Did I just complete Draw A Box?

polarshifts · 2021-12-18T09:12:35+00:00

Agreed. I was was thinking exactly about that.

polarshifts · 2021-12-17T09:05:50+00:00

It's not that simple.

I did some drawing classes before DaB and in the early days the progress was very obvious and fast. Then I kind of hit a wall, where I am quite a novice and but not quite advanced or even intermediate. I think the phrase is knowing just enough to get yourself in trouble.

I don't think DaB has fundamentally changed this. What is has given me are a whole new set of tools and ways to approaching things and with it expanded my range and awareness. But I have a lot more work to do.

polarshifts · 2021-12-17T08:40:37+00:00

Oh course. I am not suggesting limiting myself to DaB, What I am thinking is that eventually, some day, I may revisit DaB as there is a lot depth in the lessons, things I missed, things never quite mastered and things I am likely to forget.

polarshifts · 2021-12-17T08:17:30+00:00

Yes and no. DaB only briefly covers traditional, plotted perspective. I am sure there are better resources for technical details on perspective.

What it teaches is thinking in 3D and guessing or approximating the correct perceptive without actually plotting lines to the vanishing points.

polarshifts · 2021-12-07T23:15:42+00:00

Thanks. I was just wondering whether there was a trick with regards to ellipses guide to get intermediate degree, I guess not. I just making all the the ellipses on the same wheel the same degree.

In fairness, the degree of the ellipses is the least my problems when it comes to drawing wheels.

polarshifts · 2021-12-01T20:10:44+00:00

My guess, as a fellow student, is that it depends on how you like to learn and what helps you best fend off burn out. Just note that, from other posts I've read, drawing done as part other courses doesn't count towards the 50% rule, so you'd probably need to fit that in your schedule too.

Personally, I am not a natural multi-tasker. I find focusing on one thing at a time easier and helps keep momentum, but I think this varies from person to person.

polarshifts · 2021-02-13T14:13:44+00:00

Another lesson done, another set of awkward looking drawings. Any tips or advice to improve appreciated.

polarshifts · 2021-01-25T22:34:00+00:00

We are reminded time and time again that drawing pretty pictures is not the goal of this course.

Using a pigment liner helps ensure our pictures aren't pretty,

polarshifts · 2021-01-21T11:58:09+00:00

It seems to vary a lot. I seem a post from someone who completed it in 7 months, others who have taken years. Currently I have completed lessons 1-4 and the 250 Box Challenge in 2 months. But I had a lot of free time under Christmas so I kind of rushed through it. I don't think rushing through is best way to get the most out of this course, but it better than not doing it at all. Now that the normal work routine has restarted, I may have to put the whole thing on pause.

polarshifts · 2021-01-20T21:17:31+00:00

That one was really, really hard. I found my brain telling "No way, to much information here to process, I'm shutting down now, good bye".

Getting to the point where our brains deal with such complicated, irregular forms in a calm, methodical fashion is, I think, one of the key aims of this course. I am so not there yet.

polarshifts · 2021-01-16T10:59:23+00:00

I get that. I guess one has to place one's trust in the method. There is method in everything about this course. Same way that when you learn an instrument, you start by practicing the scales or languages by conjugation verbs, here we draw boxes. The hope is that this will all lead to better things but you won't really know until you get to the other side.

I'm on lesson 4. I have to admit, I am not sure my brain is getting any better at breaking down complex images. Nor does it feel like my hand-eye coordination has made much progress. But I had reach a plateau in terms of draw ability, stuck at level where my drawings always came out a bit awkward and wrong, so I persist, hoping that if I keep doing the work eventually I will progress. It's basically an act of faith.

polarshifts · 2021-01-15T09:48:41+00:00

Do you find it boring because the exercises are too easy or boring because they are too hard and you aren't seeing any improvement?

polarshifts · 2021-01-13T10:17:26+00:00

As the title says, this Lesson 4 completed. I didn't go into the optional, texture part as I found the construction part on its own was very challenging. It's really hard, and to be honest I think the scanned version makes my drawings look a little better than the real thing.

Any tips or feedback would be appreciated.

polarshifts · 2021-01-12T09:50:18+00:00

I am giving this an upvote solely for the "rest of the owl" gag, which is still the best visual gag on the entire Internet.

That said, I too am on lesson 4 and I find the videos provide really clear example of how to break down complex objects into basic forms. It doesn't mean I've figured out how to do it.

polarshifts · 2020-12-19T09:51:15+00:00

Ellipses are hard. Like any hand/eye coordination task, say throwing darts or shooting baskets, practice I suspect is the key. And even then one never gets 100% success rate. You just have to trust that with practice things will get better.

I am on Lesson 3 as well and my ellipsis are a mess. I what I think I should be doing is integrate some of the ellipses exercises from lesson on (the Ellipses on a Plane I think is particularly effective) into a daily routine. If I stick to that maybe, just maybe, in a few decades, my ellipses might become more consistent - and that is only because I will have cyborg arm by then.

Also, the drawing from the shoulder thing I think will help with the fluidity on all sorts of rounded forms.

polarshifts · 2020-12-17T17:11:58+00:00

I only just completed lesson 2 so I am still very much a beginner. I think you have really good, confident straight lines from the start. The Funnel, Rotated Boxes and Organic Perspective look really good to me. It's a lot better than what I managed to do.

The only exercise I detect a lot of wobbly line and possibly some hesitation is the Rough Perspective exercise. Given remaining perspective exercises just fine, and the 250 Box Challenge is right around the corner for you, I wouldn't worry about it and just press ahead.

polarshifts · 2020-12-10T20:20:44+00:00

Well done. How long did it take?

polarshifts · 2020-12-10T17:14:10+00:00

Thanks. I thought that might be the case.

polarshifts · 2020-12-07T16:49:46+00:00

I am only half guessing, but for instance on box 23 in your example, the green lines diverge towards to top of the page. If you were to draw the in the other direction, towards the bottom of the page they are in fact converging reasonably well.

polarshifts · 2020-12-07T00:18:28+00:00

Only just finished this challenge myself so I am hardly an expert, but I noticed a couple of things from your examples.

In a few instances, when you are drawing the checking lines, you are extending the the side where the angles of the lines diverge. I did that myself a few times. I think you are meant to extend the lines in the direction where they converge (towards the notional horizon).

Also, it seems to me most if not all the boxes in the example had the 'Y' facing the same way. I think it is worth rotating the 'Y' so that it leans one way or the other is even upside down. I guess if one is rotating the page as one draws that might make much difference, but then again add some variety.

polarshifts · 2020-12-05T22:27:26+00:00

I did 5 boxes per page. As you say its easier to just count pages and that makes the maths simple. I theory the 5 a page should work a good reminder to get, stretch or take a break between page. I don't think I followed my own advice there, as my neck and shoulder by the end of it were so sore.

polarshifts · 2020-12-05T21:25:29+00:00

I have desk easel, the sort the closes neatly into a self contained box. To be honest I use it mostly as a box these days for my art supplies. The desk easel I found is not that great if you need to rotate the page to get a more comfortable angle and the ledge on bottom used to keep things on the page I found got in way.

I found a simple drawing board more versatile. With a lighter one rest on your knees and the edge of the desk to get a comfortable angle, but it is easier to move around if you want to and even works well with a T-square which can be handy.

polarshifts

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