Pretty amazing how easy it is to use this method. Helped me get the proportions right on this planter.

It took me a good hour and lots of erasing and re-drawing to get the proportions right on this, which I made from my own photo. Even though the photo was a square format, I ended up making the tiger too large and therefore losing my negative space. I did find the measuring useful, though trickier to use with a photo. And I still managed to get the right eye (our left) in too close initially and having to correct it. Same thing with the chin, which was initially too small and needed correcting. So a modicum of perfectionism (not my strongest point) is a good idea here! Interesting observation: I always think of tigers as being orange and black, even though I spent almost 2 weeks photographing them in the wild last year. Now, when I started adding color, I realized how much white they have.

This is more challenging than I thought it would be. Using my eraser a lot!

The use of proportions really helped in that I tend to get so interested in one aspect of the subject and make that aspect too big!. This forced me to keep that tendency under control. I focused first on relative proportions and then started using negative space, too. It was rewarding that they worked together. I was able to use the proportion techniques on a still plant, but it takes me a long time. It will take a lot of practice before I can do this with a moving subject.

I've been working on proportion with landscapes, too, but I've continued to work with leaves a little. This upside down maple leaf was on the library walkway across the street from me. The iconic maple leaf shape is not so obvious because the points of the leaf are largely curled under.

I think this class is working! I looked at this eggplant and thought how pretty it is, but expected the drawing to be mush. The actual eggplant is prettier and the shadows need something, but I was pleased with how it came out. It turns out that my middle-aged eyes can see either the pencil point or the distant object but not both, so I’ll need to experiment with checking proportions. Negative space helped for getting the leaf shapes right. Gesture drawing frequently also helps: it makes me decide what’s essential.

I liked the lesson/reminder about “negative space.”  I say reminder because I’ve heard of the concept before and even “studied” it a bit while reading and doing exercises from “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” about 35 years ago.  I found the concept very helpful applied to this science journal focus.  Recently I was in California (from Wisconsin) and my granddaughter came rushing in from outside and said excitedly, “I found a bug!,” and I “humored her" and went outside to see...HOLEY MOLEY, she was right!  This beautiful praying mantis was just hanging around on their patio and I took a pic, then let it crawl on my hand (I remembered from somewhere they don’t really “bite”--other than maybe decapitating their mates) and it became my subject when back in (now cold and snowy) Wisconsin.  I drew a frame around it for rendering purposes so I could use the concept of negative space to help me with the complex shape.  That also allowed for the insect to "break out of the frame" which I wasn't planning, but really liked the effect. I like using colored watercolor pencils, and this was the first time that I scribbled a bit of pencil pigment on the page and then dipped my water-filled brush into it.  This allowed me to mix dry color a bit. An interesting experience.  I finished the drawing with a few extra strokes of the pencils directly on the drawing to give a stronger accent of color.

Was anybody in the class a drafts person B-4 he or she became a interested in field sketching and journalism? I was taught about measuring proportions most simply using a pencil at arm's length or holding my thumb on my paintbrush at arm's length to make measurements and count. Another thing my first teacher suggested re: measure, focus & proportion was use two sheets of printer paper folded into perfect rectangles;  from the folded tip , cut a 1"square from the center of one sheet & from the tip of the other cut a perfect 1"circle. This paper tool worked like the 'squint test ' Fuller asks us to use.

The measuring technique helped me with this indoor plant. Being even more aware of the negative space helped with proportions and determining measurements.

I have always liked small landscapes.  For this lesson I picked a spot I created in the backyard.  Since I made this spot it attracts a lot of the neighborhood wildlife.  I was able to use the tools taught in the lessons to set up the proportions for this quick sketch.

I don't remember Prof.Fuller talking about the use of a hand lens B-4 and I'm curious [as I've not had the chance to look it up yet myself], but I can imagine what such a device might be. I think the 'pik glass' [a handheld tool, almost like what a jeweler uses] my dad gave me would serve the purpose. Holly

A comparison study that I tried to keep to the right proportions, I did use a ruler because the piece of plant was in my hand inside by the time I finished.  Using a hand lens helped for some of the tiny details proportion at the tiny scale is a challenge too.  

I found that measuring proportions in the field has helped me a lot.  Not so much on moving objects though.  But I now can get a pretty good idea on moving objects since I think about it now.

i wasn't able to get outside, but my cat proved to be a great source for getting proportions right. For the most part she sat still long enough to get good measurements. Proportion has been a struggle so I'm glad to have had this practice!

This measuring technique worked better for me when drawing landscape, not to the smaller subjects. For smaller works better the other technique taught on the video. This measuring techniques are great, they really help to get a good proportion.

It really did help to have a reference point to start. I'd noticed in my turkey drawings that I didn't have the proportions correct for each area of the bird. They have very small heads leading to a very large intricate body so I will draw them again and get closer to the actual dimensions. What I've drawn is a hibiscus plant while it's blooming. They normally only last 2 days at most so was glad to capture it and will redo in color as we get to that area.

Some samples from our walk today. Working on observing and recording when I don’t have my notebook.  Fall tree nuts are interesting and we found some branches of oaks too.  Brought them home with us to draw and some from memory too.  Using some texture and shading new skills and trying to get the proportions better represented.  I like the challenging exercises.