In my first lecture, I will talk about the difference between looking and seeing and how anything you see can be reduced into simple shapes. Anyone can look at a subject, but it takes a deeper understanding of that subject in order to truly SEE. Seeing is about knowing, thinking, and asking questions. I will talk about how to LOOK at a subject and SEE simplified shapes. Finally, I will discuss my thought process while demonstrating how to observe and draw the simple shapes in a chameleon.

In this lecture, I will talk about value or tone. When we use lights and darks in our images, we give them power, create drama, and communicate form. I will talk about how the great masters effectively used value and together we will make a value scale. In my demo, I will take my chameleon drawing from Lecture 1 and add values, creating drama.

I will start this lesson by discussing perspective and the horizon line. I will show you one point, two point, and three point perspective, how ellipses relate to the horizon line, and introduce the grid line. I will show you how objects sit on the grid and demonstrate the power of the grid in a quick and simple sketch. Then I will demonstrate how I add a dog into one of my sketches in the correct perspective while talking through my thought process.

In this lecture, I will talk about what good composition is and is not. In essence, good composition means placing and arranging objects in a picture in a balanced and pleasing way, thus establishing the power of an image, making it attractive to the viewer, and ensuring its success. I will discuss the rule of thirds and why you should or shouldn’t use it depending on the purpose of your image. Then, I will demonstrate my approach for good composition and how I construct a scene with multiple elements.

In this lecture, I will talk about an oft-overlooked aspect of storytelling: gesture. I will show you great examples of gesturing and explain what makes them dynamic and expressive. I will then go through how I’ve applied gesture in my own drawings throughout my career and provide a gesture drawing demo working from several images of different poses while explaining my thought process.