Workshop: Let's Draw People LEVEL 1

This is Level 1 of "Let's Draw People!"

People are part of life around us, so when including them to your drawings, you’re telling a stronger story, as the viewer can relate even more to what they see. It'll bring your sketchbook to life!

But let’s face it: many artists fear drawing people. Our minds worry about likeness, proportions and features. Legs look too short, arms too long, the figure too stiff… Let alone the fact that people move. All the time!

Personally, I love drawing people. It’s exciting and fun. We’re surrounded by people, so when I draw a street scene, or sit in a cafe, I want to add people in my drawings.

It’s a challenge to capture a person and their characteristics. To choose the right subject and capture them quickly while they pass by, or are in conversation.

I’ve gained confidence about my skills by practicing a lot. Now, I want to help you overcome these obstacles and take the fear away. Together, we can develop your creative courage and make capturing people in your sketchbook a fun and playful experience! I'll give you encouraging tips, techniques, and exercises to help you loosen up and embrace the process.

It’ll be fun!

The workshop will be split into two sessions of 2.5 hours, with a 1 hour break between the two sessions.

Things we’ll cover in the workshop:

• Live drawing demos and assignments for you to work on during the workshop
• Guided exercises to practice and gain confidence for drawing people in your sketchbook
• Tips for getting better at proportions, postures, body language and gestures
• Tips and ideas to make your urban sketches lively and expressive
• Drawing hands and feet so you don’t need to “hide them” anymore by drawing people with their hands in their pockets
• Encouragement to embrace wonkiness, experimentation and playfulness in your sketchbook
• Tips and ideas to tell your own unique stories in your sketchbook pages, develop your style and artistic voice.
• Show&Tell: opportunity for participants to show what they make during the workshop so we can all learn from each other

After class:

• You’ll get access to the recorded video, so you can rewatch and keep practicing
• You’ll get a downloadable freebie as a souvenir and as a reminder of everything you learned, which will hep you pluck the courage to draw people on the move and on location.
• You'll have gained confidence and skills to draw people whenever and wherever

Requirements:

• Participants must have a reliable internet connection and a device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) capable of video streaming (we will be using Zoom)

Art Supplies:

• A sketchbook or loose paper, your favorite art materials
• Some scrap paper, like a small stack of cheap printer paper
• For at least one of our exercises we will need a brush pen (for example the Pentel pocket Brushpen or Pentel Color Brush). These are brushpens with hair, not brush markers
• If you don’t have that, no need to buy it. You can just as well use a brush and ink/watercolor
• Just have your favorite art supplies at hand as well, and you're all set!

If you can't make it to the event, even though you signed up for it; you can watch the recorded video of the session, which I'll email you via EventBrite within 48 hours after the event.

Your teacher - Koosje Koene

I am a Netherlands-based artist who began teaching online in 2013. Since then, I have taught tens of thousands of people all over the world how to create a daily drawing practice and live a more creative life. I am the creator of Draw Tip Tuesday, a weekly YouTube series of over 500 drawing videos, and the co-founder of Sketchbook Skool, a global art-making community. In 2021 I self-published my first book Life Is Better When You Draw It, an illustrated book for people who love drawing and need inspiration. It's about how drawing can make you happy and mindful.

Whether I’m at home in the Netherlands with my musician husband or off on an adventure, I always have a sketchbook at hand.

What participants say about my online events:

"Dear Koosje, I enjoyed the workshop. I have noticed that I am more focused when I am given a task an a limited time to work on it. And I enjoyed especially the presentation and exchange of the results of the other participants." -Peter

"I enjoyed the session so much. You motivate me to make more time for drawing. You are so inspiring. Thank you Koosje" -Birgit

"Your class was inspiring. And your encouragement to be messy and playful spoke to me. Not just about sketching but about life!" -Sriram

Join this empowering 5-hour live online workshop where you'll learn techniques, get tips and guidance, and engage in assignments that will help you overcome your fears and draw people with a playful approach.

Whether you’re a seasoned urban sketcher or an enthusiastic beginner, let's break down the obstacles we see when it comes to drawing people. Unlock your creativity and have fun capturing the essence of people and making lively, expressive drawings.