Lesson 1: Drawing the Skull

Our primary objective is to create a captivating composition that revolves around the three-quarter angle of the skull. To achieve this, we will employ various techniques, including the strategic use of strong silhouettes and striking contrasts. 

We will focus on artistic selection. Instead of rigidly adhering to the subject's exact details, we will make deliberate choices to create a drawing that is truly compelling. Elements may be omitted or adjusted to enhance the overall impact, making it a viable visual statement.

By embracing the principles discussed, you can elevate your art to new heights and create drawings that leave a lasting impression.

Lesson 2: Drawing the Male Portrait

In this lesson you will learn the following:

• The Art of Composition: We're going to explore how to organize your drawing so that it doesn't just look good, but also tells a meaningful story. It's like creating a visual narrative through the arrangement of elements in your work.
• Commanding Attention Through Focal Points: One key aspect we'll focus on is how to direct people's eyes to certain areas of your artwork. This will help emphasize what you find most important or interesting, making your piece more impactful.
• Shape Language: This is an intriguing idea that suggests the shapes and lines you use can convey specific emotions or themes. It's like adding a subtle, secondary layer of storytelling that reinforces what you're trying to express. Spoiler alert, it doesn't just apply to shapes- it goes for everything in the drawing.
• Creative Manipulation: We'll discuss how you can and should adjust what you see—be it in a photograph or in real life—to better fit the story or mood you're aiming to create with your art. It's about not just replicating but enhancing.

Lesson 3: Drawing the Female Portrait & Thumbnailing

Thumbnail-Sketching - The key to practice good composition. Here we take our time on preliminary sketches to explore and compare various compositional possibilities, arrangements, perspectives, and focal points before committing to a final piece. We will utilize a range of techniques, from quick gestural lines to the selective emphasis of key anatomical landmarks, to imbue our sketches with life and energy.

Central to our approach is the concept of artistic intuition. Rather than slavishly reproducing every detail, we will learn to search for essential themes—making strategic choices to emphasize the flow and dynamism in the design. This process involves both the addition and subtraction of details, refining our sketches to convey powerful visual narratives.

The aim is to develop a keen sense of how to create sketches that not only capture a pose but also tell a story, guiding the viewer's eye through the composition with intent. By the end of this lesson, you will be equipped with the skills to use thumbnail sketching as a tool for visual exploration, enabling you to experiment with and realize their creative visions more effectively. This approach not only enhances the artistic process but also elevates the final artwork, ensuring that each composition is thoughtfully considered and rich with intention.