So, who is up for a challenge?

Day 14!

hello everyone =)
Ryan, hope you're feeling well now. It's great that you can find time and willpower to draw even though you're tired and drawing may be the last thing on your wishlist at that moment. Thank you for replying! I keep drawing and your super inspirational post is one of the things that keep me going, so thanks again =)

AnnaArtista, Nordstroem, Aram, Phantoon, nice to meet you!

Hello marymary, welcome! I love your sequence of drawings-- it reminds me of some of my friends from school who were in animation; they were always so great at drawing a series of actions.

Dear Fellow Artists,
I haven't done any figure drawing since high school and decided to get some practice in. I'm going to take the 30 day challenge! I'm not sure if I've added the image correctly so I may have to work on that also. I'm glad to have a place to share. Here is the first drawing,
I hope.
~Jamie

I found this tutorial very helpful. I was having a hard time remembering where to start!

Hello Artists,
I am on day three of the challenge and a challenge it has been! I think the hardest part for me is trying to stay patient. I’m not focusing on quick drawings right now because I’m having a hard time staying in perspective. I’m working on long forms so that I better understand anatomy before trying out the more difficult short form. I’ve been using the method where you start with the line of action and then simple lines for limps and an oval for the head. Next, I use cylinder shapes to create the larger parts of the limbs. After I use a softer pencil to create defined and purposeful lines to define muscles and where they connect. Lastly, I start layering shading starting with hard pencils and ending with the softest.
I noticed that my lines tend to be very sketchy and that my work usually looks muddy because of it. I’m trying to get brave and use those really dark pencils to create depth. I wanted to focus mostly on form but I can’t help but shade everything to get that satisfaction of a more finished product. That has been my ultimate challenge with any piece of art that I create, the need to have a finished product that I am satisfied with. The problem is, it’s hard to be satisfied! I started this challenge to get away from the product and get into the process! I never post and rarely share my art and it’s because I’m not confident in my abilities. I think this practice will really help me to better my technique and break through the barrier of my own expectations.
Please feel free to give tips and advice! Thank you!
~Jamie

Hello Artists,
I am on day three of the challenge and a challenge it has been! I think the hardest part for me is trying to stay patient. I’m not focusing on quick drawings right now because I’m having a hard time staying in perspective. I’m working on long forms so that I better understand anatomy before trying out the more difficult short form. I’ve been using the method where you start with the line of action and then simple lines for limps and an oval for the head. Next, I use cylinder shapes to create the larger parts of the limbs. After I use a softer pencil to create defined and purposeful lines to define muscles and where they connect. Lastly, I start layering shading starting with hard pencils and ending with the softest.
I noticed that my lines tend to be very sketchy and that my work usually looks muddy because of it. I’m trying to get brave and use those really dark pencils to create depth. I wanted to focus mostly on form but I can’t help but shade everything to get that satisfaction of a more finished product. That has been my ultimate challenge with any piece of art that I create, the need to have a finished product that I am satisfied with. The problem is, it’s hard to be satisfied! I started this challenge to get away from the product and get into the process! I never post and rarely share my art and it’s because I’m not confident in my abilities. I think this practice will really help me to better my technique and break through the barrier of my own expectations.
Please feel free to give tips and advice! Thank you!
~Jamie

Hello Fellow Artists!
This is my day four drawing. I feel like I’m falling in love with drawing again! I’ve been so busy playing with other mediums that I forgot about the basics. This practice is helping me so much! My eye is being retrained. I’m taking a new job next month in a bigger city that has a great art community. I found some figure drawing classes with models that change poses and an instructor to give tips so I might sign up!
As for this drawing, here are my thoughts> The perspective is still off, especially her right arm. That being said, I think the perspective is getting better with each drawing. The hands aren’t right and I definitely need to challenge myself to just draw hands over and over again until I get better. The face was really tricky because it was upside down and although is looks nothing like the face of the model, somehow it looks better than when I draw faces right side up! I think this is because I was forced to focus on the shapes of the shadows rather than the form of her features. I try to take this approach all the time but it’s almost as if my brain is pre-wired to draw the outlines of features in the TOTALLY wrong way. They end up looking like cartoons (badly drawn cartoon eyes/lips/etc). Drawing the face upside down was a great experience and helped me to forget what I already know and to draw what is really there, not what my mind is telling me is there (if that makes any sense at all!). I also noticed that her faced ended up looking like a child. This would have been much cooler if it wasn’t on a naked lady body! It makes it look kinda creepy. I have attempted to draw kids before and they usually end up looking like tiny old people! I was surprised to see that I accidently got those smooth baby features and am thinking it also had to do with focusing on the shapes of the shadows.
I love this challenge and am so happy to drawing again. I know that when I start working again that it’ll be harder for me take the time to draw every day but I am going to do my best to continue. The drawings I’ve been posting have taken a long time! I worked on todays and yesterdays for at least two hours each. It’s been a blessing to have so much time to dedicate to what I love. Art. Thanks again for giving me a place to post.
~Jamie

Dear Artists,
This is yesterdays drawing, day 4. I’m going to paint this one so it’s drawn on watercolor paper and has mostly outlines for shadows. I used a photo that I found online. I don’t plan on selling this art and the painting will look dramatically different from the original photo. Does anyone know if this is a copy write issue? Should I try to contact the photographer?
About the drawing> I looked at this for waaaaay too long yesterday! The ear is still wrong and I have to fix it before I can start painting on this. The fabric she’s wearing is very bright and has detailed patterns. My plan is to focus on the bright blocks of color in the fabric and skin rather than focusing on values and shading. I’m imagining it looking very 2d but using blocks of shadows to give it a 3d feel if that makes any sense. Wish me luck. I’m going to work on another figure this afternoon.
~Jamie

This gave me some inspiration, it's too bad the post is no longer active!

Yesterday was the first day I ever put a pencil to paper, I think I'm getting the hang of it.

Did one yesterday and today, side by side.
https://imgur.com/a/18e9R
not pictured; yesterday's photo.