Online Drawing Course
"Drawing Secrets Revealed"
ACCESS IT HERE.
As a portrait artist who has been painting professionally for more than a decade, I have developed a 12-lesson online video drawing instruction series that dovetails with my philosophy that your drawing skills need to be in place before any other skills such as painting with color media, and ANYONE can learn the techniques and "secrets" to draw anything they see. I have testimonials of dozens of students and customers that attest to the effectiveness of "Drawing Secrets Revealed"!
Here's what you'll learn in this comprehensive and effective course!
This lesson gives you a treasure chest of materials, tips, techniques, and drawing secrets to get your drawing skills started off on a solid foundation.
We start out with some warm-up exercises that I’ve used myself and that my students have said really loosen them up and get them ready to draw. These exercises shake up your preconceived notions and set habits so you can approach drawing with a fresh mindset. I recommend doing these exercises frequently as you continue on your drawing journey.
Then I go into drawing materials. There’s far too much to contain in one lesson, but my objective with this lesson is to give you a great primer on some basic (and some not-so-basic) materials that I find personally helpful, and some outright irreplaceable. I go into detail about the qualities and differences of graphite and charcoal (information that’s actually hard to come by), so you feel much more prepared to go into an art store and know where to go to get the materials you need for your composition. I illustrate the differences in types of charcoal, the different effect you can get, and how different types of paper affect the marks you make.
Then I’ll address pencil grips – a concept that’s so important to master because your pencil grip can be the difference between a successful drawing and one you can’t do anything to adjust or correct.
I share a few drawing techniques and concepts, including tone, the effect of a bevel pencil tip, hatching and cross hatching, and how to avoid banding in your pencil work. Then I finish that off with addressing negative space, a concept which will crop up several times throughout the course.
I close the lesson with my Top Drawing Secrets, those techniques and tips I use every time I draw or paint. These are absolutely invaluable to getting started off right in your drawing journey and if you start incorporating these into your drawing sessions now, you will find your drawings improve by leaps and bounds!
It’s easy to think you can skip a lesson called “getting started” because you’re ready to get right to it! But I am not exaggerating when I say this lesson provides you with such a great foundation that you will benefit from in every single subsequent lesson. I can’t wait to show you all the great materials and techniques I have to share so you can start becoming the artist you’ve always dreamed of being!
In this lesson, you’ll learn about more than just a few shapes! You’ll learn how to quickly draft a subject by just identifying the shapes involved. This is a preparation for Lesson 3 on blocking in your drawing, and enables you to get the whole subject on your paper with just a few lines.
Then we go right into the Elements of Lighting, which is crucial to being able to shade realistically. I explain five main elements of lighting and show how they change on different shapes. This leads right into the section on ellipse shapes which are featured prominently in shadow shapes, especially for rounded objects.
I address the perspective involved in accurately gauging and rendering those elliptical shadow shapes.
I finish off the section on elements of lighting with showing some exceptions to those elements depending on the strength and location of your light source(s). I show lots of examples so you can see for yourself all the ways those few elements of lighting show up in your subject (including in the human figure), which is integral to being able to render your subjects realistically in your drawings.
Then it’s time for the step-by-step demonstrations! I demonstrate drawing the sphere, the cube, the cone, and the cylinder, focusing on how the elements of lighting are showing up in each subject and showing you step-by-step how to go from a blank page to a realistically rendered object.
This practice in drawing and shading basic shapes is essential to initially learning how to recognize the elements of lighting in very simple situations so you can apply that knowledge and practice to more complex subjects. This lesson is a terrific (and necessary) precursor to my Lesson 4 on Values where I go into more detail about tone and shading. Taking your time to master drawing and shading simple basic shapes will enable you to master later lessons with much more ease!
In this lesson, you’ll learn all about the block-in, starting with an introduction that explains WHY it’s so essential to any drawing or painting.
Then we’ll move on to our first block-in approach, using axis lines, which is great to use when drawing from a photograph. I use two different step-by-step demonstrations to teach this because I feel it’s so important when first learning a proper block-in. I include tips and techniques in this section that are absolutely VITAL to your drawing, restating some of my Top Drawing Secrets from Lesson 1 – Getting Started, and modeling their use in my demonstrations so you can see how to use them in an actual drawing session.
After those two demonstrations showing you how to use the axis lines approach, I address both negative space and changing scale, which is important to understand when blocking in a drawing or painting.
Then I move on to techniques you can use to block in when drawing from life. There are special considerations when drawing from life you don’t need to think about when drawing from a photograph. I address these considerations and offer you a number of techniques to use when drawing from life (which you can also use when drawing from a photograph, incidentally).
All of this is to provide you with a terrific “starter kit” of block-in techniques to apply to your own compositions. I finish off the lesson with a brief look at how you can use the block-in techniques I’ve taught in this lesson on more complex compositions like human figures.
Then I present a brief lesson recap because I cover a LOT in this lesson and repetition is so important to really lock in what you’re learning. I share a practice exercise that gives you a chance to apply what you’ve learned to a fresh composition without the benefit of a step-by-step demonstration to follow along with. This lesson is full of content, and you’ll learn a lot!
This lesson gives you a great toolkit for shading your drawings by teaching you different shading and drawing techniques, allowing you to experiment with both graphite and charcoal, and working from both grayscale and color subjects.
We’ll talk first about values and what they are, why they’re so tricky, and how you can evaluate them accurately. You’ll learn about a great tool, a value scale, and the benefits of both creating one of your own and buying a professional one from an art store.
Then you’ll practice using a value scale in three different demonstrations that take three of the block-ins you did in “Lesson 3 – The Block-In” that will cover a number of concepts. I’ll demonstrate line variation, lost and found lines, and subtraction to give you an idea of the fun you can have while you shade to get the effect you want.
I’ll pay particular attention to evaluating values in color subjects, since it can be challenging to translate color values when you’re working in grayscale. You’ll get a clear idea of the advantages and disadvantages of working in both graphite and charcoal so you can decide for yourself which medium to use in a particular drawing.
In all the demonstrations, you’ll see the best way to start laying in values to “get you off on the right foot” in accurately gauging the rest of your values throughout your drawing session.
Then I present a brief lesson recap to summarize everything I’ve taught in this lesson. You’ll then have the opportunity to apply everything you’ve learned in this lesson to a practice exercise that allows you to build on the block-in you created in Lesson 3’s practice exercise. You’ve been so diligent in getting through all the previous lessons before getting to this lesson. Now with a solid foundation beneath you, you’re ready for the fun of shading!
Lesson 5: Distances & Proportions
This lesson is an extension of Lesson 3 because these skills are needed for more complex compositions and more precise measurements. It’s intensive, comprehensive, and tremendously effective to create a really terrific block-in. As I’ve said before (and probably will say again), it’s impossible to fully erase mistakes once you begin shading, which is why a solid block-in is so important before moving on to shading.
You will learn how to accurately calculate distances in your composition, both when changing scale and not changing scale.
I’ll be teaching you two different approaches that will enable you to get a terrific likeness, no matter your subject.
These approaches, modeled in several demonstrations in this lesson, run the gamut of possible scenarios:
- changing scale
- not changing scale
- drawing from life
- drawing from a photograph
- drawing single objects, both complex and simple
- drawing multiple objects in a single composition
I’ll show you the tips to making sure all your measurements are consistent and correct – and how to incorporate my Top Drawing Secrets throughout your drawing sessions – so you don’t get to the end of your block-in and find you have to redo it!
I make sure to address negative space in this lesson so you know how to gauge the measurements of those as well.
When changing scale, you’ll learn not only how to take the various measurements of your composition, but how to relate them to each other so that even though your drawing is bigger or smaller than your subject, the ratio and proportions are the same.
These demonstrations pack a lot of punch and will enable you by the end of the lesson to accurately measure and render the measurements of any composition you attempt! They will also prepare you for the composition I’m providing for this lesson’s independent practice which will both challenge you and give you tremendous satisfaction in how well you are able to render it using the skills this lesson teaches you.
This lesson holds a special place in my heart because it’s at the root of my claim that you can draw ANYTHING you see. I promise you that if you follow along and put in the time and practice, you will see your drawings improve immediately!
In this lesson you’ll be training your eyes to see the essence of any figure. I’ll be showing you two different exercises to teach you what to look for and quickly render that on your paper. Gesture drawing is about speed and freedom.
Remember from Lesson 3 that the first step of a block-in is all about placement and size. You’ll be achieving that first step with figures in a fast and fun way. This lesson will loosen you up, reminding you of the fun and excitement of drawing, and injecting energy and vitality into your work.
I’ll be showing you how to find that energy in both human and animal subjects and how to find it not only in moving figures but even in stationary figures. You’ll get to practice rendering that core, basic movement even in complicated poses.
This lesson is a precursor to the next lesson on drawing the human form, and if you practice these concepts, you’ll find drawing the figures in the next lesson even easier and more fun!
This lesson gives you the opportunity to integrate everything you’ve learned so far in this course! It’s a really exciting chance for you to see how far you’ve come since you began!
You’ll build on what you learned in the last lesson on gesture by learning ways to draw a human figure so its proportions, perspective, and shading are accurate. The last lesson taught you an essential understanding about the vitality of a living subject, but this lesson is where you take that raw energy and hone it down to a realistic figure.
I’ll teach you several approaches for measuring the human figure so no matter what position it’s in – and no matter what its size and shape – you’ll be able to render it on paper. I address the changing proportions of children and demonstrate drawing both a child and an adult.
This lesson will give you a good primer on human anatomy and muscle structure which will give you a basic understanding of how the human body is knit together and where bones and muscle come into play in the form.
I will show you how to see and shade the main planes of the human body which provide the foundation for the subtle, complex realistic shading you expect from a finished figure drawing. I also address drawing certain body parts like hands and feet which often challenge learning artists, and I give you plenty of opportunities to practice getting familiar with those.
There is a LOT of content in this lesson, including reference images and demonstrations, but I don’t want you to get overwhelmed! While I emphasize throughout this course to follow along with all the demonstrations, this particular lesson also includes a lot of practice images that you can do on your own.
So there are three main step-by-step demonstrations you are expected to follow along with, but for your continued growth, I also provide opportunities for tracing and shading to allow you to develop your figure drawing skills further.
Faces and figures are my particular passion, so naturally, I’ve labored over this lesson to give you the most useful, helpful instruction that really builds on previous lessons to allow you to blossom as an artist.
This is one of the most content-packed lessons in this series. That’s probably because faces are my passion! And I’m not alone – a lot of artists are just as fascinated with faces and would love to know how to draw portraits. But even if you’re interested in other subjects, this lesson will give you the tools to do a portrait if you wish.
Often, people who say they aren’t interested in faces feel that way because deep down they are completely overwhelmed by the prospect of capturing a likeness. It’s a frequent habit of the human brain to react with boredom or disinterest when it’s faced with too daunting a task.
But you’ll probably finish this lesson with a big smile on your face, saying, “Wow! I can’t believe how much better I am at portraits!” You’ll feel more capable and empowered to take on any human subject in any given pose and create a portrait you can be proud of.
The thing about capturing a likeness is that it takes really great observation skills, which you’re fine-tuning throughout this entire program. This means that if you can capture a human likeness, you probably have the skills necessary to do well with any subject!
I’ve structured my entire “Drawing Secrets Revealed” program to be built from the ground up, basing all concepts on a solid foundation of previously taught concepts. This lesson is no exception. So I start by teaching you some guidelines that can help you deconstruct any given human head. I show you these guidelines with both frontal and profile views, and I include children’s head proportions as well! But I don’t stop there.
There’s enormous variety in human heads, and it wouldn’t do you much good to show you the proportions of the human head without also showing you, with a number of examples, how they can be adjusted for individual likenesses. An important component of this lesson is to not only teach you what to think, but how to think, so you can take what I teach you and extrapolate it to any subject you draw.
Then I take that information and show you how you would alter those guidelines and features when the head is at an angle. I cover both up-tilted and down-tilted angles, as well as a variety of three-quarter views, so you can feel confident that you can render the features accurately no matter what angle the head is held at.
I extend that basic understanding with instruction on both basic cranial anatomy and planes of the head. I explain in the lesson why each of these components is necessary to being able to render a human head. And again, I include children’s cranial anatomy and head planes as well.
Then I show you a variety of facial features (eyes, mouths, noses, and ears), from different angles and with different expressions so you can really study how these features can change. This continues to refine your observation skills. I don’t just show you these features, though. I also walk you through how to draw each one, pointing out how to take them from a few lines to three-dimensional, realistic drawings.
And that’s not even the full demonstrations! In addition to everything else I teach you in this lesson, I take you through three different portrait demonstrations, one of which teaches you a whole new way to block in a drawing that many professional artists use regularly! These demonstrations incorporate what I’ve taught you so far in this lesson about proportions and angles of the human head, planes of the head, cranial anatomy, and shading realistically. The demonstrations will give you practice in drawing with both graphite and charcoal, and incorporating color with what is known as a “limited palette.”
You’ll get detailed instruction with each demonstration to really hone your observation skills so you can see like an artist with any subject, and get the opportunity to practice those skills as you follow along with me.
That’s plenty of information and instruction, but just for a bonus, I also include a number of portraits I’ve done to show you more examples of successful portraits which I hope will give you inspiration for your own portrait work. You are getting a lot in this lesson because I truly care about your growth as an artist.
Many art instruction courses will place perspective at the beginning. I can understand that – after all, perspective is such a common principle that it makes sense to address that right off.
But you can learn about perspective and still not have a good enough foundation in your drawing skills to implement it effectively in your drawing. I’m all about foundation – I talk about it throughout this course. And perspective can seem like such a complicated area because of all the different types of perspective and the need for more precise measurements than many other drawing principles. I don’t want you to get caught up in obsessively measuring your drawing that you lose the joy and fun a pencil and a piece of paper can bring you!
So now that you’ve established and practiced a range of foundational drawing skills throughout this program, you’re ready to dive into perspective – both understanding it and implementing it.
I’ll teach you the basic observations of perspective that you have observed yourself in real life that you may not be consciously aware of. It’s important to be mindful about these observations because your viewer will be aware of them as well.
Then I’ll teach you the different types of perspective, from one-, two-, and three-point perspective to multiple point, zero-point, and atmospheric perspective. This lesson contains plenty of clear-cut diagrams so you can see at a glance how these types of perspective come into play in real life.
You’ll learn how perspective changes depending on a number of factors, including vantage point, viewing angle, and viewing distance, and you’ll learn how perspective can become distorted.
Then I’ll show you how to render proper perspective in a number of step-by-step demonstrations. You’ll practice several different examples of one-point perspective, from simple one-point perspective to progressively more complex scenarios of equally spaced objects and equally sized objects. I also include a step-by-step demonstration of two-point perspective which is common in many compositions.
My goal is to give you a strong foundation with perspective without overwhelming you or taking the fun of drawing away by chaining you to a ruler the entire time you draw. If you take the time to master the concepts and follow along with the demonstrations in this lesson, you’ll find your observation skills will become noticeably keener so you’ll be able to consciously recognize perspective in any situation and apply it successfully to your drawings.
You can master wonderful drawing techniques like shading, but if your perspective is off in a representational drawing (where your drawing is supposed to look like the subject in real life), your viewer will instantly recognize that disconnect, even if they aren’t consciously aware of it. They’ll just think it doesn’t “look right.” Fortunately, this lesson gives you the tools to ensure your drawing does “look right”!
If you’ve ever wanted to draw or paint beautiful landscapes and just didn’t know where to start – or how to develop further as a landscape artist – this lesson is for you. Starting from the ground up – like all my lessons – this lesson will give you the tools you’ll need to see landscapes like a true artist and be able to translate what you see onto your paper. This lesson will give you important, valuable information for both landscape drawings and paintings.
I first teach you a terrific framework to be able to understand and interpret just about any landscape. This framework breaks down landscapes into easily recognizable value planes that provide a strong foundation for a realistic drawing or painting. I lay out this framework in clear, organized components, explain how those components are influenced by the type of sky at play, and present common exceptions and observations you’ll notice when using this framework. My entire course is underpinned by my mission to teach you not only what to see, but how to see. So the information I give in this lesson is not a simple set of dogmatic rules but a way of seeing all the amazing variety available in landscape scenes.
I address aerial (or atmospheric) perspective at length to really help you understand how to render depth of field in your landscapes as it appears in real life. You learn the science behind the play of the light as scenes recede in the distance and how that affects both the sky and the land in different ways.
Training your eyes to critically evaluate the sky, the sun, and the clouds in different weather conditions, in different seasons, and at different times of day will have such an impact on your landscapes, so I address that at length in this lesson.
I also teach you how to frame and crop your landscapes because many landscapes can be overwhelming with all of the elements and features that they can make for unfocused, busy compositions. I show you several ways to hone in on your chosen focal point and plan out your drawing before investing all your time and energy drawing or painting a landscape that’s “dead in the water.”
I discuss how to make either graphite or charcoal work in a landscape and approaches that work best for each.
I present demonstrations that show you my step-by-step thought process in drawing landscapes using the concepts I teach in this lesson. It’s so helpful to actually see how to integrate the various concepts and techniques in your landscapes.
More than any other lesson in this series, I include so many reference photos that illustrate every point I make that can both teach you and inspire you in your own artwork! This lesson is a visual smorgasbord of examples and beautiful photography!
By the end of this lesson, you’ll probably be raring to draw or paint a landscape, now that you know how to break down a complex composition like a landscape into manageable components and translate it onto your paper. This lesson was designed to give you all the tools you need to begin exploring landscapes with confidence and enthusiasm and give you a launch pad for further study and practice. Landscapes have such dizzying variety and I want you to have fun with them!
Lesson 11: Surfaces & Textures
When you really consider all the subjects you could draw, the possibilities are dizzying. You may find that what makes a subject so compelling is the surface or texture of the subject that draws your eye. Whether the surface of the object is shiny and glossy, rough, angular, silky, or soft, capturing the particular texture of the object is key in truly communicating the spirit – the feel – of the subject.
With this lesson, you’ll be exploring all kinds of textures and surfaces, from reflective objects to fur to architecture to subjects from nature. While the range is by no means exhaustive, it will nonetheless give you a terrific primer to begin exploring all the different surfaces and textures in the world.
I begin with the fun – and challenging – topic of reflective surfaces. I cover water, metal, and glass, and finish with a fun surprise bonus! My demonstrations will show you how to take a basically shaded block-in to a finished drawing shimmering with reflections.
Then I move on to animals because drawing animals – and their fur – can be so fun! You’ll learn how to render the fur of a cat, a dog, and a horse with different mediums and paper.
Architectural subjects are also important to include in a lesson addressing surfaces and textures because architecture can encompass so many different types. As a sampler in this lesson, you’ll learn about roof tiles, wood slats like on a barn, stone, and windows.
I finish with common natural objects like trees and rocks. Because there’s such a variety of trees in the world, I try to address the main commonalities, to show you how to think about them in general because it would take far more than one lesson to cover everything about trees! You’ll learn how to draw deciduous and conifer trees with their unique shapes and leaf masses. As another natural subject, rocks provide incredible opportunities for you to refine your elements of lighting based on the types of rocks you’re viewing and the nature of the light.
All in all, this lesson is one of the longest in the “Drawing Secrets Revealed” program because I wanted to give you thorough instruction across a good variety of surfaces and textures. Again, there are so many more surfaces and textures out there in the world than I could ever fit into a lesson, but my aim is to get you started with a skill set of drawing techniques that can empower you to feel confident in tackling any subject, no matter the surface or texture.
By the end of this lesson, if you take your time and practice the various topics, your eyes will be opened both to the sheer variety of surfaces and textures ready for your sketchpad and to how possible it is to actually communicate those surfaces and textures through your pencil or charcoal. Although I focus on grayscale mediums to give you further practice to refine your observational skills with respect to values, I do address color in this lesson to help you bridge the gap between grayscale and color mediums for your own artistic ventures.
Lesson 12: Elements of Composition
This lesson on the elements of composition is such a terrific and valuable one to end the series on. That’s because you can have good drawing skills but if your composition is uninteresting, it all goes to waste. In this lesson, I delve into detail about a number of different compositional elements, from focal point to lighting to vantage point to cropping.
You’ll learn the different approaches to arranging a compelling focal point. You’ll also learn how to light your composition (different lighting setups lend themselves to different compositions) and how to approach both natural lighting and artificial lighting.
Along with lighting, I also include a brief section regarding camera use because, let’s face it, you don’t always have the luxury of painting from life and photographs provide a whole other level of compositional possibilities.
Then we move on to compositional theories like Rule of Thirds, Asymmetry and Symmetry, and Rule of Odds with plenty of examples so you can see the different effect each of these concepts has on a composition. You’ll come away with a whole new range of options for any given composition to get it just right!
I teach you ways to create depth in your two-dimensional drawing or painting, as well as how to simplify where needed so your composition isn’t cluttered or unfocused. Negative space, as I’ve shown throughout the course, is another important compositional principle to understand and effectively incorporate.
Leading lines guide your viewers’ eye through the main areas of interest in a drawing or painting. I teach you a variety of leading lines that illustrate all the ways you can arrange or hone a composition.
One of the main motivations for creating good compositions is to inspire emotion in your viewer, and I show you two distinct methods for doing this that can transform your drawing to one that lures the viewer and keeps them interested.
I teach at length about cropping which helps you incorporate a number of the elements of composition you’ll have learned in this lesson. You’ll understand how to determine if a composition works best in color or if it also translates well into grayscale for mediums like graphite and charcoal.
Rather than just showing a number of disparate elements of composition, I show you how to think about these elements so you know how to combine several of them in any given composition. The best drawings and paintings are balanced: not every element of composition will be present in a single drawing, but if you know how to intentionally choose a number of them to create a compelling composition, it will in turn lead (along with all the drawing techniques I’ve taught you in “Drawing Secrets Revealed”) to a great drawing or painting.
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Read what satisfied students have to say about "Drawing Secrets Revealed":
I love [the videos]. They are exactly what I need as I am a visual learner. I get a lot from reading but the actual viewing locks it in. Thanks for creating these lessons. -- Suzanne
This is a great opportunity to learn. What was I thinking when I was trying watercolor without knowing how to draw and shade. -- Dolores
I really appreciated the use of shapes in order to draw a dog. It was my first attempt since childhood! I surprised myself! How much easier it was to draw with that method in mind! I'm really enjoying the course because it requires me to take the time out of my life for art. As you stated, the more one practices, the better one becomes. -- Linda
Sarah, what a fun class. I never leave home without my cell phone and my ipad. Now, I'm also adding my value scale! As an artist, you may not understand this, but I am a retired engineer and never even thought I had a right brain. So imagine the world that you've opened up to me: I now see and notice shapes in nature and tonal values and can even make a decent attempt at reproducing them. I know there's lots more to learn, but even at this point -- look out world! Thanks for all your help. -- B.J.
I want to share something absolutely AMAZING! I did some practice work on Saturday with a 2B pencil, but decided - after reading your feedback - that I would follow your suggestions, especially using sharp pencils. I'm attaching a pic of the Before and After. I was absolutely STUNNED!! I don't know if this happens with your students all the time, but I am thrilled!!!! WHAT FUN! and how AMAZING is this?!!! One day... one feedback.. and look at the difference!! Big Smiles from me!!!!! I just had to share this with you and thank you for your advice. What an impact your feedback had - I'm just blown away! Thank you so much for your help - VERY MUCH appreciated. Sharp pencils and correct pencil use: both techniques combined gave me sharper images, finer lines and made corrections easier. This method required more hand control and a longer time to complete – but the results were almost magical! I'm working on the shapes - what fun!! Thanks for the awesome course. -- Lyn
Block-in with axis lines: this is a very valuable technique, and I'm very glad to have been introduced to this. I definitely plan to use this from now on. -- Marilyn
[Section 1] has been an excellent section - thank you for your wonderful instructions! Looking forward to Section 2!! Thanks again. -- Lyn
The blocking in with the straight lines first was something I had only done during my live model drawing group. I could tell it made a difference. Sort of like a road map to follow. Good tip about the reflected light from the surface. I'm not sure I realized that light existed until this exercise. I learn something from every assignment! -- Geraldine
After not looking at the drawing for a few days I see what you mean. I went back in and darkened some areas and the edges of the leafs. It made a nice improvement. I will have this matted and framed. -- Gary
Sarah, your first post was about our biggest drawing goal. Well, I got exactly what I wanted from this class and MORE! I realize now that my paintings never came to life because I never grasped the idea or use of tonal value. This is a wonderful lesson to end this class with. I'm noticing tonal gradations everywhere and will be spending more time on my drawing skills. Blocking-in was an eyeopener for me and I am in love with the possibilities of cross-hatching. I'll be practicing it all before I come back to sign up for Part 2. Thanks for everything. -- B.J.
Your example [in the Block-In Lesson] of the organic S-curse helped me a lot! I would not have known how to approach that one. Your method made it easier to draw it and find the placement of the lily pads. I was surprised at how well it worked! :-) -- Lyn
I did not feel as lost and confused as to where I was in the drawing of the details as I might have been in the past. I really enjoyed the course and look forward to practicing more with shapes and values, as well as moving on to new areas. -- Beth
I find this training immensely helpful. The blocking in is a huge ah ha for me. You would think I would have gotten that from all the lessons I took before, but this is the first time. -- Larissa
It [helped] to break the flower into four quadrants -- I can see how that technique would be useful with more complicated shapes. -- Jared
The teacher-student interaction is extremely helpful. -- Marilyn
I really enjoyed this session too. Lessons 7 and 8 ... were brilliant!!! Thank you!! -- Donna
Personally, I struggled with this lesson [Body Proportions] -- especially with the foreshortening views. The mannequin poses absolutely helped "see" those views. I found working with photos of the mannequin poses helped too, since the space element was already flattened - let me think about the "shape" I was seeing. This lesson was a great challenge - enjoyed it! Thank you for the awesome lessons!! -- Lyn
Getting [personal] feedback is important to me, which is why I am enjoying this course! -- Gary
Thanks for your excellent video instruction. It was most helpful in my understanding of how to proceed with the practice face. I feel that I now have a better understanding and a good foundation for mapping facial features when I want to draw a face. -- Marilyn
Enjoyed gridding - makes it so much easier and am learning to "see" better. I like how you demo in your lessons - helps to see how you do it and what you are thinking about. Excellent demo in this lesson!! -- Lyn
I think that all the information in this lesson is valuable and will help as a guide when I am working on future paintings. There is so much to absorb. I could spend a whole semester working on these issues. I find it odd that in many of my painting classes my instructors never spent time to explain in detail the way to approach the problems that arise when you are working with perspectivve. Sometimes, I wasted my time making the same mistakes. -- Renee
I took this class, because I knew I needed to get better with drawing to be able to do watercolor…thinking it was just a necessity. Surprisingly, I have learned to enjoy drawing and to believe that with practice, I could be good at it. I would never have expected that an on-line class would have been the vehicle that motivated me to like drawing. Thank you for your all your help, concern and feedback…and for your encouragement. I am happy to have completed the course and a little sad to lose the connection. -- Dee
This was an excellent lesson and one that I will need to do more work in. I really enjoyed doing the one-point perspective exercise with the boxes at different levels! Have never done this before, so it was great practice and I learned what should be lining up with the VP. Cool!Thanks for another wonderful lesson! -- Lyn
I have really enjoyed this course and your style. You do a great job of breaking down concepts so they can be understood. -- Gary
I do want to say that your video demos ... helped me to better understand the process. I too am a visual person (as most visual artists are *smile*) and being able to see you actually step by step draw the face ... and hear your thoughts and reasoning behind what you were doing was huge for me. I know it will help with other figure drawings, landscapes, and whatever I want to draw as well. Thank you so much for the detailed demos! Showing two methods: graphite and charcoal pencils was so good. -- Marilyn
Hi Sarah, Thank you for a wonderful series of lessons! It has been a delight and I'm sorry to see it has come to an end so quickly. Thank you for all your encouragement and critiques - very useful! I'm excited to share with you the before and after of Gene Tierney! I am so tickled at the progress I have made and am amazed at the difference! Also, thank you for the revised and lengthened Chapter 10. It will be an excellent reference as I continue practicing. I appreciate all your efforts to make this a superior and well-conducted course! Enjoyed your classes - thanks so much for your instructions and excellent "how-to" demos. It has directly impacted my drawing ability and your encouragement made it fun to learn! Best wishes. -- Lyn
I enjoyed the wonderful class and all your advice, and am happy to be on the list to get the lessons. It is obvious that you put so much into all of it and that you care about the students. I feel that I have learned a lot and have more confidence and know that with practice and referring to the lessons I can get better. -- Delores
Thank you so much for your course. The teaching and encouragement was great. I appreciated being able to download and print the lesson materials. I'm sure I will refer to my binders with these lessons in weeks to come. Watching the videos were very helpful in understanding the lesson. Your encouraging critiques were always inspiring and helped me continue even when I didn't think I had done very well. I always want to do it better. You encouraged me to keep trying. I don't know what you could do to improve this course. I learned well from your teaching style, and the content was excellent, especially the way each lesson built on the previous one. Thanks again for your excellent teaching. -- Marilyn
You can purchase prints of my work from Fine Art America below.
