Thank you for art courses!
Review and artworks from Lindsay Gordon, Drawing Academy graduate
I am a 77-year old male retiree who has been searching for an activity that is creative and fulfilling in my twilight years. My home is in Melbourne, Australia but I am currently staying with my daughter for three months in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
I have been quite creative with my photography over many years but found it a little too easy to produce very good results. After retiring several years ago I took up wood-turning and produced many very nice pieces but had to give it up because it was so messy in a home environment and became quite dangerous when I developed shaking hands as a side effect of medication for a mild heart condition. What both wood-turning and photography showed me is that I do have a bit of a creative streak in me.
I was lead into drawing through being introduced to a book entitled something like “How to Draw on the Right Side of the Brain”. Before starting the book I had no idea whether or not I could develop the skills I needed to produce drawings that I felt comfortable with. To my surprise I found that I could draw reasonably well but I became somewhat dissatisfied with my ability to finish drawings and to draw free-hand. I tended to become a bit of a copier rather than a creator.
In order to improve my skills, I searched for a teacher but found no one in my local vicinity who could or would teach drawing. The best I could do was to join a water colour class taught by one of Australia’s top water colour painters and teachers. I learned a great deal during the two years that I attended the classes. However my drawings were still not much better and my teacher was not good at teaching how to draw and paint portraits – a skill I wanted to develop from my photography and my exposure to the Dutch masters. As well as that I felt uncomfortable in a class situation. The two-hour sessions were too short, I found the unintended competitiveness intimidating and I found painting in water colours too imprecise and unpredictable for my liking. In spite of all that I really enjoyed drawing in ink and then using water washes for colour.
During 2014 I started searching for a better learning environment. I searched the internet and came across the Web Art Academy site. Having been exposed to some really great paintings in Europe I was impressed with the concept of learning to paint in the style of the masters. It reminded me of a visit to the Salvador Dali museum in Spain many years ago when I discovered that his philosophy for learning art was along the lines of: “Learn to paint like the masters first and then you can do anything”.
Frankly, when I saw the subject matters of the first few Web Art Academy lessons I thought to myself there is no way I could produce anything like the quality that was portrayed. Oil painting was totally new to me. What I liked most was the lack of pressure and the clarity and logic of the lessons. I signed up for the whole course. In doing so I also noticed the Drawing Academy course which promised to be equally as good as the Web Art Academy. My belief is that both drawing and painting are complimentary so I signed up for that course too.
I have been a member of both academies for only a little over six months. To my great surprise and satisfaction my learning curve has been very fast and I am producing results both from the classes and from my own initiative that I am very happy with. I don’t have to impress anyone else and that is certainly not my aim. However I do have friends who have been artists and teachers of art for many years who are, frankly, astonished by my progress.
I have no wish to exhibit, enter competitions or sell my work but what I have found is a creative and fulfilling pathway to my future enjoyment. I have a long way to go but the beginning has been very promising and satisfying.
Thanks to the brilliance, methods and skills of Natalie and Vladimir I am now on the road to achieving what I set out to do but had no idea how to get there. What is also means is that once I have learned the basic skills I feel that I should then be able to develop my own style.
I have been recommending both Academies to my friends.
Thank you Natalie and Vladimir and the support team.
Very sincerely
Lindsay Gordon
- Receive 15 new videos monthly (45 in total)
- Incredible discount – $4,164
- Bonuses - Fine Art eBooks and Videos
- Drawing Academy Diploma of Excellence after course completion in 3 months
- Personal coaching by Drawing Academy Tutors
- Lifetime membership. Free after the 3rd month
- Immediate access to all 45 video lessons
- Incredible discount – $4,198
- Bonuses - Fine Art eBooks and Videos
- Drawing Academy Diploma of Excellence after course completion in 3 months
- Personal coaching by Drawing Academy Tutors
- Lifetime membership. No more payments
How good for you! I can tell you that is very refreshing to see how impressive your works turned out. It gives me a lot of encouragement and confidence on this academy. You also saved the best for last with that wonderful painting at the end of your post. I also thank you for showing a wide array of different drawings and for sharing that Dali’s quote! I only hope the best for you! Art makes the world a better place!