I am starting to feel more comfortable with just  starting to draw something, knowing that there are techniques that I can use. It's not easy for me to see yet which type of marks are best to use in different situations. I need to practice more on simply sketching outlines and trying different ways of shading. Now, with adding light and dark to the sketch, I have trouble showing the difference between what is an actual feature of the object versus a shadow on the object.

I enjoyed this, but some things worked better for me than others. I am not very good with dots. I love the hatching and cross-hatching. However seeing the shadows and tones can be tricky, especially if the light changes as you are doing it. My drawing is still a bit stiff, but hopefully it will become freer with use. Can one mix different forms of shading in the same image? My guess is to a small extent and with a lot of care.

My hatching needs a lot more practice, but I feel like I got better as I went—although it helps that more complex objects are sometimes easier to add value to than simple ones. Round things are challenging!

This was very helpful lesson. Working on 3-dimension and light and dark qualities.

I'm finding this very challenging, but what I draw is better than I thought it would be.    I need to work on changing value from light to dark to that it is gradual, rather than abrupt.

I am still struggling for the reflective light and shadows but I am improving.  Like others, it did help to watch some videos to gain further understanding.   Sketching is quicker when filling in values of light and dark.  I am definitely getting more comfortable with the process and enjoy looking back on the sketches I've done so far.

I tried!  I think this will be easier to accomplish with the paints and color.  I noticed some of you are venturing into the watercolors or colored pencils and it helps to bring out the actual lights and darks apart from color and texture. The cast shadow was the most difficult part for me.  

Requires a lot of practice, but lots of fun.

Interesting to see other's drawings so will try uploading one - I am enjoying the challenges and coaching.  This carving also has a lovely rough style of etchings that were fun to try to represent.

Getting the chiaroscuro along with the lights and darks of the skin tone of my pear was a challenge.  The skin in the brightest part was a darker green than the yellowish skin in the shadow area where the pear gets narrow, and I wasn't sure how to represent that.  I'd include a picture of the pear but I ate it!  (Destroying evidence)

I've enjoyed practicing these drawing skills. It seems to take me forever to draw a simple object. I expect my confidence will improve with practice. I can't imagine taking this much time while drawing in the forest. The days are shorter here in British Columbia I'd be drawing in the dark lol! Haven't tried fruit yet. Great to see everyone's art!

This is fun  I need to try some hash marks and convince myself they belong.  I always feel like they are inappropriate for my subjects but then I see others use them for nature subjects and they look great .

It might be easier if I drew an apple and then went to the store to find one that looks like my drawing! This is a great course, I'm learning and having fun.

This will take some practice, but the clear instructions provided give me a starting point for adding dimension to my drawings.

That shell was more difficult than I had expected. But I don't have any fruit to practice on. This is so much fun!

My first attempt. 

This course is great!  I needed something to get me back at it again and I need to do much more!  Preparing for a trip next year that I hope to illustrate during the journey.

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It was very hard to get the three dimensions of the apple at first. I felt stuck. Then I watched a video that gave some hints. That helped me get started. Now I am excited to try another drawing. Bring on the fruit!

Harder than it looks. I keep running into texture along with dark and light. I suppose I need to find things with uniform textures to practice shadows, and things with uniform lighting to practice textures. Things with both make it really hard to decide how to proceed... I also wish I had a good way to upload. Scanning is slow and takes about 5 separate steps to get the picture loaded. Maybe I should join the 21st century and get a phone with a camera? I did do a couple of small sketches that weren't too bad. I'll try to upload them later.

Some lovely drawings have been posted. Here is something more natural than the bowl I posted earlier. Getting used to shading a bit more.  

It was hard for me to find where the light and the dark spots were on the object, I found that it was easier to first take a photo of it, and that brought out some of the more obvious chiaroscuro. I am feeling more comfortable on putting the marks on pages, I am finding that I am more capable of doing these things than I think.

Definitely getting a feel for which shading techniques work for me on which subjects.  Stippling on lemon worked well, I think.  I'm not so sure about cross-hatching on pomegranate, but maybe it works.