Portrait Drawing Tweaks

Portrait Drawing Tweaks

by | Mar 10, 2020 | The Blog, Video Critiques | 1 comment

Nancy has been getting her artwork critiqued weekly for a while now. The biggest struggle I see for Nancy is her photo reference choices.

Nancy usually takes screenshots from her favorite Netflix series. Sometimes the lighting is just , well, horrible. However, as of late Nancy has been making better picks in terms of photos

What I stress over and over again in the critique gallery is repetition. I’m a big believer in systems. Most artists hate systems, they think they are too restrictive.

I find the opposite to be true. Let’s use portrait drawing as an example. When you start a portrait draw the same way every time, you will improve faster.

My system for portrait drawing is simple, first draw the outer edge hair, second draw the inner edge of the hair where it touches the skin. Then draw the shape of the face. The features should fit inside the container of the face.

In Nancy’s portrait drawing the features did not fit inside the container of the face. After a couple of tweaks we can see that Nancy was not that far off. Looking forward to the next one Nancy.

 

Sometimes it is the little things that make a huge difference. I am here to help you improve your artwork. You can get feedback in Drawing Tutorials Online member critique gallery. I also offer one to one coaching if you prefer that route.

Thanks Nancy! 

Yifei’s Sketchbook – Number Two

Yifei’s Sketchbook – Number Two

by | Feb 22, 2020 | Sketchbook Videos, The Blog

Yifei is such an incredible student to have in class. He really puts his all into everything that he does. From life drawing, to homework, to class projects, you can totally see the effort.

Yefei’s sketchbook is in essence, his diary. It’s a diary of his student life here in NYC. Yefei is such an incredible talent. He is able to draw in such detail, then switch gears and draw simple cute stuff.

For me the key takeaway from his sketchbook is the passion he has for drawing. You can clearly see that he uses his sketchbook in every part of his life. Today, many artists use their phones to document there lives. Yefei is using his sketchbook.

He certainly has a bright future. He is a true storyteller. I hope you enjoyed looking through his sketchbook as much as I did.

 

 

Check out Yifei’s Instagram. Thanks again Yifei for sharing your art.

 

How To Draw A Ten Minute Gesture Of The Figure

How To Draw A Ten Minute Gesture Of The Figure

by | Feb 11, 2020 | Drawing Tutorials, The Blog | 2 comments

I just recently added a new figure drawing to the members area of Drawing Tutorials Online. This course is title Figure Drawing Class Exercises.

There are so many more diverse ways of teaching in the classroom versus online. The options for creativity in the classroom is endless. You can incorporate the student in activities you just cannot do online.

The purpose of this course is not to complete the perfect drawing, quite the contrary. The purpose of this course is to share with you many of the short style twenty minute exercises completed in class.

The drawing in the video below is the type of drawing I have my students do often in the classroom. A simple top to bottom line/gesture drawing of the model using minimal shape.

The goal of this exercise to gain confidence by constantly drawing the figure from head to toe in ten minutes. Starting again, starting another one, and then another one. Kind of like doing drills.

 

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to watch this video. Make sure you get to a life drawing class and draw some quick ones. Don’t be perfect, just have fun.

 

Jinny’s Sketchbook – Incredible Diversity

Jinny’s Sketchbook – Incredible Diversity

by | Feb 1, 2020 | Sketchbook Videos, The Blog

Jinny kind of flies under the radar in class, she is super quiet. However, her art work is certainly not quiet at all. Jinny is super talented, she experiments with many diverse styles of art. In my opinion, this is what every first year student should do.

Jinny is the type of student that will, out of the blue, shock you with an incredible life drawing in class. It’s so cool flipping through her sketchbook, you are not sure what to expect next. It’s amazing to see how many styles she is flirting with.

Jinny is certainly using first year of college to find her style. I’m not sure if she will land on one particular style, and that is okay. She can pull that off.

There are so many drawings in Jinny’s sketchbook that I can just sit with and enjoy. I hope you will do the same.

 

 

Check out Jinny’s Instagram. Thanks again Jinny for sharing your art.

 

Under-Drawing Critique – Avoiding Overwhelm

Under-Drawing Critique – Avoiding Overwhelm

by | Jan 21, 2020 | Video Critiques

Arjun recently uploaded an under-drawing for a critique over in the members area of Drawing Tutorials Online. He mentioned in the comment section of the post that he was feeling a bit overwhelmed with starting.

There is so much to think about when starting to draw the figure for an under-drawing. Proportions, gesture, anatomy as well as light and shade are just a few techniques to consider. I can see where an artist can become overwhelmed, especially when trying to do their best work.

What I do my best to show in this short little video, is a sequence of techniques. Where I like to start, as well as secondary options for starting. I also talk to the importance of using continuous line towards the end of the video.

Also, Arjun was using blind contour, I recommeded using blind contour for just a short period of time, like two seconds. I would save the pure blind contour for a longer thirty-second exercise.

 

 

Check out Arjun’s Instagram. Thanks again Arjun for sharing your art.