I had an amazing experience. The weekly streaming instruction (via Zoom) was recorded, I could download, review the lesson then worked on the drawing after class. The streaming instruction screen has three views; photo of the model, close-up of area the teacher was working on and the anatomy “topography” of model’s face. The instructions on the anatomy really helped me understood how to properly draw the face using a photo reference. The weekly critique was valuable, Dave and Mindy devised effective methods to give feedback online. It was clear how much efforts and thoughts went into preparing for this class and I look forward to taking more classes with them again.
Wenhwa, Chicago, IL
This live-streamed course was a terrific addition to the collection of recorded on-line courses offered by Vitruvian Studio. The detailed and direct approach to representational realism used here is supremely satisfying and ingrains both deep understanding and technique in the student. Starting from the Basic Drawing course barely 6 months ago, through the just-completed live-streamed portrait drawing course, I have developed from hardly being able to read my own handwriting (really) to producing portraits of family members that astound both me and them. Moreover, with every bit of progress I manage, I am able to see not only how much more I still have to learn, but how to proceed to learn and master it. The system and method courses can't touch this aspect of the benefit of Vitruvian Studio courses.
A particular asset in the design of these courses is the critique option...It is hard to overstate how valuable is the ability to have a weekly live meeting with David and Melinda. Both are astonishingly talented masters in their work as well as supremely gifted instructors, developing courses that uncannily and comprehensively hit all the points and issues so needed by beginners in drawing like me.
This ability comes to personalized life for all of us in the critiques. With a natural aspiration to encourage as well as develop each student, they bring a rare and refreshing combination of graceful encouragement and respectful frankness to these sessions which adds an incalculably valuable enhancement to the instruction. It's the difference between reading an excellent book that you believe has taught you incredible ideas and skills, and sitting down with the author who then guides you personally to new insights and perspectives that you could not have imagined or perceived on your own. Take the critiques. Looking forward with great enthusiasm to the courses to come!
Jim, Istanbul, TURKEY
I would highly recommend this class to anyone who wants to improve their portrait drawing skills. David and Melinda are excellent teachers and I would recommend that you sign up for the critiques because these are invaluable. I have taken several classes over the internet and this was by far the best.
Peter, Culpeper, VA