In this lesson, we cover the concept of the picture plane—the flat surface where you create your drawing.

Learn how to create a plan projection step by step.

The picture plane is like a window that helps solve perspective problems in drawing.

The first project of the Drawing Basics course is to challenge yourself to simplify the shapes, edges, and values of a pear or portrait from observation.

In this video, I’ll give you an in depth look at what you’ll learn in my Drawing Basics course.

Here’s a project to help you avoid chicken scratch. We’re going to simplify our drawings to C curves, S curves, and straight lines.

Here is my step-by-step demo on how to properly execute the first assignment for level 1 students.

Drawing is a visual language that can be learned just like any other language, and anyone can pick it up with the right guidance and practice.

A brief introduction to the course, how it's structured, and where you can submit work.

There is an endless number of ways to use lines as an artist, so let's jump in and take a look at the basics.

A beginner's guide to sketchbooks and paper! Learn about paper types, texture, weight, archivability, and common pitfalls.

Learn how to draw objects that don't touch the picture plane, whether they're placed behind or in front of it.

Master the Tapered Stroke for confident line quality in your sketches! Learn how to construct complex shapes & add energy to your loose sketches.

A beginner's guide to pencils and erasers! A breakdown of the many different pencil and eraser options out there.

In our very first critique of the course, I take a look through your simplified pear submissions and give feedback on some of the most common mistakes.

All the ways I sharpen pencils. Wooded and woodless graphite pencils, 2.0 and 5.6mm mechanical pencils, charcoal pencils, and eraser pencils!

In this project, we'll start learning how to sketch using simple loose lines.

Refining values and shapes to add depth, volume, and cohesion to a drawing.

This warmup is a fun way to help you practice drawing ellipses.