During my first two years in art school, I was an illustration major. I was horrible at taking direction from the teacher. He wanted me to paint Chevys for ads and I wanted to paint abstract nudes reclining on couches. Needless to say, the department head sent me over to the fine arts building and suggested I change my major to painting. I was “one of those people.”

One thing I learned though, of the many things I learned, while an illustration major was how to work from photo reference. It’s very handy to be able to effectively draw from a photo. Especially if you want to say, visit the Bisti Badlands during the Covid-19 quarantine. And you’ll notice I said “effectively” draw from a photo. We were taught anatomy and perspective before we were allowed to draw from photos. It makes a big difference to have that information first.

Check out my Procreate for Beginner’s Class coming soon!