This week, you have freedom in what you draw as long as it’s Japanese themed. Think lotus or cherry blossom flowers, koi fish, dragons, geishas. I’ve added a hannya mask and some foo dogs into my drawings below. This is a good opportunity to google search Japanese creatures and mythology. Japanese designs have cool stories attached them which is partially why I love the style. I’m going to make a video on how I draw designs like this, using shapes and shadows like we’ve covered in previous exercises. Start simple if some of these designs look overwhelming. Flowers and snakes are always a nice place to start. Post your work for feedback

This weeks drawing exercise… noses, ears and eyes. Don’t worry about full portraits, let’s just focus on facial features and drawing with shapes and shadows like we’ve practice in our previous exercises. To recap, we’ve learned the different types of shadows, practiced how the shadows look based on the shape we’re drawing, and methods of drawing to get smooth and saturated results. Visit the exercises tab in the community to find previous exercises. Scroll across to see some portraits I’ve drawn over the years.

Check out this slide (scroll across for all photos). I take you through how shadows translate shape. From basic drawing all the way to realism, I never stop thinking about shadow, shape and light source. This 3D approach is how I make my drawings and tattoos, it’s a mindset and method to work by. Practice drawing some basic things with shape and shadows. Think about your style, and how you’ll draw your shadows your way. It can be a simple cartoon character or something in your room. Just think about shape, shadow and light source. Post your work for feedback.

It was much harder than i expected. Tried pulling and pushing and feel i didn't find the right adjustment for voltage and handspeed. Ready for tips 🙂

As promised, your weekly drawing exercise to keep you on track. Quick recap… (templates in photos below, in order. Scroll across to find them all.) #1 we practiced basic shadows on basic shapes. We thought about tones, contrast and making believable shadows. #2 you drew your roses, you either copied mine or did your own. We implemented our knowledge of shadows on the rose. #3 was an exercise in simple application. Choosing the right tones, and applying them with good technique to get smooth shading. Another fundamental part of quality work. Now, this week I have a flash sheets of snakes, skulls and other things for you to copy or use as inspo. Notice how I sketched mine with lose, light layers to find my shapes and build shadows gradually. Think about how you fill your sheet of paper with the designs so they fit together nicely. Take your time, think about your process and method, just as much as the final results. As always, post for feedback!