[Jan]

Hi Carolina! Beautiful work! Your eye studies look like the originals. Mine are not there yet but I’m working on it! Joshua’s Master Monday demonstration and lecture yesterday were enlightening as always. I tried following along with him which I found helpful, but I’m still fighting to break old habits. I learned to draw by scribbling to “find the form” and then smudging to make the drawing look 3D. I had to laugh that you are trying to be more sketchy and loosen up, and I’m trying to become more accurate with my line work! I do love this focus on traditional drawing and really hope he will put a course together.

Also, I appreciate your kind comment about my monthly challenge drawing. I responded on the final submission channel, but the channel is no longer there so I don’t know if you saw it. Papillons are known as butterfly dogs because of their distinctive ears, and their unique features almost make them look like a caricature. I really wanted to emphasize his unusual coat in the drawing, so I tried to “construct” with his fur and use it as a design element like the hair in the Julien Master Monday studies. I’m not sure how successful my attempt was, I found I was able to work through a lot of my grief doing the studies and I’m happy with the final result because it does look like him. I had been wanting to do Glen’s Animal Drawing series but wasn’t sure I was ready emotionally. I watched a couple of them as part of the challenge and now look forward to doing the rest. If only there was more time in life!

 

• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by Jan.

[Jan]

Yes, there is an astonishing amount of talent among the participants! I’m amazed, too, at how much I learn from Joshua’s lectures every week. The 3D analogy makes more sense to me as well even though I struggle to always apply the concepts, and I’m still reverting too often to copying lines instead of constructing with line in the master studies. Are you finding Chris Legaspi’s rendering class beneficial? I liked his teaching style in the portrait drawing course. The rendering class might be a good one for me to do…

[Jan]

You did a fabulous job as always! It seems like you made it more your own, too. It turned out beautifully. I would frame it! I’m finding it a challenge to balance constructing the drawing while trying to mimic such refined hatching. I start out with the best intentions, but I want to scribble and smudge, so I tighten up. I’m not even sure that I should be trying to “copy” in these exercises. I loved one of the posts about how you think your drawing is such a piece of perfection until you see the other drawings and realize everything that’s wrong with your own LOL. I’m still laughing, too, at your comment about how we all get roasted by Joshua! That was perfect!

[Jan]

Beautiful work! I also love the way you handled the lighting and tonal relationships. You already have a great deal of ability. NMA is an amazing resource so I’m sure you will go far!

[Jan]

[Jan]

[Jan]

These are the remaining facial feature assignments

[Jan]

That’s incredible, Carolina! I’m in awe of your hatching!

[Jan]

Beautiful work. Your hatching practice is definitely paying off! I noticed your comment that the lines seem to come out straighter if you just move the pencil and keep your hand still. I’m going to try that technique. My hatching feels so awkward!

[Jan]

Hi Carolina! You seem to be conquering hatching! Your Master Monday Discord post looks perfectly executed. I’m impressed that you were able to really show the volume with such few lines. Parallel hatching feels very awkward and mechanical to me and is a skill I need to practice. Joshua’s lecture will definitely be interesting this week! This study looks terrific too. I like how you’re integrating the shading and line work.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Jan.

[Jan]

Hi Curtis! I just saw your drawing on Discord when I posted mine. I think your drawing looks great! I especially like the way you handled the cloth, and the foot feels very three-dimensional. I haven’t done much cross hatching either, and I found it extremely challenging to follow his careful marks since I’m more of a scribbler. I’m impressed that you completed it, too. I’m still working on mine since I didn’t get very far in three hours. Anyway, you’re being too hard on yourself! I think you’re making a lot of progress in your 100 Day Challenge!

[Jan]

Hi Alex! Congratulations on reaching day 99 and completing an incredible body of work! I’ve followed your challenge from the beginning. I remember you mentioning that you wanted to learn things that were so hard that nobody else wanted to do them. I also remember you questioning your talent early on. I hope you can feel more confident now looking back at what you’ve accomplished. You’ve already separated yourself from the competition with both your tremendous ability and dedication. I also want to say again what a difference your comments and recommendations have made in my own development. It’s no exaggeration that some of your insights were truly game changers for me. Thank you for sharing your work and your knowledge, and best of luck going forward in your artistic career!

[Jan]

Thank you, Carolina, for your very kind comments. One of my favorite aspects of NMA has been the other participants. Their feedback and suggestions have been invaluable, and I appreciate you taking the time to look at my work. That drawing of Mather is my favorite, too. I was so excited when that particular photo was added to the images, and I had to draw it immediately. I love detail, pattern, and hair LOL. I totally agree with you that it’s difficult to draw something simpler and also to know when something is finished. Pushing values is hard for me as well, and I really do not like hatching. I much prefer scribbling and blending! I just now saw the book posted on Discord for the next Master Study. The hatching is breathtaking. I hope I have the patience! (Also, I apologize for accidentally calling you Caroline in my last post!)

The vase is looking great!

[Jan]

Hi Caroline! I agree that being able to study art online is life changing. NMA is an amazing resource that I’m so happy to have found. As far as Iliya’s courses, I did the first half of the lessons in the Russian Academic Drawing Approach course (up through the portrait) and then some of the Drapery series. I’ve been working on and off the last couple of weeks on the Cast Drawing course and am almost finished with the nose study. I haven’t committed to the 100 Day Challenge, but I’ve posted quite a few of my drawings over the past year. If you want to see any of them, you can click on my name and then go to Topics Started. Some of the threads have multiple drawings posted.

I do plan to continue with Master Mondays. I’ve learned so much already. I want to hopefully work more on this week’s head study since that one really got away from me. I was so focused on accuracy that I lost sight of the process. Getting the proportions correct took so much time that I ended up rushing to complete the drawing. I immediately jumped to the details and went back to my old habit of outlining and filling in instead of constructing the drawing. I really prefer more tonal approach, but I need to work on not smudging but really following the forms and controlling my values. I can do it when I follow Iliya but it’s definitely more of a challenge on my own. Good luck on your study this week!

[Jan]

Hi Carolina! I’m impressed by the work you’ve been doing (and by your notetaking!), and I really like the challenge you’ve set for yourself. It looks like we have similar goals, and I look forward to following your thread. I’m also focusing right now on the Russian Academic courses – along with Steve Huston’s Constructive Head Drawing series – with the goal of developing the drawing fundamentals I was never taught in college art classes. Like you, I also want to master hatching. I’m naturally a smudger, too, so I understand being out of your comfort zone. I love your comment about wanting to wow yourself. I’m sure you will!

Also, great job on today’s Master Monday challenge! I love the delicacy and subtleness of your interpretation. It was a challenging study especially considering the time restraint!

• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Jan.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Jan.

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