Michael Hojenski (HojoFlow) - Art School Journey

[nemasis1337]

I love how you started giving your mannequin smiles once you started feeling comfy doing them, let's get better together, keep up that energy brother, YOGA FLAME!!!!!!!!!

[hojoflow]

Appreciate that, what a privilege it is to be able to create. Like a proton baby, always positive,

[hojoflow]

Today I started with some more copying and measuring. There were a few minor discrepancies but I very much loved this exercise. I like sketching and refining it feels satisfying. There's a buzz I get as I realise the way I see the angles are off and my brain clicks into place as I measure it and adjust. Not at all like the next exercise ....

[hojoflow]

Gesture drawings ... Gesture drawings ... hmmmmm.

Very much out of my comfort zone. No time to put smiles on these ones. Currently, this exercise makes me extremely tense and stressed. I don't feel like I have enough time to convey what I need in 30 seconds. That being said, I trust the fundamentals and I will get good at these. Feedback is very much appreciated as I need some kind of better perspective on these.

[hojoflow]

60 seconds I enjoy more. I feel like I can put in at least enough to satisfy myself. Still, though, I know I'm missing something that isn't clicking. Half an hour of this a day is intimidating to me. But I'll crush it.

[hojoflow]

I had a long think about gesture drawing yesterday, what the point was, and whether or not I need to practice in 30 and 60 seconds.

Marc's youtube version of the video doesn't even mention 30 and 60 seconds and I feel does a much better job of helping me understand what the point of the gesture drawings is. TO OBSERVE and to build a visual library. I need to learn which lines to place, which at this point in my journey means I need to take my time doing them.

As an introvert, I do my best when operating from my para-sympathetic nervous system, so I need to be peaceful and slow to observe and draw. The timer helps me not to overdraw or spend time erasing but I chose to do a 2-minute, then 5-minute. Anything less puts me in a state of stress that is very unhelpful.

Here's what I managed. Still hate it, but it's doable on a daily basis. Until I get a breakthrough, I will be researching gesture drawings obsessively.

[Lockenheim]

Love the note taking on these studies! I do this a lot and frequently come back to them! Really nice practice keep it up!

[hojoflow]

Thanks mate, every bit of encouragement fills up the fuel tank.

[hojoflow]

Hit day three of gestures - I've been looking into Mike Mattesi's force method and trying to capture his essence in my drawings. I don't want my gesture drawings to look like carbon copies of his drawings. I would much prefer to assimilate his mindset on flow and energy.

[hojoflow]

First time doing perspective today. A real pleasure to be learning the fundamentals in classic theoretical form.

I can feel the fundamentals leveling up my art foundations

First I did some boxes with one point to familiarise myself.

Then I thought I'd try a library room.

I was happy with the results but I will NOT be staying up till 3 in the morning drawing books and ornaments on book shelves for the sake of a study. Not good time management. I grasped the point and am ready for the next part of the video. Much love everyone. I hope your art journey's are blessed.

[lindseyharrington000]

Awesome job on the circles!!!

[hojoflow]

Got my feet wet with some two-point perspective today. To keep up the term trajectory.

Still loving learning new skills at this point, although ...
there are always gestures to talk about ...

[hojoflow]

Oh, gesture drawing ... how you haunt me so.

Since my first attempt at gesture drawing, I have felt lackluster. And like an obsessive detective creating a pinboard in his home office I've been continually thinking about them.

As I've consumed videos and sat thoughtfully about the subject I've realized a couple of things that will change my art forever.

1. My scratchy lines are going to die the death of a caterpillar that has ended its time. They are hindering flow, so they have to go.

2. Rhythm. Connection. Force.

So I've been trying to digest the force method to assimilate it into my soul and make it a part of my own style.

First, draw force lines over poses. To understand them a little.

Then try my own without the paint over.

Here's the full complement of my gestures from today ...

I know I still don't understand force enough to do energetic gestures quickly but I finally feel confident that I have a thread to pull on.
I will draw a few of these a day in place of my gesture practice until I feel confident to add a time limit of some kind and push on through the course.

If any of your lovely people can see anything that can help me in any way, please feel free to give feedback. My love goes out to you.

[Lockenheim]

I think your gestures are coming along really well! It is really difficult at first and for me its still quite difficult. It forces that observation skill. I think you are doing a smart thing by doing the trace overs first to find how you would do the gesture then doing them. I think you are doing it exactly as you should be keep it up!

[hojoflow]

Thank you for the encouragement. Means a lot to be supported by the community.

[hojoflow]

Thanks mate, it really is a challenge. I think I’ve broke the he back of it though (meaning I feel comfortable to do a few of these a day and move on with other things.)

Nearly ready for term two. Little more perspective lessoning first.

[hojoflow]

My final assignment of Term 1 today, my first ever building in two-point perspective!

I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed it. I held myself back from filling in every stone and roof tile so as not to waste time.

My aim was to practice with the vanishing points so that is what I did!

I was pleased and think I hit the lines well. When it's time to push more into perspective I feel I have done enough for the next assignment.

[hojoflow]

I started a thread in the Art Critique forum regarding gesture drawing and it got a very very helpful reply.

Here's the link for any that would find it enlightening:

https://forums.cubebrush.co/t/my-journey-with-gestures-with-a-little-help-from-you/11071/5

I'm still digesting and practicing it so for now I'll just say that I am abstracting gestures further down, which will enable me to build more rhythm as I improve my figure drawings.

Here's the last three days' worth:

And with that, I am onto Term 2 tomorrow, the second milestone. I'll do something to celebrate it. I love imprinting my soul with celebration and gratitude. Hope you are all doing well. x

[playforwho89]

Gestures look awsome you can really feel the energy, 2 point perspective asinglemt looks solid. Perpective in general I find thos asingments are allso the most fun for me. Overl all amazing progres cant wait to see more

[hojoflow]

Hey Playforwho89, was thinking about you yesterday. I Was appreciating how you welcomed me to the forums and hoped you were still pressing into your art journey.

Thanks for the encouragement my friend, I'm so appreciative for being about to break out of siff figures, who knew the answer would be stick figures