Hey Guys,
More doodles for you

I spent quite a while going back over some of the other lessons proko has gone over in his course most notably the boxes again just so I could get a refresher. I didn't get them how I wanted this time around and when trying to draw the reverse sides of them it just showed me how flawed they were as cubes. I mean they didn't look right when I drew them anyway but trying to add the other sides in just confirmed that most of them are not very good (IMG 4). It takes me a few shots to get a cube I like so I think restricting myself to 10 minutes had an effect here. Other then that I experimented with a single pose after my set menu beans to mixed results.

(IMG 1 - 45 Sec - 31/01/2020) Various Beans from Female Pose Series Tests 48 - "Interesting angles, better form too!"

(IMG 2 - 45 Sec - 31/01/2020) Various Beans from Female Pose Series Tests 49 - "Keep the proportions in mind, careful!"

(IMG 3 - 10 Min - 30/01/2020) Female Sketch from Boxes "The chest/pelvis is good, draw more - quicker"

(IMG 4 - Unknown - 31/01/2020) Various Boxes at various Positions/angles 6 - "Be careful perspective is off a little on these"

I think these boxes will have to be more of a recurring thing and I should try not to fill the page I just genuinely have no idea how I should draw them when they are straight out of my imagination. Maybe I should try drawing boxes that I see online like I do with gestures now or even better just keep up the box people. I just dont want to lose sight of the basic lesson with these boxes (that being perspective). I'll defiantly revisit this but I dont want to get too lost in these lessons. I have already gone way off the reservation with this course getting lost in the lessons and rethreading them to make sure they are ingrained. I just like feeling confident that I know it, who doesn't right?

Over & Out,
xXStItChXx

Hey Guys,

A few more sketches to add to the pile I have no idea how many ive done but there has to be a lot on this blog. I find myself analysing the angle of the forms more lately which is resulting in less output in a timely manner. Where I'm trying for example to angle the hips a particular way with a bean I kind of get lost in the focus and dont realise my 45 seconds are already up. I feel thats whats happening here with my more recent gestures I'm thinking about the structure instead of just going gung-ho letting the flow take me. I think the key here is not to get lost when there is only 45 seconds just put your hand to the canvas and draw as quickly as possible.

(IMG 1 - 45 Sec - 30/01/2019) Arm behind head/bending female pose series revisited x 10 - “Keep a close eye on the form”

(IMG 2 - 10 Min - 30/01/2020) Female Sketch from Boxes "Not bad but try to work faster"

(IMG 3 - 5 Min - 30/01/2020) Female Sketch from Bean "The form is better keep it up"

(IMG 4 - Unknown - 30/01/2020) Female Sketch from Bean "Not bad but try to keep up the timings - less pressure!"

(IMG 5 - Unknown - 30/01/2020) Female Sketch from Bean "Again a good sketch but no dark lines!"

I also dont know if you noticed by now but I am following one model pack for the majority of my sketches mainly because the character I want to design is going to be a bit curvy and this model fits that quite nicely. Ultimately I also dont feel it makes much of a difference the female form is the female form after all. If I even wanted to go one step further I could say all I have to do to draw men using this understanding is to broaden the shoulders and torso and shrink the pelvis a little and presto I have a male character. I'm just saying anatomy is anatomy here and everyone is different but its a tweak on a basic universal formula . I will do other models in time.

Over & Out,
xXStItChXx

Hey Guys,
Back for more eh?

Well today was a bit of a slip as I have been known to make especially when I start making some headway. I jumped straight into 2 series of 45 second gestures which well I was a little unprepared for but I think they turned out okay for the most part. The gestures were a little hinky especially coming down from 2 minute gesture sketches to 45 seconds. At that point you really have no time for anything other then a gesture line and some simple rhythms for the arms, legs and hips. I usually try to add the hair in just because I feel it frames it better but that costs me valuable time. Sometimes it costs me a part of the pose... more food for thought.

(IMG 1 - 45 Sec - 29/01/2020) Various Beans from Female Pose Series Tests 47 - "A and C are my favs - keep practicing!"

(IMG 2 - 45 Sec - 29/01/2020) Arm behind head female pose series revisited x10 - "The form is what matters drop the hair if you have to”

(IMG 3 - 5 Min - 29/01/2020) Female Sketch from Box "Needs more work, analyse the angle better"

(IMG 4 - 5 Min - 29/01/2020) Female Sketch from Box "Better form shame she's missing legs"

One of the other big things I've noticed recently is the rib cage its actually a shelf that leans backwards and I always draw it as an oblong. The pelvis actually slopes into it. I never put much weight into people calling it a barrel shape and even now I dont think thats the correct analogy not in terms of 3D anyway. From a front on angle yes but from the side how it angles back its much thinner and has almost a shelf that the breasts hang from. I'm sure there are deeper things going on here but right now from studying this shape for hours I still am not sure what I would call it. It tapers at the top but general posture angles it more. Maybe I'm thinking too much here.

See you guys!

Over & Out,
xXStItChXx

Hey Guys,
Big Post Alert!

I got a bit carried away today I wanted to do a few warming exercises to get my head in the game this kept me making lots of little 2 minute sketches just to loosen myself up for the more complicated tasks of the day. Namely playing more with the Box form  after drawing that dreaded initial bean and correcting where necessary. In most cases however I found it much simpler and quicker just to draw a quick gesture in 2 minutes these had better flow then my more meticulous sketches. Its the same with anything I draw really the longer I take the more precious I get with it. That being said when I draw quickly often anatomy isn't entirely accurate so still some hurdles to go.

(IMG 1 - 5 Min - 28/01/2020) Female Sketch from Gesture "Not bad, the upper arms need work"

(IMG 2 - 2 Min - 28/01/2020) Twisting and Tilting female pose series x10 - “Getting better at these - not bad?”

(IMG 3 - 2 Min - 28/01/2020) Female Sketch from Gesture "Good form here/good time too"

(IMG 4 - 5 Min - 28/01/2020) Female Sketch from Bean "Tricky pose, could use more foreshortening"

(IMG 5 - 2 Min - 28/01/2020) Female Sketch from Gesture "The feet need work, other then that its not bad"

(IMG 6 - Unknown - 28/01/2020) Female Sketch from Box "This is much better, now just do it quicker"

(IMG 7 - Unknown - 28/01/2020) Female Sketch from Box & Bean "Miles better very stylistic - again time"

(IMG 8 - Unknown - 28/01/2020) Female Sketch from Box & Bean "The upper body is great the lower not so much"

The big take away from this series of sketches is the legs I have been drawing. Basically I make them too large not considering the length, I'm actually glad I finally noticed something I can fix with the legs... they have always bugged me. After watching a few of Proko's sketches and of course getting the occasional update from the Proko gesture group I can kind of see where I'm going wrong. An angular approach is what I'm starting to find works much better and to taper to the heel much sooner. The heel needs to be an extension to the base of the leg as do the toes and the arch under the foot. I have a few other things I'm going to check out tomorrow so stay tuned.

Over & Out,
xXStItChXx

Hey Guys,
Getting back on form (haha get it?)

I decided to go back to my roots a little here and go back into quick gestures at least to start the day so I dont have time to add pressure just throwing lines on the page as quickly as possible (IMG 1). "Are they perfect?" No. "is the form accurate?" No. But in this context the form doesn't have to always be the question is mostly "did you capture the pose?" In this case thats a "Yes" and also the flow is there. The lines are not even overly messy they just aren't totally accurate and its 45 seconds there really isn't a lot you can do in 45 seconds because you have to digest the pose and then throw the lines that explain it in the quickest time possible... Not easy, but freeing.

(IMG 1 - 45 Sec - 27/01/2020) Bent over female pose series revisited x 10 - “Much looser - I is my fav”

(IMG 2 - 5 Min - 27/01/2020) Rough Block Body from Boxes - "Keep an eye on the angle of the chest"

(IMG 3 - 45 Sec - 27/01/2020) Various Beans from Female Pose Series Tests 46 - "Not as soft as the gestures but E has promise"

(IMG 4 - 45 Sec - 27/01/2020) Arm behind head female pose series revisited x10 - “Good flow, keep it up D is my fav”

(IMG 5 - 5 Min - 27/01/2020) The dreaded pose front on but done in 5 minutes "Finally, keep an eye on thigh length anatomically"

Well, I finally got there in the end with the pose (IMG 5) I had to draw it at another angle just so I could see what I thought it was. Having seen it like this I think I'm correct. The angle of the anatomy pose kept throwing me making it look as though she was leaning back and tilting to the right, I know thats possible but I couldnt figure out why she would be doing that resting all of her weight on one leg. Sounds uncomfortable to me. I think there is a slight twist also not much but its there, it has to be. The only other way is if she stood in a purposely uncomfortable pose but that generally goes against the rule especially if a model has to stand in it during a life drawing session.

Anyway, Ill keep you apprised :)

Over & Out,
xXStItChXx

Hey Guys,
Here we are again!

I decided to step away from the dreaded pose to get back to my fluid lines and mainly to start reining in my bad habits before having another shot at the pose. My single sketch on this day started from a bean that I turned into a box without any pose for guidance. I just made it up entirely to see if I could make the pose work. initially I was quite happy with the results but I still am ironing out a few kinks particularly my penchant for hard lines (IMG 1). In an attempt to make the body more flowing I added the head tilted away but neglected the right side of her torso which I now feel would twist a little in that direction. More to follow below...

(IMG 1 - 30 Min - 24/01/2020) Female Sketch from Bean & Boxes "Not bad maybe bring the waist in a little & angle it more"

While I recently have had issues with a few poses (the last one in particular) its actually quite refreshing to know that I am becoming comfortable with the process. Enough to conjure up a pose from my imagination which if I tried back before the Proko course I couldnt have possibly done without hours of editing and drawing over line after line, fixing issues as I go. Now within the space of 30 minutes I managed to knock together a pose (albeit a flawed one) from my mind and have it look at least half decent. I think I'm gradually finding my confidence again and my lines are loosening as a result. I think we have many great sketches to come :) watch this space guys!

Over & Out,
xXStItChXx

Hey Guys,

Another day and sadly another failed attempt at this pose. The good news is I have managed to loosen up a bit but my timing is all over the place. I told myself I'd give myself another quick stab at the pose but pretty much got lost in it for the duration of my remaining lunch hour. I'm actually improving a little with the arms and the angle of the pose is more in-keeping. I think this may actually end up helping me understand the form even more that I am breaking it down like this. I think proko would exaggerate the tilt on her torso more I think she's leaning to the left more then leaning back. I'll have to try to remember this for tomorrow. In the meantime take a look!

(IMG 1 - 30 Min - 23/01/2020) Female Sketch from Bean/Boxes & Curves/Straights "Looser and more solid try to do it quicker"

I know I curse some of these poses especially when they have me going over the same issues repeatedly but Its good and as Proko says anytime we have time to draw it should be fun. I get a little annoyed at myself but I love to draw and it feels great every time I draw something I like I just wish I could have that high with every sketch, maybe one day I will. In the meantime I will focus on the positives of this sketch namely that the form especially the pelvis and torso wrap around and I gave them depth by doing that. I think I also need to keep the breasts closer together I believe I'm shrouding the depth of her back. Ill try to keep that in mind. Wish me luck!

Over & Out,
xXStItChXx

Hey Guys,
Good news and bad news!

First the good news is I finally got my flow back in terms of sketches (after losing them in the last few posts). The bad news is I'm still trying and failing to decipher the pose. I may just bit the bullet at some point and ask the Proko gesture group on Facebook what they think I should do. Before I do that though I want a couple of stabs at it. In the end I adjusted the pose slightly just so it would make sense to me by giving it a slight twist to explain the viewers ability to see her left side (IMG 3). I'm sure its much simpler then that but damn I dont think I'm looking at the pose more then I am at the angle in which she is leaning. Its really weird.

(IMG 1 - Unknown - 22/01/2020) Female Sketch from Bean/Boxes & Curves/Straights "Keep a close eye on the anatomy"

(IMG 2 - Unknown - 22/01/2020) Female Sketch from Bean/Boxes & Curves/Straights "Good form remember the angle though"

(IMG 3 - Unknown - 22/01/2020) Female Sketch from Bean/Boxes & Curves/Straights "A good sketch but I'm not sure its the pose"

I was happy after I knocked up the third image in this series (IMG 3) because it actually looked like the model and human which I feel my sketches sometimes miss. I think the key here is to examine what the model is doing more. She is kicking here right knee inwards so all her weight is on her left leg which technically means she should be leaning her upper body left onto the leg that is bearing the weight of her body. I dont think I thought of it like this at the time. Perhaps I'll have another try tomorrow while considering this theory. I dont think its a twist but a tilt a very slight tilt that is probably quite indistinguishable. Watch this space guys I'll let you know if I crack it.

Over & Out,
xXStItChXx

Hey Guys,

Gonna get straight to it. I got lost in a certain pose, the angle kept throwing me so I fell back to my old habits (once again). The beans actually came out okay, I think I feel zen when I draw them or something (IMG 1). As I went for lunch I started trying to block out the form of a specific pose but the angle she was leaning I felt contrasted the angle of the viewer. This kept confusing me. The more I got lost in the idea the darker my lines got which once again lost the flow and the momentum so the poses kept ending up rigid (See IMG 2-3 below). I think the key here is to dust myself off and try to ease myself up. I can take solace in my beans for the day. I guess there's always tomorrow.

(IMG 1 - 45 Sec - 21/01/2020) Various Beans from Female Pose Series Tests 45 - "Good pressure nice flow, Love D"

(IMG 2 - 15 Min - 21/01/2020) Female Sketch from Bean "Messy, rigid, no, nononono"

(IMG 3 - Unknown - 21/01/2020) Female Sketch from Bean "The form is better but it doesn't flow and its stiff"

I'm glad I got the time to work on a few sketches today but suffice to say I'm not feeling great about these. It seems my old habits resurface when I start making mistakes (the same in my driving tests). I just fall into the same traps over and over especially if I find myself stuck deciphering a pose. It may do me some good to start incorporating gesture back into my sketches on a more regular basis. I may have to start combining these methods more and more because the output there was serviceable. Going back to trying to draw the form from a Bean, even incorporating boxes just didn't work, I need to draw the whole pose before I commit. I think thats the lesson here.

Over & Out,
xXStItChXx

Hey Guys!
Warning Lots of Sketches ahead!

For this series of sketches I focused on trying to adapt the bean into the poses taking a step back a bit from the boxes to see if my knowledge on the area required the boxes to get something tangible together. My beans are getting better I can actually tell the difference between some of them which is a good sign because sometimes I cant and that tells me its a bad bean. I also spent a bit of time trying to adapt those into gestures from my Proko pose sets which is no easy feat. Proko draws the poses from other angles during his videos I try to copy the pose and angle in which it is being viewed from with somewhat mixed results. I may need to scale back my thinking here.

(IMG 1 - 45 Sec - 20/01/2020) Various Beans from Female Pose Series Tests 44 - "Miles better - try not to press so hard"

(IMG 2 - 45 Sec - 20/01/2020) Various Beans from Female Pose Series Tests 45 - "Softer and more expressive J is the best"

(IMG 3 - 1 Min - 20/01/2020) Solo Bean - "Not bad but work on the gesture line"

(IMG 4 - Unknown - 20/01/2020) Female Sketch from Bean "Not bad try to keep the lines soft"

(IMG 5 - 10 Min - 20/01/2020) Female Sketch from Bean "Good flow and weight - try to do it quicker"

(IMG 5 - 5 Min - 20/01/2020) Female Sketch from Bean "Good work - keep working on the speed"

(IMG 5 - Unknown - 20/01/2020) Female Sketch from Bean "Keep an eye on that gesture line - its a bit off"

I have talked in the past about how the bean shouldn't overlap too much unless you are looking above and below the model because the two main shapes of the body (torso/pelvis) are actually further apart then you think. I have to keep reminding myself of this because I tend to fall back into bad habits easy. This is me AGAIN talking to myself - "DONT OVERLAP THE FORMS TOO MUCH". I can only hope that gets through and appears on the sketches of tomorrow. It was good to get quite a bit of sketching done but I think I got a little lost somewhere and started reverting bad to old habits... Pressing too hard, making things rigid but there were a few gems.

Till the next post!

Over & Out,
xXStItChXx