What are the best art courses?
Question from Emil, Drawing Academy student
I just joined the Drawing Academy on-line course. I am very impressed with your approach and philosophy to drawing education.
I work as an engineer, and I draw as a hobby, and for my personal development. I started drawing about one year ago, and very soon I realized that the best drawings are by the Old Masters. However, I was very surprised that in Sydney, Australia nobody is teaching old master techniques. I took two drawing courses, but they only taught how to make some kind of “effective” drawing, or they do not teach anything at all. Then, I obtained many books, and I watched many videos, but I could not find any system that was of quality, until I came to your Web page. I found it by searching for silver point techniques. Now, I have begun to watch your videos, and am drawing based on your instructions.
Do you know of any short courses on drawings similar to your approach. I can go anywhere in the world for a month or two for intensive drawing course. I like the Russian Academy of Art in Florence, but I cannot be away for one year.
Kind Regards,
Emil Jankulovski
Sydney Australia
Hi Emil,
Many thanks for your email and kind words about the Drawing Academy course.
If you are very serious about learning traditional art skills, there is only one academy that stands head and shoulders above the rest worldwide – The Russian Academy of Arts, including the Repin Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. This is where teachers in Florence came from.
In St. Petersburg, The Repin Art Institute (The Russian Academy of Arts) offers the 4-week Summer School (June / July).
On the other hand, no short course will give you the classical art education in its true sense.
Just to give you a perspective, in Russia, children who want to study art professionally, begin art education at age of 9 for 4 to 5 years, doing 6 major subjects: drawing, painting, sculpture, composition, history of arts and decorative arts (this was my personal story). By the time these students finish art school (which is in addition to main secondary school), they’d be considered professional painters by American/European standards. In Russia, this level is not even enough for entering Repin Academy, so they take preparatory courses for another 1 to 5 years. My art education span was for 15 years.
I would suggest for you to start with the Drawing Academy and get an idea of what it means to do constructive drawings, perspective, proportions, anatomy and composition.
To your creative success,
Vladimir
Kind regards,
Natalie Richy and Vladimir London
Drawing Academy tutors
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I joined the Drawing Academy in 2015, and learned lots of invaluable information regarding many aspects of classical drawing. Emil Jankulovski is asking about a short intensive course on drawing. I’m also an engineer by training, which took many years of study and practice. Of course Vladimir is correct: “no short course will give you the classical art education in its true sense.” Traveling to destination workshops doesn’t do much for developing my own drawing and painting abilities. I need the foundation knowledge, which is provided by the Drawing Academy online courses. Then I need to practice as much as time allows, while referring back to the Drawing Academy videos.
However, in order to fully benefit from the Drawing Academy videos, one needs to have access to live models, museums and architecture. After personally experiencing the difference between drawing from life and from photographs, I understood Vladimir’s insistence on drawing from life and casts. Presently I’m attending drawing figure and portraits classes at the NYC Art Students League, which gives me daily access to models. Am hoping to go sketching at museums when time allows.
Will one month of full time classes at the Repin Academic Institute change my trajectory in any measurable way?
Thanks for providing the foundation, Vladimir.
Hi Judy,
Many thanks for your comment and kind words about the Drawing Academy course.
You asked if “one month of full time classes at the Repin Academic Institute change my trajectory in any measurable way”.
If you have an opportunity, it will be beneficial.
Will you be exposed to something new, get critiques of your works, get some advises on how to improve your drawings? I really hope so. After all, teachers there are professional artists and have great deal of experience in teaching art.
Will it change dramatically the way you draw? Probably not.
You see, a personal drawing style, the baggage of your drawing techniques, your craft habits, the way you see things is not built in one month. It takes years of learning and practice.
Never dismiss an opportunity to learn. One of the greatest artists of all time, Michelangelo Buonarroti, once said: “I’m still learning”.
Best regards,
Vladimir