Brush, Chalk & Charcoal:
Foundations in Drawing Video Course
What’s in this Course?
This course contains 33 videos that will take the student from having no drawing knowledge or skill to being confident with a brush and ready to draw from life with better perception and technical skill. There are several ways to use this course, so this page gives you an outline and a road-map for understanding the content.
There are 5 types of videos in this course:
5 Welcome & Getting Started videos
11 Brush Drawing Lessons
7 Brush Drawing Quick Skill Videos, which highlight a quick brush drawing skill up-close
5 Chalk & Charcoal Lessons
5 Drawing Concept videos that will help the student see better and make new brain pathways for better perception and observation across all types of drawing and visual art.
“Welcome + Getting Started” Videos:
This group of videos will acquaint both the instructor and student with brush drawing, drawing in general, and will give the suggestion to use the chalk and charcoal lessons either in between brush work videos or separately. This group of videos should be viewed by the instructor and the student before beginning any lesson videos. The “Complete Intro in Action” video will give you a short immersion in a brush drawing lesson and “Brush Habits and Care” will need to be viewed by the student to know how to clean up after their brush lessons.
Welcome to the Course! (good things to keep in mind for student and teacher)
What is Brush Drawing + Supplies (essential for acquiring supplies & showing use)
A Word on Brush Drawing + Variety (slightly more directed toward teacher)
Brush Drawing - Complete Intro in Action (supplies & short immersion)
Brush Habits and Care (student needs to know this information)
Brush Drawing Videos
Full-Length Brush Drawing Lessons (5-10 min):
This group of videos contains 9 brush drawing video lessons that will teach basic brush prints and strokes, beginner and intermediate level line-making, and instruct on brush drawing from observation. The other 2 videos in this group teach the student how to fill a palette with pigment and give an introduction on mixing colors on a palette.
Brush Drawing Lesson 1 - Consistency
Brush Drawing Lesson 2 + Working Upright
Brush Drawing Lesson 3 - So Many Lines
Brush Drawing Lesson 4 - Ellipses, J Curves + Twist
Brush Drawing Lesson 5 - Prints + Circles + Lines
Brush Drawing Lesson 6 - Practicing with Variety
Brush Drawing Lesson 7 - Circles of Color
Brush Drawing Lesson 8 - Strokes with Finesse
Brush Drawing Lesson 9 - Observational Natural Object
Filling a Palette with Pigments
Mixing Paints in Your Palette
Brush Drawing Quick Skill Videos (1-2 min):
This group contains very short videos that teach moves executed in the brush drawing lesson videos; from close up, at a side angle and in slow motion, instead of a bird’s eye view, in real time. These are for the student to clarify the techniques shown in the full-length lesson videos. They could be shown before or after a full-length lesson to help the student see more clearly and practice the action until mastered. Or, these short videos could be the very first lessons for a beginner before diving into the full-length lessons that combine these techniques in drill form.
Quick Skill - Curve Twist Stroke
Quick Skill - Decisive Circle
Quick Skill - Design Drill
Quick Skill - Filling Areas Evenly with Pigment
Quick Skill - Line Antics + Border Ideas
Quick Skill - Line Work with the Brush
Quick Skill - The Dot
Chalk & Charcoal Videos
(short drawing media)
Full-Length Chalk & Charcoal Lessons (4-8 min):
These 5 videos are meant to get the student acquainted with charcoal and chalk as a medium, to inform the student that drawing can be done with many tools, and to help the student with seeing overall proportion, and executing that knowledge. These lessons can be interspersed between brush lessons, or as a separate unit themselves. They could just as easily be worked in any short drawing media, such as chalk, charcoal, oil pastel, crayon, etc. Below is the suggested order, but they need no specific order.
Charcoal Drawing Supplies + Ellipse Prompt
Charcoal Ellipse, Window + Bread
Chalk or Charcoal Straight Lines + Curves
Chalk Ellipses + J Curves
Charcoal Mug
Essential Visual Concept Videos
Drawing Concepts Videos:
These 5 videos each cover a concept that will sharpen the student’s perceptual powers (seeing and perceiving) and help them to articulate what they are observing better on paper (execution and technique). These are meaty concepts and can be worked in any order and with any medium. These exercises can be repeated indefinitely as practice. In drawing, as with all skill-based work, continual practice is key for improving!
Charcoal Natural Object (Observational How-To)
Memory Drawing Concept Video
Negative Space Concept Video
Sensory Drawing Concept
Visual Measuring Concept
