Draftsmen
Stan Prokopenko and Marshall Vandruff, both art instructors, host this podcast dedicated to the craft of drawing, painting, and image-making. They answer listener questions, offer advice, share resources, and aim to inspire artists to improve their skills or make a living from art. The show covers topics like learning to draw, career advice, and artistic techniques.
Episodes
The Intermediate Plateau
Stan and Marshall talk about the frustrating "intermediate plateau" a stage where artists feel stuck. They explore causes like boredom, complacency, and unclear goals, and give advice on how to push through using feedback, mentorship, passion projects, and risk-taking.
SHOW LINKS (some contain affiliate links):
Animal Anatomy For Artists by Joe Weatherly (Foreword by Marshall Vandruff) - https
How to Learn Color
Stan and Marshall break down how to learn color by combining theory and practice without getting stuck in rules. They explain hue, value, and saturation, share stories about their own color frustrations, and outline exercises like using limited palettes, plein air painting, and master studies. You’ll learn why repetition, observation, and balancing intuition with knowledge are key to developing yo
State of the Art Industry
Stan and Marshall discuss how the art industry is always changing, facing challenges like economic downturns, tech advances, and shifts in consumer behavior and the importance for artists to adapt to survive. Industries go through cycles, and the art world is no different. Stay resilient, improve your skills, and be open to new ways of working, like collaboration, using technology, or finding alte
Long Term Projects
Long-term projects require dedication, focus, and patience, often starting with a big goal and breaking it into smaller, manageable tasks. Marshall and Stan discuss the crucial way to stay motivated by celebrating small wins and maintaining a balance between work and rest to avoid burnout. Collaboration can help, but knowing when to delegate is key. The two also talk about embracing unexpected bur
Cinematic Perspective
Marshall and Stan discuss the importance of cinematic perspective in storytelling, emphasizing how camera placement, movement, lighting, and color can influence the audience's emotions and perceptions. By manipulating these elements, artists can create dynamic and engaging narratives. They also touched on the contrast between continuity and dialectic approaches in film editing, using examples from
Are You Ready to Become a Comics Professional? Marvel and Proko Collaboration
In this special SDCC panel, Stan is joined by Marvel artists and instructors from the course to share their personal journeys and offer advice for aspiring comic book artists. Learn what it takes to become a professional comic artist straight from the experts themselves. Find out how long it took them to get their break at Marvel, why they create comics, and get insider tips for getting a job in t
Stephen Bauman on Going From Graffiti to Fine Art
This episode follows painter Stephen Bauman's journey from graffiti artist to fine art professional. He discusses his beginnings tagging buildings in Miami, training at the prestigious Florence Academy, and developing his artistic skills and philosophy. Bauman provides insights into mastering figure drawing, finding inspiration, judging good art, and creating work that is beautifully crafted.
Ste
Glenn Vilppu on Mastering Fundamentals and Developing Your Artistic Voice
Legendary artist and instructor Glenn Vilppu sits down for an intimate discussion on his artistic journey, sharing wisdom and advice for mastering fundamentals like gesture drawing and developing your own artistic voice. Vilppu explains his training under old master artists and transition from painting to animation, emphasizing imagination over imitation. He provides tips on how to study classical
Aaron Blaise on Traditional Animation, Disney, and Creating CreatureArtTeacher
Former Disney animator Aaron Blaise discusses his rapid journey to animating major characters at 21, losing his wife and leaving Disney, and starting an art education website to pass on artistic knowledge. Blaise also talks about his lifelong obsession with drawing animals, gaining inspiration from mentor Glen Keane, and the traditional hand-drawn animation process at Disney.
Aaron Blaise - creat
Steve Huston on Figure Drawing, Artistic Philosophies and Teaching Art
This interview with Steve Huston covers his journey from comic books to fine art painting, his unique style combining realism with abstract expressionism, and his insights on figure drawing. Steve explains his mastery of lighting and form, approach to conveying emotion through art, and thoughts on engaging audiences. He also covers some of his artistic philosophies and the path it took to becoming
Karl Kopinski on Discipline, Sketching, and Making it as a Freelance Illustrator
This interview with illustrator Karl Kopinski covers his artistic journey, from early influences like fantasy novels and biology books to honing his skills at Games Workshop. Karl provides an inside look at freelancing for big brands like Magic: The Gathering and Netflix, building an accidental social media following thanks to his wife's encouragement, and the discipline needed to draw for 10+ hou
Reilly Method and Advanced Fundamentals with Jeff Watts
Jeff Watts is the founder of the Watts Atelier and Stan's art instructor. Stan recently got to invite him into the Proko studio to film a special Draftsmen podcast where they discuss his own artistic journey, the elusive Reilly method, and more. If you want to learn more about the Reilly Method, check out Jeff’s new course on Proko. You’ll learn the academic approach which emphasizes the use of rh
The Culture Code
Marshall and Stan give their thoughts about the book The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups.
Skull sketchbook samples - https://www.proko.com/course-lesson/s4e2/notes
Kim Jung Gi memorial sketchbook samples - https://www.proko.com/course-lesson/s4e2/notes
MC Escher - https://static.proko.com/media/images/stan/draftsmen-s4-e2-mc-escher-hand-ball.jpg
Heinrich Kley - https://stati
Why Be An Artist When There's AI?
A lot of things in the art world have changed since the last time Marshall and I talked, perhaps nothing more so than AI art. More and more artists are wondering what this emerging technology means for them. That’s why, in this episode, Marshall and I will catch up and discuss the current landscape of AI art, its ethics, and potential uses. Btw, the same day that we recorded this episode, Steven Z
Solving Creative Blocks
Stan and Marshall are here to address the many creative blocks posed in the last episode of Draftsmen, and provide long-awaited solutions. The two discuss ways to get over creative blocks, be they cultural, emotional, or otherwise. Learn how to recognize and grow past your limits and continue on your creative journey.
Show Links (some contain affiliate links):
Kirsten Zirngibl - https://kirstenz
What’s Blocking YOUR Creativity?
Sometimes it can be difficult to get your creative juices flowing. Using two books, How to Be More Creative by David D. Edwards and Fishing for Elephants by Larry Moore as touchstones, Stan and Marshall discuss some of the most common creative blockages, where they come from, and what impact they can have on artists.
Show Links (some contain affiliate links):
How to be More Creative by David D Ed
Getty Museum Trip!
Stan and Marshall take their long-awaited trip to the Getty Museum in Los Angeles! Hang out with the two as they walk through the museum, and later discuss art, museum-going etiquette, best options for museum buddies, and much more.
Show Links (some contain affiliate links):
Cesar Santos - https://proko.com/251
Bouguereau A Young Girl Defending Herself against Love -
https://static.proko.com/media
Storytelling
Once upon a time, two podcasters, Stan and Marshall, sat down to discuss the complex art of storytelling, and how to do it right. The two chatted about what makes stories work, and the process, principles, and components that go into successful stories. The End.
Show Links (some contain affiliate links):
Kristian’s Sketchy Van Podcast: https://linktr.ee/KristianNee
Lost in Space - https://amzn.t
Storyboarding
Stan and Marshall sit down with industry veterans Brian Murray and Dan Fraga to discuss the art of storyboarding! Brian and Dan reveal how they each got their start in the industry, the craft itself, and offer some tips on how prospective artists can get a leg up in this competitive business. The group also talks about how this advice applies to artists of all backgrounds and aspirations.
Check o
Persistence, Getting Back Into Art, and Marketing Yourself
Stan and Marshall are here to answer some more of your pressing art-related questions from the last batch of voicemails ever. The two address topics like the importance of persistence, what to focus on after school, graphite versus charcoal, and the age-old conundrum surrounding the graceful acceptance of positive feedback.
Show Links (some contain affiliate links):
Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Bet
The End of Draftsmen!?!
All good things must come to an end, and podcasts are no exception. The Draftsmen podcast is coming to a close-- but that doesn’t mean Stan and Marshall’s friendship is! The two reminisce over the laughs, deep discussions, and favorite moments they’ve had together over the course of the podcast. Then, they talk about the future and what new adventures and content that may be in store.
Show Links
Getting YOUR Work in a Gallery
Join Stan and Marshall in their conversation with Ben Zhu, a former student of Marshall’s who also happens to be the founder, owner, and curator of Gallery Nucleus. Ben has years of experience as an artist and gallery owner, so he also has an abundance of wisdom to share with artists looking to get their work into a gallery. He’ll tell you how you can get your foot in the door, ways to make yourse
The Talent Code
What is talent? Are we born with it, or can it be nurtured and encouraged in anyone? This time, Stan and Marshall are back in the Draftsmen studio to talk about Daniel Coyle’s book, The Talent Code. They talk about how to grow your own talent, ways to practice, and how to change your mindset to help yourself flourish.
Show Links (some contain affiliate links):
Dodgeball Clip - https://youtu.be/pe
Epiphanies
Epiphanies are an important but elusive part of the creative process. Marshall and Stan discuss the different types of epiphanies that they’ve experienced throughout their lives, the importance of those realizations, and pitfalls one can run into in the pursuit of an epiphany.
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Bad Art Advice, Making Prints, and Moving for Your Career
You’ve got more questions, and Stan and Marshall have more answers! In this episode, the two tackle questions about postgraduate training, bad advice for beginner artists, getting over anxiety about entering art school as an older artist, making prints of your artwork, moving for your career, and searching for good resources for studying perspective.
SHOW LINKS (some contain affiliate links):
Dra
Embracing Your Outdoor Studio
Learn plein air painting from Stan! He talks about his plein air experiences, how the outdoors can be a powerful method to help you capture colors, and how it can force you to make important artistic decisions while working under time constraints imposed by nature. You’ll also hear the two discuss the pros and cons of working outdoors versus painting within the studio and some other tips and trick
Is There Too Much ART?
Is it possible to have too much art? A listener’s question forces Stan and Marshall to conduct a thought experiment on the topic, making them ponder and interpret if there really should be such a limit. The discussion then transforms to how artists and art appreciators can come to terms with whatever the answer may be.
Call and Ask Your Art Questions: 1-858-609-9453
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Draftsmen Podcast Call-In
Stan and Marshall took your calls live for Lightbox 2021! Here's the advice they had for listeners.
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How to Fail
Marshall and Stan sit down to talk about one of the scariest, but most important things an artist needs to learn: How to fail, and how to use that failure to succeed. Not only do the two discuss the importance of failing and landing back on your feet, they also chat about how to pivot from a failure, creating situations where failing is okay, keeping your expectations realistic, and how to retain
Best Cities for Artists, Online Resources, and Self-Education
This week, Stan and Marshall are back to answer some of the questions impacting you! The dynamic duo tackles topics ranging from the importance of art communities, and where to find them, building rituals and habits, and finding the right resources for self-taught artists. They also unpack ways to balance edgy art with marketable work and discuss ways to become comfortable with working at your own
Study Art Like You’re Playing A Video Game
Our guest this week is animation and gaming industry veteran Flint Dille! He’s been involved in a wide range of projects from the 80s animated Transformers movie to games like Diablo III and Pokemon GO. We sit down with Flint to find out how artists can use methods valued in game design and writing to take their study routine and education to the next level. Flint shares how you can use familiar c
How to Price Artwork
Having difficulties figuring out how much to charge for your art? Do you feel like you’re undervaluing yourself and your work? There’s a lot that goes into pricing and selling fine art. We’ll show you how to break down the process into stages, and share a variety of ways we’ve found to negotiate and determine prices for your art. You’ll then get to see an example as we negotiate over the cost of a
Horror Art, Shadow Shapes, and Mentor Friendships
It’s that time again! Marshall and Stan are back to answer some of your burning questions about artist and mentor friendships, horror art, getting your foot in the door as an instructor at Universities, balancing your interests and marketability, dealing with regret in an art career, finding fun alongside study, pricing commissions, and understanding spot blacks and shadows.
Call and Ask Your Art
Creativity Insights Artists can Pull from Writers
This week, Marshall talks to Stan about how artists can borrow from a writer’s toolbox of exercises and thought processes and use them in their work. Using Gabriele Rico’s book “Writing the Natural Way” as a starting point, the two talk about techniques that can help boost creativity and help artists develop exciting work. Learn how to brainstorm more effectively, leverage creative tension, proper
The Psychology of Performance - Draftsmen S3E15
Marshall interviews the clinical performance psychologist Dr. Eddie O’Connor, whose course “The Psychology of Performance: How to Be Your Best in Life,” was the subject of repeated references throughout season 1 of Draftsmen. They discuss the course, and Dr. Eddie shares valuable tips to help overcome anxiety surrounding your work as an artist and individual. Dr. Eddie also brings to light some of
Expressionism - Draftsmen S3E14
Stan and Marshall discuss the importance of understanding expressionism and the purposeful rule breaking that comes with the territory. They both examine the work of notable expressionists like Kandinsky and Mondrian, and share their own personal experiences and opinions on the movement. Marshall also includes a few exercises that can help you discover and implement expressionism in your own work.
Cartooning - Draftsmen S3E13
Marshall sits with Stan to chat about the wonderful world of cartooning. They spend time defining what a cartoon is, looking at some of the history and cultural differences behind cartoons and reviewing some work from famous cartoon artists. You’ll also hear some of the skills an artist would need to hone in order to be a good cartoonist.
Call and Ask Your Art Questions: 1-858-609-9453
Learn more
Flow States, Thinking in Pictures, and Abstract Figures - S3E12
We return to answering voicemails left by listeners! In this episode Marshall and Stan dive into a range of topics from entering the “Flow State” to thinking in words vs images, the tools for perseverance, when it’s appropriate to remove a piece from your portfolio and more! If you have an art question that you’d like us to answer, call 1-858-609-9453 and leave a voicemail!
Learn more about your
Live Call-in Show! June 30th 12pm PDT - Draftsmen Hangout
We're going live again and taking more questions from the community! This time we'll be taking live voice calls via Discord. We will start at 12pm PDT June 30th.
HOW IT WORKS:
Join the Draftsmen LIVE Discord
In Discord, post your question in the #questions channel and then hop into the #WaitingRoom voice channel.
If a mod likes your question, you will be moved to another channel to talk to a m
Find Your Strengths - S03E11
Special thanks to BetterHelp and Indeed for sponsoring today’s episode.
Get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at https://www.betterhelp.com/draftsmen
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In this episode, Marshall and Stan discuss the topic of identifying one's strengths and how to utilize it to learn more about yourself. They both share the
This Artist Got His Own Animated Film on Netflix! - Draftsmen S3E10
Marshall reconnects with his friend Chris Appelhans to discuss his journey from working as an artist on movies like Monster House and Coraline to writing and directing his first animated and independent feature film, Wish Dragon. Chris tells his story on how he came to the realization he wanted to get into animation, how his time living in China influenced his film, and the importance of mastering
Sketchbooks - S3E09
An old comment from a previous episode prompts Marshall and Stan to crack open their old sketchbooks. This week the two discuss what sketches are, the value and purpose behind having sketchbooks, and how sketchbooks influence an artist’s growth. There’s also plenty of sketches that Marshall and Stan share from their own personal sketchbooks. Show Links (some contain affiliate links):
To get your
Going Live! May 31st 12pm PDT - Draftsmen Hang Out and Q&A
Submit Your Questions at https://proko.com/512! Marshall and I will be going live! Drop in and ask us questions while we hang out and celebrate the launch of Proko 2.0!
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Concept Art - Draftsmen S3E08
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Developing an Illustration - Draftsmen S3E07
In today’s episode, Marshall and Stan discuss the process of developing longform artwork, from thumbnail to final. They both share their personal process for creating a complex work, the different methods other famous artists use, the stages of the development process, and the importance of working from macro to micro.
Special thanks to Manscaped and The Great Courses for sponsoring this episode.
The Key to Great Creature Designs ft. Terryl Whitlatch - Draftsmen S3E06
Creature design artist Terryl Whitlatch is behind some of entertainment’s iconic characters like Jar Jar Binks from Star Wars. She joins Marshall to talk about her career path, going from amateur to professional, her artistic influences and her time working for Lucasfilm on Star Wars Episode 1.
Call and Ask Your Art Questions: 1-858-609-9453
Learn to Draw - www.proko.com
Marshall Vandruff - www.m
Can this Book Make You Famous? - Draftsmen S3E05
Stan makes a special announcement and Marshall gives an in-depth review for a book called Hit Makers. It focuses on the science behind popularity and it provides artists with some info on some of the key ingredients you’ll need to make something a “hit”. You’ll also learn how to figure out what your customers want and how to get it to them and the story behind Stan’s first viral video.
Call and As
James Gurney’s Self-Education Journey - Draftsmen S3E04
James Gurney is our podcast guest this week! He’s the creator behind Dinotopia and the author of “Color and Light” and “Imaginative Realism”. James talks with us about how he was able to succeed with his own art education and how it deviated from traditional art schools. We also take a look at popular art books that you can study from, try to imagine what the future of art education looks like, an
NFTs, Art, and the End of the World - Draftsmen S3E03
Get ready to jump into the Metaverse as Stan takes a deep dive into explaining NFTs to Marshall. Stan gives his overview of blockchain technology, why some people associate NFTs with a pyramid scheme, how others think it will revolutionize the digital art world, and what can be done to improve the space for artists and the environment.
DISCLAIMER: We are not registered investment advisers. Everyt
Scribble to Discover - Draftsmen S3E02
Scribbling in your art can be an excellent starting point, or a disastrous dead end. In today’s episode, Marshall and Stan discuss how scribbling can reveal fresh ideas, how scribbling relates to categorizing thoughts, and how their training shaped the way they draw today.
Call and Ask Your Art Questions: 1-858-609-9453
Thanks to Mint Mobile and BetterHelp for sponsoring today’s Draftsmen episode
How to Shape Your Art Career - Draftsmen S3E01
Stan and Marshall are back with a new season of the Draftsmen Podcast! This time they are looking at different career paths for artists: Employees, Freelancers, and Entrepreneurs. They discuss the pros and cons of these different career options as well as their varying levels of independence. They also discuss how to speed up the process of learning from your failures as you try and create a succe
A Few of Our Favorite Books
It’s the last episode of the season! Before Stan and Marshall go on break they share with you some of their favorite books that they recommend reading. Some of them are art related, business, marketing, fiction, and self help books. If you’re interested in picking up any of these check out the full list of books below.
Answer the Survey - proko.com/season3survey.
If you have trouble with the shor
The Art Introvert’s Guide to Networking with Kristian Nee
Proko employee and artist Kristian Nee joins the podcast this week. He talks with Marshall about his secret to making friends with influential people, how his personal connections have opened up new opportunities for him and his friends, what road tripping has taught Kristian about humanity and why he asks crazy questions. On top of all the insight there’s also a few special guests that make it in
From Rocket Scientist to Professional Artist (ft. Jama Jurabaev)
From Rocket Scientist to Professional Artist (ft. Jama Jurabaev)
Jama Jurabaev is one of Marshall’s former students and has overcome incredible and difficult circumstances to become the pro artist that he is today. He joins the podcast to tell his full story and hopefully inspire other artists that are working hard towards a career in the industry. Jama’s design work has influenced some of the big
Making a Living with Fantasy Art (ft. April Solomon)
Marshall sits down with professional fantasy artist April Solomon. The two discuss how April fell in love with drawing dragons and werewolves, the power of traditional art materials and the techniques she’s learned over the years, art festivals, what her art schedule looks like, and more. If you’re interested in supporting April be sure to check out her patreon - https://patreon.com/aprilsolomonar
Portraiture Painting (ft. Joseph Todorovitch)
While Stan is out on paternity leave, Marshall invites fine artist Joseph Todorovitch on the show. Joseph talks about what it’s like being a parent and a working artist during a lockdown, his portrait painting methods, and making the switch from animation to fine art in the early 90’s. Make sure to stay subscribed to get notifications about other guests joining the podcast and also follow Joseph o
Our First LIVE Q&A - Draftsmen S2E30
For Lightbox 2020 this year Stan and Marshall streamed their first live Q&A episode! Rather than release the full version that had awkward pauses and tech issues it’s been edited down and remastered. Now you’ll get a clean experience as they answer a variety of personal and art related questions. Some of what you’ll hear are answers to how the podcast got started, brainstorming techniques for arti
How to Get Useful Feedback and Learning to Self Critique
In the 2nd part of Marshall and Stan’s critique discussion, the two talk about getting useful feedback, the importance of being specific with your critique requests and the concept of the 6 thinking hats and how you can use them for self critique. If you missed the first part on how to give critiques, go check out the previous episode.
Call and Ask Your Art Questions: 1-858-609-9453
Thanks to Be
Developing Your Art Critique Chops
Stan and Marshall return to the topic of art criticism to impart the secrets of giving and receiving the best critiques possible. They summarize why it’s good to critique people, what goals you should have when critiquing someone’s art, how to frame things positively for the person receiving the critique and more. This is only part 1 of the discussion. In part 2 they’ll change topics and focus on
The 5 Sins Artists Should Be Aware of
Marshall talks to Stan about the different “corrupting” influences which can affect the purity of an art piece. Some problems affect the craft of your art, but others affect the spirit, undermining the meaning you are trying to convey in your work. These pitfalls, while hard to avoid, are something Marshall believes artists should be aware of as they pursue their careers. Learn how pandering, sent
Bad Teachers
Sometimes we’re stuck with bad teachers and when that happens, what do you do? Marshall and Stan address the frustration of one highschool art student that’s facing this problem by trying to provide them with workable solutions. They also answer a few additional voicemail questions on learning how to teach art, how to increase output for commissions and more.
Go to HelloFresh.com/draftsmen80 and u
The Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media for Artists
Stan talks with Marshall about social media and how to be successful with it. Publishing quality content is key, but that’s only one of many areas that an artist needs to focus on now if they want to be noticed on a platform. Learn how to build an audience, avoid getting dinged by social media algorithms, and why it’s important not to stress about analytics and nasty comments.
Thanks to Betterhe
Art and Fear
Marshall and Stan have another book club episode, this time discussing “Art and Fear” by David Bayles and Ted Orland. The book explores how fear inhibits an artist’s work and the way in which an artist can confront their fears to help them create. Some of the topics covered include the difference between stopping and quitting, how you can be the best version of yourself, the way we are similar to
Exploring Diversity in Art with Jennifer Wang
Guest artist Jennifer Wang joins the podcast to discuss gender, race and sexuality in art. Marshall and Stan ask her for her opinion on a previous caller’s question about the sexualization of women in art. The broad topic opens up other cultural conversations as Jennifer talks about the challenges of getting representation in media, cultural appropriation and more.
Go to thegreatcoursesplus.com/D
Reinventing Yourself
Reinvention is a part of growing up and plays an important role in developing as an artist. Marshall and Stan talk about the changes that they’ve had to make in their lives, a soldier and artist provides insights into reinvention, and both Draftsmen talk about the reasons why reinvention is important and how you might do it in a positive way.
As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by
The Art Knight Rises (ft. Knight Zhang)
Marshall invites a former student onto the podcast who became a pro artist at 21! Knight talks about her experience learning anatomy and fundamentals as a kid, her journey to becoming a freelance and pro artist, how her parents encouraged her art, and what she wants for the future.
Go to thegreatcoursesplus.com/DRAFTSMEN to get access to the entire Great Courses library for FREE for an entire mon
Can You Separate the Art from the Artist?
Stan and Marshall respond to an artist’s tweet who asks if it’s possible to learn from artists who have talent, but are terrible people. Can you separate the art from the artist?
Get 68% off NordVPN! Only $3.71/mo, plus you get an additional month FREE at nordvpn.com/draftsmen
Call and Ask Your Art Questions: 1-858-609-9453
Show Links (some contain affiliate links):
Slack - https://slack.com/
Ado
Taking Risks to Get Your Dream Job (ft. Marvel Artist Anthony Francisco)
2Senior Visual Development Artist Anthony Francisco joins us to talk about creature design and how he went from a minimum wage job to his dream career as an artist! Anthony has worked on some of the biggest movies in the Marvel movie universe. He designed Baby Groot, costumes for Black Panther and many more. You’ll hear how Anthony’s fake portfolio and his sketchbook landed him his first few jobs,
Showing Off, Saying No, and Marshall Gets a Prank Call
Marshall and Stan field voicemail questions about balancing time an artist should devote to input and output, what kind of message they want to convey with their art, how much showing off is too much, and whether an artist should take a pay cut to create artwork for friends.
If you have a question call and leave a voicemail at 1-858-609-9453. If you’re not located in the U.S. you can record an aud
How to Study Masters
In this episode, Stan and Marshall discuss studying from masters. You’ll learn the difference between a master study and a copy, how beginners should approach studying masters, the artists that Stan and Marshall have done studies from and lessons they learned from them, a breakdown of the creative process, and how to figure out which artists are worth studying. Also, Court Jones from the Caricatur
The War of Art
Drill Sergeant Stan and Major Marshall review the book “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield. The book was written to help artists tackle some of the mental challenges that get in the way of creating. Using war as a metaphor, the author offers solutions to get things done by defeating ‘resistance’ - the difficult obstacles artists face. Both Marshall and Stan have caveats with Pressfield’s advice
How to Learn Composition
Composition is technical, creative, and incredibly subjective. Marshall teaches us how to learn composition and suggests artists and resources that will help you learn more about it. Marshall talks about breaking apart master paintings to learn how to compose, focal points, contrasts, metaphors, harmonic armatures like the golden ratio, among many other things. Marshall has years of experience tea
How to be a Good Student
Stan and Marshall teach you how to be a good student. The mindset, habits, and things you can do that will speed up your learning process and make it more enjoyable. They also discuss kind vs wicked learning, methods for taking notes and staying organized, treating your education as a job and the importance of getting real world experience as a student.
Call and Ask Your Art Questions: 1-858-609
What Artists Should Know about the Gaming Industry (ft. Scott Flanders)
Scott Flanders (aka Shapecarver) joins us as the first guest of the Draftsmen Podcast! He shares his good and bad experiences working in the gaming art industry, the dark side of working in a corporate environment, the challenges he’s faced to make it as an artist and family man, and how he’s been able to become an independent artist and entrepreneur doing what he truly loves.
Scott’s Website - h
Going All In on Art, Breaking Rules to Create Style, How to Ask Good Questions
Marshall and Stan answer questions about networking, cross training, royalties, breaking rules to create a unique art style, going all in vs having a backup, and studying multiple things at once. Also, Marshall gives advice on how to ask good questions!
Call and Ask Your Art Questions: 1-858-609-9453
Questions in episode
What do you think of David Ross’s Book on Figure Drawing?
How do you networ
How to Learn by Teaching
Stan and Marshall talk about how and why years of teaching helped them learn to draw. Stan breaks down the process of how he creates educational videos and how teaching anatomy has strengthened his understanding of anatomy. Glenn Vilppu said there are no rules, just tools. When we come across a rule in our studies, we need to investigate the purpose of the rule, so we understand why and when to pr
Life Drawing, Carpal Tunnel, and Social Life
Marshall and Stan devote an episode to answering voicemail questions! They answer hot topics like whether or not it makes sense for an artist to finish a drawing that has mistakes in it, can you make it as an artist without sacrificing your social life, and is ballpoint pen a viable tool… If you enjoy these episodes please send us more questions.
You can call us at 1-858-609-9453 or send an audio
If You’re Going to Art School, Listen to This
After wrapping up the Recreating Art School series, we cap things off with an episode entirely devoted to getting the most value if you decide to attend art school. Marshall and I cover how to choose the best school you’ll like, how big of a workload you should take on, the mentality you should have when attending class, personal life stories and insights from our time attending art schools, and w
DIY Art School Part 5 (Workspace and Equipment)
Recreating art school from home ends with a discussion about how much equipment an art student needs and the importance of a productive workspace. Stan and Marshall talk about starting a digital painting with $65, how a little discomfort can be beneficial, how limitations can improve or hurt creativity, and separating work from home.
Call and Ask Your Art Questions: 1-858-609-9453
Show Links (so
DIY Art School Part 4 (Community)
A good community makes learning enjoyable and can have a huge impact on your development, but how do you create one? We continue our series on recreating art school by discussing the elements that make a community beneficial to learning. That includes how to overcome the problem of not being in the physical proximity of a community, the attitude you should adopt when participating in one and stori
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