Drawing Basics by Stan Prokopenko (1-29)

In this course, you will learn the fundamental concepts of drawing, which can be applied to any form of visual art. The course is designed to be engaging, informative, and easy to follow. You will learn how to use the visual language of drawing to communicate with pictures and how to draw from both imagination and reference. The course is divided into different sections, each focusing on a specific aspect of drawing, such as line quality, shape, perspective, form, light and shading. The course also includes projects tailored to beginners and intermediate artists, allowing you to go through the course twice, once as a beginner and once as an intermediate artist. This course will help you build a solid foundation of skills that will be useful for any specialty, whether you are interested in becoming a fine art painter, concept artist, or comic artist.

This course is designed to teach anyone, regardless of experience level, how to draw effectively using visual language. You will learn the most important foundational concepts for drawing anything and will be able to create pictures from both imagination and reference. The course is structured to keep you engaged and motivated, focusing on information, practical exercises, and projects.

The course is divided into two levels: for beginners and those looking to review and improve their foundational skills. This means you can go through the system twice – once as a beginner and again as an intermediate artist.

We will start by building good drawing habits and line quality, then move on to shape and form, learning how to construct 3D shapes intuitively without complex math and grids. We’ll also learn about perspective and how to add light and shading to our drawings by controlling values and edges.

By committing to this course and following along with the projects, you will improve your drawing skills and have a solid foundation that can be applied to any specialty, whether fine art, concept art or comic art. This course is a prerequisite for anyone pursuing a career in the visual arts.

What you will learn

Materials: Learn how to set up with all the right paper, pencils, erasers, pens, and markers. You don’t need anything fancy for this course (just pencil and paper), but the instructor will teach you about the different options available. Lines: Discover how to create tapered strokes and confident lines, vary your line weight, and more to improve your drawing skills. Shapes: Understand how to break subjects into simpler shapes and make your forms more dynamic and exciting. Perspective: Learn the basics of perspective to understand how to draw a box, cylinder, or any simple primitive in 1-point, 2-point, or 3-point perspective. Intuitive Perspective: Instead of learning math and grids, you will do exercises to get comfortable with drawing freehand perspective intuitively, allowing you to construct any 3D object from your imagination. Values: Learn how to correctly see and understand values, which is the first step in learning how to shade. Build up your ability to organize the values in your drawing to represent clear light on form. Edges: Understand the importance of edges and learn how to transition between shapes and values to make your drawings feel three-dimensional and exciting. Curriculum Getting Started

Learning How to Draw

Drawing is a form of visual communication that can be mastered with proper guidance and practice, just like any other language.

7:16

Intro to Drawing Basics

In this video, we’ll delve into the content covered in my Drawing Basics course.

9:31

Project – Get Your Tools and Start Playing

Before we begin, let’s go over the necessary tools. I’ve provided a comprehensive list of materials, including paper, pencils, markers, erasers, and sharpeners.

6:12

Ultimate Guide to Sketchbooks and Paper

A beginner-friendly guide to selecting the right sketchbook and paper. We’ll cover paper types, texture, weight, archivability, and common mistakes to avoid.

14:04

Ultimate Guide to Pencils and Erasers

A beginner-friendly guide to choosing the right pencils and erasers. We’ll cover the various types of pencils and erasers available.

16:47

Sharpening 6 Types of Drawing Pencils

Learn how to sharpen six different types of drawing pencils, including wooded and woodless graphite pencils, 2.0 and 5.6mm mechanical pencils, charcoal pencils, and eraser pencils.

18:58

Project – Simplify from Observation

The first project in the Drawing Basics course is to simplify the shapes, edges, and values of a pear or portrait from observation.

5:36

Demo – Simplify Pear from Observation

In this step-by-step demo, I’ll show you how to properly complete the first assignment for level 1 students.

24:58

Demo – Simplify Portrait from Observation

In this step-by-step demo, I’ll show you how to properly complete the first assignment for level 2 students.

48:45

Critique – Simplify Pear from Observation

In our first critique session, I’ll review submissions of the simplified pear and offer feedback on common mistakes.

9:30

Critique – Simplify Portrait from Observation

I’ll be reviewing submissions of the simplified portrait and providing tips and advice on how to overcome common mistakes.

9:56

Mushroom Warmups

This fun warmup exercise will help you practice drawing ellipses.

10:50 Lines

Intro to Lines

As an artist, you have countless opportunities to use lines in your work. Let’s dive into the fundamentals.

9:36

2 Week Drawing Challenge

Take on the challenge of drawing daily for two weeks! See if you can establish a daily drawing routine.

1:02

Project – Simplify to CSI

This project is designed to help you refine your lines and eliminate “chicken scratch.” We’ll simplify our drawings to use C curves, S curves, and straight lines.

4:37

Demo – Simplify Snail and Boots to CSI

In this demonstration, I will show you my approach to creating level 1 CSl drawings, by simplifying the Snail and Boots images into the basic shapes and forms.

40:52

Demo – Simplify Camel and Skull to CSI

In this demo, I’ll guide you through my process of simplifying more complex images, such as the Camel and Skull, into the essential shapes and forms needed for level 2 CSl drawings.

28:29

Critique – Simplify to CSI

This session focuses on reviewing and evaluating your submissions for the “Simplify to CSI” task.

52:15

How to Draw Confident Lines – The Tapered Stroke

Learn how to create confident, dynamic lines in your sketches by mastering the tapered stroke technique. I’ll show you how to construct complex shapes and add energy to your loose sketches.

5:19

Project – Learning to Sketch from Observation

In this project, we’ll start with simple loose lines and practice sketching from observation, gradually building our skills and confidence.

3:44

Project – Learning to Sketch from Imagination

This project is the first step in developing your ability to draw from imagination. We’ll explore techniques for creating original, imaginative sketches.

1:21

Searching Lines: 3 Levels of Looseness

Explore the importance of drawing from imagination for artists, when to start, and how to overcome the emotional challenges that can arise.

7:24

Drawing from Imagination Cramps

Why drawing from imagination is important for artists, when to start, and overcoming the emotional challenges.

9:53

Demo – Learning to Sketch from Observation

In this lesson, I will walk you through my process for sketching all three of the “Learning to Sketch from Observation” reference images, providing tips and insights along the way.

50:48

Demo – Learning to Sketch from Imagination

Watch me demonstrate the sketching from imagination project, from studying the reference material to exploring different ideas and creating a final sketch.

26:28

Update

Critique – Learning to Sketch from Observation

In this lesson, I’ll look over your sketches from observation and address the common mistakes.

11:05

Critique – Learning to Sketch from Imagination

Reviewing the common mistakes and standout assignments from the “Learning to Sketch from Imagination” projects.

50:30

Warmups to Improve Line Quality

In this lesson, I show you 5 line quality warm-ups that you can practice to improve your line control.

7:35

6 Habits for Good Line Quality

Master line quality with 6 key habits: avoid common mistakes, find a comfortable speed, follow-through, ghosting, rotate the paper, and use simple strokes.

9:20