Scales & Tails Pencil Shading • Art Class Practice Shading With Cool Creatures

My students learn about art and design through the perspective of pop culture and personal passions as we work through skill drills that sharpen artistic abilities. My lessons are built to keep the FUN in fundamentals. 

MY PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

I’m Michelle Baker, a mixed-media artist, designer and instructor. I work in traditional media like pencil, charcoal, chalk, and ink, combined with Digital (Photoshop and Procreate).

My students learn about art and design through the perspective of pop culture and personal passions as we work through skill drills that sharpen artistic abilities. My lessons are built to keep the FUN in fundamentals. 

MY PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
A professional artist and designer since 1990, my first creative ventures included being a sign-painter, muralist and caricature artist. After I received my Bachelor's Degree in Commercial Art with a minor in Fine Art, I worked in a mix of professional settings doing print design, storyboarding, multimedia, illustration, animation, and branding. I have taught art, design and illustration as adjunct faculty at the college level as well as K-Grade 8 at a Private Academy. I've been instructing Grades 4-12 here on Outschool since March of 2020.

My studio, Rockin’ Chalk, specializes in Food and Beverage art. I’ve created for thousands of customers and have been commissioned to create artwork for well known food, beverage and retail brands such as Torani, Yerba­e, Weber Grill and Cavender’s, along with many smaller, independently owned restaurants. 

MY WORLD
I am a married mother of 2 amazing boys and I live with my family on a lake in Southern New Hampshire. A few creative people who have inspired me in my lifetime include Jim Henson, Tim Burton and John Lasseter. I love classic rock music and have a serious weakness for  tacos.