The Secret of Simple Forms

In this lesson, you'll learn to simplify complex objects into basic forms that you can draw accurately from any angle. By reducing objects to simple shapes like boxes, cylinders, and spheres, you'll develop the ability to draw from imagination rather than merely copying what you see.

You'll practice repositioning these simplified forms to understand their structure and master the line systems that determine perspective. The lesson introduces the Blob Approach, a method of starting with a shape and adding cross-contour lines to define it.

Your challenge will be to choose a subject, preferably boxy, and draw it in various positions without focusing on detail—enhancing your skill in visualizing forms from different angles.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Intro
00:14 - Review
00:50 - Draw From Any Angle
04:18 - Project
05:33 - Spheres as Forms
07:10 - Outro

#perspective #drawing #forms

Don't miss new tutorials - Hit the BELL!

FOLLOW PROKO:

WATCH MORE PROKO:

ABOUT PROKO:

Instructional How to Draw videos for artists. My drawing lessons are approachable enough for beginners and detailed enough for advanced artists. My philosophy is to teach timeless concepts in an entertaining way. I believe that when you are having fun, you learn better. I take pride in producing high-quality videos that you will enjoy watching and re-watching.

CREDITS:

Script - Marshall Vandruff
Production Assistance - Sean Ramsey, Charlie Nicholson
Publishing - John Birchall, Alex Otis

Music Used with Permission
Intro - The Freak Fandango Orchestra

Additional music by Epidemic Sound

[boboloko]

I have a bachelor's in studio art, but none of my professors taught me how to do this. I feel cheated out of an essential drawing skill. Now, I am drawing teapots and rocking horses, trying my best to simplify the complex shapes. I'm struggling but learning a lot.

[allanredhill]

This is such a core skill that cripples the growth of so many beginner artists. I would go so far as to say solid drawing is the ONLY drawing skill you need on a technical level - everything else is a design problem, not a drawing problem. Train your brain to think 3 dimensionally and suddenly like 80% of the process wont overwhelm you anymore. Dont chase perfect anatomy or style when starting out - instead practice form and volumes. Art is a methodology you apply to break reality down into digestible shapes. Its not a subject you can learn like in school where you only memorize facts and recite them like a parrot ^^

[Revanaught]

The more I learn and the more I study art the more this one universal truth becomes apparent and unavoidable.

Everything is boxes.

[bluefuzecom]

One of the best classes I ever took in art school was “Construction Drawing” - this is the stuff right here. Gold

[wallyfrogmore]

this is one of the best advertisements for any course I've seen. I need to get it now

[sapazu]

The drawing at 5:17 helped me to understand this concept a lot! Thanks for these awesome videos !!

[holygooff]

In my drawing class we do nothing but copying and sketching. I'm getting pretty good at doing that. Ther main skill is to know proportions and to know what to draw and what not.
I cannot draw anything myself though. This what you show here is a skill I tried before, but it was so hard. Now I'll give it another try because clearly it's essential.

[UjjwalPrakash-cw]

Even the examples of Marshall are Black and white, oldie-goldie and his pronounciation is old too.
Lot of things is there to enjoy besides his skill in art ❤❤
Fabulous 😊

[th_Colossus]

The blob approach is genius! I wanna see more.

[StickyTSF]

it feels like if Optimus Prime hung out with bob ross for a weekend, i love this

[huyquang]

his voice is like a magic, never get bored hearing it

[stevethomas]

The one thing they don't teach at art school. Simplifying!!! I remember art school. Drawing what you see getting the lesson, but very little on simplifying. There was one class in figure drawing the teacher talked to us about drawing the model with boxes and I struggled to get the concept. I wish I knew all this before I took figure drawing.

[KirtivasanGanesan]

Very useful tutorial. Thanks for sharing the idea of simple forms.

[heiispoon]

The title can be also how to draw like kim jung gi! I remember one of the interview with the late master is to put your subject in a box

[Iamtherealyanh]

Oh, this is so good Thank you SO MUCH !!!

[swissives]

Thank you. So logical and simple but at the same time difficult. Love it.
I will practice!❤

[JayChase-xw]

Building a structure lines in the simple shape is awesome I stumbled in this technique on my
Own after a lot of failures wish I had this video in the beginning I guess I know I’m stumbling in the right directions 😅

[deepanshukasania]

thnx for teaching me
always something new to learn

[katharinas]

Thank you for the inspiration. I'm drawing since I was a child. But honestly I'm avoiding the perspective things a little bit. I know it's necessary but it's less fun than other things. This afternoon I will buy a new sketchbook only for this kind of drawings. I really want to push myself.

[grahamothy]

The Bridgman Bootcamp prepared me for this assignment 🎉