Thanks for all of your feedback and encouragement. I’ve taken several drawing classes recently (in person classes) and none of the instructors have given much feedback or ideas for improvement, nor do they demonstrate the drawings like you do in your videos (and I feel that is not only very helpful to see, but adds to the overall credibility of the instructor). I really do appreciate it and want to continue with the course!
[Sec. 2] It’s really getting fun now …as my confidence grows I find myself getting totally lost in time when I’m drawing …and I’m drawing every morning when I get up …and then again in the evening …once I start a drawing it’s hard to not keep going. Thanks again for everything …I have learned so much in your course (the most I have ever learned!) …and can’t wait to get into the next lesson.
[Sec. 3]: I definitely see progress and as I have said before …I have learned so much in this course and can’t thank you enough for the course, and your critiques. I can’t believe that the course is over …if you ever have an advanced or next phase course please let me know …I would be very interested.
–Rich McLafferty
Sarah, what a fun class. I never leave home without my cell phone and my ipad. Now, I’m also adding my value scale! As an artist, you may not understand this, but I am a retired engineer and never even thought I had a right brain. So imagine the world that you’ve opened up to me: I now see and notice shapes in nature and tonal values and can even make a decent attempt at reproducing them. I know there’s lots more to learn, but even at this point — look out world! Thanks for all your help. B.J. Derrick
I am so sad the course is over, you have been a fantastic teacher and I’ve learned so much! I feel a little lost as I’m not sure what I will do next lol! 🙂
–Charlene Trost
For me, the greatest value has been in the confidence and competence acquired via a methodical progression through a series of basic exercises. It is all very well to say: “Draw every day, and your drawing will improve.” Progress is much more rapid and tangible with a carefully thought out curriculum such as this. For every potential stumbling block (foreshortening, perspective, lack of value range, difficult proportions), there is a tool that you have given us that will allow us to address and conquer the problem in short order. I am well pleased with my progress. Thank you!
— Suzanne Muir
This is my first time taking an online course and I love it! Your video is so organized and precise and it helps a lot to see how you actually draw. Most classes I attend they just ask you to start drawing; the demo is minimal. So I really like your approach to teaching. I also appreciate your detailed feedback; you show that you really care for your students and encourage them to learn. I can tell how much work you have put into the videos. So far you are the only teacher who has put up videos, as I am taking several other courses too. It is extremely helpful to see how you actually “draw” and the techniques that you use. That’s probably the most valuable teaching methods I find. The course has also covered a wide range of materials. I find the “Block-in” lesson, identifying “value”, “Figures in action”, proportion methods (for still life, faces and figures), and Composition most helpful. You are a wonderful teacher. If you have any workshops in Massachusetts please let me know. I would love to take your workshops and all…I hope to stay in touch with you and perhaps to take your lessons again in the near future.
–Susan Lee
Hi Sarah. I have really enjoyed this course and have enrolled in Section 2 to start next week. I have learnt so much already and my skills are improving all the time. Your lessons are explained and demonstrated so well. I have read other material on drawing skills however it just doesn’t seem to be as easy to understand and take in. I found the videos excellent for teaching and illustrating all the concepts. I am really looking forward to the Section 2 of the lessons.
[Section 2]: I found this lesson very interesting and informative in learning how to draw the human form. It has taken out some of the mystery for me and I look forward to continuing practicing the techniques you have provided. I have enrolled in Section 3 and am looking forward with eagerness to finish this complete course and start utilizing the skills I have learned. I have a lot more confidence now in my drawing and felt I had the skills to complete the assignments. I practiced with the copper pot composition and thought that ‘I can draw anything’ with this technique which was a very liberating feeling! Thanks
[Section 3]: I really learned a lot from your course and my skills have improved considerably. Thank you so much for developing such as comprehensive and detailed drawing course which covers all aspects of the art. I found the last lesson very valuable in helping arrange compositions for rendering. I found the format of the course was very considered in that the combination of videos, instructions, samples, illustrations and feedback provided a variety of communication media to ensure all learning styles were addressed. I look forward to undertaking future courses with you if they become available. Regards,
–Sabina Layton
Sarah, I really appreciated this lesson because getting the proportions and shapes correct is something I’ve really struggled with. Making the block-in a distinct step helped me focus on proportion and separate it from shading. I’m excited to do more drawings because for the first time to believe I will be able to determine the subtle things to alter to make a better likeness
Section 3: I learned so much from your course. While I have been exposed to much of the material through books, the assignments and your feedback helped me progress more than I had hoped for. The time and energy you put into designing the course really shows. I hadn’t shown what I was doing to anyone besides my wife and children, until yesterday a couple of friends saw my final portrait and wanted to know where I had learned to draw. I sent them the link to your course. Thanks again, and if you have any recommendations for further training please pass them along.
–Steven Wilson
Thanks I enjoyed and learned much. Your course was presented in a excellent pace for a beginner like myself. There are many excellent free drawing/painting videos on the net one can learn the basics. However, your course was presented in a way that paced the student in the order required to draw anything from portraits to landscapes. I now have a road map, GPS?, to improving my skills. Thanks,
–Mike McDowell
I always wait for your comments and advice. Thank you very much for all 3 courses. It was a great experience and big fun. I signed up for your mailing letter and am happy to continue our communication. I would be happy to learn more from you. Thank you very much. I learned a lot.
–Alla Remizova
Thank you, Sarah, for this course. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and feel much more confident in my drawing skills now than I did in the beginning. As for the course format, I found the videos to be very illuminating and having the ability to print the transcript of the video very helpful. Your feedback was always positive with gentle and pertinent suggestions on how to improve each drawing. I also appreciated the extra material you provided for additional practice. The content of the course was well ordered and provided a structure and basis for my continued exploration. Thank you.–Leah Foote
Thank you for your patience with me. I have enjoyed having you as a teacher and feel that I have learned a lot from you. If you do any other classes, please contact me. Thank you again, Sarah! Linda Brumbach
If I had attempted to draw this before our class, I wouldn’t have had a clue how to start. I’m beginning to feel like I will be able to learn to draw, which is very exciting. I love these courses and feel like I have made significant progress.
— Betty Etzler
I’m really pleased with the work I’ve done in the past 4 weeks. The course is structured really well and your lessons contain a wealth of helpful information. The assignments are fun, and in my opinion, designed for success and confidence building. The critiques are wonderful as well, and getting feedback about how to improve is invaluable. Having goals to achieve each week helps me stay focused and keeps me practicing – I’m enjoying the experience so much! JoAnn Lund
I have also sent in my first Gene Tierney portrait and my final. I am very happy 🙂 with the final result!!! I used many of the valuable techniques that you taught us over the 12 lessons. My first attempt looks so unsure and my final is drawn with much more confidence. You taught us not only how to draw but how to confidently draw what you SEE! Thank you for that. I have enjoyed the format and content of the lessons. Both were appropriate for a beginner and for someone like myself with an artistic background. The videos of you actually drawing were the most helpful. Kate Heckroth
Thank you very much for your in-depth critique and advice. This was a very valuable course and I’m so happy I plucked up the courage to enroll. I never thought I’d be able to draw and after doing this I realize indeed I can and anybody else can if they want to. Your Drawing Secrets is a good course to get anyone started. I found the course to be packed with good advice and the exercises very helpful, but not overwhelming. Perhaps another short course on Perspective would benefit? Will you be doing any other courses in the near future? Regards and gratitude. Paula Nunn
I’ve really enjoyed and learned so much from you. I’m excited to get busy on my own work and see how much I’ve improved over the last 3 months. Thanks again. –Tracy Maicsh
I’m so happy I chose to take this course. I’ll miss having a specific task for my drawing when I get home from work, but even more I’ll miss having thoughtful comments and instructions on how to improve! Thank you so much! All the best! PS. I’m sitting here and hesitating about hitting the submit-button, because when I do, this part of the journey is over and I’m sad to see it go!
–Åse Bergström