Art Prof
Our free Drawing Basics Track helps students develop versatility in drawing by practicing everything from a two minute gesture drawing to drawings that take several hours to complete in a broad range of abstract and representational subjects. Animal Gesture Drawings Complete six hours total of drawing of a range of different animals. Draw two, five, and ten […]
This video provides a critique of an MFA art school portfolio, starting with an overview of the portfolio, followed by critiques for each individual artwork. Topics discussed include aspects of the entire portfolio and if artworks are working well, and recommends concrete strategies for how to make progress. Critique led by Art Prof Clara Lieu, […]
Do you feel pressure to find your art style, but don’t know how? Get concrete tips for what you can do to find your own artistic voice in a genuine and effective manner that won’t stifle opportunities. Having a distinct art style is what artists are known for, and yet finding your style can feel […]
Who knew that there are bread rolls that wear lingerie! Watch this drawing demo of sexy bread rolls, showing how to draw with colored pencil and crayons on black watercolor paper. Techniques for drawing small details like the lace in the “bread lingerie” as well as showing the round form and saturated color of the […]
Prompt Do a sustained drawing of a torso that focuses on lighting as a means of emphasizing the volume and form. Use any drawing style you want, this video uses smudging to create soft shadows, whereas this video uses cross-hatching to build the shadows. tips Keep on eye on what the centerline is doing; it’s […]
Prompt Draw 6 hours of 5-20 min. gesture drawings of poses that show foreshortening. Emphasize bony landmarks, especially the joints in the arms and legs. Foreshortening can be extremely dramatic, or it can be very subtle, sometimes it’s barely there! Aim to bring out the foreshortening anywhere you can. Tips Search for overlaps in the […]
Prompt Draw 6 hours of 5-20 min. gesture drawings of full figures that emphasize tone to show the volume and form of the human figure. Think about the process as if you were sculpting a figure in 3D. Muscles are rarely confined to a single point of view, many “wrap” around the figure from one […]
Prompt Draw a skeleton inside a figure in order to see where bony landmarks and muscles align. Remember that this prompt is not about accuracy, and it’s not about making a beautiful drawing. In fact, it’s pretty much guaranteed that your drawing is going to be pretty wonky in terms of being anatomically correct! The […]
Prompt Do 6 hours of gesture drawings of hands and feet. We recommend making the hands and feet in your drawings at least life size or larger. Reference Images Inspiration Käthe Kollwitz, Egon Schiele, Albrecht Dürer, Leonardo da Vinci timed drawing videos Our timed drawing exercises videos make drawing even easier: each video plays 2 […]
Prompt Complete six hours in total of gesture drawings of figures. A huge part of figure drawing is simply logging the “pencil mileage” and developing the muscle memory. Examples Artworks by Tent, Pat, Toaster, Steen Where do I draw first? It doesn’t matter whether an arm is well drawn, the most important thing is that […]
Racism exists in all areas of the art world, it is experienced in museums, in art history, art school, art education, professional art industries and more. This video is a discussion which recognizes racism in visual arts and offers some ways how we as artists can work towards a more equitable field. Stories from their […]
Prompt Color one of your characters using 3 different color schemes. Consider your character, what colors will help tell your character’s story and background? Color is not just a visual experience, it is a story telling tool as well! Tips Inspiration Mulan, Guardians of the Galaxy, Nicholas Kole, Andreas Rocha, Samurai Jack, Fantastic Mr. Fox, […]
Prompt Complete a 3/4 front pose and 3/4 rear pose for your character. Optional: front, back and side poses. Be willing to push your expressions and angles in your figures. Aim for a very wide range of emotions and try not to let any two look the same. Don’t pick random emotions, show emotions that […]
Prompt Draw one of your own characters in 3-5 contrasting styles. You can reference styles from TV shows and movies if you like. Experiment with shape language and story elements to create the different styles. Examples James, Steen, Crissie, Robyn, Tamara Living Library Blog This blog has production artwork from movies and shows that are […]
Prompt Choose an occupation/title for your character. Draw 6 thumbnail sketches of your character that portray their occupation/title. Be as specific as possible with your character’s occupation. If your character is a teacher, what subject do they teach? Do they teach elementary school students, or continuing education students? What type of school does your character […]
Prompt Explore shape language by sketching 3 characters from other popular designs. Use a broad range of shapes to communicate the feeling of each character being cute, strong and dangerous. You’ll do a total of 9 drawings. Inspiration: TV series Steven Universe, Inside Out, SpongeBob Squarepants, Powerpuff girls, Samurai Jack, Chowder, Fairly Odd Parents, Carmen […]
See a portrait painting demo using characters from Wes Anderson’s film The French Dispatch. This video provides tips and techniques for how to create a convincing portrait using a monochromatic color scheme using watercolor and gouache. Techniques like the skull in the portrait to achieve a solid structure, a range of value and contrast, as […]
Art Prof Clara Lieu critiques an art school portfolio by high school student Catherine Chung. Prof Lieu highlights what aspects of the entire portfolio and artworks are working well, and recommends concrete strategies for how to make progress. Featured Artist Catherine Chung “I’m an Alabama high school senior applying this fall. Art colors my lens […]
This video explains the front muscles of the leg, discussing the specifics of the anatomical structure. Muscles covered in this video include the Sartorius, the Tensor Fasciae Latae, the gluteus Medias, the Vastus Medialis, the Rectus Femoris, the Vastus Lateralis, and the Tibialis Anterior. Lecture by Art Prof Clara Lieu. Video Walkthrough Prof Lieu’s Tips […]
Learn the fundamentals of drawing the human figure by developing a base knowledge of human anatomy. Lesson 1 • Lesson 2 • Lesson 3Lesson 4 • Lesson 5 • Lesson 6 You’ll have the option to draw with either digital or traditional drawing media to explore the structures of the human figure, while developing skills in both quick […]
Our Character Design Track will help you sharpen your fundamental skills in order to help you create your own innovative character designs. Lesson 1 • Lesson 2 • Lesson 3Lesson 4 • Lesson 5 • Lesson 6 We will cover essential skills and topics like shape language, the psychology of color, turnarounds, expressions, poses, thumbnail sketches, silhouette, story, and more. Pacing Do the track at your own pace! Taking […]
Art Dare Prompt Pick 1 subject. Depict your subject 20 times, in as many styles as possible. Format is up to you; you could have 20 separate artworks, or combine them in a single image. Art media Use any 2D or 3D art media, anything goes! The 20 artworks do not have to all be […]
This video shows the results of the 2021 November Art Dare: Travel posters, where participants were challenged to create a travel poster that is based on either their hometown or where they currently live. The 2022 January Art Dare is also announced, providing inspiration and examples. Discussion led by Art Prof Clara Lieu and Teaching […]
This video provides a critique of an MFA art school portfolio, starting with an overview of the portfolio, followed by critiques for each individual artwork. Topics discussed include aspects of the entire portfolio and artworks are working well, and recommends concrete strategies for how to make progress. Critique led by Art Prof Clara Lieu, portfolio […]
This video is part 3 in a Drawing Curriculum designed for self-taught artists. (Watch Part 1 & Part 2) This video is an overview of a diverse range of drawing exercises and prompts that you can use to foster your drawing skills. Quick warm up exercises, drawing prompts to get you started, and more challenging […]
Index MFA Programs Portfolio Critiques BFA Programs MFA Programs Portfolio Critiques BFA Programs
Prompt Write 3 artist statements of varying lengths, that provide insight into your art practice and materials. You can write the statements so they encompass your overall practice, or statements that are focused on one specific project. 1 sentence statement This is your elevator pitch: what if you have 2 min. with someone at an […]
Prompt Self-critique the current state of your portfolio and create a plan of action for how you will develop your portfolio. Weed out class assignments Any artworks that are obviously assignments from a class should be removed: sketches of a nude model posing in class, color exercises, a still life that an instructor set up […]
The MFA Portfolios Track will lay out all the materials you’ll need to provide to apply to an MFA program in studio art. Lesson 1 • Lesson 2 • Lesson 3 • Lesson 4 An MFA portfolio requires a level of maturity and engagement with critical thinking. A sampling of homework assignments from your undergraduate degree isn’t going to […]
Learn the nuts and bolts of a career as an arts writer. Arts writers write about many topics: they review contemporary art exhibitions, current events in the art world, and more. Many arts writers write for several publications, find out about what arts writers are looking for in their articles and what their experiences are […]
Our free Painting Basics Track provides students with a foundation of basic skills like color theory, brush technique, composition, while working with a range of subjects like abstraction and still life. Sky Paintings Create a painting of a sky which shows a broad range of colors and textures. Aim to show depth in the sky, with some parts of the […]
Our free Digital Basics Track pushes students to develop skills in digital drawing and painting techniques while experimenting with a range of styles, color schemes, and textures. Texture Cubes Create 8 cubes that each have the texture of a real life object. Try to choose as many different textures and colors as you can! Artworks by […]