Upcoming lessons: April 30-Veiled Chameleon, May 7-African Lion

This is an ongoing class and year-round. With ongoing classes, when you subscribe you may choose to participate for as long or little as you would like. You are only charged once on Sundays for just that one upcoming week's lesson. After your first charge, Outschool charges are automatic for ongoing classes. If you only want to participate for only one week and would like to know how to do this, please perform a search under Outschool's Help tab for information about ongoing classes for learners. 

In each weekly lesson, students will learn how to draw one species of baby or young animal, starting with a basic pencil outline, outlining with pen, and coloring in with colored pencils while using beginner shading techniques. This class works well for students who have had some beginning drawing experience to students at more intermediate levels. Practicing new drawing subjects is a way to continuously build solid drawing skills and help students develop confidence in their creative works at any level. Since art skills can vary greatly with different age groups, the class has had students who are slightly younger and older than the listed ages of 8-13. To determine if your students would be ready for the class, they should have at least the knowledge of what common geometric shapes look like, including circles, ovals, triangles, squares, and rectangles. 

I post the printable lesson for the animal we'll be drawing that week in the classroom before the class meeting starts. The printable PDF contains a list of materials, some information about the animal we are drawing, and an example drawing that can be printed and used as a helpful visual during class. (*Artist’s note: Learners may use their own drawings for any purpose they would like. However, example drawings found in the lesson PDF are copyright protected and may not be used for any other purpose other than for this class and for using as references for personal practice of a learner’s art skills. Thank you!)

After all students have entered the classroom, I switch to a camera that is focused on the paper I will be using to draw on so I can guide students in following along. My teaching style for this class is easy-going and conversational. I provide verbal instructions and tips, as well as provide some information about the particular species of animals we are drawing. I encourage students to show me their drawings if they say they need assistance so I can more accurately provide tips for that particular student and drawing. 

Students will be guided to start the drawing at a chosen focal point of the animal and will practice how to visually measure where shapes and lines of the animals should be placed in relation to each other. Also, students will be shown how to use basic colored pencil shading techniques to give the animals depth, including where to place highlights and shadows. 

On average, each drawing take around 60 minutes (1 hour) to complete, but due to multiple factors, sometimes students complete the drawing in less time and sometimes more. Unless I have another class starting soon, I sometimes extend class time beyond 60 minutes until all students have completed their work. Also, after teaching the class for over 4 years and seeing what conditions allow for a fun class and respectful learning environment, I very highly recommend students enter the Zoom waiting room at the start of class time so I can let them in right away. If students enter the Zoom meeting even just 10-15 minutes after the start of class time, it is disruptive for those students who joined at the start of the meeting and who have already completed some or most of the drawing. 

If students would like to view the class recording because they want to go over something they missed or because they missed class and have paid for that week's lesson, students or parents/caregivers may go to the classroom and click the button to request I share the class recording if I haven't already shared it. If for some reason there was a distraction during the live class meeting that would make the lesson in the class recording hard to follow, I might choose to create my own video recording of the lesson and send that instead of the class recording when a recording is requested. If I do need to create my own video recording of the lesson, I create it later in the week and am able to send it in a message any time after that.

From experience, I've seen that most students in this class really enjoy being able to interact with me through either audio or chat during class. At the beginning of most class meetings, especially meetings with a lot of student, I do make sure that everyone is muted so students can hear me better. However, students are free to ask questions or make a comment at any time by typing in the chat box or by raising their hands (real and digital). If they do raise their hands, I ask that they wait until I call on them before they unmute themselves so we all do not interrupt each other. If you know your student requires a specific learning environment, such having a more quiet class or requiring their audio to be on continuously during the class meeting (i.e. unmuted), please let me know and I'll be happy to see what I can do.

Each work of art is as unique and special as each student, so a completed drawing is all that's required for every class. We have a fun and relaxed learning environment, so it is expected that all students are to be respectful of other students who may follow along during class at different speeds, whether that speed be slower or faster than what another student is used to.