Glen Piper
Glen Piper
Wales
Drawing Rookie from the UK.
Liandro
Hey, @Glen Piper! It’s been a while since you posted this, but, hopefully, I’m not too late to share some thoughts. One of the hardest things of studying art on our own is indeed to figure out how to schematize our own “curriculum”. A good news, I think, is that you’ll be practicing draftsmanship skills regardless of the specific subject you’re studying at the moment: whether you’re focusing on figure drawing, portraiture or animal drawing, it’s likely that the nuts and bolts of line, shape, form, proportion and perspective will be involved - so you’ll still be headed towards your bigger goal regarding draftsmanship even when varying your subject. With that said, perhaps you might find it helpful to consider your most relevant interests in art - if you really want to explore more than just the human figure, why not redirect your energy to other topics for a while? Maybe you can take a few weeks to let go of the human figure altogether and focus on another topic you like, or perhaps you could organize your study schedule in such a way to have some time for everything within a week’s or month’s span. Just possibilities. On the frustration of not feeling capable to do a finished piece, I totally get it. When we look at finished artwork done by masterful instructors, it can indeed feel like we’re too far away. But it can be helpful to remember that our perception is always subjective, and “feeling miles away” doesn’t necessarily mean that we haven’t progressed or that we won’t reach our goals. Plus, I think it’s important to notice the difference between literally just finishing a piece versus finishing a piece within the technical standards we would like to achieve - these are two different frameworks. Maybe consider this: if you apply all the skills you’ve already learned, how far can you take an art piece? Well - that much is your current standard for “finished”. For example, if you’ve been studying gesture and form, but not lighting, your finished pieces can be expected to be linear drawings, but not fully rendered - because it’s obviously unfair to expect that you should be able to apply more than what you’ve learned so far. Perhaps you might wanna do an experience: spend some time working on a drawing and make it as finished as you can using what you know. Try not to judge yourself or your results too hard, just focus on the process and be at peace with doing the best you can at the moment. Then, when you’re done, step away for some time, try to get some emotional distance, and, once your mind feels fresh, take a new look at it and analyze what you would like to have done differently and what are the skills or techniques involved in this idealized result you’re imagining. Based on that, you might then draw some rational conclusions and maybe set some clearer goals for your next steps in your study journey. Above all, keep in mind that evolving as an artist never feels like a straight line, but rather as sort of a roller coaster with periods of boost and moments of dry spell. By regardlessly being consistent and patient though, we eventually see that, over the “big picture”, we have grown. I think that the images I’m attaching here illustrate this idea in a more compelling way than my words. :) Hope this all helps somehow!
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Glen Piper
Hey - that's actually an amazing answer, thank you. With that frame of mind, in that case, then I do plenty of finished pieces! I don't know how to render so it's just gesture and loose head drawings at the moment. Trying not to get too frustrated and just power through. But you're right - will try and celebrate finishing pieces to my current ability more regularly. I'm also trying to keep in mind that figure drawing and head drawing are some of the hardest skills in art (at least it seems that way to me) so trying not to be so hard on myself. Thanks for coming back to me on this.
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Glen Piper
Mate, I feel exactly the same and I've been learning for a few years. Glad I'm not the only one. Maybe, and I'm sure you've heard this before, we need to just enjoy the journey. What are you learning for? Because you have to or because you enjoy it? If you approach it with a frame of mind of 'play' and looseness and joy as opposed to rigid drill style practice ironically you're art would come out of you easier and be more beautiful. That said, I TOTALLY get how you feel and I also struggle to take the above advice. If you watch artists like Rembert Montale or Ian Mccaig sketch you'll note how they seem to do so joyfully and with a 'no pressure' attitude. Maybe we should do the same
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Glen Piper
Hi all! Like many of you I aspire to become a skilled draftsman. Recently I've been focusing on figure drawing and whilst that's been improving I find the amount of time I've spent on doing this (gesture specifically) I then miss out on time that could be spent in other areas such as head drawing or animal drawing. Do any of you either get this feeling or so you always manage to divide what subjects you practice? I guess the other thing is even though I've spent so much time focusing on figure drawing I still feel a million miles away from being able to do a finished, rendered price of art in any form and I've been trying to teach myself for years! How do you deal with this frustration?! Thanks all Peace and love peace and love
Glen Piper
Could you please inbox me the secret to unlimited artistic skill? Thanks (if it involves a deal with the devil that's all good)
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Glen Piper
Hey art friends - just after some advice. I've been drawing for I'd say 5/6 years as a hobby - I draw most days though the time I can spend varies massively due to the fact I work shifts full time. Since I've started I've no doubt improved a lot but I'm still leagues away from where I want to be. I've nowhere near reaching master or being to finish and render any pieces at all. (I'm aiming at gesture/figure drawing and head drawing). I look at artists like Wylie Beckert, Leyendecker, Steve Huston, Claire Wendling and Diego Lucia and I have a yearning to be able to create beautiful art like them but it seems *impossibly* far away - I couldn't even begin to replicate a Beckert peice, for example. How do you guys deal with this? Have any of you felt this but pushed through and achieved your desired level? I feel like I've selected good 'art parents' but can't get anywhere near them. Thanks!
Glen Piper
Hi David - I gave this a go but couldn't really get anywhere without reference (?) Feel like there's so much information to each animal that I couldn't possibly recall enough to even get through a sketch without knowing the subject that well... Is that kind of the point, or would you recommend just trying to push through anyway and seeing what happens? Thanks!
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Glen Piper
Hi everyone, so I watched the recent Proko video with Rembert Montald showing his (mind blowing amazing) sketcbook. So I thought to myself - this is something I need to do. Specifically he talked about if you were a guitarist and only ever did scales you'd struggle to make music - and I have to agree. Here's the big problem - I do not have the skill do draw things like he or other artists do - at least not yet. I've been drawing as a hobby for maybe 5 years focusing on figure drawing and more recently portraits. Despite my best efforts I still kinda suck at both... so if I was to get some reference I'm not sure I'd have the skill to translate it even to a small 'finished' sketch in a notebook. This being the case all I do is drills and technical drawing exercises (at the moment I'm doing the FORCE drawing course and portraits using the shape method - previously I've finished the Drawabox course and the Proko figure drawing course). I want to step away from this but when I try and draw something more original I just get frustrated that it looks so bad and that I can't get the drawing to go where I want or to translate what's in my head to paper. Has anyone else encountered this issue? How did you guys deal with it? I'm wondering if it's a 'wax on/wax off' kind of thing whereby suddenly from doing the drills I'll hit the point in skill where I can start doing more 'fun' stuff but really not sure. Anyway - thanks everyone! Love and Tiktoks to you all
Glen Piper
Wylie Beckert...I adore her style, kind like a modern Leyendekcer. Feel a million miles away from being able to even approach emulating her, though D;
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Glen Piper
Hi @David Colman - I want to give this assignment a go but my head drawing s u c k s Would you recommend learning more portrait drawing first or just jumping in a giving it a go? Thanks!
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Julien
Hi! A humbing assignment for me: I use to go sketching outside, but never people... they're easier in photograph or in life drawing session :) !! Will try to make a habit of it from now on...
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Glen Piper
These are killer
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Stan Prokopenko
For new artists I would say I agree with this and have some ideas to add: "30% line quality and exercises on volume & depth" - If this just means drawing lines, curves and boxes, I think 30% is a bit much. Maybe 30% for a week or 2, but then you'd get really bored. I think after a few weeks of spending 30% on this, drop it to 15-20 minute warm up each day. I guess that would be 5-10% for you if you're drawing 4 hours per day. However, if line quality exercises means focusing on line quality while drawing something exciting like bugs, people, or machines, I think 30% sounds good. "30% arachnids & insects, to practice perspective and proportions." - I would add gesture to that. The thing about my Figure Drawing Fundamentals course is that most of it teaches you fundamental concepts (gesture, structure, exaggeration, proportions, measuring, shading) using people as the subject. You can go through the course and apply all the information to something more simple like bugs. Just drawing an easier subject to practice perspective and proportions wont necessarily teach you those things faster. You have to also learn HOW to do that stuff correctly. That's where my figure course would help you. "I was a bit dis-heartened to hear this as I love doing figure and gesture drawing." - If you love it, then do more than he suggested. "Could I really improve more at drawing figures and portraits by drawing less of them?" - Yes, because as a new artist it's not the body that you need to learn (anatomy) its the fundamentals of drawing. Fundamentals can be learned by drawing anything.. But again, just drawing doesn't teach you those fundamentals. You need to hear someone explain how it all work. Watch my figure course lessons and apply all the concepts i teach you to whatever you choose to draw. If you get bored with bugs, challenge yourself and change it up. "Wishing you all the love and all of the TikToks your hearts could desire." - Thank you kind sir!
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Glen Piper
Hi Stan - thanks so much for getting back to me with such a comprehensive answer. I do a lot gesture so I guess my take away from this would be to spend more time on practicing line quality (boxes, curves dot to dot etc) along with that and to sharpen these things up a little before diving into finished figure drawings or rendered portraits etc. Thanks again!
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Glen Piper
HELLO FELLOW ARTISTS. So I'd still consider myself a new artist but I'd really like to get better at figure drawing and portrait drawing. Keeping this in mind my practice schedule has recently been focused largely on gesture drawing/head construction and anatomy (using the proko anatomy course.) At present I'm putting in around 4 hours a day on these topics. I was recently advised by an artist that I may be 'rushing' by doing this and I should focus less on figure drawing as it won't help me so much on the fundamentals. He's suggested a practice schedule as follows: 30% line quality and exercises on volume & depth 30% arachnids & insects, to practice perspective and proportions. 10-20% figure drawing. I was a bit dis-heartened to hear this as I love doing figure and gesture drawing. Do you guys think this is good advice? Could I really improve more at drawing figures and portraits by drawing less of them? Would love to hear your opinions as I don't know if this is good advice yet >.< Thanks everyone, Wishing you all the love and all of the TikToks your hearts could desire. Glen
Glen Piper
Hi guys - I noted in some of the videos Stan was using the 3D model of the pelvis with the bucket over the top as a wire frame - does anyone know how to do this? Can't figure it out within the settings for the 3d model or the model inspector. Thanks!
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Glen Piper
Just got onto this section of the course. Drawing the bucket is so difficult it's driving me mad! Kind of wish there were a few separate lessons just on how to draw the bucket.
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Glen Piper
O.o I learned so much about perspective from this - did not expect this bonus effect from doing anatomy!
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Glen Piper
Hi Stan/everyone! I finished this course a little while ago but I keep coming back to this lesson on gesture. Like a lot of other people I find the more I do of other bits and pieces this appears to be one of the most important skills and the most difficult to master/get right. My main issue is this - titled/dynamic/twisted/foreshortened poses I find straight forward enough to put into a gesture drawing...Poses that are more symmetrical or looking straight at the viewer - MY GAWD. SO HARD TO GET RIGHT. I'll attach a photo of an example of one pose I just can't figure out how to approach. Can anyone show me how they'd go about tackling something like this?! I know all poses are not created equal but ones like this are destroying me. Thanks in advance!
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Glen Piper
My attempt to ape Stan's drawing. Advice to other beginners: TEST OUT THE CHARCOAL POWDER FIRST It's more tricksy than it looks and you'll quickly find out whether you are using the correct brushes... Other than thay keep at it! My skill level is still pretty low but I learned a lot watching this. Reccomend watching each section carefully and listening to what Stan has to say - there's a ton of super useful information here.
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Glen Piper
4yr
I've noticed a lot of artists I follow on Instagram use red pencil when they make sketches. Can anyone fill me in on the reason for this? I think it looks great - just wondering where this idea came from and why it's a thing. Have tried looking around on google for answers but there seem to be a lot of conflicting opinions. Here are some examples from artist Rik Lee: Thanks!
Glen Piper
Hi Stan/fellow students, So I've been following this course pretty diligently from the start and I've found this lesson particularly hard. Just wondering if it's normal to really struggle with the lay in process after spending a fair amount of time just on gesture? I feel like I'm spending a long time taking all the relevant measurements and working it all out then my proportions still end up looking rather skewed/deformed. Would love to see some examples/chat to others students who may be a bit more advance this area! Sorry if I've posted this in the wrong area O.o Thanks!
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