If you are thinking of starting to draw life sketches as a hobby or for a serious career, you might want to add some creative drawing classes to your weekly schedule as a way to improve, session by session.
A session in a small classroom every Monday or Friday for example can not only add some creative room into your week but also allow you to link up with the life drawing community in your local area.
With every workshop or event, you'll pick up new and interesting ideas and points of view, which can then inspire your own art. All you need to do is find a drawing club or school in your local area that offers weekly classes and book one.
However, this might be more difficult than it seems at first glance, especially given the busy lives we lead these days. You might be available on Friday and Saturday afternoons, only to find that the workshop you want to attend is on Monday mornings, and only in November!
Finding the right session to fit into your weekly schedule is made even more difficult if you live in a more rural or isolated area. But do not despair!
There are a lot of options for you to learn how to draw online, from the comfort and safety of your home.
The main advantage of learning life drawing online is that you can set your schedule, without having to spend any time commuting, and last but not least, these online life drawing classes often cost very little, and some are even free!
From Skillshare to Life Drawing Live, there are a lot of options on the world wide web to choose from, but in this article, we only picked a few websites which we think we'll give you the best learning experience possible, outside a physical classroom, of course.
Scroll on to read about our favourite online drawing lessons...
SkillShare
We have mentioned this website before but let's dig a little deeper this time. Skillshare is an online platform with more than 22,000 online classes to scroll through, ranging from business to design, photography or writing.
This platform encourages learning by doing rather than just watching or listening. Each class is designed with a project or exercise for the student to complete.
Skillshare also encourages students to connect with each other through the online forum.
The figure drawing section of the website includes hundreds of videos adding up to thousands of hours of classes. The good thing is that there are videos for every level of students, from life drawing basics to specific practice like a guide to drawing hands.
The website features videos using many different drawing materials, from graphite pencil and eraser to charcoal and drawing board or easel. With each practice video, you can learn many different drawing techniques, from anatomical studies to classical pose and figurative portraiture, until your sketchbook and Instagram are filled with amazing artworks.
The platform can also satisfy more advanced drawers and painters who wish to practice and improve their skills. A lot of the classes are dedicated to improving your gesture sketching, character design, fashion portrait drawing, foreshortening techniques or even comic characters.
The video classes are done by professional artists, and each class displays the number of students that follow it, so you can see how popular, and more likely to be interesting, each class is.
The main downside of this website is that lessons are only accessible if you subscribe to it, for a fee of course. But given the multitude of classes that you can follow on this platform, it will be worth it in no time.
You have one month of free trial to decide if this website is for you or not after which you will have to pay about $170 a year.
Another downside is that these video lessons are pre-recorded and you simply have to follow them. While there are opportunities to show your creative work to the teacher, you may not get as much feedback as you're looking for.
If you are looking to start life drawing, learn how to use light and shadow in portraits or create pastel and watercolour figure drawing paintings, Skillshare is for you.
"Drawing is a form of probing. And the first generic impulse to draw derives from the human need to search, to plot points, to place things and to place oneself."
- John Peter Berger, English art critic, novelist, painter and poet
Line Of Action: Learn, Draw, Discuss
This website was created with a view to providing resources for self-taught artists who want to improve their techniques, extend their knowledge, and not fall into some bad habits.
It also aims to get students involved in the community by giving feedback and sharing important tips and ideas with each other.
The website is divided into three main sections:
Learn
In the Learn, students can read a lot of quick tips or longer lessons on how to improve their drawing skills and how to gain a better understanding of the human figure and anatomy.
There is also a feature where students can upload information about other resources from a great anatomy book to other virtual learning platforms.
Draw
This section is probably the most exciting feature of the website if you don't have access to in-person life drawing classes. If you have a giant TV screen or even better a projector, this will be the perfect substitute for a real figure drawing model.
You can use this section to select models, nude or not, male or female, and the length of the poses you are looking for, and this will display a life figure model for you. There are also specific features like Animal study, Faces and Expressions and more.
Discuss
This section is a forum for passionate artists to share their advanced techniques, drawing tips and stories. It is the perfect place to share questions on subjects that you haven't mastered yet or on some methods that you are struggling with.
The idea is that Line of Action is a community-based platform allowing its members to help each other by sharing their knowledge and experience.
'Discuss' is broken down into sub-sections like critique, which allows students to post their drawings and receive feedback from others in the community. There's also a section for study groups that organise small virtual events together to focus on ideas like sketching or character creation.
Whatever you're looking for from your fellow artists, you're sure to find it on Line of Action. Most of this website is entirely free, but people can donate money towards the improvement of the platform if they wish to do so.
There are also certain membership subscriptions that can allow people to access certain premium features like an ad-free experience, virtual goal setting and tracking and even a 'class mode' feature, where you can get instant feedback during a session.
The basic subscription is quite cheap but has fewer features, whereas the full subscription comes with further discounts offered for students.
"Drawing is the artist's most direct and spontaneous expression, a species of writing: it reveals, better than does painting, his true personality."
- Edgar Degas, French painter, sculptor and drawer
Love Life Drawing
Everything is in the name!
This website was created by a small mother and son team, with the belief that life drawing should be "fun, accessible and expressive", and it encourages everyone to try life drawing.
The mini-course for beginners you can find on this site is the perfect first step for anyone looking to get a foot in the world of figure drawing. It is divided into ten lessons, with videos and tips about every aspect of the basics of life drawing.
After completing this free course, you should be able to follow their video tutorials and articles which offer other aspects of life drawing, for more advanced artists.
You could also choose to join the Figuary series, which is a 28-day life drawing challenge that is released once a year. It's aimed to get students drawing consistently and participants can share their outcomes with the teachers.
Another option is the Foundations Challenge, where participants get access to 10 days of sequenced lessons, plus 10 practice sessions. Finally, you can join special events, like free live lessons where the teachers give you instant feedback.
The website also features an archive of weekly podcasts which are perfect to keep your techniques up to date. If you fancy taking the next step in your life drawing journey by attending a real figure drawing class, the website also lists dozens of courses, events and workshops across Australia.
"Learning to draw is really a matter of learning to see - to see correctly - and that means a good deal more than merely looking with the eye."
- Kimon Nicolaides, Greek American art teacher, author and artist
#LifeDrawingLive
The Royal Academy is a 250-year-old institution that has championed famous artists and has extensive galleries through London featuring everything from Renaissance to contemporary pieces, where you will be able to admire the best life drawing pieces.
They also boast one of the best creative arts schools in the country, and their website also offers #LifeDrawingLive, which has already been followed by around 50,000 participants.
This expert life drawing event is an exciting resource for everyone living far away from any studios or drawing schools. All you need is the Internet and a computer.
There are two 90 minute long sessions, recorded in high definition. The courses are guided by an instructor, and it usually starts with some quick poses before trying some longer poses to perfect your drawings.
While there are only two lessons in this series, you get the benefit of being guided by an expert teacher who can offer clear and precise tips throughout the recording.
Note that because these sessions were originally held live on social media, they don't include fully nude models. So for any NSFP content, you will have to find a regular class. Of course, each workshop event is totally free for all participants.
You can even share your drawings with the Royal Academy's Instagram, by posting your final piece with the hashtag #LifeDrawingLive
Here's the link to access the first of the two sessions.
"It is only by drawing often, drawing everything, drawing incessantly, that one fine day you discover, to your surprise, that you have rendered something in its true character."
- Camille Pissarro, Danish-French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist
The New Masters Academy
This online art school aims to offer real courses and lessons, to everyone, anywhere in the world, for only a fraction of the price that a typical school would cost.
Based in the US, this website contains all the main subjects you'll need to learn to master the art of life drawing, from human anatomy to perspective and composition.
With hundreds of hours of video courses with demonstration and animation, from professional and renowned artists, these courses will take you from beginner to working professionally in no time.
With tons of useful features such as one-on-one tutor coaching and full mobile access, this platform is beneficial if you are serious about getting into the art game, and is probably the option that most resembles an in-person course.
You could also start learning the basics of sculpture or illustration, your creativity and imagination being the only limits.
We particularly like the 3D model library. This handy tool lets you choose between different models and poses that you can then visualise entirely in 3D, changing the angle of the camera, the lighting, the surroundings and the materials.
Running directly in your browser, this feature does not require you to install anything else. You can even book to join live sessions, which means you can chat both with the teacher and other students.
However, joining this top-notch online art club is not free. After a free 7-day trial, you have to pay for the standard membership. The premium membership costs more each month, but it gives you access to all the website's features, including:
- Unlimited learning from over 5,000 videos
- Watch on your computer, phone, tablet, or TV
- Access to the community forums
- Access to over 15,000 reference images
- Access to Lesson attachments
- Interactive 3D figure model gallery and viewer
Equipment for Online Life Drawing Classes
If you decide to join live events where you'd like the teacher to be able to give you specific feedback and critique on your art, then you'll have to add a few extra things into your shopping cart.
Of course, in your cart, you'll need standard equipment required for drawing, like paper, charcoal and a range of pencils. Usually, with just a scroll of the website, you can find a list of materials you'll need. For a specific event or workshop, you may need extra materials, so don't forget to check.
The other equipment to add to your cart is the technology you'll need. First, you'll need an easel to offer your teacher a clear, unobstructed view of your drawing. Then, you'll also need to buy a webcam.
You'll need something that's easy to move around and can either clip onto a fixed point or be connected to a trip. It also needs to record in very high definition and have zoom capabilities so you and your tutor can work on the most minuscule details.
While these cameras may not be cheap, it's almost impossible to do a serious art class online without them.
When it comes to online classes, light is also very important, so your teacher can clearly see your art. You must choose a room in your house with plenty of natural light, and you may also want to buy a lamp that clips onto your easel, so your video is nice and clear.
Finally, you'll need to try out some different online classroom software like Zoom or Skype. Your tutor will probably have a preference, so you can discuss which is best with them.
So no excuse left. Get your pencil and paper and start sketching, your artistic career is only a few clicks away!
For those wishing to join a live life drawing lesson in London, have a look at our guide.
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