Proko - Project - Simplify to CSI

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Project - Simplify to CSI

Stan Prokopenko

in Drawing Basics

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About instructor

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.

assignments 5224 submissions

I got a little too precious with the boots once I tried to simplify the laces.

LESSON NOTES

This exercise will help you avoid chicken scratch. Instead of uncertain pecking at the paper. We're going to draw each line with a focused and intentional path. Remember to draw from your shoulder, elbow and wrist. Avoid the fingers. When I tell you guys to simplify your lines, I'm usually referring to three types of lines, two curves and one straight.

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DOWNLOADS

jpeg

level-1-boots.jpg

5 MB

jpeg

level-1-snail.jpg

3 MB

jpeg

level-2-camel.jpg

7 MB

jpeg

level-2-captain-skull.jpg

4 MB

mp4

project-simplify-to-csi.mp4

147 MB

txt

project-simplify-to-csi-transcript-english.txt

4 kB

txt

project-simplify-to-csi-transcript-spanish.txt

5 kB

file

project-simplify-to-csi-captions-english.srt

7 kB

file

project-simplify-to-csi-captions-spanish.srt

7 kB

ASSIGNMENTS

Download the photo reference images and try to simplify them using CSI lines. Draw each line with a focused and intentional path.

Your pace should be quick, but not rushed.

For this exercise, we will just consider the individual segments of the contour of a shape.

Same instructions for level one and two. Just a difference in difficulty of reference. The level two photos have more fun little tidbits to tempt you to get into the details, but fight the urge and simplify.

Also, no shading in these please. This is not meant to be a portfolio piece.

CSI
C = C Curves
S = S Curves
I = Straights

If you'd like to have a chance to be included in the upcoming critique videos, you must submit your drawings below by February 16th.

Fern

•

16h

I learned that I need to work on having confident lines. I see a lot of line control exercises in my future . You see it more in the boots, I try pretty hard to hide it in a finished drawing. The cat was maybe cheating a bit because the photo is a silhouette but my cat's adorable, and did you notice her really cool polydactyl paws?

Turbo Fish

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21h

Just realized it should be longer by the end, but that`s fine. Tried the turtle as well focusing on line quality, turned out ok

@watidude2

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Struggled a lot more with this exercise. The boot I couldn't get right to save my life. I do like my skeleton even though it doesn't look like the original at all, feels like i made it my own a bit.

@craigg

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Attempt at level 2 CSI

Nadira Anjum

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Tried!

Crow Semantic

•

When you try to simplify but has no concept of 3D space. I really tried with the boots but after a total of 6 hours (3 hours each) of attempts, I settled on what actually manage to do. Won't lie, it was a very frustrating exercise and I decided to cheat a bit and looked at the comments for reference on how to even start. After I got a north of where to begin, it actually was pretty fun! Very challenging but I did give up trying to draw the laces. The snail was a lot easier to do but there was an attempt, it still took me two hours lol

Turbo Fish

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@mogumogu

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First attempt

Nicholas Allott

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I like the loose line quality.

ebere justin

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Just spent a whole day drawing laces😭

@kurodore

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5th try; focused a lot more on drawing purely with my shoulder and making confident strokes.

@na_talie

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Great improvement! Keep going 😉

@muddysoul

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I couldn't finish it because there were too many details and it just annoyed me. I feel like I could have done it but the brain that's used to watching easy youtube reels all day just couldn't take the effort it needed.

@sketchenstein

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These boots weren't realy Level 1 IMO. I thought the L2 Camel was easier! Maybe try that instead? No maddening laces. Let a day pass and relight the flame. You can do this.

Siby

•

In did a few basic courses on udemy. I am starting with proko and I hope I get a clear direction where to go. Keep going even it doesnt turn out well in the first time. Yes I feel it too that you need to concentrate. I did the left shoe and i did a break with the right show. I am doing it now. So everyone has an own pace. Get back to this expercise and you will see that you made a progress.

Inkhaurt

•

Keep going. Believe me when I say I was “in your shoes “ 8 years ago. The drawing on the left was 2017 and the one on the right is 2018. Notice the improvement from crap to decent/good, and even then I didn’t give it my all. I can’t imagine where I’d be now If I didn’t quit learning how to draw then. I gave up drawing for 8 years. I bought this course a year ago, drew the 1st project, geometric pear, and I gave up at the beginning of 2025 which I thought was my year to shine lol. Now I’m back and it feels like something clicked in me. I can’t promise I’m giving it everything I got this time, but now I feel like I’m attentive to both the lessons I’m watching and the drawing mistakes I made and still make. Every time I post and feel the love from you and everyone that commented on my posts, I feel the more inspired! Now I think of it, I feel like all those drawing basics lessons I watched on YouTube I rinsed and repeated from tens of art/design channels…all the pages I filled with lines, circles, squares, triangles, ellipses, wavy lines…all have prepared me for this point in my life as a 34 year old looking to jumpstart his lifelong dream of becoming an artist/designer. keep it upupupup 👍

@sketchenstein

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L1 guy trying L2 stuff.

@sketchenstein

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Attention shoelaces everywhere: if I see you I will strip you out and burn you. 2nd try. Moving on!

Mike Bonifacio

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Level 2 - Captain Underbite

@sketchenstein

•

Shrimp fisherman

@christiantuudah

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Honestly don’t understand the shell

@sketchenstein

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Did you start with the "Envelope" method? That might help you out with the overall shell shape?

Alireza Heshmati

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Bootlaces made me crazy :).

Ty Keating

•

Again just chasing perfect lines right outta the gate. Lots of indents and eraser marks. Keep having to remind myself of the basics and just relax into the process instead of chasing perfection even in the simplest of things. Thanks for the lesson!

@elenaarmstrong2012

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I tried to draw all four before watching demos

Mike Bonifacio

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The camel after watching the snail/boots demo.

Mike Bonifacio

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Level 1 simplify: I kept the boot drawing to 20 minutes or risked getting caught up in too much detail. These were done before watching the demo. After watching the Level 1 demo I'll try Level 2.