About
Hello and welcome to the Homeschool Art Club!
I’m Mallory, a writer-illustrator and cartoonist, and this community is devoted to mastering the art and craft of drawing, particularly for illustration.
Types of content I contribute to the community:
- Lessons I wish I’d had as a beginner
- Q&A, critiques, and demos
- Updates on my projects + behind the scenes
- Practical advice and art philosophy from a Christian conservative worldview
I am a lifelong learner, and much of the content I share here is simply me teaching myself or refreshing my skills. I love sharing what I find out in my explorations, and helping others in their own course of study, and I would like everyone to benefit from the joy of drawing!
WHO IS THIS FOR?
This community is for anyone who loves art, and especially for those who want to get better at making it.
- All ages (no explicit/profane/inappropriate content allowed)
- All levels (beginners welcome!)
- Hobbyists or professionals–we’re all amateurs here! (doing it for the love of it)
- Homeschool families especially
As the Golden Age illustrator Andrew Loomis puts it in his book Fun With a Pencil, “Most folks love to draw even when they know little about it. … Because it’s so much fun, and so easy, it’s a shame not to be able to do it better.”
FIRST PRINCIPLES
Drawing is a skill that can be learned. It is very much like a sport or a musical instrument. Some may have talent and learn more quickly, but everyone can have fun with it!
The objective of this community is to develop the skills necessary to create illustrations–visual images that tell a story or communicate an idea. This requires a higher standard than many drawing classes, which typically only focus on the ability to copy nature realistically.
In this course we develop a broad range of skills:
- Drawing from imagination
- Drawing from observation–draw anything, any time
- Realistic rendering
- Interpreting references to communicate more effectively
- A repertoire of formulas and techniques to draw on (and build out of)
- Technical mastery of tools/materials
The objective for those who want learn to draw for enjoyment (hobbyists) and those who want to make a living at it (professionals) is the same: to develop a repertoire of well-known techniques, subject matter, and tried-and-true compositions, in order to create successful drawings. Once a repertoire like this is developed, it can be constantly expanded by the artistic spirit of curiosity and exploration.
WHAT THIS COMMUNITY IS NOT
Since the focus of this community is on illustration–using visual images to tell stories and communicate ideas–it is a more rigorous course than many other art classes.
If you are looking for…
- A kids’ craft class
- A place to “express yourself”
- A way to “check off” an art requirement, or
- “five steps to a realistic drawing I can show off”
…this course is probably not right for you.
WHAT THIS COMMUNITY IS
- A course of study for drawing
- Focused on skill building
- Mainly foundations/fundamentals
- Adaptable to multiple levels (so a group of students can all do the same assignment, even at a variety of levels)
- Self-paced–get out of it what you put into it
- Customizable (interpretation is encouraged!)
WHAT TO EXPECT
HOW MUCH TIME IS INVOLVED?
It’s entirely up to you. Art is more like a musical instrument or sport than anything else, so you’ll see best results with consistent and regular practice. You’ll get out of it what you put into it. You can:
- Use the assignments as weekly or occasional art projects
- Do 2-3 sessions a week
- Practice daily for 15+ minutes
- or follow any schedule that works for you
SUPPLIES?
I am a big fan of using what is available, so most of the assignments can be done with ordinary office supplies. As you progress you may want to purchase additional or higher quality supplies. The basic supply list I recommend can be purchased for approximately $20/student.
HOW DOES THIS WORK?
I chose to build this community on Locals for a few reasons:
- I can post a lot of my content and lessons for FREE. I love drawing, and I want to help as many people as possible learn how to draw, so please take advantage of the free content!
- Only people who have invested in the community as supporters can comment or post. This makes it a much more productive and kind environment for learning than an open forum.
- The membership format, at only $9/month, allows students to choose to access the course only while they’re actively using it.
WHERE TO START?
To find the archive of posts and video, visit the “Content” tab. Under Videos>>Playlists, you will find all the videos, organized by category.
You can also simply jump in with the latest videos and projects, and follow along as they are posted!
Thank you so much for joining us!
I make a lot of the Homeschool Art Club available for FREE because I am passionate about reaching as many people as possible who want to learn and enjoy drawing. Please take advantage of the course! We also appreciate shares! :)
If you’d like to join the community for a trial run, please become a supporter for ONE MONTH FREE with this code: ILOVEDRAWING. We would love to hear from you and see your artwork!
Happy drawing!
–Mallory
Community Guidelines
Please respect the following community guidelines (affectionately referred to as the “House Rules”) to maintain an enjoyable learning environment:
- Keep conversation respectful, without personal attacks
- When offering criticism on others’ artworks, keep it constructive. Make sure it’s feedback about how to improve the ART, not attacks on the ARTIST
- Do not offer a critique unless it is specifically requested
- This is a kid-friendly community. Absolutely no swearing or other inappropriate content.
- Don’t blow up other members’ feeds. If someone isn’t responding to you, let it be
- No pornography
- Keep out behavior that could be seen as trolling/spamming
- Relax, be yourself, and enjoy