Week 3 Journal: Proportions, Plans, and a Monster

This week was a mix of confidence, confusion, tiny victories, and a couple of dramatic walkaways from my easel. I started Week 3 feeling great about my portrait assignments, but the minute we got into flesh tones everything fell apart. I guess that is part of the journey. Some assignments fill you with momentum and others slow you down enough to make you pay attention.

Plain Shifts Assignment: Boxes, Interiors, and Proportions

We began with sketching planes and interior shapes using simple cardboard boxes. This assignment focused on proportions and accuracy. Even though the subject matter did not excite me, it forced my brain to slow down and actually measure. I struggled with the scaling tool because the fulcrum socket is wider than the axle pin, so my measurements kept shifting. Still, I learned to look for the big shapes first.

Monster Portrait Step 1: Blocking In With Eight Brushstrokes

Now this was fun. I only had eight brushstrokes and three colors to create the basic structure of a portrait. That limitation pushed me to see the big shapes instead of obsessing over details. It felt loose, bold, and honestly a little chaotic in the best way.

Loose oil painting block-in using bold red, yellow, and black strokes. The portrait is only suggested through eight large brushstrokes with raw canvas visible. — The eight brushstroke challenge. Just three colors and only eight strokes. It forced me to see big shapes instead of details and it made the whole portrait way more fun than I expected.

Watching the portrait appear through subtraction felt like magic. It reminded me why I love painting.

Oil painting in early stages showing bright red and yellow underpainting with large black areas. Light forms of the face are revealed by wiping paint away to show the structure. — Subtraction stage from the monster portrait. This part was so fun. Pulling light out of the paint made the face appear almost like magic.

Cardboard Still Life: Value Shifts in Charcoal

This assignment tested my patience. I know studying still life is important, but drawing random objects does not speak to me creatively. Even so, learning to build darker values in charcoal helped the rest of my projects. It reminded me that not every assignment needs to be inspiring to be useful.

Charcoal still life drawing of a cardboard box, a metal teapot, and a small vase on stacked surfaces. The values are softly blended with dark shaded areas behind the setup. — The cardboard still life. Not my favorite subject, but I learned a lot about value shifts and accuracy. Even when the assignment feels dry, the skills still grow.

Blocking In a Charcoal Portrait

This was the moment where it all clicked. Building form with charcoal came naturally and I could feel how the earlier exercises prepared me for this. Form, planes, edges, structure. It came together quickly and boosted my confidence going into the rest of the week.

Charcoal portrait drawing of a woman with long hair looking to the side with a subtle smirk. Soft shading blends with dark defined lines around the eyes and hair. — Charcoal portrait study. This one came together fast and helped everything click. I could finally feel the structure behind the form.

Monster Portrait Step 2: Flesh Tones and Complements

This is where everything broke down. I followed the instructions exactly but for some reason my flesh tones looked completely wrong. Chalky. Artificial. Lifeless. I felt like I was missing a step. After fighting with it for too long, I ended up wiping the whole painting off and walking away. It was frustrating and honestly discouraging.

Monster Portrait Step 3: Plane Shifts and Bringing It All Together

After a good reset, I came back to the monster portrait and pushed through the frustration. This stage brought everything together. The structure from the eight-stroke block in, the charcoal understanding from the portrait study, and the value control from the still life. Even though I struggled, I could see the progress. The final result is not perfect, but it feels like growth, and that is exactly what I am here for.

Oil painting of a female portrait with dramatic warm and cool tones, showing strong red and yellow underpainting beneath the final flesh tones. The expression is intense and the background is dark. — Week 3 monster portrait complete. This piece took me through every emotion possible, but seeing it come together in the end was worth it. Learning to trust the structure under the paint is everything.

Reflection

Week 3 stretched me both technically and emotionally. I walked in confident, got knocked flat by color mixing, then climbed my way back. I am learning that not every piece needs to be pretty. Some are just stepping stones. Some are there to teach patience.