be mindful, the steps shouldn't be even between them! When we are limited to 5 values we need to decide which gets more tones to work with, the shadows, or the lights? In the case of our pear, I suggest using 3 values for the light, and only 2 for the shadows. But again, good stuff, and keep at it!
@fabian87
β€’
2d
Something went wrong as concerning the view point when I started drawing the stem..
Nikolai
β€’
2d
Melanie Scearce
You did a good job keeping the value shapes distinct with the textures. Nice job!
Turbo Fish
β€’
2d
First attempt, used a .5 mechanical pencil
@veren_villegas
Me and my little sister's first attempt for this assignment. Thanks for viewing!
@faaraway
β€’
4d
Kind of fell apart from the nose down but I don’t hate the top half.
@fabian87
β€’
4d
@faaraway
β€’
4d
George Dramalis
@almrugby8
β€’
5d
Very much a beginner but here's the 1st pear assignment
@myzhou
β€’
5d
level 1 pear 3! had some issues making the different values in the middle very distinct.
Tim Norris
β€’
5d
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
β€’
3d
I see now that this project deserved to be more than a newsprint study with one pencil...
Tim Norris
β€’
5d
I think the jaw proportion is off. I skipped the musketeer too. Bet that will help also.
Tim Norris
β€’
5d
Blackwing Matte on newsprint
Vincent Poree
β€’
5d
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
β€’
5d
@neanea
β€’
6d
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
β€’
6d
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
β€’
6d
level-2 portrait before watching demo. I find that I struggle with Shapes more than I thought.
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