100 Days of Illustration
Day 0
0/100 Days of Illustration
Ever since I was a kid I wanted to learn to draw (traditionally) and paint (digitally) well. I used to do plenty for fun; I ended up honing my tech skills more than my art skills.
To illustrate my point, my goals are:
Day 1
The first video said try to practice before learning how to do gesture drawing, so here are my first attempts.
First pose was on all fours like WHY 😩🤣
I suspect fewer lines, and less tentative ones, will come from practice; confidence.
1/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/XDImsQyUEZ
Day 2
I drew along with the video. The explanations helped considerably.
I will try doing 2-3 sessions daily of 5-10 mins each to get enough practice.
I have a feeling I'll draw for longer, though. I wasn't expecting this to be fun 💀
2/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/ZI6vm0cJj2
Day 3
To think I need to do thousands of these 💀
Just have to keep on going, and learning to improve all the while.
The Proko gesture critique video I watched today was p. insightful. I will try to take my time to do cleaner, single lines.
3/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/PsutZLSCPA
Day 4
Learning to draw a torso as a bean to better capture gesture with simplified volume
Definitely struggling with seeing this well right now; MOAR PRACTICE!
4/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/a5LHgcqveL
Day 5
More beans. More gestures.
Started videos on anatomy as well, but don't want to jump too far ahead too soon.
5/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/vIADVeRcGC
Day 6
Today I started trying beans and gestures on my own; no guidance or drawing along.
I'll get there.
Travelled to Sheffield today so I don't have as much time as usual.
6/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/V0ufQw1EoN
Day 7
Mostly travelling today, so just these three took me longer to do - super tired rn xD Did watch a bunch of Love Life Drawing YT vids though!
Minimum met. nn.
7/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/GB2Fgyx4ie
Day 8
Starting to move onto volumes now.
Still have to do daily gesture drawing as well~
8/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/Xhy88v1EV6
Day 9
Using volumes for objects.
Making a concerted effort to reduce the number of lines for my gesture drawings.
Challenging. 😆
9/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/3sTeQBh8xq
Day 10
Travelling around London and might’ve caught something 😶
Dead tired, so watched a video on anatomy landmarks and did a few gesture sketches.
10/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/gEAtThoyMz
Day 11
Forgot to do the cube exercise xD I'll need to do more.
Tried a different pose generator and omg there are weird ones. Good. I need to train my eye-brain-hand movements.
Actually sick, so that's all for now! 😆
11/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/IoZ0MXW5ZU
Day 12
Assignment was to sketch animals using volumes.
I can do better, but it's okay for a sick Tabs ^^
12/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/co2LLxvOYR
Day 13
Took a bunch of notes about landmarks, and then drew along with the video (top left).
Then used the new gesture poses generator I'm using. Omg it gives me some weird ones 😆 Skipped a few views from underneath 🤣
13/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/v8GKD3SAv5
Day 14
Tried a different tutorial on constructing with landmarks. I hate it 🤣 Let me put in contours 😭
14/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/6JrG6MuuJ1
Day 15
2/100 ribcages drawn 💀 Still recovering; low-energy day. Gestures are worse than my usual, too.
Ah, well. Tomorrow is another day. ^^
15/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/9HPmoEJbop
Day 16
4/100 ribcages and some more gestures. Watched some videos in preparation for tomorrow; travelling back to the grandparents'. :D
16/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/919efFqO3i
Day 17
Started on the robo-bean; followed along with the video.
Gestures today... Eh for ehffort. xD Too tired.
17/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/dFRjhEGC0H
Day 18
Was dead tired by number four, so called it a night.
I should stop earlier 😆
18/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/U8jW977BWs
Day 19
Started earlier today.
Got more ribcages done thanks to friendly encouragement, and did better on the gesture drawings because I wasn't so damn tired.
Quality of energy matters, apparently 😶
19/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/HjGg0Fp44C
Day 20
Spent all day packing, so... Tired once again, surprise surprise.
Decided to take two figures slowly instead of doing more. I drew 5 ribcages today as well; the model isn't accurate so dunno how it looks from underneath xD That's okay though.
20/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/Y8acqZSADv
Day 21
Today was a long day. You can see my brain starting off eh and then REALLY deteriorating with the last gesture xD
It seems my sense of proportion grows worse the more tired I become.
Unhappy with today; however, this is what progress looks like.
21/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/aEq2NgTDeQ
Day 22
Got to 40 rib cages! 60 left 💀 Going to try to do them over the next few days.
I will indeed be sick of them soon xD
22/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/yhgfVWfgvm
Day 23
Literally all I managed on the first flight before I descended into pain. My ears 😭
Whatevs. I spent most of the day travelling.
23/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/Ud3pDzbfrx
Day 24
Forgot to make the post before I got onto the plane. Pleased I managed these before the final flight.
Especially compared to yesterday. 💀
24/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/mPfYaPInnu
Day 25
WOO, nearly there! 70/100 ribcages done. Going to attempt the last 30 tomorrow 💀 Then I can finally return to gestures, the robo-bean, and learning about mannequins.
25/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/wRNVNzOV6Z
Day 26
Spent today asleep, answering work emails, or with the bro so... Got 1/3 done of what I wanted.
One more day on these damn things 😬
26/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/G8pa06Z3o4
Day 27
100 Ribcages.
Done.
Onto other practice!
27/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/B06tPZuSIK
Day 28
Slow brain day.
Returned to my daily homework.
28/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/uhzbJ2KLQm
Day 29
Started on mannequinsation videos. No drawing today; on a bus rn and the light annoys people xD
29/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/ElNScqSG9P
Day 30
Gesture poses was all I had the energy for today.
Back home in Australia now!
30/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/EiTkJRZEpB
Day 31
The robo-bean technique is difficult. And I can't imagine foreshortening under clothes, so I'll probs skip those going forward.
More practice until I get the twists right 😩🔥
31/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/KIAgiN9dn7
Day 32
Too tired to do well.
I tried.
Tomorrow. 🙏🏽
32/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/ynW1tO4Xr3
Day 33
I see improvement in my robo-beans. Not much, but better than yesterday.
WOO!
33/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/8eHuThOsIL
Day 34
I worked through critique videos today.
I found a snippet on perspective particularly enjoyable and insightful.
Best advice: details may make drawings look 'better', but mastery comes from solid foundations (structure, gesture, line quality, etc).
34/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/KxCsUAWGvZ
Day 35
Draw-along mannequinsation today! Feels like better progress.
I estimate about 4 more days until I feel ready to move along from the figure drawing courses into the Perspective I module.
35/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/lPoJl9BOqJ
Day 36
I watched the shading videos, then tried to see how far I got with 30s gesture drawings.
Not a massive amount of improvement, but definitely some since I started a month ago.
Onward!
36/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/NtuqN4bMtv
Day 37
Two exercises.
First one: Drew without looking at the page.
Second one: Looked at image for up to a minute, then drew for shit 30s from memory.
Bah 🤣 So bad, but the exercises are good.
37/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/5k7xX97gw4
Day 38
I consumed a ton of content on gesture drawing; the FORCE method, and components of good gesture drawings. I won't be trying it all now; this skill needs to be developed iteratively.
Yay!! Onto Perspective I.
38/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/eJkuFeBs1x
Day 39
The course on perspective I'm working through was originally on VHS in the 90s 🙃
It's still great material that's absolutely applicable!
39/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/HK65fTCubx
Day 40
Worked through Drawabox Lesson 0.
It caused me to draw some parallels (*ahem*) and distinctions between how I treat coding/design/art things for hobbies vs. work.
Work will never make me see those activities as unfun.
40/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/Ms92k7SJ2D
Day 41
This is the first time it's properly sunk in that fluidity is more important than accuracy; removing the need to do any specific shape or figure will help focus on training this as a priority.
Line quality COME TO MEEEEE~
41/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/vMghUXkzvL
Day 42
Line exercises! Practicing drawing lines freehand; clearly I have more trouble with the longer ones.
Drawing from the shoulder ain't easy starting out, especially with pulled neck + shoulder muscles 😬
But I diiiiiid it 😇 ~
42/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/viglFpjj7W
Day 43
Worked through the video and written content on ellipses and circles on Drawabox. I appreciate the way this is being taught; perhaps I just miss art classes.
Too tired to get through the exercises so I'll get down to the three of them tomorrow.
43/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/Bw3jiQILQA
Day 44
I have five pages of exercises to do but the shoulder pain is *not* helping to Draw From The Shoulder.
I'm going to cap it at a page a day while I work through other video content.
44/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/LVzFdsXocB
Day 45
Pushing to my limit seems to increase recovery time, sooo I will just watch videos and take notes until I can draw from the shoulder properly. I finished the course intro today.
On the plus side - my fineliner pen arrived!
45/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/ZTsDT6EkYo
Day 46
I'm familiar with these concepts already, but 5 minutes in he's already blowing my mind with the nuance in how to approach drawing 3D on a 2D surface.
This course is from 1994. Such a throwback to chalkboards and traditional classroom tech 😆
46/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/6hI8gqZTJJ
Day 47
I was not expecting to get schooled on photography and vanishing points, but there you go.
I appreciate the different levels of knowledge and the nuance in applying it to different contexts.
47/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/Sot0gt47AY
Day 48
Key takeaway:
Within structure there is freedom.
I've never been so excited to draw boxes.
48/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/HERSC7eNrV
Day 49
Circle and ellipses are more difficult than right angles confirmed.
They seem so bitchy to handle 😭 But looking forward to getting better with them.
49/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/zIIYuz4mlD
Day 50
More videos, 'cause I still haven't recovered!
Ellipses are circles in space, and the axes used to draw them don't form the centre, which you get from checking the middle of a square. You get its angles from the lengths of the square similarly, too.
50/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/Ymc5ihUC0i
Day 51
I know he says transcribing a speech is more incredible than being able to do this; it's still magic. This is magic - actionable magic, for once - but magic.
I look forward to tearing my hair out and getting better at drawing things on spheres 😬
51/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/3fvuDk6XbI
Day 52
Vanishing points and vanishing traces; more magic, I tell you!
It's cool to finally understand how this stuff works though. I can't wait to apply all this to the drawabox 'draw for the fun of it' requirement, which has to be half of all drawing.
52/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/cyM8Ff0scl
Day 53
Vanishing points can become vanishing traces. P. cool. Learnt how to do inclined planes.
Things make so much sense with the way sensei over here explains it 😭
I love that content 30 years old is still applicable - so used to tech moving non-stop.
53/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/NYyjdWgfme
Day 54
Started on depth measuring. Apparently this is suddenly going to get complex as it pulls together the rest of the course, which has been 8 videos.
Time to die xD
54/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/mO575e5e5u
Day 55
Today was one thing after another. But hey, today I did some socialisation OFFLINE so that's a plus.
Spent a tiny bit of time on learning the next depth measuring technique; fairly intuitive if paying attention 💀
55/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/RALBSAi8PR
Day 56
Vanishing Trace Diagonals! Third technique for measuring depth. Been wondering about this from the beginning; glad it's being address now.
Been coding through the weekend, so the last couple of videos will take a few days to get through xD
56/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/6Bu5J1bH7A
Day 57
Learnt how to apply what I learnt yesterday to non-equal patterns (like windows on a building with gaps in-between them).
ALSO WATCHED SPIDER-MAN.
OMGGGGGGGGG.
AMAZING.
That made my week. :D
57/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/NrEuYNIddO
Day 58
Finished the video earlier today so it won't be keeping me up tonight. Two left, and then I'll go back to drawing drills and see how my sprain tolerates it :D
I look forward to an early bedtime so much it defeats the purpose a little bit 💀
58/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/JETfNCmJlU
Day 59
More measuring magic✨
I did my best to finish this video today, and so it's done.
Got my work cut out for me on all fronts 😮💨 Back to drawing in a couple of days!
59/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/ToXVwDYb58
Day 60
Gonna end up going through these a little more slowly because I need to learn about GSAP and ScrollTrigger in a few days 💀
It's the last video though; 1/4 of the way through and we're talking about plans and projections :D Familiar stuff, so far!
60/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/FCo5DH2jTr
Day 61
Well. That's the first time I've watched an object get flipped into perspective. V. cool! :D
Onto GSAP and ScrollTrigger!~
61/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/gq6eKzE0HD
Day 62
Overloaded on GSAP and ScrollTrigger videos today, so only spared a few minutes for this 💀
Tomorrow will likely be the same; essentially embarking on a repetition of the same points yesterday to drive the point home.
I'll make up for it later!
62/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/rcqROJzH7D
Day 63
It is refreshing - so, so refreshing - to hear someone hammer home the point that there is value in going back to utter basics, re-inventing the wheel, doing things *manually*, and from scratch. Deep understanding ftw.
Finished the video course. 🥳
63/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/hQMu9F5hZ4
Day 64
Okay, we're back to drawing.
I could just about tolerate some ellipses practice today. Tomorrow I may try to finish off this section and then move onto boxes.
64/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/u1Tno8T6zC
Day 65
Did the exercise. Not happy with it. But did the exercise.
Late. Because I did it after streaming, which was a lovely distraction and a half helping someone figure out what they wanted to do with their IT/Computer Science education 🥳❤️
65/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/NqXaUN8fYV
Day 66
Moved onto learning about boxes. FINALLY. However, most of this perspective stuff seems straightforward after having been through that whole video course.
Relief!
I need to find my pen. I haven't even removed the lid and I've already lost it 🤣
66/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/qSqtUuhJc3
Day 67
Covered the last of the ellipses homework assignments, and continued with learning about boxes.
I have a couple of sections of boxes to do before I can started on the homework and the dreaded 250 Boxes challenge.
67/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/mc0XBky2yr
Day 68
The sheer GLEE I felt when there was some maths involved in explaining how art works 🤣
The gist: vanishing points accelerate as they move outwards.
68/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/BlmN77PTwB
Day 69 nice
Covered the last two chapters: Simplified Guidelines for 1, 2, and 3-point perspectives, foreshortening, horizon line (eye line/axis), distortion, and placing vanishing points.
Whew. Next: drawing boxes.
69 (nice) /100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/Wj0Ult4ZBI
Day 70
It took like 15-20 mins to get through the prep material for the first exercise, so I'll do the drawing tomorrow. ^^
Didn't have much time for drawing today, but I DID sort out a menu bug. Productive Sunday :D :D
70/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/u5l8Jda2v0
Day 71
Not much today, but we are back to drawing. Let's goooo~~
Perspective practice!
71/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/flHjOA7nYE
Day 72
These boxes are not perfect but these boxes are mine :D
WOO first task done!
72/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/edfBr0eldh
Day 73
I only had about 20 minutes to spare today (working towards a work deadline) so I covered the content explaining the next exercise, which I'll do tomorrow.
Watched the videos and listened to the audio on the bus. We don't have time for breaks here 😆
73/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/vJM8GuIntl
Day 74
I might've been up until 5 AM working so I went ahead and did some reading on the next exercise. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DRAW THIS??
Apparently: I'm not. At least not yet - I'm meant to go ahead and try it and suck at it. I'll improve over time.
74/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/zFBCGSDqwo
Day 75
Finished reading and listening to the page.
Yup, that's it.
Tomorrow: extended drawing session!
75/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/NDNdAKCM7T
Day 76
The thing I did for myself today was to finish the entire page in one go.
Kinda funny how the more I did the worse I seemed to get?? 🤣 The more extreme the perspective became the more I misjudged.
A great exercise.
Tomorrow: the same thing! =_=
76/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/0gVAjsRYer
Day 77
Long day.
Decided to finish this page tonight anyway. I really wanna move on from this chapter and onto the gruelling 250 Box Challenge >.< Three more pages of exercises.
Marginal improvement.
77/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/lcsQ8IpHQq
Day 78
Prep for the next exercise. Again, because I forgot everything since the last time I looked at the content.
I'll attempt this tomorrow. Wish me luck!
78/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/ajgSyro0AK
Day 79
I neglected the part where we are supposed to draw for fun and do whatever we want.
So I drew for fun.
Ballpoint pen.
79/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/eJ3V0vmKi8
Day 80
Tired, so prepped for another exercise.
This one is going to do my head in. Rotating boxes that increase in size to show depth. Aiyaaaa.
80/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/3MK1ov7uOA
Day 81
This is supposed to look more... Spherical. But whatever xD. Not as easy as it looks in the examples. And I finally started using my fine liner pen!
They deliberately chuck exercises at us that we're not able to do yet; into the fire, essentially.
81/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/NEibOyQhrt
Day 82
More abject horror.
I thought I could do two pages today, but this exercise is doing my head in xD
So one it is.
Onto cleaning and coding!
82/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/BIszQeUcu5
Day 83
Worse in some ways because I forgot some instructions and didn't put in as much effort as I could have done.
However: I see some improvement in the speed it takes for me to make a judgement call.
My brain is actually processing convergence.
83/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/2M7XH1HapX
Day 84
Going through the prep alone took me like half an hour; that's all I had the energy for today on top of work and other stuff.
Time to attempt to finish packing up the art cupboard ^^
84/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/T0uSfR5Y5H
Day 85
I feel so called out. They've gone and described a similar journey to us finding that free art syllabus online and taking it from there xD Whelp.
Totally knackered; spent today working and cleaning 😴
85/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/d9J3HJ15Yw
Day 86
Watched a tutorial on drawing chibis because I damn well felt like it.
That was yesterday. Was too tired to post. xD
BUT HEY THE ART CUPBOARD IS (99%) DOOONEEE~
86/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/BDOGCvJ2Et
Day 87
I followed another tutorial from the CutieDrawing YT channel 💀
We're supposed to do drawing for fun, so... Too bad so sad, I've always wanted to make cute chibis 🤣🤣
87/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/grijpdS1aH
Day 88
I drew it in pencil and then went over it in pen to see what that would do.
Followed another tutorial for the sitting pose. I could probs look at general poses and try to draw them in the chibi-style, tbh.
Some of the tutorials are... Eh. >_>
88/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/mX9f4O0z6Z
Day 89
Today is the day in which I learn to wait before ink dries 💀
I will be practicing chibis for the foreseeable future in-between my drawing challenges. They're fun! And I'd like to draw my own emotes for Twitch anyway.
89/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/02a56rz40W
Day 90
I watched a video and found I was critical of ability based on process and technique; I'm used to learning from industry experts who hammer home certain points.
There was still something to learn, and I appreciate their sharing it; they're great at what they do. I just need to… https://t.co/Gbz0om6Apf
Day 91
And today I learn about how colouring with ink in the way I did loses detail. And then I overcompensate elsewhere. Woo!~
I am meant to be doing 50% drawing for fun, and 50% doing the challenges - but still nowhere near evening that out xD
91/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/US68micWGm
Day 92
Hair and expression practice; still experimenting to decide what I like.
I was explaining how to erase on paper in just one direction only, and then ofc the second after I'm done I make that very mistake and crinkle the paper 💀
92/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/rDQSqgWU3u
Day 93
Watched a video using SAI to see sort of how the program works. I'll need to pick something soon enough.
I just have to find the damn tablet pens 💀Got no idea where they are.
93/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/5jtgIxKSJg
Day 94
Watched this video on finding my art style; created the mood board and started filling it.
Also, f typing with long nails idk how people wear these without getting annoyed af xD Were they originally chicken-pecking the keyboard??
94/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/Lu8ixIftKV
Day 95
Ended up with 40 pins on my board so far. This is going to take me time to build and curate.
So far it seems like my style is mostly 'drama'; in the form of lighting, contrasting palettes, moody expressions, and so on.
95/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/tt910cJ7hK
Day 96
Prep for box bootcamp tomorrow; watched a video explaining mistakes people make, and a critique of some homework.
Wahhh. 250 boxes incoming. Wish me luck~~
96/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/jg6EISBYxb
Day 97
Box bootcamp begins. I've already fked up at least two of them 😆
5 down, 245 to go.
💀
97/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/C5idEUdhC3
Day 98
Hooo lordy are some of these cubes wonky!
Good thing I have to do 250 of them. 💀
98/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/h30b8LINz5
Day 99
I still see mistakes even before I've extended the lines to the vanishing points; the margin of error is slowly decreasing though, so that's a good sign.
I draw these all freehand with no reference.
99/100 Days of Illustration https://t.co/rgCeCVl9ki
Day 100
Whew.
My lines are starting to conveeergeeee. Exciting!
I managed to get to 25 boxes; it's so much effort, omg. I will continue so my progress doesn't decay, though I'll be more sporadic after the boxes.
See you on Sep 1st for 100 Days of Health! :D
100/100 Days of… https://t.co/Ff4IDlzCyl