Hobby Artist · ~60 Weeks · 1–1.5 hrs / day

A weekly roadmap for
self-taught digital art

A flexible, sustainable schedule built around practical art fundamentals - gesture, value, color, composition, design. Each week tells you exactly what to study, from which resource, and which sections. No grinding, no checkboxes, no productivity-app overhead.

11 Phases
60 Weeks total
1–1.5 hrs Per day
Spacechase Creator
00

How to use this

This page is a reference roadmap, not a productivity tracker. Open the phase you are in, expand the week, do the work. Move on when it feels honest - not when a box is ticked.

The rhythm

Five to six drawing days a week. One rest day. Each session is about an hour. Mix study (watching/reading + targeted exercises) and application (your own art - fan art, personal projects, finished pieces). Application never waits until you "feel ready."

Primary vs. optional resources

Primary resources are the core of the week - watch and apply. Optional resources deepen the topic; do them if you have time or curiosity. Skipping all optional resources still gets you everything you need.

If a week feels too short or too long

Stretch it. Compress it. Repeat it. The week numbers are guides, not deadlines. Honest pace > checked boxes. Finishing the curriculum in 20 months at 80% consistency beats finishing in 12 months at 50%.

01

Always-on daily habits

These run every drawing day, regardless of phase. They are the foundation everything else builds on.

Run these every drawing day

  • 5–10 min Imagination sketch. No reference, no pressure, no judgement. Anything on the page. Starts day one, never stops.
  • 15–20 min Gesture warmup at line-of-action.com - 30-second poses (first 10 min) then 2-minute poses (next 10). 4 days a week.
  • 5 min Form fill. 5–8 simple 3D primitives from imagination as a warmup. Trains spatial thinking on autopilot.
  • Always Creative output. Fan art, sketches of things you love, personal pieces. Begins in Phase 1, never stops. Polish is optional; presence is mandatory.
1
Phase 1 Weeks 1–4

Mark-Making, Line Control & Construction

Rewire how you make marks before worrying about what you draw. Replace symbol-drawing with spatial thinking. Confident, committed strokes. Begin gesture and creative output from day one - not after.

› Week 1 Lines, planes & the ghosting habit

Focus

  • Confident ghosted strokes - commit to the line before you draw it
  • Line weight as expression, not accident
  • Daily form fill warmup begins (5 primitives, every session)
  • Daily imagination sketch begins today and never stops

Primary resources

Drawabox - Lesson 0 (Introduction) + Lesson 1 (Lines, Ellipses, Boxes) Watch Lesson 0 fully. Lesson 1: do the superimposed lines, ghosted lines, and ghosted planes exercises only this week. Treat as a habit-builder, not a perfection test.

Optional

By end of week One full page of ghosted lines and one of ghosted planes. The lines should look more confident than at the start.
› Week 2 Ellipses & the 250 Box Challenge (start)

Focus

  • Ellipses as foundation for every cylindrical form
  • Begin the 250 Box Challenge - boxes 1–60 this week
  • Sketch fan art loosely - pick a character you love, draw them badly, learn what you don't know yet

Primary resources

Drawabox - Lesson 1: Ellipses + 250 Box Challenge intro Watch the Tables of Ellipses and Ellipses in Planes videos. Do one page of each. Then start the 250 Box Challenge - boxes 1–60, with line extensions on each.

Optional

By end of week ~60 boxes done, one fan-art sketch made (loose, fun, imperfect).
› Week 3 Finish 250 boxes & organic forms

Focus

  • Finish the 250 Box Challenge (~190 more boxes) - boot camp, not a spiritual journey
  • Move into organic forms: sausages, cylinders, contour curves
  • Begin overlapping forms - feel the depth, not just trace the outline

Primary resources

Drawabox - Lesson 1 (250 Boxes) + Lesson 2 (Organic Forms with Contour Lines, Arrows) Finish boxes 61–250. Then watch L2 Organic Forms with Contour Lines + Arrows videos. Do one page of each exercise.

Optional

Proko - Form & Construction (YouTube) 2–3 short videos on construction thinking. Pick what catches your eye, skim the rest.
By end of week 250 Box Challenge complete (do not repeat it later - gains are front-loaded). 1–2 fan-art sketches made.
› Week 4 Plants, primitives from imagination, phase review

Focus

  • Construct any natural form from primitive shapes
  • Begin sketching 3D primitives from imagination - no reference
  • Review your worst Lesson 1–2 page; redraw it once with what you know now

Primary resources

Drawabox - Lesson 3 (Plants) Watch the intro video. Pick 2–3 plant studies - leaves, twigs, branches. Don't grind the full lesson; the skill transfers in a few studies.

Optional

Phase 1 milestone Lines feel confident. You can rough-construct a sphere/box/cylinder from imagination without copying. Daily imagination sketch is automatic. 3–5 fan-art sketches exist. Move on even if rough - polish comes later.
2
Phase 2 Weeks 5–9

Gesture & Early Figure Drawing

Gesture is what separates a figure that looks alive from one that looks traced. It is a lifelong skill, never "completed." Start with feeling - the energy, the line of action - then add structure. Apply to characters you love from week one.

›Week 5Line of action, C/S curves & rhythm

Focus

  • The single line that captures a pose's energy
  • Opposing curves create flow - straight against curve, action against rest
  • Begin Figuary - Day 1 of the 28-day challenge

Primary resources

Proko - Figure Drawing Fundamentals: Gesture (YouTube playlist)Watch videos 1–3: Line of Action, Rhythm, C and S Curves. Sketch alongside.
Love Life Drawing - Figuary (YouTube)Begin Figuary Day 1. Aim for 5 sessions this week - even if short.
line-of-action.comDaily gesture warmup. 10 min of 30-second poses + 10 min of 2-minute poses. Permanent habit from now on.

Optional

Force: Dynamic Life Drawing - Michael MattesiRead Chapter 1 (The Concept of Force). 30 minutes, dense but reframing.
By end of week5 Figuary sessions done. Gesture warmup feels normal.
›Week 6Force - pushes and pulls

Focus

  • The figure as a system of forces, not a collection of shapes
  • Where is this figure being pushed? Where is the ground pushing back?
  • Continue Figuary - Days 8–14

Primary resources

Force: Dynamic Life Drawing - Michael MattesiRead Chapters 2–3 (Rhythm, Applied Force). Apply the concept directly to your line-of-action sessions.
Proko - Figure Drawing Fundamentals: GestureVideos 4–5: Tilt & Turn, Force vs. Shape.

Optional

Love Life Drawing - additional gesture demos (YouTube)Browse 2–3 videos by topic - feet-not-floating, weight distribution.
By end of weekDrawings start to feel like pushes-and-pulls, not shapes-on-paper. Figuary at the halfway mark.
›Week 7Bean, mannequin & proportional landmarks

Focus

  • Simplified 3D mass before any anatomical detail - the bean and mannequin
  • Head count, shoulder/hip width, knee-to-foot proportions
  • Figuary - Days 15–21

Primary resources

Proko - Figure Drawing Fundamentals: GestureVideos 6–8: Bean, Mannequinization, Proportions. Draw 10 mannequins from imagination each session.
Force: Dynamic Life Drawing - Michael MattesiChapter 4 (Form: Wrapping & Cross-Contours). Read alongside Proko's mannequin lessons - they reinforce each other.

Optional

Proko - Figure proportions detail (free YouTube)Optional dive on head count. Sketch the proportion chart once.
By end of weekYou can sketch a basic mannequin from imagination in any standing or sitting pose.
›Week 8Finish Figuary & apply force to characters

Focus

  • Finish Figuary - Days 22–28
  • Apply gesture & force to a character you love (fan art with feeling)
  • Emotion through posture - sketch 4 figures, no faces, only body language

Primary resources

Love Life Drawing - Figuary final daysFinish all 28. Compile into a contact-sheet grid afterward.
Force: Dynamic Life Drawing - MattesiChapters 5–6 (Negative Spaces, Force Form). Final reading.
By end of weekFiguary complete. 4 emotion-by-posture sketches done.
›Week 9Application: fan art & Figuary contact sheet

Focus

  • Take a Figuary screenshot grid as your first real progress milestone - post it if comfortable
  • Three loose fan-art figures, action poses
  • Continue daily gesture & imagination habits - these never stop

Primary resources

line-of-action.com - daily timed gesture (permanent)Maintain the rhythm. Gesture is maintenance forever, not a one-time topic.

Optional

Proko - Critique videos (YouTube)Watch 2–3 Proko critiques on figure work. Trains your eye to see your own errors.
Phase 2 milestoneFigures feel alive rather than stiff. You can start with line of action → gesture → mannequin reliably. Figuary contact sheet exists. 2–3 fan-art figures exist.
3
Phase 3Weeks 10–14

Perspective & Spatial Thinking

Perspective is the grammar of 3D space in 2D - the tool that lets you invent convincingly. The goal is spatial imagination, not mechanical drafting. No rulers. Loose, intentional, applied to scenes you actually want to draw.

›Week 101-point perspective - rooms, hallways, depth

Focus

  • Single vanishing point - depth into the page
  • Sketch interiors from imagination (your room, a café, a fantasy space)
  • No rulers. Loose. Construction over precision.

Primary resources

moderndayjames - Perspective Playlist (YouTube)Watch videos 1–3 (intro + 1-point fundamentals). James teaches perspective as a tool for inventing, not drafting.

Optional

Perspective! for Comic Book Artists - David ChelseaChapters 1–3. Same concepts told as a comic - pleasant reinforcement.
By end of week3 loose interior sketches with believable depth.
›Week 112-point perspective - exteriors & objects

Focus

  • Two vanishing points - corner views of buildings and objects
  • Horizon line as the eye level of your viewer (a design decision, not a default)
  • Apply to a small exterior scene from imagination

Primary resources

moderndayjames - Perspective PlaylistVideos 4–6 (2-point + horizon-line decisions).

Optional

Perspective! for Comic Book Artists - ChelseaChapters 4–6. Especially helpful for 2-point variations.
By end of weekOne exterior building or small scene from imagination using 2-point.
›Week 123-point, ellipses & dramatic angles

Focus

  • 3-point perspective - tall buildings, worm's-eye, bird's-eye
  • Ellipses in perspective: cylinders, arches, wheels, organic forms
  • Choose camera angle for emotional effect, not convenience

Primary resources

moderndayjames - Perspective PlaylistVideos 7–9 (3-point + ellipses in perspective + dramatic angles).

Optional

Marshall Vandruff - Perspective lectures (YouTube)Long-form deep dive. Watch one 1-hour lecture as background while drawing.
By end of weekOne dramatic-angle scene - looking up at a tower, or down into a pit.
›Week 13Figures in perspective & form rotation

Focus

  • Place mannequins on a ground plane in 1-, 2-, and 3-point space
  • Foreshortening - start gentle, push slowly
  • Form rotation drill: same object drawn at 0°, 45°, 90° from imagination

Primary resources

moderndayjames - Perspective PlaylistFinal videos on figures-in-space and foreshortening.
Proko - Foreshortening (YouTube)1–2 short videos on overlap and tangent. Apply to a few mannequin sketches.

Optional

Scott Robertson - How to Draw (sample chapters)Defer the full book - too dense for now - but skim the chapters on form rotation if curious.
By end of weekOne object-design sheet (a chair, a sword, a fictional artefact) from 3 angles.
›Week 14Integration - character in a real space

Focus

  • Place a Phase 2–3 character into an actual environment
  • Loose environment mood sketch - foggy alley, sunlit courtyard, cave
  • Review: which perspective topic still feels shaky? Revisit one moderndayjames video.

Primary resources

Your own work + your favourite referenceThis week is application, not new study. Pick a previous head or mannequin and put it in a space.

Optional

FZD School - Design Cinema (YouTube)Browse a single environment episode for inspiration - full study comes in Phase 9.
Phase 3 milestoneSpaces sketched from imagination feel inhabited. Foreshortening is conceptually understood (not yet mastered). Objects feel placed in space, not floating.
4
Phase 4Weeks 15–20

Value, Light & Grayscale Painting

Value is the most powerful element in your toolkit - before colour, before anatomy. It creates depth, defines form, and sets mood. Build a complete grayscale workflow now; colour comes in Phase 7. Use as few values as you can.

›Week 15Value scale & 3-value thumbnails

Focus

  • 5-step value scale - value as its own language, separate from colour
  • 3-value thumbnail drill: reduce any image to light/midtone/dark
  • Begin thumbnail-before-piece habit

Primary resources

Marco Bucci - 10 Minutes to Better Painting (YouTube)Watch 3 episodes: Value, Shape vs Form, 3-Value Composition. Do one 3-value thumbnail per session.

Optional

James Gurney - YouTube channel1–2 short value demos. Skim, don't grind.
By end of week10+ small 3-value thumbnails of paintings you love.
›Week 16Light on a sphere - the form-shadow model

Focus

  • Form shadow, cast shadow, core shadow, reflected light, highlight
  • Sphere studies - light from 5 directions, twice a week (5 weeks total)
  • Apply the same model to a cube and cylinder

Primary resources

James Gurney - Color and LightChapter 2 (Sources of Light) + Chapter 3 (Light and Form). Read with a sketchbook open. Apply each idea to a primitive.
Marco Bucci - 10MTBPEpisode: Form Shadow vs Cast Shadow. Apply directly to sphere studies.
By end of week10 sphere studies, each lit differently. The five-light terminology should feel familiar.
›Week 17Edge quality & value grouping

Focus

  • Edge types: lost, found, soft, hard - and what each does emotionally
  • 3-value compositional grouping in your own painting
  • Continue sphere studies (week 2 of 5)

Primary resources

Marco Bucci - 10MTBPEpisodes: Edge Control, Lost & Found Edges, Value Grouping. Three episodes, three days.
Gurney - Color and LightChapter 4 (Surfaces and Edges). Pair the reading with one edge-focused study.
By end of week3 grayscale studies using 3 values only, edges intentional.
›Week 18Grayscale portrait & figure studies

Focus

  • Apply the full value model to a face from reference - not as portraiture but as light-on-form
  • One grayscale figure from reference, 3 values max
  • Continue sphere studies (week 3 of 5)

Primary resources

Asaro head reference (Sketchfab - 3D model, free)Use the Asaro head to study planes-of-the-head before adding photo reference. Rotate the model, light it.
Marco Bucci - 10MTBPAny remaining episodes relevant to portrait lighting.
By end of week1 grayscale face study + 1 grayscale figure. Both feel 3D rather than flat.
›Week 19Ambient light, secondary sources & indirect light

Focus

  • Multiple light sources: primary + fill + ambient
  • Bounce light as subtle warmth, not bright glow
  • Outdoor light: sky dome as a light source, not just atmosphere

Primary resources

Gurney - Color and LightChapters 5–6 (Ambient Light + Indirect Light). Read slowly; apply each to a sphere.
By end of weekOne study with 2 intentional light sources. Sphere studies continue (week 4 of 5).
›Week 20Grayscale painting - original piece

Focus

  • Paint one complete grayscale piece from imagination or a personal reference
  • Thumbnail first. Pick the strongest value grouping before you start painting.
  • Final sphere study (week 5 of 5) - keep as comparison reference

Primary resources

Your own work + everything from Phases 4–6Apply all value knowledge. This is the milestone, not a study.

Optional

Phase 4 milestoneOne grayscale painting exists. The five light terms are instinctive. Thumbnailing before painting is a reflex. Edge quality is a decision, not an accident.
5
Phase 5Weeks 21–26

Head Drawing & Portraits

Faces are the emotional anchor of character work. Portraits are immediately shareable and motivating. Loomis first for the framework; then mileage; then features and expression. Don't avoid 3/4 view just because it's harder - that's where the gain lives.

›Week 21Loomis method - the sphere and plane

Focus

  • The Loomis sphere-and-plane approach to head construction
  • Front and side view first - establish the brow line, ear placement, chin
  • 10 Loomis heads per session from imagination

Primary resources

Proko - Loomis Method (YouTube)Watch the full Loomis series (3–4 videos). Draw with Proko in real time.
By end of weekCan construct a front- and side-view head with correct proportions from imagination.
›Week 223/4 view & the 100 Head Challenge (start)

Focus

  • 3/4 view - the hardest and most useful angle
  • Begin the 100 Head Challenge: heads 1–20 this week
  • Mix reference and imagination - roughly 50/50

Primary resources

Ahmed Aldoori - 100 Head Challenge (YouTube)Watch the intro video and the first few critique sessions. Follow the challenge format.
By end of week20 heads done. 3/4 view is attempted, even if rough.
›Week 23Features - eyes, nose, mouth

Focus

  • Eyes as 3D spheres in sockets - not drawn symbols
  • Nose as a wedge form
  • Mouth as a cylinder-wrapped surface
  • 100 Head Challenge: heads 21–50

Primary resources

Proko - Features series (YouTube)Eyes, Nose, Lips - each as a mini-series. One feature per day, 2 days of application.
By end of week50 heads done. Features drawn as forms, not as symbols.
›Week 24Ears, hair & facial proportions across ages

Focus

  • Ears as 3D forms, not flat decoration
  • Hair as mass and form, not individual strands
  • Proportional changes across child, adult, elderly faces
  • 100 Head Challenge: heads 51–70

Primary resources

Proko - Features series (YouTube)Ears + Hair videos. One study per video.

Optional

Stephen Bauman - head construction (YouTube)Alternative approach. Watch 1–2 videos to compare methods.
By end of week70 heads done. Can draw a convincing ear and hair mass from imagination.
›Week 25Expression & emotion

Focus

  • 7 core expressions from imagination: joy, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, surprise, contempt
  • Expression as skull movement + muscle contraction, not just mouth shape
  • Finish 100 Head Challenge: heads 71–100

Primary resources

Proko - Expression series (YouTube)Expression videos + any anatomy-of-expression content. Draw alongside each video.
By end of week100 Head Challenge complete. Can draw recognisable expressions from imagination.
›Week 26Portrait painting - application week

Focus

  • Paint 2–3 portrait studies from photo reference in grayscale or limited colour
  • Focus: likeness through planes, not detail accumulation
  • One imagined character portrait - no reference

Primary resources

Your own work + reference photosChoose photos with strong, directional light. Study the light before painting it.
Phase 5 milestone100 Head Challenge complete. Can construct a believable head from imagination in any common angle. Features are placed correctly. At least one painted portrait exists.
6
Phase 6Weeks 27–31

Figure Construction - Surface Anatomy for Artists

A practical, expressive approach to anatomy - gesture-aware, simplified construction, major muscle shapes, proportions. This is for believable figure drawing, not medical illustration. No muscle-fiber memorisation. For every group studied, draw 10 figures applying it.

›Week 27Torso - ribcage, pelvis, spine as forms

Focus

  • Ribcage as a simplified egg form
  • Pelvis as a bucket - its tilt drives posture
  • Spine as the connection: its curve determines gesture

Primary resources

Proko - Figure Fundamentals: Anatomy (YouTube)Torso series. Watch each video, draw 10 figures applying that system immediately after.
By end of weekCan sketch a torso from imagination with correct proportional relationship between ribcage and pelvis.
›Week 28Arm, shoulder & hand construction

Focus

  • Shoulder as a ball-and-socket with a wrapping deltoid
  • Arm as two simplified cylinders with the elbow as the hinge
  • Hands from the box-and-wedge method

Primary resources

Proko - Anatomy + Hands & Feet videos (YouTube)Shoulder, arm, and full hand series. One section per day.
By end of weekCan draw a convincing arm and basic hand from imagination.
›Week 29Leg, knee & foot construction

Focus

  • Leg as two tapered cylinders; knee as the hinge
  • Foot as a wedge - arch, heel, ball, toes
  • Full figure: all limbs placed correctly, 10 drawings

Primary resources

Proko - Anatomy + Hands & Feet (YouTube)Leg, knee, foot series. Slow down on the foot - it's counterintuitive.
By end of weekFull figure from imagination with all major body segments placed correctly.
›Week 30Cloth, drapery & clothed figures

Focus

  • Drapery as gravity + anchor points - not random folds
  • 7 fold types: pipe, diaper, zigzag, spiral, half-lock, drop, inert
  • Clothed figure studies: 5 from reference, 5 from imagination

Primary resources

Christophe Young - Draw better clothes from Imagination (YouTube)Free companion. Watch alongside moderndayjames for the imagination-first perspective.

Optional

The Drawing Database - NKU Drapery Lecture (YouTube)Long-form academic lecture. Watch at 1.5× speed for the taxonomy of folds.
By end of weekCan draw a clothed figure with believable gravity-driven folds.
›Week 31Anatomy integration - fully clothed figure

Focus

  • Complete a fully clothed character design from imagination - costume, pose, expression
  • Use everything from Phase 6: correct anatomy beneath, drapery on top, gestural pose

Primary resources

Your own workDesign and draw a character you actually care about in a full pose with clothes. Treat it as a real piece.
Phase 6 milestoneA fully clothed character from imagination exists. Anatomy is correct enough to be convincing. Drapery follows gravity and anchor points. This is your first real character illustration.
7
Phase 7Weeks 32–37

Colour Theory & Full Digital Painting

Colour transforms a drawing from competent to emotionally alive. Temperature, saturation, and hue create mood, time, and identity. With 10+ grayscale paintings behind you, you have the prerequisite. Apply first, theorise after.

›Week 32Colour temperature & the grey-to-colour bridge

Focus

  • Warm light / cool shadow (and when it reverses)
  • Recolor your best grayscale study from Phase 4 using the multiply/overlay workflow
  • Temperature as the first colour decision, hue second

Primary resources

Gurney - Color and LightChapters 7–9 (Colour Temperature, Colour of Shadows, Complements). One chapter per day.
By end of weekOne recoloured grayscale painting. Warm/cool distinction visible.
›Week 33Colour harmony & limited palettes

Focus

  • Analogous, complementary, split-complementary palettes
  • Limited palette painting: 3 hues max, plus black and white
  • Saturation as emphasis - not everything saturated, most things desaturated

Primary resources

Some Theory Bites: on colors (YouTube)Watch 2–3 episodes on palette theory. Short, dense, applicable immediately.
The Drawing Codex (YouTube)Color harmony episodes. Watch and apply to a small study each time.
By end of weekOne painting with a deliberate, named palette (analogous or complementary).
›Week 34Light colour - time of day & mood

Focus

  • Golden hour, noon, overcast, moonlight - each as a distinct colour system
  • Paint the same simple scene in 3 different lighting conditions
  • Atmospheric perspective: cooler, lighter, less saturated with distance

Primary resources

Lighting Mentor - Power in the grays (YouTube)Watch 2–3 lighting mood studies. Apply each concept to a quick thumbnail.
By end of week3 mood studies of the same scene at different times of day.
›Week 35Skin tones & colour in portraiture

Focus

  • Skin as a complex light-scattering surface: SSS (subsurface scattering) visible in ears, nose, lips
  • Shadow temperature variation across faces
  • Paint 3 portrait studies with full colour - different skin tones, different lighting

Primary resources

Tiffanie Mang & Proko (YouTube)Skin tone painting series. Watch the entire collaboration; it's colour-focused portrait painting at its best.
By end of week3 colour portrait studies. Skin feels luminous, not painted grey with an orange filter.
›Week 36Full figure in colour - character painting

Focus

  • Colour your Phase 6 character illustration
  • Costume colour as design decision: hue contrast, saturation hierarchy
  • Begin the habit of colour-rough before final painting

Primary resources

Your own Phase 6 character + Gurney/Drawing Codex as referenceApply everything. This piece should feel like a genuine portfolio item.
By end of weekA fully coloured character illustration. Your first genuine portfolio piece.
›Week 37Colour application week - free study

Focus

  • One full week of personal, self-directed painting
  • Fan art, original characters, environments - whatever you love
  • Apply colour theory without a lesson plan

Primary resources

Your own imagination + any reference you chooseThis is unstructured creative time. Make something you want to make.
Phase 7 milestone2–3 colour paintings exist that use deliberate colour temperatures, a named palette, and show mood through colour. Colour is now a tool, not a guess.
8
Phase 8Weeks 38–41

Composition & Visual Storytelling

Composition is the architecture of your image. A technically perfect drawing with poor composition always feels flat. This phase makes thumbnailing permanent and gives you a vocabulary for emotional camera-direction.

›Week 38Shape reading & thumbnail habits

Focus

  • Every strong composition reads clearly as large shapes at thumbnail size
  • Iterative thumbnailing: 10 small thumbnails before any large piece
  • Positive vs. negative space as tools, not accidents

Primary resources

Sycra - Iterative Drawing (YouTube)Watch the full iterative drawing video. Apply the method to 10 thumbnails this week.
By end of week10 compositional thumbnails for a piece you want to make. Pick the strongest.
›Week 39Contrast, focal point & eye path

Focus

  • Contrast (value, colour, size, detail) directs the eye to the focal point
  • Leading lines, framing, and staging
  • Design the eye's journey before designing the image

Primary resources

moderndayjames - Composition Through Contrast (YouTube)Watch the full video. Apply each contrast type to a small study.
Framed Ink - Marcos Mateu-MestreChapter 1–3 (Visual Weight, Contrast, Staging). Read slowly; sketch the examples.
By end of weekOne composition study with a clearly designed focal point and eye path.
›Week 40Camera angle as emotional language

Focus

  • Camera height, distance, and lens choice as storytelling decisions
  • Low angle: power, threat, awe. High angle: vulnerability, scale.
  • Crop: what you cut out is as important as what you include

Primary resources

Framed Ink - Mateu-MestreChapters 4–7 (Perspective in Storytelling, Staging, Framing). Work through the examples.

Optional

The Matte Dept. (YouTube)Browse 2–3 cinematography-applied-to-art videos. Expands the vocabulary quickly.
By end of week3 small scenes, same subject, 3 different camera angles with different emotional reads.
›Week 41Finished piece - composition applied

Focus

  • Create one complete, composed illustration using everything from Phase 8
  • Thumbnail → value rough → colour rough → final
  • Include a character from Phase 5–6 in an environment from Phase 3

Primary resources

Your own work - all phases synthesisedThis is an integration piece. Use thumbnails, value grouping, and a deliberate camera angle.
Phase 8 milestoneOne composed illustration with a clear focal point, intentional eye path, and deliberate camera angle. Thumbnailing is a permanent habit.
9
Phase 9Weeks 42–46

Design, Shape Language & Stylization

Design sense separates artists who copy competently from those who can create. Stylization isn't the absence of fundamentals - it's their intentional modification. This phase introduces deliberate visual identity.

›Week 42Shape language - circles, squares, triangles

Focus

  • Round = safe, friendly, young. Sharp = dangerous, dynamic. Square = stable, strong.
  • Redesign 3 existing characters using one dominant shape language
  • Silhouette readability: does it read in under 2 seconds?

Primary resources

Sinix Design - Design Fundamentals (YouTube)Shape language videos. Watch and apply to character redesign immediately.
By end of week3 character redesigns with clear, intentional shape language.
›Week 43Stylization analysis - what makes a style

Focus

  • Analyse 3 artists whose style you love: what did they exaggerate? What did they simplify?
  • Pick 5 stylistic variables: line weight, proportion, colour palette, value contrast, detail level
  • Write a 1-page "style brief" for your own art

Primary resources

Steven Zapata Art - Style & Creative Identity (YouTube)Watch the Style series. This is the most important content in Phase 10. Watch twice if needed.
By end of week3 artist analyses. A written style brief for your own work.
›Week 44Caricature & exaggeration

Focus

  • Caricature as controlled exaggeration - not mockery, but amplification
  • Pick 5 faces: find one dominant feature, push it 50% further
  • Exaggeration as a design tool, not just a style

Primary resources

Proko + Court Jones - Caricature series (YouTube)Full caricature series. Watch, then do 5 caricature studies.
By end of week5 caricature studies. Exaggeration feels intentional, not random.
›Week 45Original character design

Focus

  • Design an original character from scratch: personality → silhouette → shapes → details
  • Use your style brief as a guide
  • Present 3 variations before committing to one

Primary resources

Your own style brief + Sinix/Zapata as referenceThis is a pure design week. No step-by-step tutorial; use your acquired tools.

Optional

By end of weekOne original character design with a clear personality and shape language.
›Week 46Style application - original piece in your style

Focus

  • Create one finished illustration using your style brief as a constraint
  • This is the first piece where personal style is a deliberate design choice
  • Revisit the style brief after: did you follow it? What surprised you?

Primary resources

Your style brief + your own imaginationPure application. No new material this week - only execution.

Optional

Aaron Blaise - Stylisation (YouTube)Browse 1–2 videos on stylised character design for further inspiration.
Phase 9 milestoneAn original character exists. A style brief exists. One illustration made using both. Your visual identity is starting to form.
10
Phase 10Weeks 47–52

Environment Drawing & World-Building

Environments turn floating characters into people in places with stories. Even minimal environmental cues transform an illustration. The goal is sketch-and-suggest, not architectural draftsmanship.

›Week 47Environment thumbnail method

Focus

  • Environment design starts with thumbnail silhouettes - not details
  • 5 environment thumbnails: interior, exterior, fantasy, sci-fi, natural
  • Atmosphere as a design element: fog, haze, depth

Primary resources

FZD School - Design Cinema (YouTube)Watch 2 environment-focused episodes. Design Cinema is dense; take notes.
By end of week5 environment thumbnails. At least 2 have a strong atmosphere.
›Week 48Value massing for environments

Focus

  • 3-value blocking for environments: sky, ground, structures
  • Atmospheric perspective in practice: background lightens, desaturates, cools
  • Paint 3 small environment value studies from reference photos

Primary resources

Tyler Edlin - Environment Painting (YouTube)Watch the value-massing episodes. Apply to 3 environment studies.
By end of week3 value-massed environment studies. Atmospheric perspective is visible.
›Week 49Colour in environments - light & weather

Focus

  • Overcast vs. sunny vs. dramatic light in an environment
  • Weather as mood: rain, fog, golden hour, night
  • Paint 2 environments with the same scene in different weather

Primary resources

Jordan Grimmer - Timelapse Studies (YouTube)Watch 3–5 timelapse videos. Pause at early stages to see the construction.
By end of week2 colour environment paintings. Lighting is a mood decision, not a default.
›Week 50Character-in-environment integration

Focus

  • Place your Phase 9 original character in a painted environment
  • Scale, lighting consistency, atmospheric perspective
  • The environment should feel like it belongs to the character

Primary resources

Your own work - Phase 9 character + new environmentIntegration week. No new tutorials; only application of everything learned.
By end of weekOne character-in-environment piece. Your first "scene" illustration.
›Week 51World-building - location design

Focus

  • Design a location that belongs to your original character's world
  • Interior + exterior views of the same location
  • What does this space say about the people who live there?

Primary resources

FZD School - Design Cinema (YouTube)Watch 1–2 location-design episodes.
By end of weekInterior and exterior designs for one original location.
›Week 52Environment portfolio piece

Focus

  • Create one polished environment illustration with your character in it
  • Thumbnail → composition → value rough → colour rough → final
  • This is a portfolio piece; treat it accordingly

Primary resources

Your own work + all environment knowledgeFull pipeline from concept to finish. Take your time.
Phase 10 milestoneOne polished environment illustration with character exists. You can now create a scene. Your portfolio has depth beyond character alone.
11
Phase 11Weeks 53–60

Creature Design, Imagination & Capstone

The final phase integrates everything. Animal anatomy expands your design vocabulary. Imagination training cements all prior knowledge into genuine visual fluency. The capstone series marks the true end of the core curriculum - and the start of specialisation.

›Week 53Animal anatomy fundamentals

Focus

  • Quadruped skeleton: same joints as humans, different proportions
  • Study 3 animals: cat, horse, bird - simplified construction
  • Animals from imagination: guess first, then correct with reference

Primary resources

moderndayjames - Animal Construction (YouTube)Watch the full animal series. Draw alongside each video.
By end of week3 animals drawn from imagination with believable proportions.
›Week 54Creature design - hybrid method

Focus

  • Creature design as animal + context + purpose + adaptation
  • Design 3 creatures: one predator, one prey, one symbiotic
  • Use shape language and silhouette from Phase 9

Primary resources

Aaron Blaise - creatureartteacher.com (free + paid)Use the free YouTube videos on creature design process. Focus on the design-first approach.

Optional

FORCE: Animal Drawing - Mike MattesiIf you loved Force for figures, this applies the same concepts to animals.
By end of week3 original creature designs. Each has a clear ecological niche.
›Week 55Imagination training - drawing without reference

Focus

  • Draw complex scenes, objects, and characters purely from imagination
  • Identify your visual library gaps: what can you not draw yet?
  • Daily imagination sketches get longer and more complex this week

Primary resources

Your own imaginationNo primary resource this week. One hour of pure imagination drawing each session. No reference allowed.

Optional

By end of week5 imagination-only sessions. A list of visual library gaps you want to fill.
›Week 56Personal style brief - final revision

Focus

  • Revise your Phase 9 style brief using everything learned since
  • Define your 5 core stylistic variables with specifics - not "loose lines" but "3–5px brush, variable pressure"
  • What subject matter do you love? What mood? What story?

Primary resources

Your own Phase 9 style brief + all work sinceRe-read the old brief. Update every section. This document guides the capstone.
By end of weekA revised, specific style brief. The clearest statement yet of who you are as an artist.
›Week 57Original creature illustration

Focus

  • Create one polished creature illustration using your best design from Week 54
  • Environment + lighting + mood - not a character sheet, a scene
  • This is a portfolio piece

Primary resources

Your own creature design + all painting knowledgeFull pipeline. Thumbnail → value → colour → final. Don't skip steps.
By end of weekOne finished creature illustration.
›Week 58Personal statement piece

Focus

  • Design and paint an illustration that is completely yours - no prompt, no brief, no reference constraint
  • The subject, mood, character, and palette should all come from you
  • This is the first truly personal illustration of the curriculum

Primary resources

Your own imagination, your style brief, your visual libraryEverything you know, applied to something you genuinely want to make. Take the full week.

Optional

By end of weekYour first fully personal illustration. No safety net - pure creative expression.
›Week 59Cohesive series - begin

Focus

  • Design a cohesive 3-piece series: same world, same palette, same visual grammar
  • Or three character portraits in one unified mood and palette
  • Plan all three with thumbnails before starting

Primary resources

Your style brief from Week 56Re-read it. Let it guide the visual decisions of all three pieces.

Optional

By end of weekThumbnails + value sketches for all three pieces. One nearly finished.
›Week 60Cohesive series - finish & capstone

Focus

  • Complete the remaining two pieces of the series
  • Compile all three into a small grid - your portfolio's first cohesive statement
  • Look back at week one. Look at your work now. You are no longer who started this.

Primary resources

You + every skill from 60 weeks of practiceApply everything. This is the curriculum's final test - and its real beginning.
Phase 11 milestone - curriculum completeThree-piece cohesive series complete. Original creature, personal statement, and capstone series all exist. You have a developing artistic voice and a portfolio identity. From here on: pick a specialisation, or simply keep drawing.
12

All resources used

Every resource referenced in the schedule. Free unless marked. No affiliate links - these are simply the best resources for each topic.

Free Paid Book Tool
ResourceTypeUsed in
Drawabox - Lessons 0–3Free (Website)Phase 1
Brent Eviston - Art & Science of DrawingPaid (Udemy)Phase 1 (optional)
Proko - Form & ConstructionFree (YouTube)Phase 1 (optional)
Proko - Figure Drawing Fundamentals: GestureFree (YouTube)Phase 2
Love Life Drawing - FiguaryFree (YouTube)Phase 2
line-of-action.comFree (Tool)Phase 2
Force: Dynamic Life Drawing - Michael MattesiBookPhase 2
Proko - Figure proportions detail & Critique videosFree (YouTube)Phase 2 (optional)
moderndayjames - Perspective PlaylistFree (YouTube)Phase 3
Proko - ForeshorteningFree (YouTube)Phase 3
Perspective! for Comic Book Artists - David ChelseaBookPhase 3 (optional)
Marshall Vandruff - Perspective lecturesFree (YouTube)Phase 3 (optional)
Scott Robertson - How to Draw (sample chapters)BookPhase 3 (optional)
Marco Bucci - 10 Minutes to Better PaintingFree (YouTube)Phase 4
James Gurney - Color and LightBookPhases 4, 7
Asaro head reference (Sketchfab - 3D model)Free (Tool)Phase 4
Marco Bucci - Understanding & Painting the HeadPaid (Skillshare)Phase 4 (optional)
Proko - Loomis MethodFree (YouTube)Phase 5
Ahmed Aldoori - 100 Head ChallengeFree (YouTube)Phase 5
Proko - Features seriesFree (YouTube)Phase 5
Stephen Bauman - head constructionFree (YouTube)Phase 5 (optional)
Proko - Figure Fundamentals: AnatomyFree (YouTube)Phase 6
Proko - Anatomy of the Human BodyPaid (Course)Phase 6 (optional)
Proko - Hands & Feet videosFree (YouTube)Phase 6
moderndayjames - Cloth & DraperyPaid (Gumroad)Phase 6
Christophe Young - Draw better clothes from ImaginationFree (YouTube)Phase 6
The Drawing Database - NKU Drapery LectureFree (YouTube)Phase 6 (optional)
Some Theory Bites: on colorsFree (YouTube)Phase 7
The Drawing CodexFree (YouTube)Phase 7
Lighting Mentor - Power in the graysFree (YouTube)Phase 7
Tiffanie Mang & ProkoFree (YouTube)Phase 7
Sycra - Iterative DrawingFree (YouTube)Phase 8
moderndayjames - Composition Through ContrastFree (YouTube)Phase 8
Framed Ink - Marcos Mateu-MestreBookPhase 8
The Matte Dept.Free (YouTube)Phase 8 (optional)
Sinix Design - Design FundamentalsFree (YouTube)Phase 9
Steven Zapata Art - Style & Creative IdentityFree (YouTube)Phase 9
Proko + Court Jones - CaricatureFree (YouTube)Phase 9
Brooke Eggleston - Character Design ForgeFree + PaidPhase 9 (optional)
Aaron Blaise - StylisationFree (YouTube)Phase 9 (optional)
FZD School - Design CinemaFree (YouTube)Phase 10
Tyler Edlin - Environment PaintingFree (YouTube)Phase 10
Jordan Grimmer - Timelapse StudiesFree (YouTube)Phase 10
moderndayjames - Animal ConstructionFree (YouTube)Phase 11
Aaron Blaise - creatureartteacher.comFree + PaidPhase 11
FORCE: Animal Drawing - Mike MattesiBookPhase 11 (optional)
Terryl Whitlach - Schoolism Creature DesignPaid (Schoolism)Phase 11 (optional)
SVSLearn - Jake Parker, Style DevelopmentPaid (SVSLearn)Phase 11 (optional)
A final note

The point of this curriculum is not to become a professional in 14 months. It is to become a competent, confident, creative digital artist who makes things they're proud of, who understands what they're doing and why, and whose practice is sustainable for years beyond these phases. The fundamentals are not a cage - they are the language you learn so you can finally say what you have always wanted to say. Draw today. Draw tomorrow. Show up for years. That's the entire strategy.

↑