5 Minute Sketches: Colored Pencil Thumbnails for Better Paintings

If you’ve ever wanted to improve your painting and drawing skills but felt trapped by the pressure of creating a perfect masterpiece, this class is for you.

Whether you are a beginner looking to start a consistent art habit, or an experienced artist looking for fun art studies ideas, this class will provide the tools and mindset you need to loosen up. I’ll guide you through my entire process of creating quick, vibrant colored pencil thumbnails in just 5 to 7 minutes.

In this class, you’ll learn:

The power of thumbnail sketching: Understand how working small and fast can drastically improve your overall drawing skills and hand-eye coordination.
Color theory and composition basics: Train your eye to quickly identify color relationships, simplify complex shapes, and establish strong color harmony.
How to overcome perfectionism: Learn to let go of the tiny details, stop overworking your art, and embrace a looser, more expressive sketching style.
Step-by-step sketching process: Follow along as I create six different 5-minute colored pencil sketches in real-time, showing you my thought process from start to finish.

By the end of this class, you’ll have the confidence to break free from the perfectionism trap and effectively squeeze a highly beneficial art workout into your busy daily life.

What you get When you enroll in this class, you’ll receive:

Reference Photos: A curated Pinterest board filled with beautiful, vibrant reference photos to make it easy to jump straight into your class project.
Feedback and Guidance: Post your thumbnail sketches in the Projects section, and I’ll be happy to provide feedback, answer your questions, and help you improve.

What you need To follow along with this class, you’ll need:

Colored pencils: Any brand you have at home works perfectly, from school-grade to high-end professional pencils.
Paper: A sketchbook or some slightly thicker paper (like mixed media paper) to make layering colors easier.
A timer: A watch or your phone timer to keep your sketches strictly between 5 to 7 minutes.
Basic drawing tools: A graphite pencil for outlines, an eraser, and a sharpener or utility knife.

Why I’m Teaching This Class I’m Gabriela Shel, an illustrator and concept artist. Throughout my career, I've realized that improving your art doesn't always mean spending hours rendering a single piece. Sometimes, the best way to grow is to paint small and paint fast. Colored pencils are often viewed as a slow, meticulous medium, but I love using them for quick thumbnail studies because they offer a wonderful freedom from perfectionism. Sharing these techniques and watching my students overcome their fear of the blank page brings me so much joy.

Join me in this class, and let’s start building your art habit today. I can’t wait to see your colored pencil sketches!

Music by amazing Massobeats https://www.youtube.com/@massobeats

Emelie 2026

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