Making Sketchbooks with My Students

You’ve probably noticed the recent posts about my latest handmade sketchbook release (thank you to those who ordered one!) both here and on my IG.

Last semester a few of my students commented on how much they liked the toned paper in my sketchbooks during our figure drawing sessions. So much so that when I told them I made the books myself, their eyes got wide and they asked if there was any way I could teach them.

Since I was getting low on pages in my sketchbook, I figured why not invite them to join me while I was crafting the next release so we decided to have a sketchbook making workshop here at Nossi.

I gathered most of the supplies they needed, which was made up of cloth and cardboard for the covers as well as box cutters and scissors etc. but I had the students bring in their own art paper so they could fill their sketchbooks with the exact paper they loved the most.

The workshop was quite a hit too! We had about ten students show up and they really impressed themselves and me with how beautifully and sturdy their sketchbooks turned out!

So if you ordered a sketchbook, keep an eye on your mailbox because they are all finished and have gone out in the mail already. Pretty please send in or tag me on Instagram in pics of your wonderful artwork in the sketchbook! I would love to see it!

6.1.2022

Teaching Workshops in China + India!

As you’ve probably noticed lately I’ve begun producing more in-depth workshops both here and on Skillshare that expand on the knowledge I teach on YouTube. They are a lot of work, but worth it in the end, since quality digital courses can be sold for years to come.

Well the exciting thing is, not only is my specific audience paying attention to my workshops, but I have also been tapped by two different international online teaching platforms to offer my workshops across the globe!

Wow! What an honor!

This first online classroom website is called No Schools Life and it’s basically the equivalent to Skillshare, but for a Chinese audience. I upload my workshops to their platform, they translate them into Chinese, and then we split the sales - easy peasy!

Check out your Birdie’s ‘About Me’ info in Chinese!

There’s another one based in India that tapped me too! This platform is a mobile app named Graphy where all the classes are taught in a vertical orientation for learning on the go.

It’s definitely been a little extra work having to reformat or shoot specifically for the vertical screen, but it’s an ever expanding audience that I’m so excited to be in front of.

You can find Graphy in the App store and check it out. It’s actually a really new platform, but it’s under the parent company of India’s biggest online learning platform so they already have a massive audience to market to.

Here’s a few random shots. It’s great idea for a way to learn though as it’s specifically meant to be viewed on a smartphone, with the idea that any idle moments during the day can be maximized by learning. A view I can definitely get behind!

10.8.2020

How to Paint a Skull with Oil Paint

Yay folks my highly anticipated Skull Trio is complete, and not only that, but I’m going to use them to teach you how to paint a skull with acrylic or oil paint too! First we’ll draw a skull from a royalty free image I found to share with you, and then I’ll take you step-by-step through the skull painting process, from materials to paint mixes, to how to enrich our human skull painting from the reference image using an array of natural toned paint that will really breathe life into our skulls!

The abbreviated version that includes the resin pouring process is here on my YouTube, and at the bottom you can find a link to the extended Skillshare version that is almost an hour long and goes into way more specific technical detail.

Grab a Skull or some wearable art in my Shop here!

Ta daa! My completed mixed media Skull Trio oil paintings!

Take the full workshop here:

You have two options to join! Find me on Skillshare or get access on my website for only $4

Videos I Reference:

Real Time Skull Demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9XSNCjh8Y4

How to Create a Shadowbox Frame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJcIFE__tlU

How to Create Resin Layer Art: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxmP_I9gEvM

How to Make a Painting Panel + Transfer a Drawing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XozulwC3fM

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8.30.2020

How to Draw Hands Workshop

This highly detailed and extensive workshop features everything you need to know to draw refined and realistic hands. Together we will start off with basic palm and finger structure utilizing correct proportions, then move onto how tendons affect movement. Next we'll incorporate muscle, skin, and fingernails to round out our drawings and finally learn about shading to bring a real depth and realism to our works. 

You also have the option to get personal feedback through email from me three times over the course of this workshop for that extra boost in conquering this challenging subject matter. Woo Hoo!

Supplies:

White Conte Pencil: https://bit.ly/2DbnqQ5

2B Pencil: https://bit.ly/3jHhDml

4B Pencil: https://bit.ly/39woBGg

4B Woodless Pencil: https://bit.ly/32VNolv

9x12 White Sketchbook: https://bit.ly/39C3wdu

9x12 Toned Grey Sketchbook: https://bit.ly/3hDUrDH

Kneaded Eraser: https://bit.ly/2VC4qBB

Map Eraser: https://bit.ly/2wgzoop

Mono Zero Eraser: https://bit.ly/3885Fej

*Any supplies purchased through my special links helps to support my YouTube channel at no extra cost to you, so thank you!

To preview and access the remaining 10 videos of this 12 part series, hop over to Skillshare or snag the class here:

Skillshare

If you're new to Skillshare I have a special affiliate link that gives you your first two months for free! And that's not just to my classes, that to the 10's of thousands of classes available on the Premium plan. Enjoy lots 'o learnin! https://skl.sh/39snxCW

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7.26.2020

'Hand Workshop' Progress

I’m excited to share a little progress on probably the most detailed workshop I’ve created to date! This is an super thorough examinations of how the hand is structured, how tendons affect movement, how to draw details like wrinkles and fingernails, and then finally how to shade and render it.

I’ll have around a dozen step-by-step drawing examples of the entire process as well as lots of copyright free photographs that anyone can use for any project.

So make sure you stick around and stay tuned because I’m not sure when exactly this will be published, but I’m hoping in three weeks or less! I’ll have the first part on my YouTube channel and the rest will be available for download on my website or to experience on Skillshare.

Can’t wait to drop some real knowledge on you!

7.9.2020

Figure Drawing Workshop in Honolulu

It’s officially official, folks, I’m teaching a workshop at the Honolulu Museum of Art School in October! Hoorayyy!!

‘Forming the Figure’ will debut as a two day intensive where I will be teaching exactly how I create my signature toned paper life drawings.

This workshop is actually something I've been developing over the last few months as a way to dive deep into how varying types of light sources affect highlights on the figure differently, and how to render them accurately. I even created an active worksheet we'll be using for the first part of the class which goes over single, multiple, and diffused lighting resulting in sharp, soft, or penumbra shadows.

I know... serious business, right!?!?

All materials will be included and evvery student should walk away with at least 1-3 dynamic and frameable pieces :) Check out all the details on the Museum of Art School site.

Big Announcement - Workshop Teaching!

I’m super duper psyched to share that I’ve been accepted to teach an intensive figure drawing workshop this fall at the Honolulu Museum of Art School - Yay!!

I don’t have solid dates yet, but it will be a two day intensive with 6 hours each day and featuring a live model. We’ll be going over different types of light sources and the various shadows they form. For this session we’ll be using my fave toned paper to really bring the light out from the dark.

If you want to be kept abreast of this and future workshops drop me a line here.

7.31.2019