Begin here and here if this is new to you.

This week’s exercise, like the last, is based upon a plate from Adolphe Yvon’s drawing course.

You will notice that in this plate Yvon shows us a more volumetric way of perceiving and drawing the head. He still prefers to flatten the main curves, but not in a way which flattens the shape as a whole.

Your job is to find a different object from what you used last week. Despite the fact that the example above is a head, you should use something far simpler.

This week is almost all about analysis. When observing the object, rather than trying to perceive it in a two-dimensional, cookie-cutter way, try to view the object as something which has volume (which it does). When analyzing, try to ‘see around’ the object, but don’t actually rotate it during the observation period. Notice the cylinder in the upper-left example. See how he is trying to view the head in the same way.

Pay attention to the way the values describe the form and observe which are the darkest, middle and lightest.

When you attempt to draw the object from memory, follow the steps which you see in the example. Draw softly and begin with the large, simple shape. Then, carve down the big shape into smaller ones. Don’t forget to use value to represent form.

Strive for accuracy, not a caricature. If you succeed, memorize another view on the following day, and so on. If it’s a struggle, use the same orientation on each day until you nail it.

Once again, try to take a photograph of each position you memorized. These are, of course, not to be used during the exercises. They are simply a means to help you recall the source at a later date, when you go back over the exercises.