[Jan]

Thank you so much for your critique and for the kind comment. I have been apprehensive about posting my drawings, but I am excited to have finally taken the plunge and I am especially thrilled to be receiving feedback. I completely agree with your suggestions and will keep pushing myself to focus more on volume and structure. Since joining NMA I have been following the Head Drawing for Beginners series. So far I have completed Level 1 (Portrait Drawing with Chris Legaspi) and Level 2 (Head Drawing with Charles Hu). I am currently working on Level 3 (Reilly Method Head Drawing) and I just finished the first unit on Anatomy. I have also watched numerous video critiques. My plan was to continue with the Reilly Method and then move on to Level 4 with Steve Huston (and eventually take the Advanced Head Drawing course). I would be honored to have you make any recommendations regarding the direction I should take. The lessons have all been excellent and I could not be happier with my decision to join NMA. You have created an absolutely incredible resource for artists and aspiring artists!

[Jan]

Your piece is beautiful and reminds me of drawings by Edward Degas. The video critique was very informative and I agree with the suggestions that a more defined structure would make your already outstanding drawing even stronger. I look forward to seeing more of your work!

[Jan]

And one more…

[Jan]

[Jan]

I greatly appreciate your very detailed critique. This is exactly the type of feedback I was hoping to receive. I have been struggling with combining structure and overall design with realism. I start with a preliminary thumbnail value study that I try to work from. As soon as I begin to see a likeness, however, I find myself tighten up. I start focusing more on the details, and I seem to lose some of the structural elements. I thought I would post a few more of my recent portrait studies. I don’t expect a comment, but it helps me to view them in a different format. I now see the same issues that you described in all of them. I’m excited to build on your suggestions as I continue the courses. Thank you again for taking the time to offer such excellent guidance.

[Jan]

I personally like the combination of tight rendering with the looser style. I think it brings personality to your work. I also really like the graphite and carbon pencil used together in the turtle drawing. The tight rendering and detail on the head and foot is beautiful, and you seem to have really directed the eye in this drawing by not finishing every detail (which is something I learned from Chris Legaspi’s videos). You are very accomplished and I’ll be interested to see comments from New Masters Academy instructors regarding what you could do to improve!

[Jan]

Your drawings are beautiful. The detail is exceptional and you seem to have really captured the personality of your subjects. I watched Chris Legaspi’s video critique session of your work because I was having difficulty imagining what his suggestions for improvement would be. His recommendation to “knock down” areas to direct the eye instead of rendering everything to a really high level did add an extra level of refinement to your already superb drawings.

[Author]

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