Online Beginner Drawing Course
4018: Intro to Drawing
Workshop on basic drawing techniques
Think drawing is a gift that has to come naturally? Drawing is a skill that can be developed with practice. In this online beginner drawing course, you'll learn how to draw with proper techniques, discovering how to represent what you see through studies in contour drawing, perspective, positive/negative space, and value. With feedback from an expert instructor, you will improve your drawing and develop a deeper understanding of any subject you are trying to capture as an artist or designer.
Student work by William Chislum. Visit the Student Gallery.
About This Course
Project-Based Learning
Build a foundation in traditional drawing techniques with blind and open contour drawing, perspective and positive/negative space studies, value study, and still life drawing.
What Skills Will I Develop?
Students in this course can expect to learn to:
- Consider and describe common barriers to learning to draw.
- Identify and discuss the many applications of drawing in art and design.
- Use basic drawing materials with a proper drawing technique.
- Produce blind and open contour drawings.
- Examine the role of perspective and positive/negative space in drawing.
- Represent the effects of 1-, 2- and 3- point perspective.
- Combine the effects of positive and negative space in a drawing subject.
- Discover and consider how light casts a shadow and affects the value in a drawing subject.
- Experiment with mid-tones, highlights, shadow edge, core shadow, reflected light, and cast shadow in a drawing subject.
- Create a value study capturing a range of tones from highlights to core shadow.
- Draw a complex still life composed of multiple objects.
What Software and Supplies Do I Need?
- Computer with Internet connection.
- Assorted supplies including: drawing paper, masking tape, drawing board, easel. (A full list will be provided in the course.)
- Ability to scan or photograph your drawings.
Course Outline
Intro to Drawing
How do we learn to draw? By learning to see and represent the world as we see it. The course begins with a discussion of common conceptual barriers to drawing. You will learn what drawing is and explore its many different applications in art and design. In order to prepare to draw, you will learn the purpose of various drawing materials and how to use them.
Making Sense of Space
Perspective and positive/negative space are two traditional and powerful concepts in drawing. This week's class introduces you to the influence of perspective on the way we see objects in the world. You'll explore how eye level, vanishing point, convergence, and foreshortening affect the appearance of objects in your drawings and learn how 1-, 2-, and 3-point perspective are created. You'll also learn how to identify and capture the positive and negative space in a subject.
Shedding Some Light on the Subject
Capturing the effects of light is a timeless challenge for artists. In the final lecture you'll explore how light casts a shadow and affects the value in a drawing subject. First you'll examine how the strength, angle, and position of a light source affects a subject. Then you'll learn how to identify mid-tones, highlights, shadow edge, core shadow, reflected light, and cast shadow in your subject. Hatching and cross-hatching are discussed as simple techniques for adding value to a drawing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How Do The Courses Work?
Our Professional Certificate courses are project-based and instructor-led. In each course you’ll complete a series of lectures and projects designed to stretch your creative skills. The courses are delivered on a flexible schedule with no set-logins or Zoom meetings. You can study when you want, provided you complete your program by the assigned deadline.
Who Are The Instructors?
Our courses are developed and taught by our industry-leading faculty of creative professionals. This means that you’ll learn in-demand skills, get feedback on your work, and build a portfolio of creative work. View our Student Gallery for featured student projects
When Can I Start?
You can enroll in this course on an individual basis or as part of a Professional Certificate program. Professional Certificate programs start every month on the first of the month. With rolling admissions, you can start as soon as you complete Orientation.
Explore Professional Certificate Programs: Graphic Design | Web Design | Multimedia | Digital Arts | Marketing Design | Fine Arts
How Do I Register?
To register for a Professional Certificate program, complete our program application. To register for this course on an individual basis, please contact our admissions team at admissions@sessions.edu. An Admissions Advisor will contact you to setup your enrollment.
| Course Tuition and Fees | |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $619 |
| Registration Fee* | $50 |
| Total Course Price | $669 |
Registration fees are nonrefundable after 5 days from enrollment.
Is Sessions College accredited?
Yes. Since 2001, Sessions College has been accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). The Distance Education Accrediting Commission is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a recognized accrediting agency and is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).