Online art courses

[Jaded]

Family member asking for recommendations for an online art course. Drawing and painting, rather than digital.

Any recommendations welcomed.

She's found this and wondered if anyone has any experience of them. I thought they looked like they might disappoint.

https://www.londonartcollege.co.uk

[MikeFromLFE]

Hi Jaded, I got into drawing and sketching originally as a way to enhance my cycling trips.
I'm entirely self taught, and my skill level, and output is, after, maybe 20 years, average /mediocre - so take this with a pinch of salt.
I went on - partly through my drawing - to do a degree in Art History (with French).

There's no substitute for practice, and good friendly criticism is invaluable.
The courses you link to seem to offer these, but they seem - to me - expensive.

One of my granddaughters is frighteningly good at art, and will soon be teaching me stuff.

There are a lot of resources available on YouTube which I'd suggest are the best starting point for a raw beginner, who might be intimidated by the criticism from a course. I learned from books and took inspiration from the Bob Ross TV series (currently rerunning on BBC4) & an Irish bloke who's name I forget.

One word of advice to your pal - is f!ck what anyone else thinks of what you've done, it's the process of making the mark, and whether the mark maker is enjoying doing it.
Oh, and keep the verticals, vertical.

[Jaded]

 

Good stuff, thanks.

[fd3]

Depending on age of family member, Ed Emberly is rated as a cartoony starting point, you do develop a number of decent techniques.  I predate YouTube so would recommend a book, but my son has got good use from both.

[Efrogwr]

Hello,

          I, too, sense a potential for disappointment.

It depends on what she wants to do, and the depth of her interest. I will assume that drawing and painting are her main focus.

MikeFromLFE makes some good points.

Some suggestions;

Liz Steel runs online courses in "urban sketching" (To pay for) and has a freely accessible blog. She trained as an architect and works in a loose illustrational style in watercolour.

James Gurney has a blog (Gurney Journey) and sells videos and has published instruction books. He  works in fantasy, science fiction and scientific illustration. He also has experience in concept art for films, and works as a visiting lecturer in art schools.

They are both good for representational drawing and painting.

For drawing I recommend Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. She has a website; drawright.com. One tip from the book (if I remember correctly) is to get a ream of printer paper and a apply of pencils (2B is a very useful grade) and practice every day. Number and date every sheet and keep them all!. With the right attitude we all learn at least as much from mistakes and failure as we do from success. Also, she should keep a sketchbook, where she can experiment and work out ideas. No-one else need see it unless she wants them to.  Years ago my tutor said that it's likely that 90% of the contents of a sketchbook have no further value, but that in a (say) fifty page book that's forty fivepages, leaving Five to develop further.

It's well worthwhile finding artists' blogs and Instagram accounts. The Internet is no substitute, but It's all we have at present....

Good look to your family member.

[MikeFromLFE]

Another thought in these odd times is to get inspiration from the Urban Sketching movement - the current monthly magazine is at https://issuu.com/drawingattention/docs/da_jan_2021_    and the website with links to some of their talks is at    http://www.urbansketchers.org/

I've been to a couple of local events and had great feedback from lovely people, if I was more of a 'joiner' it's certainly something I'd get more involved in. The participants (here in Leicester - which I think is pretty typical) range from rank beginners right through to art graduates, but no one (outwardly) judges anyone else's work on the day, and there's an active local facebook group for showing off.

I found it hard to understand initially that you don't necessarily join a local group, you just turn up, or just participate online - it's an incredibly loose international community.

While the type of stuff that 'urban sketchers' produce may not be what your pal aspires to, but it's always good to look at other styles and other ways of doing things.

[Efrogwr]

The RWA Drawing School is offering online sessions. (From an email circular today)
Maybe worth considering.

[Jaded]

Thanks, will investigate.

[Efrogwr]

Thanks, will investigate.

 

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

A while back I got called an 'artist' by a Frenchman from Alsace. I'm still trying work out what he meant by it.