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Drawing Classes/Course Suggestions?
Cello
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So, one of the skills I want to start getting better at in quarantine is hand-drawing. I used to sketch a lot in high school, and I have a ton of professional drafting experience, but I haven't taken an actual art class since the mid-2000s and would like to learn technique and build confidence.
Anyone have suggestions for online courses or video tutorial compilations or anything? I don't mind paying for them and prefer something that builds over time versus one-off video tutorials since it's easier to schedule a learning plan around.
Thanks!
Anyone have suggestions for online courses or video tutorial compilations or anything? I don't mind paying for them and prefer something that builds over time versus one-off video tutorials since it's easier to schedule a learning plan around.
Thanks!
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https://drawabox.com/
There are 7 lessons, and I'm currently going into lesson 6. It's really helped me think more in 3D terms, and learn the 'how to practice' meta I was missing.
https://www.youtube.com/c/ProkoTV/playlists
In a similar vein, Watts Atelier has online classes that offers critiques and stuff for a price.
https://www.wattsatelier.com/online/
Some stuff they have on youtube so you can get a feel for it before spending money:
https://www.youtube.com/user/wattsatelier/videos
Full disclosure: I took in person classes with both Proko and Jeff Watts at their school, so I can vouch for the quality of their instruction. I can't vouch for the online support as far as critiques and such go however. I believe @gavindel has done them and perhaps he could speak to that.
Another online set of courses that have good artists doing them at least, but I haven't taken any of the classes myself.
https://www.schoolism.com/online-art-classes
Also, as a general rule before plunking down money/time for a class, I'd look at the teacher's work and ask yourself, "does this teacher seem capable of producing the sort of work I'd like to be making, and therefore be able to teach me that? Or at least, can I see how what they're offering would relate to what I want to do?"
Lots of people waste a lot of time in drawing classes in high school/college because they think it's as simple as, "this is a drawing class, right? So I'll be able to draw better if I take it". But if you want to draw renaissance style figure drawing and your teacher only cares about abstract expressionism, or vice versa, that's gonna be a couple hundred bucks down the drain.
If you want to do cartooning, courses on anatomy and perspective will still be helpful even if it's not taught in a cartoon style, because those are still skills you need for cartooning- though aspects not covered like exaggeration and character design you might need to find another course elsewhere for those subjects. So don't be afraid to be choosy about what courses you take, or to mix and match courses to get what you need. (If you do this, also be aware that there is no One True Way of drawing so if one teacher's teaching contradict another's, don't get in a tizzy trying to figure out who is "wrong" and who is "right". Just try to understand the underlying logic of their teaching instead.)
And if you take a course that turns out to be too advanced for your skillset, don't worry too much about that either- if you have to go back and take that perspective course you didn't know you needed until it became a stumbling block, that's just part of learning these things. Lots of times that's the way it has to go because just trudging through practicing fundamentals for their own sake can be boring, until you go and try something you're really excited to draw, and find you're coming up short- giving some more motivation towards going back and working on those fundamentals, because the ultimate point of the practice has been put back into focus.
Hope some of that helps!
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You should be able to get a feel if you like the approach from the Watts atelier from the youtube videos they have. Judging by how fast certain classes fill up, I think a lot of people chase after Jeff Watts' classes. In all honesty, I can't keep up with him and have had more luck with other instructors with slower approach.
Jeff Watts works like this:
If you want to see critiques, here's one by Gist. (Fun fact, I'm one of those people. Just pick whichever one you think looks the worst; that's mine)
A big selling point of the school is "accurate but fast" with stuff like this:
Proko, by contrast, is more direct. I bought his anatomy course a few years back. He has a very heavy anatomical style, reminding me more of Steve Huston. Most people recognize him from his drawing series:
Schoolism is self-serve. Its relying on you to entirely judge your own skill level and interests. Buffet style means there's some really interesting stuff, but they'll happily take your money for some super advanced scifi rendering study class by Craig Mullins that may sail right over your head.
So I'd say:
* If you want big, heavy, oil painted epics and don't mind a multi-year investment, Watts.
* Looking for a refresher on anatomy and construction but feel confident in your basic proportional and observational skills, Proko is a relatively quick dip
* Schoolism is for finger foods/inspiration as you see specific subjects you want to flesh out
Otherwise, there's New Master's Academy, which I haven't tried.
If you end up looking at schoolism, the critiqued courses add structure, but increase the cost quite a bit.
Some of the perspective stuff drawabox covers was handled by my drafting courses, but basic stuff like "draw with the shoulder" is new (engineers taught my drafting courses and not artists, whoops), so it's good to start with those basics and tighten up, I think, before I get too ambitious
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