The Blog | Drawing Tutorials Online Blog

How To Get Better At Drawing Portraits

by Matthew | Feb 16, 2017 | The Blog

I have been filming Video Critiques every Monday, religiously since 2009. It’s truly what has kept me connected to our close knit member base. In an ever polarized internet where people feel very isolated something very different is happening at members.drawing-tutorials-online.com. People are not only connecting but they are learning how to improve their art on a consistent basis.

The video critique below is a typical example of the service I provide to our members every Monday. Each week members who choose to participate, upload their artwork to our member Critique Gallery. Getting a weekly critique from Drawing Tutorials Online can really help you jump up your skill level in a very short period of time.

The knowledge provided in these video critiques is the same type of knowledge taught at major art colleges for thousands of dollars. I know, I teach at one of the biggest art colleges in the United States, the School Of Visual Arts. SVA is an awesome school. I graduated from SVA in 1990 and have been teaching there since 1997.

The issue today with big art schools is the cost. Too many students are leaving art colleges strapped with major debt. This debt can be paralyzing to many young artists.

The good news is that there is a revolution going on with online learning. You really don’t have to be strapped with thousands of dollars in student loans anymore. Websites like members.drawing- tutorials-online.com provide a quality online education affordable to anyone willing to pay, at least for our service, .66 cents a day. Not only will our site teach you sound technical skills it will also provide you with sage career advice.

If you are looking to follow you passion learning more about the craft of drawing. Definitely consider signing up for month to our membership site. At .66 cents a day you won’t have any five year loans to worry about paying back.

Thank you so much for watching the video critique above.

Learn how to draw a portrait in several easy to follow steps.

1. Start drawing your portrait loose with gesture lines.

2. Measure some landmarks left to right, top to bottom.

3. Draw an edge of the face using the “Angles” technique.

4. Shade in one big shadow shape. A shape that looks easy to draw.

5. Start to separate the shape of hair and shape of face.

6. Use outside open negative space to set the head, neck and shoulders.

7. Compartmentalize the features of the face. Use measuring to see where all of the features are placed.

Of course I explain everything in much more detail throughout the video. However thank you so much for reading the blog post and watching this critique.

I look forward to seeing you in the members area soon!

Get started learning today!

Kaelin’s Sketchbook – Fun, Cute N’ Cartoony

by Matthew | Feb 4, 2017 | Sketchbook Videos, The Blog

Kaelin is a really cool student to have in class. She is super fun, a true lover of animation not to mention really talented. Kaelin’s talent shows true when she is drawing her cute, soft, round cartoony looking characters.

I trust you can see her progress. Her line work has really developed over the course of one short semester. Kaelin is truly blessed with a personal style. Now her job throughout college is to refine, mature and develop that personal style to an even higher level.

I hope you enjoyed looking through Kaelin’s sketchbook. I know I did. I especially love having Kaelin’s infectious appetite for learning every Friday in class.

Check out Kaelin’s instagram. Thanks again Kaelin for sharing your art!

How To Avoid Painting Uneven Skin Tones

by Matthew | Feb 1, 2017 | The Blog, Video Critiques | 1 comment

Do you find yourself struggling with painting even looking skin tones? Do the skin tones that you paint look blotchy? Yea sounds awful. I used to struggle with this big time.

Through years of practice and hard work I finally mastered both my palette and my brushes. However back in the day when I was learning how to paint there were no online video tutorials. So hopefully this video critique will provide you with a little bit of a head start in the knowledge department.

Once you understand the concept of keeping your lights light and your darks dark everything gets a little easier to understand. You also want to utilize a gradation in the light of your figure or portrait painting. For example the forehead should be lighter than the chin in form light.

Understand that subtle skin tone value shifts are usually surface plane shifts. You want to paint these value shifts less contrasty, especially in the light. This will help you to avoid drastic value shifts in the light. Drastic value shifts in the light cause blotchy skin tones.

These techniques apply to pencil drawing, traditional painting as well as digital painting. Of course practice makes perfect so get at it.

Have questions about your artwork? We are here to help. A subscription to Drawing Tutorials Online will get you instant access to our member Critique Gallery. We film member critiques every Monday.

Ellis’s Sketchbook – Beautiful

by Matthew | Jan 21, 2017 | Sketchbook Videos, The Blog | 4 comments

Simply put I’m a huge fan of Ellis’s sketchbook. Her work is very fun to look at. Ellis’s line is super slick. Ellis’s characters are drawn with such super descriptive line, it makes you want to just sit and admire them . Ellis’s characters are totally drawn out of her imagination and are absolutely authentic.

The funny thing is that Ellis was not even registered for my class on day one. Ellis joined our class a bit late and I’m really glad she did. Ellis brings so much to the classroom. Her work just has a different look and feel to it. It really inspires everyone in class to find their own authenticity.

Ultimately Ellis wants to become a director. Which basically means she will most likely be drawing less in the future. So for now I’m just going to sit back and enjoy watching Ellis draw in class. I’m also going to enjoy filming her next sketchbook sometime at the end of this semester.

I trust you will find something in Ellis’s sketchbook inspiring. I found her whole process to be inspiring. Both her light construction lines as well as the the look and feel of her finished drawings.

Check out Ellis’s instagram. Thanks again Ellis for sharing your art. looking forward to the next sketchbook.

Madeleine’s Sketchbook – Total Power

by Matthew | Nov 19, 2016 | Sketchbook Videos, The Blog | 2 comments

Madeleine is a student currently enrolled in my foundation drawing class at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan New York. Madeleine is definitely playing by her own set of rules. She wants to create her own animated series for Cartoon Network. Hey why not.

Madeleine has the drive, the talent and a clear vision for what she wants. The sheer volume of drawings Madeleine has created in her sketchbook is pretty amazing.

I ask my students to fill two sketchbooks in a fifteen week semester, Madeleine completed her two in eight weeks. You definitely have to take note of that.

Finishing two sketchbooks in fifteen weeks is what every student should strive for. There is definitely something magical that happens when you draw that much. That magic is happening with Madeleine.

I really teach drawing in a very traditional way. Madeleine is far from traditional and I totally accept that. I love all of the drawings Madeleine works on in class. They are so very different, they really make you take a step back.

It’s so very important to expose yourself to different kinds of art. For that I thank you Madeleine for sharing your sketchbooks with us.

Check out Madeleine’s website. Thanks again Madeline for sharing your art. looking forward to the next sketchbooks.

Bari’s Sketchbook – Expressive Watercolor

by Matthew | Jul 23, 2016 | Sketchbook Videos, The Blog | 2 comments

It seemed so long ago that Bari, pronounced Barry, asked to join my drawing class midway through the 2015-16 academic year. My class was already full but I’m glad I let her join. As you can see in her sketchbook she’s a natural with watercolors.

I consider myself a pretty neat person, however I’m really drawn to messy sketchbooks. I would say that Bari has one of the most messy sketchbooks and it’s awesome. What is so awesome about her work is that she just creates with no worries at all. She just dives right into her art. Bari is really comfortable working small as well.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen her sketchbook. I’ve got to admit while editting her sketchbook I was really glued to the screen. Her portraits of are really expressive. Her characters have so much well, character.

I hope you enjoy looking through Bari’s sketchbook. To see more of her work visit Bari’s Tumblr.