Drawabox Lesson 3, Drawing Plants: The Branches Exercise

An explanation of how to approach the branches exercise from Drawabox Lesson 3 (drawabox.com/lesson/3)
Drawabox is a series of free structured drawing lessons that explore the basic mechanics of drawing, along with the fundamental skills of capturing the illusion of solid form and constructing complex objects from their simplest components.
You can find more free lessons at drawabox.com
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[@proru7603]

these tiny ellipses are about to make me cry. But I'm happy that I'm finally in lesson 3 after 3 months.

[@inkedseahear]

ONLY 3 months? Wow.

[@PennTheWarlock]

Thanks for the video! also I only cried a little bit so I'm proud of myself.

[@Uncomfortable]

We're all proud of you.

[@telt3292]

Austin Greene I'm heading towards the end of lesson 2 and I can already tell this will make me cry in recovery position

[@murk.mp4760]

"try not to cry too many tears."
Me after 50 boxes:

[@XxXChekKeksMonster]

Don't worry, I cried all my tears out during the 250 Boxes challenge.

[@WeAreBlank18]

I cried all mine in the 250 cylinder challenge. Because I need reality, it's just another 250 box one. I thought it was over...

[@ignorotis]

@@WeAreBlank18 I had to do over 540 boxes before I could be cleared, and even then I was told I need more work in that area. I'll do the cylinder challenge eventually...

[@WeAreBlank18]

@@ignorotis stop drawin so many boxes. You need to think about the perfect box with each one, and learn along the way on how to do it. If you can really draw that many boxes, try doing the same thing but for hands, it will be a better excercise - keep in mind to make sure you make the hands out of boxy-ish shapes, or basic form. That way, youcan be more consured on how joints work and how to bend fingers in a natural way.
Keep it up with draw a box, but don't JUST draw boxes.

[@micahmajestic3683]

“Try not to cry too many tears” it’s too late for that my guy let’s just get over it ok no need to remind me

[@jplandim2243]

I managed to save my tears while doing the 250 boxes, but then spent all in Dissections. So yeah, I´m fine here.

[@diana_design_co]

Ellipses can be tough but there is a helpful way to improve on them...I googled searched image of a junk yard with tires and practiced tracing the ellipses of the different angles of those tires on the image, helped a lot after a few practices.

[@ayushmishra-mg9dz]

what does tracing mean in drawing can u explain it?

[@duccky3331s]

@@ayushmishra-mg9dz Copying the drawings

[@Vensoul]

"Try not to cry too many tears" had me rolling

[@ibrahimelshazly4371]

Thank you

[@beenishkhan9808]

How can we apply this method to very thin branches, which might be, say, just two lines thick? Or like a tendril. Are we supposed to make extremely tiny ellipses, but then we might not be able to see their angle.

[@Uncomfortable]

It's really much the same, except for the fact that it's more difficult, and therefore requires more experience/practice to pull off well. The ellipses will be smaller, and the distance between side edges will also be smaller, making any slight deviations more apparent. So, go in expecting it to be difficult, and for there to be mistakes as you gradually get more comfortable with it.

[@jakezetter7588]

Is it a bad sign if my brain is doing escher style flipping on tubes and organic forms?

[@Uncomfortable]

That's entirely normal, because you're putting down information that can be interpreted two ways without any clear visual cues as to which is the "correct". You can try filling the ellipse at the end facing you with some tight, consistent hatching, that may help provide a cue that will serve for the whole thing.
Either way, don't worry about it too much. It's something you'll get used to as you move forward.

[@jakezetter7588]

Cool thanks. this has been a very handy course.@@Uncomfortable

[@trent797]

That happens to me all the time. I put something down, and then 5 seconds later I can't remember which way it is facing.

[@tornadobrick6217]

Do you draw from you shoulder or wrist for this exercise?

[@Uncomfortable]

For this exercise you'll be primarily drawing from your shoulder, as all the marks you draw (ellipses included) will need to maintain a consistent, smooth trajectory.

[@TanyaGoyal7777]

Thanks...however, everytime I try I make the connector lines just after the flow line and then add the elipses/contours. :(

[@Uncomfortable]

While it may be easier to put the ellipses in afterwards, it means that the way your branch will flow through space will be determined by how the lines end up being drawn, rather than through preplanning and intent. You won't always be able to rely on that, and there will be circumstances where you'll need to have a branch fall within a specific space, or flow a specific way. Remember that this is an exercise intended to improve your ability to exert control over how those branches flow - so if you're changing the order to make it easier for you here, you're not going to be learning the skills it's meant to impart. Don't focus on getting a good result - focus on following the instructions so you can learn from the process.

[@cam7686]

this might be a dumb question but i don't know anything about digital art. what program are you using and type of pen/pad?

[@Uncomfortable]

I'm using Adobe Photoshop and a Wacom Cintiq 27QHD, but that isn't really relevant. These lessons should be completed traditionally, with ink on paper. The reasoning is explained if you start back at Lesson 0 and follow the course in its intended order, as it's not intended to be followed piecemeal: drawabox.com/lesson/0

[@cam7686]

@@Uncomfortable thanks! I was just curious. I was thinking of trying out digital art after i finish the lessons

[@spag5296]

@@cam7686 I've been using the 2017 iPad Pro for digital art. Got it at a much smaller fraction of the price as any other screen based drawing tablets that you can get. I'd say smart tablets are the way to go

[@tarundubey9949]

My ellipses are out of proportion

[@hell_uzer4547]

are we supposed to do the 8 pages of plant drawings before watching the demos (Daisy, Mushroom)?

[@Uncomfortable]

You'll find that the homework section in Lesson 3's first page answers this question in its first paragraph: drawabox.com/lesson/3/1/homework

[@hell_uzer4547]

@@Uncomfortable Ah got it!..🙌🏻

[@toz_dumann]

Why don't we just draw a consistent line for the edge of the branch?

[@Uncomfortable]

That would be one of the points this exercise is designed to focus on - how to tackle a longer, more complicated stroke that you cannot reasonably achieve with a single stroke, without it looking like a bunch of separate marks.

[@nicksohacki7114]

it seems that you are just pushing the problem back from the ellipse to half-way between the ellipses

[@Uncomfortable]

I don't quite follow what you're trying to say. Could you try phrasing it differently?

[@ABCDEFuckyou112]

I suppose he means that the mistake people tend to make when we don't "overshoot" the lines at the ellipses still exists but now halfway further down the line

[@nothingtoseehere8771]

Overshooting is to make the line look smoother, not to shift where the lines go off.

[@zwardz8179]

He's self aware 💀

[@Whatsittoy]

Is it just me or is it painful watching him simply delete stuff that was so much better than I can do while looking so effortless?