This video contains important information as you get started!

This course will teach you practical drawing skills which you will need to practice and integrate into your own quirky, special, unique expression.

Symbolic drawing vs. Observational Drawing
Representational, Abstract and Non-Objective Art
Unity > Variety
Geometrol and Retinal

All about pencils, vine charcoal and how to hold your pencil properly.

How to ergonomically set up for observational drawing.

Your first drawing exercise for this course. Get started holding your pencil in a new way. Crack open your sketchbook and write /sketch about art you’d like to make.

Comparative measuring is the most important tool you have in gathering proportions. It can be tricky to learn, but is worth the effort.

Sight Size is a measuring strategy for artist. This lesson describes how it is done, and what applications it’s practical for. At the end of this video we also see two key tools artists use to check their measurements: the mirror and a caliper.

Once you have a height and width, you now need the envelope to aid in the placement and proportion of your subject.

See examples of beginning lines to gather proportion and placement from contemporary and historical art.

Negative space is a useful way to refine your proportion and placement.

This is a side quest, but a useful one if you make figurative work. Look at a few key proportions of the human figure that you should memorize.

Finally! Here are your exercises for this section.

Perspective can get complex. Let’s start with the core basics. If you remember nothing else in this section, remember this lesson.

We look at one vs two point perspective, and learn to find the eye level in artwork and photographs.

Understanding the cylinder in perspective can be a profound “AHA” moment.

Learn to identify the eye level and position quickly.

Perspective can get complex. If that’s your jam - here are some cool examples of artists who really go there.

Things shift just slightly when the ground plane is not level. Learn the basics of inclined and declined ground planes.

Perspective can get wonky (in a fun way) at the periphery of your vision. See how some artists limit the distortion or make it work.

Other clues that show whether objects are close or far away.

Perspective can have an emotional impact in your compositions. See some examples of how artists have used perspective in smart ways to enhance their work.

A few exercises to absorb perspective into your artistic practice.

Construction of form is an extension of, or even part of perspective. They definitely overlap and work together.

It’s pretty helpful to be able to find the center of a rectangular solid when they’re in perspective.

Using a diagonal to find the depth of squares in a checkerboard as it recedes. It’s a nifty skill and it helps you get an intuitive feel for how quickly depths shorten back in space. That understanding, whether formal or intuitive can help you make better drawings.

See how you can find the next fencepost or power line etc as they recede back in space.

We started talking about cylinders in the last section. This will take us a little deeper.

It’s so helpful to see multiple examples of construction in various types of art.

This exercise will help you start to integrate the concept of construction into your practice. Construction is the key to creating work that feels three dimensional.

Understanding the distinction between values and light effect will take your shading, and painting game to the next level. Values EXPRESS light effect.

This video identifies all the parts of LIGHT and SHADOW.

Let’s look at some art! It’s so useful to understand the parts of the light and shadow when seen in a variety of art from a variety of eras and styles.

Side quest into local color. We define it and discuss some things to keep in mind.

This is a very short bit about the size and direction of cast shadows.

Quickly determine where your shadow starts and half tones stop and also a little bit about color.

Now to put your knowledge into practice!

The secret to powerful compositions is your ability to concentrate shapes and values.

See examples in art from all ages and styles. From fine art to t-shirt design. Awareness of values is a MAJOR secret and skill to develop.

Practical exercises to build your value assessment and concentration skills.

Copying a master work can teach us SO much.

Many people ask me how to build up their drawings. As usual, there are a million ways and as an artist, we get to choose our path, but there are some tendencies and things to consider.

The secret to texture is EDGES.

Outlines don’t exist, except in our brains…. and they can be a powerful tool, used with wisdom.

The moment you’ve all been waiting for: DETAIL! How to add it with efficiency.

Dive into how you can use line, value patterns, contrast, color, eye level and more to create compositions that draw your viewer’s attention to the most important parts of your art. This will allow you to tell the story and convey the emotions that elevate your work and make it deeply meaningful.

See how lines, both hidden and obvious can play a role in your paintings and drawings.

Examine how concentrating your values into balanced arrangements can create movement and stability in your work.

Look at examples of common shape structures artists use to compose pictures.

Guide your viewer to your subjects using line, value contrast and higher chroma color.

Choosing the horizon line/eye level carefully can impact the feeling of your compositions.

Old masters - or really any well known visual references - can be a source of inspiration for composition as well as adding to or commenting on the context of their work.

Your turn to play!

Review of Philosophy of the Class, Proportion and Placement, Perspective, Construction, Value and Light Effect.

Review of Concentrating Values, Edges, Turning Form, Texture and Composition.