NMA Homework: Week 2

I decided to enroll in the New Masters Academy once again. I dunno, I took advantage of a slightly lower subscription price, and I like the idea of being part of a spring cohort. I've tried completing courses in the past, but I wasn't consistent. So, because I'm motivated as part of being part of a "class," I will be sticking with it and trying to complete as much as I can before my subscription ends next year (if I can, I'll try to continue, but we'll see about my budget then).

Right now, I'm working through the first and core module, Drawing Foundations I, which is needed for pretty much all later courses in whatever track you choose. I'm looking at following the Illustration track, with some of the Comics track, which really only differ in a couple later module course options. The first week's homework is an introduction, so I won't share the pics I submitted for feedback. What I will share is one Week Two's homework: measured drawings. Despite how long I've been drawing, I've never gotten the hang of measuring while drawing. That's an important skill for my art to be proportional. And this was the assignment that I never really got past the last time I attempted the course. It's the littlest obstacles...

Below are the drawings I submitted for review. I haven't gotten feedback yet, but I hope they're good enough for me to pass and officially work on Week Three. The first three attempts are rough, full of errors. But I think I started to improve in the later half. Making good measured drawings takes time. I know I spent 70+ minutes on Drawing 5!

I'm including the full pages because I wanted to record how off my measurements and placement are. Drawings 1 and 3 either went off the page or butted just against the edge. I think the weakest attempt was the second; it is like the source object in that it's relatively egg-shaped.

Measured drawings 1 & 2

Measured drawing 4

Measured drawings 5 & 6

Measured drawing 3

I look forward to progressing to the next lesson and sharing how I'm doing.

March 24 Cyclamen

Today's drawings were a bit of an experiment. I've only drawn on toned or colored paper maybe a couple times in the past, and that was a while back. Toned paper is very useful because you aren't tricked by the white of the paper when it comes to values, and you can actually use the paper's value as the midtone.

Of the two, I think the first was better in the execution. Part of it is the paper itself. The green paper was a bit too soft for the harder pencil I used (a B), and may have been to dark to start with. Live and learn. They were both done with graphite, and the first was done with a white charcoal pencil.