# My Pressure Scales attempt **URL:** \ **Category:** WC: The Language of Drawing\ **Tags:** wip, drawing\ **Created:** [May 9, 2019, 11:34am UTC](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/my-pressure-scales-attempt/869 "2019-05-09T11:34:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pranavjit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/278dde/32.png) [@pranavjit](https://www.smartermarx.com/u/pranavjit)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2019, 11:34am UTC](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/my-pressure-scales-attempt/869/1 "2019-05-09T11:34:43Z")
![01%20PM](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/smartmarx/original/2X/8/8a5d4a82afefd841da1fd1e07f260daf95ec5ca6.jpeg) Hey i am new to this forum and looking forward to some critique as i progress with the LoD curriculum. I am self learning so online critiques are my only guidance. This is my first page of pressure scales, i’ll probably do one or two more, what all can i improve? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![daniel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/www.smartermarx.com/daniel/32/1355_2.png) [@daniel](https://www.smartermarx.com/u/daniel)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 3:51am UTC](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/my-pressure-scales-attempt/869/2 "2019-05-10T03:51:30Z")
![pressure%20scales](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/smartmarx/original/2X/5/5c4f903267778e980a8387505f722503b4285c4c.jpeg) I think I did a thousand scales if not more for 2 months, it sucked but I did it and it’s what made me confident in my drawing. ---
**Author:** ![daniel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/www.smartermarx.com/daniel/32/1355_2.png) [@daniel](https://www.smartermarx.com/u/daniel)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 3:57am UTC](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/my-pressure-scales-attempt/869/3 "2019-05-10T03:57:44Z")
It’s a really great start you have going on there!!! I’d say more consistency and fade out so you can’t distinguish the end of the scale. ---
**Author:** ![daniel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/www.smartermarx.com/daniel/32/1355_2.png) [@daniel](https://www.smartermarx.com/u/daniel)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 4:03am UTC](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/my-pressure-scales-attempt/869/4 "2019-05-10T04:03:40Z")
Here is a better picture of mine, there are a few good ones in there haha. Hope it helps you out a bit. ![38](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/smartmarx/original/2X/4/4448da71721b70f7bff6bcaffadf6a7186d06b0c.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![pranavjit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/278dde/32.png) [@pranavjit](https://www.smartermarx.com/u/pranavjit)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 8:36am UTC](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/my-pressure-scales-attempt/869/5 "2019-05-10T08:36:21Z")
HEy! thanks for that, i am definately having a hard time keeping it all consistent as well as tapering off at the lower end, at this point i am also unable to distinguish the good ones from the better ones. i have a question, assuming all of us are working at a near vertical surface( i am working on a 45 degree surface) where should most of the pressure come from? from the shoulder ? wrist? arm? common sense tells me that shoulder and arm should contribute most of the pressure (since applying pressure from wrist leads to pain or carpel tunnel) but i might be wrong ---
**Author:** ![pranavjit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/278dde/32.png) [@pranavjit](https://www.smartermarx.com/u/pranavjit)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 8:37am UTC](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/my-pressure-scales-attempt/869/6 "2019-05-10T08:37:19Z")
here is the one for today. ![18%20PM](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/smartmarx/original/2X/3/3b2bc3cdf63d0b744e2d50a1782f971018db88d8.jpeg) i think i will do one more and then move on to gradations. ---
**Author:** ![daniel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/www.smartermarx.com/daniel/32/1355_2.png) [@daniel](https://www.smartermarx.com/u/daniel)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 1:09pm UTC](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/my-pressure-scales-attempt/869/7 "2019-05-10T13:09:19Z")
The last set of scales you posted looked better than the previous set but YES you’re right in that they’re not consistent, SOOO what to do … The only solution is to keep doing them over and over much like practicing a musical instrument. For a frame of reference you should be drawing pages of scales that may take weeks or even months IF you’re looking to get certain results so keep that in mind. I remember putting my shoulder into it then my wrist trying to figure out what’s best but you’ll need to experiment It’s been a couple years since I’ve done them. I’ll draw a scale and post it for you today and show you the proper gradations if you’re interested. ---
**Author:** ![pranavjit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/278dde/32.png) [@pranavjit](https://www.smartermarx.com/u/pranavjit)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 3:54pm UTC](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/my-pressure-scales-attempt/869/8 "2019-05-10T15:54:20Z")
Yes please! Anyway here’s my third attempt, these are more consistent, i don’t think i NEED to do a fourth page now. but i “might”. ![06%20PM](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/smartmarx/original/2X/1/1ff8e59540e4fecd1a98680bf1d0c9fa7e07a7b3.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![AWaichulis](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/www.smartermarx.com/awaichulis/32/2859_2.png) [@AWaichulis](https://www.smartermarx.com/u/AWaichulis)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 5:52pm UTC](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/my-pressure-scales-attempt/869/9 "2019-05-10T17:52:56Z")
SOOOOOO much better in terms of consistency. Nice gradations, good consistency in size and shape—the only thing that I could see is getting a more consistent successful taper at the end of the scale. ![SCalesforCrit](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/smartmarx/original/2X/3/39d78a85fb22259a1e3ea2da193a55f08caefedd.jpeg) Some of the tapers ending are a little abrupt (A)—while others are quite good (B). Here is a video that might be helpful in focusing on tapers: [https://www.smartermarx.com/t/drawing-video-building-successful-pressure-scale-tapers/53](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/drawing-video-building-successful-pressure-scale-tapers/53) Keep up posted! ❤ ---
**Author:** ![AWaichulis](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/www.smartermarx.com/awaichulis/32/2859_2.png) [@AWaichulis](https://www.smartermarx.com/u/AWaichulis)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 5:53pm UTC](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/my-pressure-scales-attempt/869/10 "2019-05-10T17:53:47Z")
Ya got some sweet scales there Dan! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![daniel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/www.smartermarx.com/daniel/32/1355_2.png) [@daniel](https://www.smartermarx.com/u/daniel)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 6:19pm UTC](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/my-pressure-scales-attempt/869/11 "2019-05-10T18:19:35Z")
Haha thanks, remember when I was at the studio, Rodney whipped me into shape mercilessly. ---
**Author:** ![thomas](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/www.smartermarx.com/thomas/32/1605_2.png) [@thomas](https://www.smartermarx.com/u/thomas)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 8:31am UTC](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/my-pressure-scales-attempt/869/12 "2019-05-11T08:31:29Z")
Daniel, how many charcoal pencils does it take you to do one sheet? I found that I obliterated about one pencil per sheet. And I had to keep sharpening the charcoal pencil every two minutes. On a related issue, am I the only one who finds charcoal abhorrent as a medium to work with? Paint seems so much easier in comparison. ---
**Author:** ![daniel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/www.smartermarx.com/daniel/32/1355_2.png) [@daniel](https://www.smartermarx.com/u/daniel)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 12:52pm UTC](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/my-pressure-scales-attempt/869/13 "2019-05-12T12:52:45Z")
I went through many pencils but that was just part of the process. There’s no easy way. Yea it was a pain in the ass sharpening, breakage, etc. but in the end I’d put the quality of my drawings up against “most” anybody’s. ---
**Author:** ![pranavjit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/278dde/32.png) [@pranavjit](https://www.smartermarx.com/u/pranavjit)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 1:32pm UTC](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/my-pressure-scales-attempt/869/14 "2019-05-12T13:32:03Z")
Alright, my fourth and final attempt. ![33%20PM](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/smartmarx/original/2X/d/d3b05ba285c6b54bdcae6fe2506f71821071f182.jpeg) I took a day off so when i came back i thought i had lost it, so the first two rows are off, but by the end of the page i finally cracked the last piece of the puzzle (“heard but not seen”). judging the difference b/w this one and my last attempt i am clearly hitting the diminishing returns of this exercise so i am going to move on to gradations. i will still practice pressure scales on a regular basis tho but just on a smaller level, like one or two a day. Thank you everyone for your responses, i will be sure to post most of my exercises here. ---
**Author:** ![AWaichulis](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/www.smartermarx.com/awaichulis/32/2859_2.png) [@AWaichulis](https://www.smartermarx.com/u/AWaichulis)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 1:50pm UTC](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/my-pressure-scales-attempt/869/15 "2019-05-12T13:50:21Z")
Really nice Pranavjit!!! Look like you are really getting the hang of it. I’m anxious to see how you fare in the gradations arena. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pranavjit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/278dde/32.png) [@pranavjit](https://www.smartermarx.com/u/pranavjit)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 2:05pm UTC](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/my-pressure-scales-attempt/869/16 "2019-05-12T14:05:59Z")
Thanks Anthony, BTW, i will be doing gradations on White paper rather than Toned paper(i don’t really have toned paper, its unreasonably costly where i live) which means that i’ll have to do half as much work. But i’m hoping to make up for it by focusing on polishing the gradations as smooth as they could be, what do you think? ---
**Author:** ![daniel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/www.smartermarx.com/daniel/32/1355_2.png) [@daniel](https://www.smartermarx.com/u/daniel)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 2:21pm UTC](https://www.smartermarx.com/t/my-pressure-scales-attempt/869/17 "2019-05-12T14:21:44Z")
Wow, what an improvement!!! Looks good!!