Learn to Draw Traditional and Digital Art

This class will meet students where they are and build upon their existing knowledge and skills with lessons on technique, composition, and creative prompts personally tailored to their interests and needs. Whether they are digital artists or traditional, prefer realism or stylized works, want to illustrate landscapes or OCs, this class will help them explore their creative potential with instruction from a professional illustrator and a relaxed classroom environment that emphasizes process over product.

Topics that will be covered in this class:
- Lighting and shading
- Basics of color theory
- Composition
- Character design
- Static vs. dynamic poses
- How to draw human faces and bodies
- Creating backgrounds that work
- Designing for practical applications (publication, product design, etc.)

New students will be assessed to determine their skill and interests, and lessons will be structured according to their individual goals. Each week, students will receive instruction on a specific skill or technique while being encouraged to apply this knowledge to their own projects. Weekly challenges will invite students to push themselves beyond their comfort zone and continue working on their art outside of the class meeting.

This class will focus on process over product, and emphasize the value of creating art even if there is no monetary objective.

**Absolutely NO Gen-AI content will be utilized in this class.**

Week of May 4: Dynamic vs. Static - students will learn the difference between dynamic and static poses and will be challenged to draw the same subject in both.

Week of May 11: Shading - students will learn basic shading techniques and will be challenged to apply them to their illustrations.

Week of May 18: Composition - students will learn how small changed to composition can change the overall feel of their illustration, and will be challenged to utilize these skills.

Week of May 25: Product and Print Design - students will learn how to design illustrations for publications and merchandise, and will be challenged to design something that could be used in a hypothetical publication or product.

Students will have live instruction for one 45-minute Zoom meeting each week, and they will be able to reach out to the instructor through the classroom or direct message at any time during the week between classes.