Do you like drawing, but you feel like you’ve hit a bit of a wall when it comes to getting better? Do you look at others’ drawings and wonder “Wow, how do they draw that”? I want to share this drawing technique with you that was a game-changer for me: foundation lines.

This class will show you how to use this foundation lines (or construction lines) technique, and help you to apply it to whatever it is that you want to draw. You’ll learn to hone your observation skills, which helps your brain ‘translate’ to your hand what to draw, whether you’re drawing from life or from memory or imagination. Along the way, you’ll also draw lots of different figures and objects to increase your visual vocabulary.

What you’ll learn

How to practice better observation and see 'inside-out', rather than outside-in. It sounds weird, but this can unlock better drawing technique and confidence straight away.
How to use layering techniques to 'build up' your drawing in progressive sets of lines and shapes
How to apply the foundation lines method to both analog and digital drawing
How to draw what you want from memory better and faster, wherever you use drawing; for fun, for work, or for anything else!

Will this class make you more confident in your drawing? Yes it will! But the biggest boost I got from this method that I want you to have, is that you’ll be much more confident to draw just about anything on the spot. Bam, what a super-power!

Who this class is for

Designers, researchers and analysts who want to share their ideas quickly and clearly, using simple drawing, e.g. journey maps and storyboards
Facilitators, agile coaches and project managers who want to quickly capture conversations using simple drawings on the fly
Graphic recorders and sketchnoters who want to lift their game in rapid drawing, and explore their own style
Drawing hobbyists who just love drawing, and who want to look at what they draw and think “Yeah, I’m proud of this!”

What you’ll need

Make sure you have a sketchbook or just plain ol’ blank office paper. You’ll need a pencil and a black marker at a minimum, but it’s better if you have a couple of different colour pencils or tint markers (such as Copic or Tombow).

Do you prefer digital drawing? I got you. You can draw along with me using your tablet, but make sure your drawing app lets you draw in layers (eg. Concepts, Procreate, Adobe Fresco, Autodesk Sketchbook, ArtStudio, Artflow…).

This class is great for all levels of drawing ability, but it's especially for beginners who want to boost their confidence, and get more satisfying results from drawing.

Image credits

Lesson 3:

Horse - Unknown
Girl on bike with training wheels
Concept car - Kyle Houchens (Mcneel & Asst)
Motorbike - Unkown
Book of product sketches - Product Sketches from Rough to Refined by Andres Parada, BIS Publishers 2013

Lessons 4 and 5:

Flamingo - Alejandro Contreras via Unsplash

Lesson 9:

Figures sketches by Aras Jamal via artstation.com
Product design sketches by Anaïs Bourcier via behance.net

Erica Penny

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