IMPORTANT: This is just what I'm doing to learn. It's not good advice! Don't do this.

Table of contents

Current book list

  1. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain - Betty Edwards
  2. Keys to Drawing - Bert Dodson
  3. How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way - Stan Lee and John Buscema
  4. Fun with a Pencil - Andrew Loomis
  5. Successful Drawing - Andrew Loomis
  6. Drawing the Head and Hands - Andrew Loomis
  7. Figure Drawing: Design and Invention - Michael Hampton
  8. Bridgman’s Complete Guide to Drawing from Life - George B. Bridgman
  9. Stonehouse’s Anatomy - Seok Jung Hyun
  10. Space Drawing: Perspective - Dong Ho Kim
  11. Perspective Made Easy - Ernest Norling
  12. Creative Perspective for Artists and Illustrators - Ernest W. Watson
  13. How to Draw - Scott Robertson and Thomas Bertling
  14. How to Render - Scott Robertson and Thomas Bertling
  15. Color and Light - James Gurney
  16. Artists’ Master Series: Color & Light - 3dtotal Publishing
  17. Dynamic Light and Shade - Burne Hogarth
  18. Dynamic Wrinkles and Drapery - Burne Hogarth

Working through the books

Work through the exercises of "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain". Follow "Keys to Drawing" deliberately.

Do what you need to do with the other books. Then repeat.

Is that the best way to do it? NO!

The schedule

Can be flexible. Try for at least 1-2 hours a day. Focus on what you're having trouble with.

The goal should be to identify problems, make notes, and fix them (by ACTUALLY DRAWING).

M-W-F

Activity Description Duration
Warm-up drawings Start with whatever. Later on do gesture drawings and stuff. 30 minutes
Free block Work on weaknesses or do experimentation. 1 hour
Book study Follow along with the current book. Do exercises. 1 hour
Focused studies Draw stuff related to what's in the book. 30 minutes
Project Work on a project that takes you out of your comfort zone. 1 hour

Tu-Th

Activity Description Duration
Warm-up drawings Start with whatever. Later on do gesture drawings and stuff. 30 minutes
Free block Work on weaknesses or do experimentation. 1 hour
Book study Follow along with the current book. Do exercises. 1 hour
Focused studies Draw stuff related to what's in the book. 30 minutes
Copy/analysis Copy work of other artists. What did they do right? What are you doing wrong? 1 hour
Self-analysis/note-taking Take notes about what you're having trouble with, what stuck, and other things. 30 minutes

Saturday

Activity Description Duration
Warm-up drawings Start with whatever. Later on do gesture drawings and stuff. 30 minutes
Book study Follow along with the current book. Do exercises. 1 hour
Focused studies Draw stuff related to what's in the book. 30 minutes
Self-critique Go through the week's work. Correct things. Make notes. Compare to work from 2+ weeks ago. 30 minutes
Corrections What's the biggest problem? Work to fix that. Target that problem in drawings. 1 hour

Sunday

Activity Description Duration
Warm-up drawings Start with whatever. Later on do gesture drawings and stuff. 30 minutes
Free block Work on weaknesses or do experimentation. 1 hour
Book study Follow along with the current book. Do exercises. 1 hour
Focused studies Draw stuff related to what's in the book. 30 minutes
Project Work on a project that takes you out of your comfort zone. 1 hour
Weekly wrap-up Document the week's work. Do a self-assessment and write down some goals for the coming week. 30 minutes

Resources