Drawing Foundations
Instructor: Sonia Firsova
Included with VFX-A All Access
Learn the basics of drawing with good old-fashioned pen and paper before you take on digital software. This FX course focuses on linework and perspective.
Remember to draw from your shoulder, not your elbow, and try drawing in opposite directions to get practice with different motions!
4+ Hours
This course includes over four hours of training
Skill Level
Beginner Level One for new artists
Tools
Pen and Paper
Instant Access
This course is immediately available to All Access members
Course Breakdown
Lesson overview.
Drawing with Confidence
It’s time to start sketching! Learn how to define a variety of electric shapes around a line of action.
This video covers several exercises you can do on a daily basis to help increase your comfort in drawing lines and shapes. These can be good warm-up exercises and can be done with a pen and paper or digitally.
Thinking in 3D
How do you give a 2D drawing a 3D feel? With the topics covered in this lesson! Learn about angles, inner and outer thickness, perspective, and overlapping.
Get an introduction to techniques that will help you picture 3D images and translate those ideas into drawings. This is useful in creating shape designs and thinking of FX in terms of meshes.
Drawing in Perspective
Learn the basics of horizon lines and vanishing points through one-, two-, and three-point perspectives, as well as isometric grids.
Figure out how to identify which perspective to use and how to draw in that perspective. There are handy diagrams of object faces to help you compare your view to the perspective.
Cylinders in Perspective
Challenge your new skills and learn how cylinders work in different perspectives.
It’s important to keep in mind how close your cylinder is to the horizon line, as this will affect how thick or thin the oval face will be!
Finding the Right Perspective
Apply what you have learned to perspectives in action. Choose a perspective based on the viewer/frame location, and figure out how to place your vanishing points.
Combining Shapes in Perspective
Combine all these skills and use simple shapes and perspectives to draw more complicated ideas.
Rotating Shapes in Perspective
Thinking of an object being rotated can be difficult. Learn how relative relationships and center points can help.
Using Weighted Lines
Learn how line weight can create the illusion of light and shadow, focus the viewer’s attention, and add visual depth to your shapes.
Drawing from References
Sketch complicated objects from reference photos. Use general perspective rules and basic 2D shapes to break down all sorts of 3D objects!
What members say about VFX Apprentice
Ron Anati
VFX-A All Access Member
Been in love with game VFX since I can remember. I joined VFX Apprentice after a LONG time thinking about it, and loving every moment of it, studying whenever I can.
Bruno Cano
VFX-A All Access Member
Joining VFX Apprentice was, for sure, the best decision I've made in my early VFX career. The courses are great and the mentors and students are always trying to help. I just love being here!
Learn 2D and 3D FX with VFX-A All Access
All 2D FX, 3D VFX, and Advanced courses are included with VFX Apprentice All Access. Learn stylized and real-time FX from professional artists and animators.
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