I would like to learn classical drawing
Question from Thomas
Hello,
I would like to learn classical drawing techniques and have some questions regarding this drawing course.
- Do I have to complete all the assignments within 3 months?
- Should I study drawing in the sequence of this course videos?
- Do I have to study daily or weekly?
- Is it compulsory to draw from life or reference photos will be provided?
- Can I pay monthly for this course?
Thanks and best regards
Thomas
Dear Thomas,
Thank you for your questions.
1. Three months refer to 3 monthly payments should you decide to spread the cost. You will get a lifetime membership and can study at your own pace. There are no deadlines.
2. It would make sense to start from easy yet fundamental topics and continue to more advanced.
3. It is a self-learn, self-paced course. You can set up your own schedule.
4. Copying reference images will develop a different set of skills, which would suppress your ability to draw from life, memory and imagination. We do not advise to draw from photos.
5. You can make a one-time payment or three monthly instalments.
You can enroll here:
https://drawingacademy.com/pricing
Reading your questions, I have a feeling that you are a complete beginner in drawing with no formal art education, no matter for how long you have been practicing it.
If this is the case, a self-study course would not help. You need a dedicated and talented art teacher who will guide you every step at a time to get you from your current level of drawing skills to the advanced level.
The challenge with self education is that without the know-how of proper process, which is no longer provided at contemporary art colleges, you will be jumping from topic to topic without any structure and “spin your wheels” without going anywhere. If you don’t know how many hours to spend on each topic, what to pay attention to, how to use drawing techniques you are not even aware about, which weak areas in your skills you need to work on, and what is good and what is bad for your drawing skills, there is no chance you would ever develop strong drawing skills on your own.
There are many erroneous ideas and amateur practices that are shown on YouTube. Some so called “art teachers” demonstrate how “not to draw” in various online art courses. Picking up bad habits is easy; fixing them might require a lifetime.
Here’s just one example. You are asking if copying reference images is a good way to learn drawing. Copying photos is a good way to learn reproduction, not drawing. These two sets of skills are very different. The more you copy the less you will be able to draw from life. This is because copying “rewires” artist’s brain to see in 2D, instead of dealing with difficult subjects of perspective, foreshortening, and constructive drawing.
There are only few cases when making copies helps – when drawing anatomy diagrams to memorise the bones and muscles and making copies of several drawings and paintings by the Old Masters to better understand their style and techniques. This activity, however, should be very limited, not to cause more bad to your skills than good.
Some art teachers tell that copying photos is the way to go; it is immoral in my view. This is not only prevents art students from learning good skills, but also might inhibit an artist’s ability to draw from life whatsoever. There are many contemporary “artists” who could only copy photos and fall short when it comes to drawing from life or imagination. I don’t want to discuss if this activity should be called “art” or “reproduction”, this is a separate topic.
I think you would agree that damaging your drawing abilities by taking wrong steps in self-art-education is a big price to pay. There are many other pitfalls apart of copying photos. You need someone more talented and experienced to show you what is good and what is bad in drawing.
Also, learning requires practice. Practice is only good when you practice good skills. Should you repeatedly use wrong drawing techniques or make the same mistakes that are not obvious to you, with time, you will get very good at it – making junior mistakes with confidence in every artwork you produce. Such style of drawing is called naïve or amateur. This is what you would get should you decide that self-education is the best way for you.
To get professional drawing skills, you need someone who can point out your mistakes, explain why those mistakes are not acceptable and how to fix them. On your own, you will be lost. Have you ever made a drawing and then wondered why it doesn’t look as you envisioned? Have you ever had such thoughts as “this portrait is a bit off, but I can’t say what is wrong”, or “I just need to make this drawing a bit more three dimensional, but I don’t know how”?
You need a professional art teacher who can show you how to practice good drawing techniques, which mistakes to avoid and what to pay attention to.
In a self-learn Drawing Academy video course, you will see good techniques and tips demonstrated by the academy teachers. But unless you already have a good foundation in drawing, there is no guarantee that you will follow those techniques without making junior mistakes.
To solve this problem, we have a great solution for you – Life Drawing Academy Correspondence Course. In this course, you will get one-to-one personal tutoring from the academy teachers. This personal tutoring is unlimited, and comes for a lifetime for a one-time low fee.
Watch the video and read the FAQ on this page to learn more:
https://lifedrawing.academy/correspondence-course
Let me know if you have any questions, I will be happy to help.
Kind regards,
Vladimir London
Art tutor
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My previous art teacher would take objects, and set up a still life for us to draw. But we had to take photos with our cellphones of the still life, and draw the photo. She explained that a photo removes the third dimension, and therefore it is easier to draw from the photo, as one can just draw. I never realised it was rewiring my brain.
Thank you for explaining.