I think another great analogy for the whole process of ghosted lines is liking it to doing a backflip. There is the planning phase where you learn about the steps needed to perform the backflip; then there is the preparation phase where you learn to jump at the right height and to tuck your legs into your chest for the flip; then there is the execution phase when you put it all together without any hesitation. It has to be one smooth motion, there can't be any pause and things can't be done slowly, or it just doesn't work. You gotta commit to the flip and see it through!
The suggestions at 6:30 completely changed how I was using the ghosting method. I was actually losing focus but, the way you had directed, I simply just let go and let my muscle memory do the trick. Wow! never knew learning drawing could be so fun! PS. I am 36 years old and I hated drawing all my life but, I always loved creating/building things. But, always lacked the skills to create something from scratch. Thanks for posting such wonderful tutorials. Wish I had a mentor like you when I was younger :)
Ive been subscribed since last season, and was happy to hear some bigger guys shout him out. I'm honesty shocked views arnt higher. This new iteration has been perfect for me just now getting back into drawing
That's really fun. I imagine the little dot being an enemy from a FPS game, then i try to head shot him. My accuracy isn't that good, but when it connects, it's nice
YES YES YES THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!! This is the first lesson/discussion that mentions drawing an arc when you mean to draw a straight line!. I've had this problem for so long, so thank you for bringing it up =D
Same here. I got confused and frustrated with myself, because I wasn't drawing from the wrist yet still getting curved lines. Glad to know there's an explanation.
One thing I noticed that really helps me is, after I make the dots and ghost, I look only at the final point and let my arm connect one point to the other. Sometimes if I'm way off my brain autocorrects, creating a slight bit of wobble near the end, but generally this makes my points way more accurate and confident. Otherwise, if I just watch my line being created, they always end up a bit off where I'm trying to go. Hope this helps someone also having this issue!
This is so deceptively simple! It seems like such an easy concept, but it's all about muscle memory and accuracy, and wow - my first attempts was a dog's breakfast. I think confident line making has always been a struggle for me as someone with terrible coordination! So challenging but really great approach to something I was never even taught in art school!
Oh thank god - I have been really, really struggling with this (going way too fast and just trying to slam my pen down at the right time). Being able to see your hands actually execute it is so helpful.
I think this may have been one of the most helpful videos for me. I never underestood why my lines looked so shaky but now I know. I feel like this is combination with breaking things down into a basic form will really be helpful
If you haven't yet, I think it would be helpful to add that wobbly lines can also happen if you aren't drawing quickly enough. On the website, you say that the lines are wobbly because you're hesitating. I got very frustrated for a bit, because I was trying very hard to let go, and not care about accuracy, and only drawing confidently, but my lines were still wobbly. I realised it was because I was drawing too slowly. If I close my eyes and draw a line, slowly without any hesitation, or fear of it being incorrect, it still has quite a few wobbles on it. If I speed it up a bit, the wobbles go away. Also, drawing slower makes it easier to sub-consciously hesitate or try to correct the line, even if you're telling yourself that the line should be consistent.
That's honestly something I specifically avoid saying - which is why you'll have noticed a distinct absence of reference to speed. Reason being, while 'draw faster' is indeed a good way to avoid hesitation right now (because it doesn't give your brain the opportunity to hesitate), it is merely a starting point. From there, as we progress, we have opportunities to actually pull back on that speed as we get more and more comfortable with the idea of drawing *confidently* - something that can be done at faster and slower speeds, so long as we can control our brain's desire to steer the line as we draw. As a student pushes through the lessons and gets more mileage with the use of the ghosting method, what improves overall is their control of their choices and actions, but I have found in the past when students have "draw fast" baked into their minds, they find it very difficult to break away from that later on. So, instead I specifically use the terminology of "confidence" and "hesitation" - which do have connotations of faster and slower, but without being so tightly bound to them.
Would be great to have a version of these from your POV (ie flipped horizontally) so we can see the execution from the same perspective we will have when we're attempting the work. Otherwise a great video, thanks!
I've got another video coming up where I talk about the "Levels" one works through in this exercise (it's referenced in the written notes currently). That video will be flipped in a first person PoV because there's some writing on the page, so that should cover what you're requesting.
@@Uncomfortable Thank you! I think in general it would help a lot, as we can see things from your perspective as you would draw them. I appreciate being able to see it done that way, thank you 😊
@@Uncomfortable Is your reason for recording it this way ever explained? While I'm not a fan of it, I assume it's important to the teaching process in some regard right?
@@dandyspacedandy Unfortunately this one was just a mistake. Since it's demonstrated adequately in the other orientation in other videos, I'm not going through the hassle of reuploading the video (doing so in youtube is a huge pain, you can't just swap a video out for another). Going forward I'll be sure to switch the orientation around for other videos I release.
Whenever uncomfortable says "you made your mark and you have to accept it and move on" can be applicable to anything in life. Getting hung up on something can just end up holding you back.
Man, the planning to arch slightly to the other side tip really helped me a lot! My strokes were starting to arch to the right, then i started ghosting them to arc slightly to the left, and boom, almost straight lines, from there on i barely made any arched lines!
was just thinking yesterday, the more slow and extreme carefully we do things in life more wobbly and not so great they turn out to be. So going forward with confidence n relatively more speed brings out better result. (my reflection after cooking, looks like applies to evrything including drawing)
The trick to this one is holding your nerve and eliminating the touch of anxiety that comes with actually executing the line. So you are not ghosting like 3-2-1 go! but simply doing four or five equally important lines the last one just happens to have the pen touching the paper. Otherwise you'll find that you are ghosting the line fine but doing something else entirely when you put pen to paper. Breathe!
One thing that helped me is applying more pressure on the paper when I make the line. It helps me anchor the pen so that it doesn't wobble as I draw the lines.
While that can be helpful early on, there are several downsides to it. While that doesn't always mean it's something you should avoid (something can be useful initially, and later have to be unlearned), this is probably one you don't want to rely upon, as it's going to damage your fineliners' tips, causing their ink flow to worsen way sooner. It will also cause you to take longer in getting used to developing a more nuanced level of pressure control. Ultimately your lines are going to wobble a little right now, but keep focusing on executing your marks as confidently as you can, and pushing away that worry over making mistakes and being inaccurate.
@@Uncomfortable I see, thank you! I had finished lesson 1 a couple of months ago and one of the main pieces of feedback I got was that my lines weren't all that confident. I'm working on that now after being away from drawing for a while.. I suppose I just have to keep at it and eventually my pulse will adjust to making straight confident lines. I'll try to apply less pressure from now on.
Joke's on you, drawing lines in every direction has been my main warm-up exercise for quite some time now... so much so that turning the page to favour an angle feels kinda alien, even though I will admit that some angles are more comfortable than others. Maybe I'll have to unlearn a bit, to be less rigid? That aside, ghosting blew my mind, thank you. Prior to learning about ghosting, I'd practice certain difficult lines on a separate portion of the page or a different page before executing them on the main drawing. Feels like a whole new world has just opened up.
The way you talk about markmaking reminds me a little about how Meti's Sword Manual, a text from the webcomic Kill Six Billion Demons, talks about cutting. It has quotes such as: "You must strive for attachment-non-attachment when cutting. Your cut must be sticky and resolute. A weak, listless cut is a despicable thing. But you must also not cling to your action, or its result. Clinging is the great error of men." "To cut properly, you must continually self-annihilate when cutting. Your hand must become a hand that is cutting, your body a body that is cutting, your mind, a mind that is cutting. You must instantaneously destroy your fake pre-present self. It is a useless hanger on." "You must never make 'multiple' cuts. Each must be singular in its beauty, no matter how many precede it."
They certainly have a way of making it sound dire! But I suppose in that context it would be. While all those points certainly apply to drawing as well, we're fortunate that a wrong stroke doesn't end a life.
oh my gosh, nowi finally understand why my art prof always did like "warm up" lines where hed "ghost" the marks before he put them on whatever he was marking. It finally clicks.
i'm in lesson 4 so I would like to practice with my graphic tablet ( wacom intuos). Are these exercise good for it? ghosting lines/draw from shoulder/ellipses in planes? (just because i'm horrible at it...)
The exercises throughout the first two parts of Lesson 1 (lines and ellipses) are probably going to be useful for that - although personally, I think the best way to get used to working with a new tablet is just to push yourself to draw on it a lot. So be sure to use it when adhering to the 50% rule.
Sometimes the visual explanation can complement the written media well, I was constantly doubting if I should control the ghosted line or just do it fast and confidently
I think I'm executing this well, except when my lines pass by the markings a bit, or when I don't hit the other mark exactly, not sure if it's considered as a mistake or should be fine
Hey there! I just recently got into drawing and discovered this chanel/site. Does this exercise help with vertical lines too? like drawing vert lines from the shoulder? I have a hard time trying to draw vertical lines from the shoulder. Do I just keep grinding?
For the purposes of this course, we want you rotating the page to find a comfortable angle of approach, so every mark will be in the direction you find most comfortable. While the range of directions you find most comfortable will expand naturally with mileage, and this is also something you can practice more intentionally to improve your comfort with different directions, that is not something we want you doing during this course as it is more likely to interfere with things later in the course. We explain this here in the written material for this exercise: drawabox.com/lesson/1/14/betteruse
i had to learn to aim with my arm instead of wrist, now i will have to do the same with drawing, then i can improve both at once by drawing or gaming - a win win ;)
I feel like any second now a dragon is about to break into the scene and comfy will teach me how to train them He sounds so much like hiccup from how to train your dragon 😂
Also breathing is key. For me anyway the problem I find when I'm really zoned in or say if I'm nervous, I tend to hold my breath. It's an annoyingly bad habit. Just Breath.
Confidence of the stroke is where we want to be focusing our efforts, rather than on accuracy. It's maintaining a confident stroke that helps alleviate wobbling (which is the result of hesitation), and so we're not terribly concerned with whether or not you hit your target perfectly, but we do want you to be able to do so with a smooth, consistent stroke. We go into this in more detail in this section from the further instructions for this exercise: drawabox.com/lesson/1/14/levels so make sure you're going through all of the material in its entirety, from the website, so you don't miss anything important.
So... what if my lines tend to have more than one arc, and the direction of those arcs varies? To be clear, they look like neither the wobbly lines or the arced lines.
@@trollzilla Wavy lines - that is, lines that arc back and forth over a longer distance - are still just a more mild form of wobbling. Keep working on pushing through with a confident stroke, from your shoulder, and it should get better with practice.
@@Uncomfortable My lines have improved a lot lately. I actually realized that the bit of my pinky finger which I was using to support my hand was apparently dragging quite a bit. Now that I fully hover my hand I have straight lines much more consistently. Also found that looking at the mark where my pen is going rather than my pen itself helps. Accuracy etc. has also been improving with all this practice. Pretty happy with where I'm at now! With straight lines, at least...
Is that really a risk you want to take? It's generally best to just stick to the instructions as they're delivered, and avoid making modifications to them on a whim. While we can't tell you how each potential change will impact what you get out of the exercise - as there are more than just the obvious impacts of each decision, they can impact how we interpret and engage with the exercise on more subconscious levels - it's probably not something you want to risk to save a couple seconds.
This is explained in Lesson 0 - specifically this video on how to get the most out of this course: th-cam.com/video/nBjTGvpd-q8/w-d-xo.html . If you haven't gone through Lesson 0, or if you're just jumping from video to video here on TH-cam, be sure to go through the course from the beginning on the website, so that you don't miss anything. To answer your question, no. Your only focus should be on giving each exercise as much time as it requires to do the best of your current ability. If that means spreading a single exercise across multiple days, then that's what you gotta do. You should be taking breaks as needed as well. As mentioned in this video, you can check out ScyllaStew's youtube channel to get a better understanding of just how much time these exercises can take. She's got full, realtime recordings of her going through Lessons 1 and 2. th-cam.com/users/scyllastew
for the ghosting method, is it ok if you do it backwards in which instead of going from starting point to end point, you go from endpoint to starting point? that way you can see where you're going since your hand won't be in the way.
While the direction doesn't matter one way or the other, it's actually not really a problem if you can't see where your hand's going. That's because you're not meant to be steering your hand with your eyes, but rather relying on the planning/preparation from the initial two phases, and only pushing through to execute the planned stroke with confidence. The execution phase should not involve any exertion of control, just follow-through.
I did exercise 1 and 2 in one sitting, is it okay? Also I started to feel exhausted so I decided to do exercise 3 tomorrow but won't be moving forward with lessons and instead play with my drawings (50% rule) So wht I am doing is write? Or should have I done all exercises together? Or 1 exercise each day?
How each student paces themselves will depend entirely on their own situation. Listening to your mind and body (in terms of taking breaks when you get tired, and spreading it all out so you can focus on what you're doing at your best) is how we determine whether we're pacing ourselves properly. It is perfectly fine to do multiple exercises in a single day, but if you get tired or find that you're not focusing as well as you could, taking a break is always a good idea. Conversely, forcing yourself to keep going and pushing through that exhaustion would go against what was laid out in Lesson 0.
You can lay out your paper however feels comfortable, but I usually find it's most comfortable to work on a stack of paper. It helps add some cushioning, whereas the bare table can be a bit uncomfortable and a tablecloth can end up with wrinkles that interfere.
where do yall get fineliners that don't run out of ink when you move too fast? i have been trying these exercises with my fine liners and literally after one inch they look like pencil lines. the ball point doesnt do this (usually). i love my fineliners for inking my regular pieces and they work fine then, i don't know what i'm doing wrong ;-;
There's a lot of factors that could be at play here. The biggest one I'd consider is whether your paper is intended for ink, or whether you're drawing on paper meant more for mixed media, or graphite, or that sort of thing. That kind of paper tends to have more tooth/texture to it, and will absorb a lot more ink while potentially making the marks appear more dry and faded. We recommend printer paper because it's cheap, generally available, and designed for ink. The angle at which you draw with the pen (in terms of how upright it is) can also be something to look at. All fineliners perform better and allow for better flow when more upright, although the threshold where it starts to result in faded/partial strokes varies from brand to brand. And lastly, pressure control is important - while I'm not sure if this is the case for you as you've mentioned using fineliners before, it's very normal for those getting started with the tool to be too aggressive with their pressure simply because they don't yet have as nuanced a control over how much pressure they apply as they eventually will. This results in them pressing those tips into the page much harder, which flattens them out, impedes ink flow, and then further causes the student to grind their tip into the page trying to get that ink to flow right.
Is the ghosting method efficient on a drawing tablet? Are there any changes that could be made to it so that it works better? Or should I just use this method on paper?
It definitely helps, even when working on a tablet, but remember that this course is designed less as a series of "tips and tricks" for you to use in your own work, and more as a comprehensive curriculum geared towards building good habits and developing your core skills. Part of that is doing the work on paper in ink, and another part of that is how the ghosting method stresses breaking the process of markmaking into distinct steps that we go through mindfully, and patiently, with every mark we draw.
That is perfectly normal, and I even address it in this section: drawabox.com/lesson/1/14/levels Basically there's a lot of individual elements students will struggle with in using this technique. This exercise/homework introduces the technique, but as you're going to be using it throughout this course for every mark you freehand, you'll steadily get better at it. So it's perfectly okay to be overshooting right now - just keep working at improving on that point, but don't stop yourself from moving forwards through the material.
@@Uncomfortablethank you so much actually glad you mentioned that last part because im almost finished with the 250 box challenge 😅 im not over shooting every line but it happens
When i just draw without ghosting the line usually comes out just fine but when i ghost between two points then execute it, there is a slight arch that begins in middle of the line, and thats a very slight arch with vague origin so i cant really consciously arch the opposite way too. What can i do for this?
That issue is actually addressed here in the written material: drawabox.com/lesson/1/10/arc . Make sure that you're going through it alongside the videos.
You may be gripping your pen too tightly - try to hold it in a more relaxed manner. In general, you want to be as consciously relaxed as you are able, and when you catch yourself tensing up, correct the behaviour intentionally. It'll correct the behaviour gradually.
Then your biggest problem isn't a problem at all - because that's entirely expected, as discussed in the part of the lesson material that talks about "The Levels of the Ghosting Method": drawabox.com/lesson/1/14/levels At this stage we only expect students to fit what is explained for "Level 1" - the rest comes with continued practice, which you'll be doing throughout the entirety of the course.
Also i recommend to you both, don't be so **stupid** and use your arm very lightly so you wont got a strain injury like me. th-cam.com/video/ZF2Kigxa7cI/w-d-xo.html I recommend this video if you want to learn how to properly use your shoulder. Also i'm heavily trying to copy his movements. Most people will say it isn't helpful but for me it's kinda working.
That is completely normal. Just remember - everything we do in this course is an exercise, and it's in our exercises that we are *expected* to make mistakes. So, mistakes will happen. It's guaranteed. What's important, however, is that you take control of your actions. The second your pen touches that page, you're committed - if you choose to execute with confidence, trusting in the planning and preparation you've already done, you will at least be able to guarantee yourself a smooth stroke, even if it goes off its intended path.
the whole "your brain does not know what a straight line is" part sounds like pure torture because i think i have this problem and the thing your sugesting i should do is like an 100 iq thing. No really wtf man.
Hahaha, honestly when you think down to what we're learning here and how we go about it - it's all on that level, where we're trying to rewire the basic functionality of how our brain engages with these kinds of motions. Translating the intent of what kind of mark we wish to make, to how our brain understands intuitively how to execute it. One thing about your comment gave me a good laugh though - 100 on the IQ scale is supposed to represent the average, with above 100 being above average and below 100 being below average :P
The pen you see me using in this video is one that we were selling through the Drawabox website, but we've stopped selling them for the time being as we focus our efforts on creating our own branded pens. So the pen in this video isn't currently available. For brands that are generally widely available, I usually go with the Staedtler Pigment Liner 0.5mm.
"Whether you did or didn't, is no longer relevant"
Mindblowing philosophical moment.
Finally, an actual pen and paper rather than struggling with just explanation!
I think another great analogy for the whole process of ghosted lines is liking it to doing a backflip. There is the planning phase where you learn about the steps needed to perform the backflip; then there is the preparation phase where you learn to jump at the right height and to tuck your legs into your chest for the flip; then there is the execution phase when you put it all together without any hesitation. It has to be one smooth motion, there can't be any pause and things can't be done slowly, or it just doesn't work. You gotta commit to the flip and see it through!
that's a really apt comparison, thanks!
The suggestions at 6:30 completely changed how I was using the ghosting method. I was actually losing focus but, the way you had directed, I simply just let go and let my muscle memory do the trick. Wow! never knew learning drawing could be so fun!
PS. I am 36 years old and I hated drawing all my life but, I always loved creating/building things. But, always lacked the skills to create something from scratch. Thanks for posting such wonderful tutorials. Wish I had a mentor like you when I was younger :)
I'm glad to hear the videos are helping! More are coming soooooon!
Ive been subscribed since last season, and was happy to hear some bigger guys shout him out. I'm honesty shocked views arnt higher. This new iteration has been perfect for me just now getting back into drawing
That's really fun. I imagine the little dot being an enemy from a FPS game, then i try to head shot him. My accuracy isn't that good, but when it connects, it's nice
the curving line trick is literally just recoil control loool
Cool
Making it fun like that is exactly the mindset to have.
cringe
@@rickyfatty363 why cringe it's fun 😂
YES YES YES THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!! This is the first lesson/discussion that mentions drawing an arc when you mean to draw a straight line!. I've had this problem for so long, so thank you for bringing it up =D
Same here. I got confused and frustrated with myself, because I wasn't drawing from the wrist yet still getting curved lines. Glad to know there's an explanation.
One thing I noticed that really helps me is, after I make the dots and ghost, I look only at the final point and let my arm connect one point to the other. Sometimes if I'm way off my brain autocorrects, creating a slight bit of wobble near the end, but generally this makes my points way more accurate and confident. Otherwise, if I just watch my line being created, they always end up a bit off where I'm trying to go. Hope this helps someone also having this issue!
thanks for this, helped a lot.
This is so deceptively simple! It seems like such an easy concept, but it's all about muscle memory and accuracy, and wow - my first attempts was a dog's breakfast. I think confident line making has always been a struggle for me as someone with terrible coordination! So challenging but really great approach to something I was never even taught in art school!
Oh thank god - I have been really, really struggling with this (going way too fast and just trying to slam my pen down at the right time). Being able to see your hands actually execute it is so helpful.
Loving the remix!
It's much clearer, being able to see you demonstrate with pen and paper like this.
I think this may have been one of the most helpful videos for me. I never underestood why my lines looked so shaky but now I know. I feel like this is combination with breaking things down into a basic form will really be helpful
If you haven't yet, I think it would be helpful to add that wobbly lines can also happen if you aren't drawing quickly enough. On the website, you say that the lines are wobbly because you're hesitating. I got very frustrated for a bit, because I was trying very hard to let go, and not care about accuracy, and only drawing confidently, but my lines were still wobbly. I realised it was because I was drawing too slowly. If I close my eyes and draw a line, slowly without any hesitation, or fear of it being incorrect, it still has quite a few wobbles on it. If I speed it up a bit, the wobbles go away. Also, drawing slower makes it easier to sub-consciously hesitate or try to correct the line, even if you're telling yourself that the line should be consistent.
That's honestly something I specifically avoid saying - which is why you'll have noticed a distinct absence of reference to speed. Reason being, while 'draw faster' is indeed a good way to avoid hesitation right now (because it doesn't give your brain the opportunity to hesitate), it is merely a starting point. From there, as we progress, we have opportunities to actually pull back on that speed as we get more and more comfortable with the idea of drawing *confidently* - something that can be done at faster and slower speeds, so long as we can control our brain's desire to steer the line as we draw.
As a student pushes through the lessons and gets more mileage with the use of the ghosting method, what improves overall is their control of their choices and actions, but I have found in the past when students have "draw fast" baked into their minds, they find it very difficult to break away from that later on. So, instead I specifically use the terminology of "confidence" and "hesitation" - which do have connotations of faster and slower, but without being so tightly bound to them.
Would be great to have a version of these from your POV (ie flipped horizontally) so we can see the execution from the same perspective we will have when we're attempting the work. Otherwise a great video, thanks!
I've got another video coming up where I talk about the "Levels" one works through in this exercise (it's referenced in the written notes currently). That video will be flipped in a first person PoV because there's some writing on the page, so that should cover what you're requesting.
If your watching on your phone you could turn autorotate off and turn your phone upside down.
@@Uncomfortable Thank you! I think in general it would help a lot, as we can see things from your perspective as you would draw them. I appreciate being able to see it done that way, thank you 😊
@@Uncomfortable Is your reason for recording it this way ever explained? While I'm not a fan of it, I assume it's important to the teaching process in some regard right?
@@dandyspacedandy Unfortunately this one was just a mistake. Since it's demonstrated adequately in the other orientation in other videos, I'm not going through the hassle of reuploading the video (doing so in youtube is a huge pain, you can't just swap a video out for another). Going forward I'll be sure to switch the orientation around for other videos I release.
Whenever uncomfortable says "you made your mark and you have to accept it and move on" can be applicable to anything in life. Getting hung up on something can just end up holding you back.
Man, the planning to arch slightly to the other side tip really helped me a lot!
My strokes were starting to arch to the right, then i started ghosting them to arc slightly to the left, and boom, almost straight lines, from there on i barely made any arched lines!
was just thinking yesterday, the more slow and extreme carefully we do things in life more wobbly and not so great they turn out to be. So going forward with confidence n relatively more speed brings out better result. (my reflection after cooking, looks like applies to evrything including drawing)
Can't wait until you get to the later lessons, thanks for the information!
I really enjoy your approach to drawing. The way you explain stuff makes my analytical brain click. Thank you :D
I'm glad to hear it suits you!
Thank you, I'm learning a lot from these videos.
The trick to this one is holding your nerve and eliminating the touch of anxiety that comes with actually executing the line. So you are not ghosting like 3-2-1 go! but simply doing four or five equally important lines the last one just happens to have the pen touching the paper. Otherwise you'll find that you are ghosting the line fine but doing something else entirely when you put pen to paper. Breathe!
One thing that helped me is applying more pressure on the paper when I make the line. It helps me anchor the pen so that it doesn't wobble as I draw the lines.
While that can be helpful early on, there are several downsides to it. While that doesn't always mean it's something you should avoid (something can be useful initially, and later have to be unlearned), this is probably one you don't want to rely upon, as it's going to damage your fineliners' tips, causing their ink flow to worsen way sooner. It will also cause you to take longer in getting used to developing a more nuanced level of pressure control.
Ultimately your lines are going to wobble a little right now, but keep focusing on executing your marks as confidently as you can, and pushing away that worry over making mistakes and being inaccurate.
@@Uncomfortable I see, thank you!
I had finished lesson 1 a couple of months ago and one of the main pieces of feedback I got was that my lines weren't all that confident. I'm working on that now after being away from drawing for a while..
I suppose I just have to keep at it and eventually my pulse will adjust to making straight confident lines. I'll try to apply less pressure from now on.
this course is very estoic and i thik it will help also with self confidence in other thinks of life
!
Joke's on you, drawing lines in every direction has been my main warm-up exercise for quite some time now... so much so that turning the page to favour an angle feels kinda alien, even though I will admit that some angles are more comfortable than others. Maybe I'll have to unlearn a bit, to be less rigid? That aside, ghosting blew my mind, thank you. Prior to learning about ghosting, I'd practice certain difficult lines on a separate portion of the page or a different page before executing them on the main drawing. Feels like a whole new world has just opened up.
For the arc lines thank you a lot I’ve been always confident but they never mention how my brain can actually not know what a straight line is lmao
I was struggling with this JUST NOW.
4:45 hesitation is defeat
The way you talk about markmaking reminds me a little about how Meti's Sword Manual, a text from the webcomic Kill Six Billion Demons, talks about cutting. It has quotes such as:
"You must strive for attachment-non-attachment when cutting. Your cut must be sticky and resolute. A weak, listless cut is a despicable thing. But you must also not cling to your action, or its result. Clinging is the great error of men."
"To cut properly, you must continually self-annihilate when cutting. Your hand must become a hand that is cutting, your body a body that is cutting, your mind, a mind that is cutting. You must instantaneously destroy your fake pre-present self. It is a useless hanger on."
"You must never make 'multiple' cuts. Each must be singular in its beauty, no matter how many precede it."
They certainly have a way of making it sound dire! But I suppose in that context it would be. While all those points certainly apply to drawing as well, we're fortunate that a wrong stroke doesn't end a life.
i love this so much. Thank you for making this and teaching us. I appreciate it.
omg i was already ghosting in the previous exercsie without knowing about it
Same
Awesome! And thank you for showing your example of completed filled pages. This is always helpful.
oh my gosh, nowi finally understand why my art prof always did like "warm up" lines where hed "ghost" the marks before he put them on whatever he was marking. It finally clicks.
Thanks for the remastered ✌️
5:59 Wow Its very philosophical thought.
i'm in lesson 4 so I would like to practice with my graphic tablet ( wacom intuos). Are these exercise good for it? ghosting lines/draw from shoulder/ellipses in planes? (just because i'm horrible at it...)
The exercises throughout the first two parts of Lesson 1 (lines and ellipses) are probably going to be useful for that - although personally, I think the best way to get used to working with a new tablet is just to push yourself to draw on it a lot. So be sure to use it when adhering to the 50% rule.
Iirc the Intous has slight tracking when you "hover", so I see no downside in trying & practicing.
omg i did from one end to the page to the other end LOL im so happy wiht my line c:
Sometimes the visual explanation can complement the written media well, I was constantly doubting if I should control the ghosted line or just do it fast and confidently
Yay!!! Pen and paper
I think I'm executing this well, except when my lines pass by the markings a bit, or when I don't hit the other mark exactly, not sure if it's considered as a mistake or should be fine
It's fine, but something to keep working at. Read more about this here: drawabox.com/lesson/1/10/levels
This was helpful. On to the page.
In photoshop, ghosting is called Ctrl+z
Hey there! I just recently got into drawing and discovered this chanel/site. Does this exercise help with vertical lines too? like drawing vert lines from the shoulder? I have a hard time trying to draw vertical lines from the shoulder. Do I just keep grinding?
For the purposes of this course, we want you rotating the page to find a comfortable angle of approach, so every mark will be in the direction you find most comfortable. While the range of directions you find most comfortable will expand naturally with mileage, and this is also something you can practice more intentionally to improve your comfort with different directions, that is not something we want you doing during this course as it is more likely to interfere with things later in the course.
We explain this here in the written material for this exercise: drawabox.com/lesson/1/14/betteruse
@@Uncomfortable Thanks a lot !!!
i had to learn to aim with my arm instead of wrist, now i will have to do the same with drawing, then i can improve both at once by drawing or gaming - a win win ;)
life lesson at 6:00
WAIT I ACTUALLY DID THAT BEFORE EVEN WATCHING THE VIDEO AM I GENIUS ?
I feel like any second now a dragon is about to break into the scene and comfy will teach me how to train them
He sounds so much like hiccup from how to train your dragon 😂
Also breathing is key. For me anyway the problem I find when I'm really zoned in or say if I'm nervous, I tend to hold my breath. It's an annoyingly bad habit.
Just Breath.
How accurate should the ghosting be the first time you do this? Even my ghosting wobbles 😅 my shoulder is definitely struggling.
Confidence of the stroke is where we want to be focusing our efforts, rather than on accuracy. It's maintaining a confident stroke that helps alleviate wobbling (which is the result of hesitation), and so we're not terribly concerned with whether or not you hit your target perfectly, but we do want you to be able to do so with a smooth, consistent stroke.
We go into this in more detail in this section from the further instructions for this exercise: drawabox.com/lesson/1/14/levels so make sure you're going through all of the material in its entirety, from the website, so you don't miss anything important.
This is really helpful
A very good content
So... what if my lines tend to have more than one arc, and the direction of those arcs varies? To be clear, they look like neither the wobbly lines or the arced lines.
To be clear, I don't have this problem consistently, though often. And as of yet I've been unable to determine the cause...
@@trollzilla Wavy lines - that is, lines that arc back and forth over a longer distance - are still just a more mild form of wobbling. Keep working on pushing through with a confident stroke, from your shoulder, and it should get better with practice.
@@Uncomfortable Thank you!!
@@Uncomfortable My lines have improved a lot lately. I actually realized that the bit of my pinky finger which I was using to support my hand was apparently dragging quite a bit. Now that I fully hover my hand I have straight lines much more consistently.
Also found that looking at the mark where my pen is going rather than my pen itself helps.
Accuracy etc. has also been improving with all this practice.
Pretty happy with where I'm at now! With straight lines, at least...
do i need to go left to right even if i'm left handed? i find it way more difficult than going left to right
So... Is it acceptable to just do connect the dots pages? Or do I have to make my own dots?
Is that really a risk you want to take? It's generally best to just stick to the instructions as they're delivered, and avoid making modifications to them on a whim. While we can't tell you how each potential change will impact what you get out of the exercise - as there are more than just the obvious impacts of each decision, they can impact how we interpret and engage with the exercise on more subconscious levels - it's probably not something you want to risk to save a couple seconds.
@Uncomfortable Understood. The connect the dots will have to be their own activity, then.
I have question??
Do I need to do all the exercise in one day or can I take it day by day tok??
This is explained in Lesson 0 - specifically this video on how to get the most out of this course: th-cam.com/video/nBjTGvpd-q8/w-d-xo.html . If you haven't gone through Lesson 0, or if you're just jumping from video to video here on TH-cam, be sure to go through the course from the beginning on the website, so that you don't miss anything.
To answer your question, no. Your only focus should be on giving each exercise as much time as it requires to do the best of your current ability. If that means spreading a single exercise across multiple days, then that's what you gotta do. You should be taking breaks as needed as well.
As mentioned in this video, you can check out ScyllaStew's youtube channel to get a better understanding of just how much time these exercises can take. She's got full, realtime recordings of her going through Lessons 1 and 2. th-cam.com/users/scyllastew
ghosted lines is cool bc as i was doing it i started to actually see a ghosted line.
for the ghosting method, is it ok if you do it backwards in which instead of going from starting point to end point, you go from endpoint to starting point? that way you can see where you're going since your hand won't be in the way.
While the direction doesn't matter one way or the other, it's actually not really a problem if you can't see where your hand's going. That's because you're not meant to be steering your hand with your eyes, but rather relying on the planning/preparation from the initial two phases, and only pushing through to execute the planned stroke with confidence. The execution phase should not involve any exertion of control, just follow-through.
I did exercise 1 and 2 in one sitting, is it okay? Also I started to feel exhausted so I decided to do exercise 3 tomorrow but won't be moving forward with lessons and instead play with my drawings (50% rule)
So wht I am doing is write? Or should have I done all exercises together? Or 1 exercise each day?
How each student paces themselves will depend entirely on their own situation. Listening to your mind and body (in terms of taking breaks when you get tired, and spreading it all out so you can focus on what you're doing at your best) is how we determine whether we're pacing ourselves properly. It is perfectly fine to do multiple exercises in a single day, but if you get tired or find that you're not focusing as well as you could, taking a break is always a good idea. Conversely, forcing yourself to keep going and pushing through that exhaustion would go against what was laid out in Lesson 0.
@@Uncomfortable thanks for the reply! I will not rush and take breaks frequently!
Thank you
Should i slide my hand on the paper or should it hover in air?
You will find the answer to that question here, from a little earlier in the lesson material: drawabox.com/lesson/1/2/hoverhand
reminds me of billiards very cool
Do I have to do the exercises over a bare table or is it okay if there's a tablecloth under the paper?
You can lay out your paper however feels comfortable, but I usually find it's most comfortable to work on a stack of paper. It helps add some cushioning, whereas the bare table can be a bit uncomfortable and a tablecloth can end up with wrinkles that interfere.
where do yall get fineliners that don't run out of ink when you move too fast? i have been trying these exercises with my fine liners and literally after one inch they look like pencil lines. the ball point doesnt do this (usually). i love my fineliners for inking my regular pieces and they work fine then, i don't know what i'm doing wrong ;-;
There's a lot of factors that could be at play here. The biggest one I'd consider is whether your paper is intended for ink, or whether you're drawing on paper meant more for mixed media, or graphite, or that sort of thing. That kind of paper tends to have more tooth/texture to it, and will absorb a lot more ink while potentially making the marks appear more dry and faded. We recommend printer paper because it's cheap, generally available, and designed for ink.
The angle at which you draw with the pen (in terms of how upright it is) can also be something to look at. All fineliners perform better and allow for better flow when more upright, although the threshold where it starts to result in faded/partial strokes varies from brand to brand.
And lastly, pressure control is important - while I'm not sure if this is the case for you as you've mentioned using fineliners before, it's very normal for those getting started with the tool to be too aggressive with their pressure simply because they don't yet have as nuanced a control over how much pressure they apply as they eventually will. This results in them pressing those tips into the page much harder, which flattens them out, impedes ink flow, and then further causes the student to grind their tip into the page trying to get that ink to flow right.
Can we tilt our paper? Some directions are so difficult lol
Rotating the page is a mandatory part of what this video instructs, so the answer is yes.
Is the ghosting method efficient on a drawing tablet? Are there any changes that could be made to it so that it works better? Or should I just use this method on paper?
It definitely helps, even when working on a tablet, but remember that this course is designed less as a series of "tips and tricks" for you to use in your own work, and more as a comprehensive curriculum geared towards building good habits and developing your core skills. Part of that is doing the work on paper in ink, and another part of that is how the ghosting method stresses breaking the process of markmaking into distinct steps that we go through mindfully, and patiently, with every mark we draw.
I keep letting my lines go a bit past my second point... It is consistently going about 1 cm past where the dot is.
been having trouble with going slightly past the end point is that okay?
That is perfectly normal, and I even address it in this section: drawabox.com/lesson/1/14/levels
Basically there's a lot of individual elements students will struggle with in using this technique. This exercise/homework introduces the technique, but as you're going to be using it throughout this course for every mark you freehand, you'll steadily get better at it. So it's perfectly okay to be overshooting right now - just keep working at improving on that point, but don't stop yourself from moving forwards through the material.
@@Uncomfortablethank you so much actually glad you mentioned that last part because im almost finished with the 250 box challenge 😅 im not over shooting every line but it happens
When i just draw without ghosting the line usually comes out just fine but when i ghost between two points then execute it, there is a slight arch that begins in middle of the line, and thats a very slight arch with vague origin so i cant really consciously arch the opposite way too. What can i do for this?
That issue is actually addressed here in the written material: drawabox.com/lesson/1/10/arc . Make sure that you're going through it alongside the videos.
For some reason, I find that my wrist tenses up. Is there anyway to avoid that?
You may be gripping your pen too tightly - try to hold it in a more relaxed manner. In general, you want to be as consciously relaxed as you are able, and when you catch yourself tensing up, correct the behaviour intentionally. It'll correct the behaviour gradually.
We out here
my man said "it's not perfectly accurate" like bro are you the Chris4Life of drawing lines? lmao
My biggest problem is I don't usually land on the end mark. My lines are straight and confident, but don't usually land
Then your biggest problem isn't a problem at all - because that's entirely expected, as discussed in the part of the lesson material that talks about "The Levels of the Ghosting Method": drawabox.com/lesson/1/14/levels
At this stage we only expect students to fit what is explained for "Level 1" - the rest comes with continued practice, which you'll be doing throughout the entirety of the course.
@@Uncomfortable I just started a couple days ago. I've been doing the line exercises every day so far
Aw, my shoulder hurts.
we gonna build some bicep muscles by the end of this session lol. Blogilates who? i just know drawabox lmao
@@ihsuya97 Your deltoid should be working. If at the end of the day your bicep is ripped, it means you are drawing from your elbow :P
@@usbgamers123 yeah... I noticed my biceps got a little ripped. But my shoulder still hurts... As fuck. I went to doctor, it was overexertion
Also i recommend to you both, don't be so **stupid** and use your arm very lightly so you wont got a strain injury like me.
th-cam.com/video/ZF2Kigxa7cI/w-d-xo.html
I recommend this video if you want to learn how to properly use your shoulder. Also i'm heavily trying to copy his movements. Most people will say it isn't helpful but for me it's kinda working.
My whole life i've been told to never rotate a page
Do ya'll grip your pen between your index finger/thumb or middle finger/thumb like him?
I grip like him except my thumb is bent
I grip between my thumb and middle finger, at the shallowest angle where a fineliner will still make a mark (45-60 degrees depending on the brand)
I'm trying to copy him but wtf its very hard---
❤
Measure twice, cut once.
Videos should be rotated 180˚
i wait new video for make perfect cube and rotation
Just before I draw the line I get hella anxious
That is completely normal. Just remember - everything we do in this course is an exercise, and it's in our exercises that we are *expected* to make mistakes. So, mistakes will happen. It's guaranteed. What's important, however, is that you take control of your actions. The second your pen touches that page, you're committed - if you choose to execute with confidence, trusting in the planning and preparation you've already done, you will at least be able to guarantee yourself a smooth stroke, even if it goes off its intended path.
@@Uncomfortablethank u, I really appreciate your reply. It is getting better as I do more
No wobble, no trouble.
So this is how Osu (or the japanese original) was invented
but... u used ur elbow
He meant drive force from your shoulder to use your *whole arm* to draw. Wich means your elbow too.
@@dashad1099 oh, thanks for clearing that up
Not only I have no talent in drawing, my brain also think straigh lines are curved. Cool:|
You dont need talent to draw
try math, since you brain seems non euclidean
Keep at it! Your brain will learn!
the whole "your brain does not know what a straight line is" part sounds like pure torture because i think i have this problem and the thing your sugesting i should do is like an 100 iq thing. No really wtf man.
Hahaha, honestly when you think down to what we're learning here and how we go about it - it's all on that level, where we're trying to rewire the basic functionality of how our brain engages with these kinds of motions. Translating the intent of what kind of mark we wish to make, to how our brain understands intuitively how to execute it.
One thing about your comment gave me a good laugh though - 100 on the IQ scale is supposed to represent the average, with above 100 being above average and below 100 being below average :P
🤣
THAT ONE DISLIKE I HATE YOU
Hi pog
i hate my elbow
Please try to save pages :)
Pls.tel me,,, Your pen name & number
The pen you see me using in this video is one that we were selling through the Drawabox website, but we've stopped selling them for the time being as we focus our efforts on creating our own branded pens. So the pen in this video isn't currently available.
For brands that are generally widely available, I usually go with the Staedtler Pigment Liner 0.5mm.
Why does it feel like the cartoon character kid seem to have 4 fingers at times and 5 fingers at other times.
You know what also helps when planning, preparing and executing? Using the right tools for the job....like a RULER!!!
you missed the point entirely…….
this is like playing osu but on paper lol
i smeared ink all over the page and was about .5 off each line. YIkes
:D
darn i need better pens
Draw a box is shitty dogmatic bullshit that won't help you improve your drawing. Don't waste your time.
Man, I ain’t smart enough to do this
Shut up and love yourself
I really hope you use the other side of the papers, and not just throw them in the trash.
Thank you