Sketchbook | Drawing Tutorials Online Blog

Emily’s Sketchbook – The Yellow Submarine

by Matthew | Dec 22, 2017 | Sketchbook Videos, The Blog | 2 comments

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a sketchbook video. I think Emily’s sketchbook is totally worth the wait. Over the course of the semester I’ve really enjoyed seeing Emily’s work progress into something special.

Her style of art is so perfectly suited for animation. She is excellent at character design with a unique sense of humor. It’s students like Emily that make teaching at the School of Visual Arts so much fun.

Think about what you can take from viewing Emily’s sketchbook. What is your main focus? Do you have a sense of your style? Does your style change with each image that you create? These are very important questions you should be asking yourself.

In 2018 I will be creating a brand new course that will help you to develop your style. Stay tuned.

To find out more about our course library visit Drawing Tutorials Online.

Check out Emily’s Instagram. Thanks again Emily for sharing your art. Looking forward to the next sketchbook.

Rex’s Second Sketchbook

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

Wow are you in for a treat, Rex’s second sketchbook is out of control awesome. It’s also a little overwhelming.

Rex is definitely a special individual. She is playing at a level different from most. Her sheer work ethic alone is a key takeaway from this video.

As you flip through her sketchbook like I said you might get a bit overwhelmed. Some self doubt might start to creep into your mind. The antidote to self doubt is focusing on what you can control right now. What you can control is working within your own sketchbook. Focus on you and your drawings.

Understanding that everyone improves at their own pace. Personally my entire 20’s set me up for my 30’s, I feel I didn’t get really good until I was in my 30’s. So needless to say I peaked late.

Draw with purpose in your sketchbook, don’t just doodle. Practice drawing some figures with light and shade. Practice drawing one anatomical part of the human form every week. Practice drawing from life, photos and your imagination.

Try your best not to always do the same thing. Challenge yourself, get out of your comfort zone. Be willing to crash and burn, your drawings will improve with time.

Enjoy Rex’s sketchbook. Turn that overwhelm into drive and determination.

Check out Rex’s Instagram. Thanks again Rex for sharing your art. looking forward to the next sketchbooks.

Ting’s Long Lost Sketchbooks

by Matthew | Sep 2, 2017 | Sketchbook Videos

I just recently discovered that I had Ting’s sketchbooks on my iPhone. Her work is definitely special and I wanted to make sure that I shared it with you.

As I start off the new academic year this upcoming Friday September 8th I look forward to a new group of students. I’m really looking forward to filming some new inspiring sketchbooks.

My main goal as a teacher is to provide students with skills. Skills are the name of the game. Without them a career in the arts is just a fantasy.

I look forward to tirelessly teaching and training all of my students both in the classroom and online this Fall.

Enjoy Ting’s sketchbook. I’m really going to miss last semesters group of students. Thanks for watching!

Check out Ting’s tumblr. Thanks again Ting for sharing your amazing drawings with us.

Sydney’s Sketchbook – Bouncy Cartoon Characters

by Matthew | Apr 8, 2017 | Sketchbook Videos

Sydney is currently enrolled in my Friday drawing class at the School Of Visual Arts. Sydney is an Animation major which is perfect. Her characters are quintessential cartoon to say the least.

What I love so much about Sydney is that she is super comfortable in her shoes. She is not wishy washy about what her work is all about. She loves drawing bouncy cartoon characters and she is really good at it.

I also love that every character has a definite facial expression. Drawing diverse facial expressions is super hard to say the least. Especially for someone like myself who was trained in an academic style.

Whether you like cartoon drawings or not Sydney’s work is definitely something to take note of. She is super clear on her process, style and subject matter. That means a lot in my book. It usually means success.

With Sydney understanding what her work is all about she really has a step up on the competiton. I really can envision turning on my TV, switching over to the cartoon network and seeing Sydney’s work. I just hope that she remembers to tell me when it’s on!

It’s so very important to have a clear vision for you and your work. If you don’t know where you are going with your work, all of that practice can make it feel as though you are just spinning your wheels.

Thanks again Sydney for sharing your art. You can check out Sydney’s YouTube channel here.

Natalie’s Sketchbook Part Two

by Matthew | Mar 25, 2017 | Sketchbook Videos, The Blog | 5 comments

Natalie is a student currently enrolled in my Foundation Animation drawing class at the School Of Visual Arts in Manhattan New York. We’ve got one month left in the Spring semester. I will miss Natalie and her incredible drawings, however she is onto bigger and better things. Natalie is pursuing a career as a Character Designer and Visual Developer.

Natalie’s character design is super authentic. Her characters combine elegant beauty with a touch of grit. I truly love how Natalie works to balance out each sketchbook page through cut out pieces of origami paper.

Her incredible line quality adjacent to pattern and vibrant color really work together. As a teacher looking through Natalie’s sketchbook is very inspiring.

I hope you find some inspiration as well from browsing through her two sketchbooks. She is of a group of students that is just playing at such a higher level.