diy art school: march 2024
If I had all the money and time in the world, I would love to go to art school just for fun. I’m always a little jealous when I see students at museums on a sketching field trip or when I watch art student vlogs. I really want to improve as an artist, and I find myself craving the structure of a curriculum and class syllabi. I’ve tried and failed to set up my own DIY art school curriculum for myself over the years, and I’ve realized that I’ve just been making it way too complicated for myself.
Even if art school isn’t in the cards for me right now, there are so many resources available out there for people who want to improve their art skills! I’ve joined several creative learning memberships and communities, and I’ve accumulated a collection of online art courses. I’ve decided that instead of agonizing over creating the perfect curriculum, I am going to keep it as simple as I can and just dive into the amazing resources I have access to. Each month I’m going to work through as many lessons as I can without stressing too much about how much I get through, and I’m going to take myself on a few field trips. Ideally, I’d also like to complete a few passion projects throughout the year, but I don’t want to get too ahead of myself. My plan is to provide monthly updates here to document my progress! Here’s what’s on deck for March:
courses
Learn to Draw (Mimochai Studio) - Lessons 3-5
I’ve been a member of Mimi Chao’s online creative community for a little over a year, and this year I really want to make more use of all of the resources it has to offer! Since I’m focusing on drawing right now, the Learn to Draw course seemed like the obvious place to start, and I’ve really been enjoying it so far! There’s so much great information, but it doesn’t feel overwhelming which I really appreciate. I’ve completed the units on line, shape, and value, so this month I’ll be diving into color & light, portraits, and composition.
Drawing Foundations I (New Masters Academy) - Lessons 3-5
New Masters Academy feels like a more classic art school experience. It’s an amazing resource, and their lessons go super in depth, so I’m letting myself really take my time with their material. I definitely like being able to balance their classes out with other ones that are a little looser with style and faster-paced. This course covers a lot of similar principles as Mimi’s Learn to Draw course, but with a different approach and different assignments. I’m finding it helpful to do both simultaneously as it reinforces the lessons I learn and allows me to approach the material in different ways. This month’s topics include value, perspective, and light & shadow.
Daily Sketching for Creative Observation (Domestika) - complete class assignments
I’m trying to complement focusing on the fundamentals with courses that encourage me to play and experiment. This one is focused on sketchbooking, and while instructor Sorie Kim still includes a lot of drawing tips, she also provides tips for simplifying subjects and more abstract sketchbook exercises. I’ve already watched all of the course material and taken notes on the lessons, so this month I just want to focus on completing the class assignments including:
Complete a sketch from references
Complete a sketch from direct observation
Practice sketching with color
Complete a sketch from abstract shapes
Complete a sketch from scribbles
Interpret a word through abstract shapes
Develop one of my sketches into an illustration
field trips
Go see Mari Andrews’ art show!
Sketching practice at the Met
Sketch the early spring blooms in the park
Published March 7, 2024
