Beginner Drawing Course

This beginner-friendly course is your first step toward bringing your artistic ideas to life in both traditional and digital mediums. Learn how to navigate Photoshop, use perspective to create more realistic drawings, and dive into anatomy, exploring how to determine key forms, proportions, and landmarks of the human head and body.

Why study beginner drawing with us:

Lessons are crafted by an industry pro
No experience required
Learn drawing methods used in the industry
Gain access to our online community where you can network, troubleshoot, and grow as an artist with help from our TAs!

This short course, taught in a fun group setting, will build your fundamental drawing skills and provide the foundations needed for pursuing CG Spectrum's more comprehensive concept art courses.

Weekly class time: Tuesdays at 5:00 pm (UTC).

Get Started

12 weeks

Beginner Drawing Course Curriculum

In this course for beginners, you will learn essential drawing techniques, from basic shapes to foreshortened volumes, gain a strong understanding of perspective and depth, and delve into human anatomy, including the head, torso, limbs, hands, and feet. You'll also develop life-drawing skills, capturing the essence of movement and character, with an introduction to creating and refining digital art using Photoshop.

*This course can be used as a bridging course if you want to study Concept Art & Digital Illustration Foundations or the Bachelor of Digital Art (Concept Art) but possess no previous drawing training or skills.

What You'll Learn

Learn Photoshop basics to create and refine digital art
Explore essential drawing techniques, from basic shapes to dynamic compositions
Dive into perspective drawing, exploring depth and dimension in your work
Study human anatomy, including the head, torso, limbs, hands, and feet, to create lifelike figures

Weekly Breakdown

1. Photoshop Basics
2. Drawing Basics 01
3. Drawing Basics 02
4. Perspective 01
5. Perspective 02
6. Anatomy: Human Head 01

7. Anatomy: Human Head 02
8. Anatomy: Hands & Feet
9. Anatomy: Torso
10. Anatomy: Arms & Legs
11. Life Drawing 01
12. Life Drawing 02

Mikhail is a concept artist and illustrator with three years of professional experience, including working at Secret 6 and Gree. A proud graduate of CG Spectrum's Concept Art and Illustration programs, Mikhail excels in drawing and painting, bringing creative visions to life with expertise and passion. Currently working as a Technical Assistant at CG Spectrum, Mikhail also teaches the Beginner Drawing Course.

Brandon Reimchen

Brandon brings almost 20 years of experience as a video game concept artist with a long client list that includes EA, Activision, Capcom, Gree, and Disney Interactive.

Known for Resident Evil

Tyler James

Award-winning artist Tyler has worked with major clients like Cryptozoic and Blizzard on titles including Heroes of the Storm, Warhammer, Rift, Star Wars, Hex, Warcraft, and RWBY.

Known for Heroes of the Storm

Brian Huang

Brian is an illustrator and concept artist for video games with expertise in art direction, visual development, and concept art. His credits include World of Warcraft, Diabolo, and Starcraft.

Known for Diablo III

Fang Jing

Possessing a degree in concept art, Fang has produced many concept designs for projects including Minecraft Dungeons and Prison Architect. She currently works at Sony Playstation Studios.

Known for Concord

Humza Khan

Humza has worked for EA, Microsoft, Activision, LucasArts, Wargaming, Ubisoft, Fischer Price, Hasbro, Mattel. Credits include: Call of Duty, The Division 2, and the Sims.

Known for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

Bernie Kang

Now art director at Phoenix One, Bernie created creatures, characters, weapons and FX concepts for cinematic trailers for World of Warcraft and more while at Blizzard.

Known for World of Warcraft

Mike Thompson

Award-winning artist Mike has worked with clients such as Marvel, Hasbro, Dimension Films, HBO, Electronic Arts, Warner Bros, Mattel, DC Comics and Cartoon Network.

Known for Black Panther

Peter Ocampo

Peter is a freelance concept artist and has worked at DNEG as an in-house concept artist on diverse projects for film and TV. He has a particular passion for designing dark horror creatures.

Known for Annihilation

Jonathan Li

Jonathan currently works as a Concept Artist at Square Enix. He has a passion for narrative arts and loves creating worlds, characters, and the stories they can tell.

Known for Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

Kinman Chan

Known for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Joel Carpenter

Known for Kitti Katz

Catalin Laie

Known for Brother in Arms 3

Dio Lee

Known for Halo Infinite

FAQ's

Beginner Drawing Course FAQs

What are the prerequisites for the Beginner Drawing Course?

Age Minimum
The general minimum age to be able to enroll in our industry certificate courses is 16. We require parent or guardian consent during the enrollment process for applicants under 18.

Students under 16 will require a further assessment before they can officially enrol. This may include an interview with a course advisor and the creation of a study plan to ensure they have considered how they will manage a college-level workload.

English Proficiency
We expect our students to have a good understanding of written and spoken English. There’s no specific ’level'; however, you must be able to understand video tutorials in English (no subtitles) and speak with your mentor in English during your live Q&A session.

Computer Literacy
To be successful in this program, you will need basic computer skills and a computer that meets the minimum specifications (see next question).

Is this course a prerequisite for your other concept art courses?

A solid foundation in drawing is necessary for courses like Concept Art Essentials, Concept Art Foundations, and the Bachelor of Digital Art (Concept Art). This beginner's course is thoughtfully crafted to equip you with the necessary drawing skills to meet the entry requirements for our more advanced programs.

How does this Beginner course differ from your Essentials and Foundations courses?

This course is designed to provide a structured group learning experience with a focus on building introductory drawing skills for students with no prior experience.

Participants gain access to:

Weekly TA-led sessions to guide their progress.
Our vibrant online community
Two mentor-led sessions (one every six weeks on a rolling basis) designed to help prepare them for our Career Tracks.

Students learn in a group setting. The course emphasizes collaborative learning and resource-driven guidance within a dedicated Slack channel, fostering a supportive environment for skill development. It serves as a stepping stone, equipping students with the confidence and skills to advance into more in-depth studies.

Please note that we only have one class time available for this course, which is currently Tuesdays at 5:00 pm (UTC).

What are the software and hardware requirements?

Software:

You will purchase Photoshop (photography plan only) for the length of your studies.

Hardware:

You will need a computer that meets the minimum system requirements for Photoshop, and a graphics tablet (see digital painting software and equipment).

Please note: As the software we use is regularly updated, please check the specs against the latest available version at the time of enrollment.

What careers can I explore post-graduation?

This short course will teach you the basics of drawing and will help you to qualify for and succeed in our more advanced programs.

If you wish to take your learning further and build industry-level skills, we advise continuing your studies with the full career track.

The concept art career track includes the Concept Art Foundations and either the Concept Art Specialization or Digital Illustrator Specialization. It is designed to better prepare you for a job in the industry and help increase your employment opportunities.

The career track ensures you build strong foundational skills before moving on to more complex techniques and workflows. You will also dedicate time to career development and preparing a polished portfolio while you gain invaluable industry insights.

Some of the junior digital painting jobs you could pursue after completing the full study pathway include:

Discover more about these digital painting jobs, tips, and salary expectations on our careers page:

EXPLORE DIGITAL PAINTING JOBS

Start Your Artistic Journey with Our Online Beginner's Drawing Course

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