Cartooning & Drawing Step by Step

Students will learn the basics of sketching, as well as how to explore new ideas and creative concepts. Drawing complex subjects such as hands, the human figure and backgrounds will also be covered, as well as faces, expressions, shading, and inking. The works of noteworthy artists are introduced to inspire and motivate. While each week has a different theme, students have the freedom to try other subjects if they wish.

I am a lifelong artist and art instructor with a Bachelors degree in photography and graphic design. My first graphic novel, Dark Office, has recently been published on Amazon's Comixology platform, with another one in the works. I have taught teens how to draw in summer camps, craft schools and art centers in New York, Vermont, and most recently Florida. I teach home-schooled students at local educational co-ops (now online), provided art therapy to veterans to help them overcome the traumas of post traumatic stress disorder, and I mentored incarcerated at-risk teens using the arts, teaching them how to process the emotional toxic waste their experiences have given them while helping build their self esteem. I also provide lessons in Adobe Photoshop and photography, and have created a successful online Intro To Photography course.

I have a passion for teaching and love helping others,  and love sharing my art skills with students; the arts are how I maintain good mental health and alleviate stress. I emphasize  the therapeutic benefits of drawing to all my students, something most art courses do not cover at all, but I believe is the most important part of creating art. I use humor, real-world examples and the work of other artists as a way to help students build their self esteem while having fun improving their skills.

No regular homework is assigned; students are encouraged to apply what they learn to the time they spend drawing outside of class.

Learner assessments are informal, with the primary goal being the increase in artistic self-confidence of students, from which flows an improvement in art skills. Each student is different and learns at his or her own pace; some students seek specific improvements of skills, for other students, the class is their valued "drawing time". No student is forced to draw or to learn; each student is encouraged to move beyond his or her comfort zone, with students getting out of the class exactly what they put into it.

55 minutes per week in class, and an estimated 1 - 2 hours per week outside of class.

Free drawing reference images are available to students through the instructor's website, www.magnumarts.net