The Secrets to Drawing: Drawing From Life

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This course features:
5 Hours of Instruction
28 Videos
26 eBooks
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Lesson Description

Tips on drawing from life. Concepts covered include still life lighting, using a view finder, and sighting techniques.

Lesson Materials

2 or more spotlights, still life objects, drawing paper, drawing media of your choice.

Lesson Resources

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Course Curriculum

Lesson 1: Introduction (5:03)Lesson 2: Line (14:25)Lesson 3: Shape (8:19)Lesson 4: Form (13:00)Lesson 5: Value (11:59)Lesson 6: Space (6:13)Lesson 7: One Point Perspective (12:58)Lesson 8: Two Point Perspective (12:13)Lesson 9: Three Point Perspective (10:27)Lesson 10: Basic Drawing Techniques (15:03)Lesson 11: Drawing From Life (9:01)Lesson 12: Drawing From Photos (15:25)Lesson 13: Composition (12:20)Lesson 14: Graphite (9:00)Lesson 15: Charcoal (10:32)Lesson 16: Ink (9:00)Lesson 17: Color (14:28)Lesson 18: Colored Pencils (11:56) Lesson 19: Oil Pastels (11:51)Lesson 20: Soft Pastels (11:21)Lesson 21: Facial Proportions (13:56)Lesson 22: The Eye (14:05)Lesson 23: The Nose and Mouth (12:24)Lesson 24: The Ear (4:51)Lesson 25: Hair (14:02)Lesson 26: Figure Drawing (20:00)Lesson 27: Foreshortening (12:54)Lesson 28: Conclusion (2:58)

Lesson Discussion

  3. Hi Mark,

    I am loving your videos and instruction so far, you make everything so easy to understand!

    I just had a question about the sighting technique though? I’m still not getting how to do this the right way.
    I know it’s supposed to help you measure but how do you use that for the compositions?

    Thanks!

  6. Hi Matt, I set up a still life but it took me so long to draw it that the lighting changed. I had a spotlight on the subject but natural light was also coming in through the windows. Are we supposed to sit in a dark room to draw with only artificial light? We don’t have curtains on all our windows. How do you manage changing light when you are doing a detailed drawing?

  8. Hi Matt, thanks so much for your useful lesson. Would it be possible to explain a little bit more about viewfinder? More particularly, where can we get it or even better, how can we make it? What material, what dimensions, how to use it, etc….. Consider most of us are absolute beginners and have never used a viewfinder before. Thank s a lot for your help and support

    • Hi Federica,

      A viewfinder can simply be a piece of heavier paper that is cut proportionally to the drawing or painting surface. You can make one yourself. Manufacturers do make adjustable ones if you want to go that route. Viewfinders simply help to frame the composition when you are drawing from life. Just hold it up in front of what you are drawing and observe the relationships of negative space and positive space that occur within the frame.

      • Thanks Matt for your prompt reply. That shows that you are very serious and you are there to interact with the students of your course. What a support! I’m really satisfied about this course and enjoying it very much. Thank you again

  9. I’m so overwhelmed with joy …learning from you….I had been into painting since 5years, but the basics were very bad. Now you are teaching me my alphabets …like father teaching ….Thank you…I can’t thank you enough….your style is so easy and crystal clear…I’m sure I’m going to learn other courses from you after finishing this course….Thanks again

  11. Thank you Matt for this amazing course. I’ve been wanting to learn the basics of drawing but hadn’t found a course that met my needs and then recently found “The Virtual Instructor”. Now I’m like a child who wants to learn everything that you are offer. Art has become a very important and enjoyable part of my existence now a days. My heartfelt gratitude to you Matt!

  12. Hi Matt

    I would like to thank you and your team for all of the work put into the classes and countless tutorials. They are all fantastic I am especially enjoying discovering pastels and there robustness. Thankyou again keep up the great work.

  15. One of my apples look a bit ovoid, the values really makes the drawing stand up., Not happy with the periphery outside the bowl. Practice practice.

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