Figure Drawing Fundamentals - Lesson #1 The Process

#figuredrawing #lifedrawing #drawing #artclass #tutorial
In this first session we'll look at the core ideas of an approach to figure drawing which we will build upon in future sessions, starting with a front pose.
*Note: At 33:40 what I meant to say was latissimus rather than scapula!
Any questions about the process please post below and I'll try to get to them in a future video. Thanks
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[@spud6213]

Instructor: There’s actually a little bump here... Look for it, locate it, understand it. Me: touches shoulder bump, “it’s ok little bump. I’ll try to be understanding.”

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Bump: happiness noises**

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I admire great people who inspire others and help them develop there craft thank God we have this type of good people.

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@@user-xs9tw7ur3m So do I, these kinds of tutorials are godsends for the art community. This art is better than some formal art lessons while being completely free of charge. It is quite an admirable thing to create such content for the world.

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Honestly

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Right

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Funny seeing the same comment after clicking to another video

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This is honestly much better than a lot of paid courses. You're a great teacher!

[@RichardSmithemanArt]

Thanks!

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[@kingofspace13]

The sketch I’ve done with your guidance looks like an actual person, it makes me tear up to see I’ve drawn something I’m genuinely proud of for the first time. Never have I found a lesson that has helped me understand anatomy better than this one ❤️

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Damn..

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I know I'm just a random stranger, but I'm proud of you. You can learn whatever you set your mind to.

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mine looks ...

[@skystygian]

Even though I’ve been drawing for 19 years I never actually sat down and properly learned anatomy. I’m a poor college student and just make art as a hobby and sometimes for commissions so I can’t really afford to pay for lessons, so thank you so so so much for making such an in-depth lesson accessible for everyone!

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Not everyone who CAN draw CAN teach. I've paid for lessons and not learned as much as I did in this video.

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@@prayersquad3391 correct. It happened to me too. And i decided to learn on my own, from youtube, practice, observation and other materials like books. Good luck artists on your journey!

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Great

[@cloutdemon1247]

Buy a anatomy book. Then Buy a MEDICAL anatomy book and draw.

[@deekshashivdas7370]

Will reading "Constructive Anatomy" book by George B. Bridgman help me in female fashion illustrations practice?

[@miaartwks]

I literally feel guilty because I feel like im in a professional class and I'm not paying for it. But honestly my drawings just became 100 times better because of your video. Thank you soo much. I really hope your channel gets more viewers, its honestly so precious.

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Literally understood more here than in my 4 years of art school.

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This man is the best teacher I've ever seen in my life. In ONE video, I learned more than in any art class or other video. What an amazing way of teaching.

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I'm actually sad to see that these videos don't have ads on them, definitely deserves all the adsense they can get! Such an amazing channel, thank you for taking the time to create such helpful and informative content!

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It does have ads, though?

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@@ayan4697 I'm sure they meant throughout the video

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@@ABIXWEEZY Unneeded and quite obnoxious. It dilutes the video's purpose, breaking up the uniformity and smoothness of the lesson.

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I think KZbin is putting ads even in videos that aren't monetized

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I would rather pay than watching stupid ads. Moreover I only watch ads when I really want to, not in middle of a lesson! Ads are fine on entertainment videos though.

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Not gonna lie I got scared when my drawing looked too good on the first try. This man is a wizard

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you're a wizard **goes to see his username** Richard

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[@muatring]

Same, tbh alone i could never draw without looking at what he did

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Same here, I can't believe that I did this... I'm in love with my drawing

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This video taught me more about drawing than 2 years of art A level, thank you so much!

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You are not just a good artist , but a very good teacher as well❤❤

[@RichardSmithemanArt]

Thank you!

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This hit the perfect balance between the instructor who's like "I'm just feeling the gesture and the force of the curve, man" and the other one who's like "I feel like your occipital bone collar is a little flat and that eyelash measurement is a tad bit off"

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This is the first time I have been able to understand and retain interest in Anatomy. Thank you. I am 78 years old and feel like my education is just starting. Lockdown has been a bit of a blessing for me🙏🏼

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Respect you

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respect

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I was close to a mental breakdown after seeing how good my drawing came out I’ve struggled so much and I somehow managed this first try thank you and now I’m off to practice

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Learning figure drawing and anatomy PROPERLY has always been a dream for me but i could never afford art school or even good books but this channel is amazing, I watched this video last night and today I followed your drawing step by step and I feel like I learned so much and even found many mistakes I’ve been doing for years! Thank u for teaching and I’m looking forward to practice with more of your content 🥰 thank u so much

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Libraries have art books

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I feel the same about this lesson. resonates

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Took the words from my mouth same

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this man deserves payment, we are in receipt of an actual lecture on figure drawing for free. Wow.

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I've been stuck in a horrid art plateau where I'm dissatisfied with absolutely everything I make and coming back to fundamentals I was never really taught, like this, is a game changer--thank you so much for such a comprehensive fundamental study like this! This will absolutely help me with future anatomy studies to try and level up my skill in that department. I was only ever really taught how to *copy* anatomy and not how to actually *study* it and break it down like this, this is super helpful. Especially for that darn pelvic region, I'd argue I have more trouble with the shapes there than I do with hands! And this from someone who's great at the "How Many Hands Can I Hide" game!

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This is EXACTLY what brought me to this video! I usually work very abstractly, which is a big switch from my younger years and my very detailed drawings. I've done figure drawing before but it has been about 15 years. This video alone helped me bring back some of those mechanical skills into my art. A huge thanks!

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This video took me from being horrified of figure drawing to the point of just avoiding it and doing landscapes to actually drawing a figure and enjoying it! I can’t thank you enough 😊 I’m excited to keep practicing

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WOW! What a perfect combination of the concepts of geometry, anatomy, gesture and shading! Tank you so much Sr.

[@valterlima8469]

My very first drawing class and i achieved quite well!

[@deekshashivdas7370]

Will reading "Constructive Anatomy" book by George B. Bridgman help me in female fashion illustrations practice?

[@wigo54]

@@deekshashivdas7370 Sorry, can't answer that since I haven't read the book, just watched this video. Still, I would expect it will, since learning how to draw the female anatomy must be basic to illustrate female fashion.

[@deekshashivdas7370]

@@wigo54 okay thanks:)

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Thanking you so much for this useful instruction. Cheers Mary Ann from Oz.

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I was using most of these tips instinctively, now I understand why. This channel is a jewel, everything seems consistent and clearly explained.

[@Sam_Hedgehog]

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I am a design student from Germany (Hochschule Düsseldorf, my school) and i we don't learn that stuff in detail. So thank u. Subscribed, member, and really happy that humans like u exist.

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I literally have watched more than a 100 videos on anatomy, nothing was even close to this video! Respect and love from India.

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hi didi

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Wast it helpful?

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@@aishwaryasrivastava3418 it so complex to understand

[@millennialfalcon1547]

I'm almost 40 and this is literally my very first drawing lesson ever and I feel so Lucky that I struck gold on my first swing. I have always been the type of person who can't draw stick figures. But this instructor was so excellent and precise in his explanation that I actually have confidence that drawing is something I can learn to do now! That is the gift of a great teacher.

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You lucky alright

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Is 32: “almost 40” 🤡🤡🤡🤡

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@@annechopan5089i mean 92 is almost 100 as well. Idk why you are being weird about it.

[@adamtz320]

@@macdonaldnnadi well 8 is to 92 what 2.8 is to 32... that's why 32 is not almost 40 but almost 35... still no reason to be weird about it and I also don't know how he knows that this guy is 32... but your argument is off... regardless 92 or 32 drawing is one off the best things I have done for my mental health, it really clears my mind and it requires very few things to practice... so great thing that you started !

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@@adamtz320 what, we aren’t arguing anything he just being weird about it.

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I first saw this video around 6 months ago when I started drawing. 6 months later, after scowering the internet for tips and trick for anatomy, NOBODY does it like Richard. Thanks you a million times over. This is the best lesson on anatomy on youtube or skillshare.

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First time I looked at a drawing of mine of a body and thought “this looks human, and not like a robot”. thank you so much ! 🎉

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Best figure drawing instruction I've ever had , even my daughter who has finished a uni degree said her teachers never explained it in as much detail and as clearly as you have ....Thank you so much.

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Folks with a "uni degree" commonly have that drawback. It's a systemic issue.

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An artist who is left handed. I don't feel so alone anymore, haha.

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You're definitely not alone! I am left handed as well, and I have read that there are actually more left handed artists than right handed in the world, which could be explained by the fact that people with a creative mindset in general are more often left handed.

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Left handed, living in a right handed world! I'm here! 👍

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Lol most great artists are left handed, I’m right handed, and I can see great art in my head. But my hand betrays me when it touches paper!

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@@odette9872 you are not alone this this☺️

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same

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Richard, you are a magnificent teacher. The explanations you give are clear, precise, and easy to understand.

[@RichardSmithemanArt]

Thank you!

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I’m just coming across these videos and I want to say thank you, as a broke student trying to study art I appreciate these lessons so much and I have already learned more than I have in the past two years

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Very thorough demonstration, beautifully articulated, a solid, no-nonsense outline without being overwhelming. Looking forward to watching more. Thank you for setting a standard so often missing on youtube.

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What a great teacher.

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What a fantastic teacher!

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Speechless not only for the quality of the lesson but also for the altruism of this man. A real teacher! Congratulations! I wish you the best!

[@GiacomoVaccari]

Last time I drew was 30 years ago, and just now bought some tools and in one hour I drew a figure way beyond my skill thanks to this video. Amazing job!

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Thank you very much for the class!!!!

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Incredibly helpful and in depth

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I found a gem of a youtube channel. Thank you for the knowledge, Sir. Have a nice day and take care.

What a wonderful channel! The gods of KZbin algorithm have bestowed their blessings upon me today. Incredible content!

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You are a wonderful teacher!

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this video is a true gem, what the fuck. I've spent more time browsing figure drawing tutorials than drawing actual figures and this is the best and most useful stuff I've ever seen

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This is by far the most useful art tutorial I've ever watched.

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I am still in shock that this whole video is free and in real time! I can't thank you enough. I love the way you explained the whole thing in such a simple, informative way, it helped an incredible amount, thank you so so much 🙏❤️

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I keep coming back to this episode again and again and each time, so much fruitful information. I draw along as best I can (I am a total beginner!) but slowly the pieces of the puzzle are forming an image. I can’t thank you enough for your generosity and your talent, as an artist and, to my good fortune, as an Educator.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to patiently describe the whole process.

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ive always felt like such a bad artist for not being able to draw proper anatomy, or figures by just looking at a picture. i feel like so many artists say that they just get it, they dont have to think of how the hand works to draw it. things like that always got me down when they were said to me. this really helped me actually learn how the body parts interact with eachother

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I've watched this three times now, and everytime my drawing seems to get better and better.

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Every anatomy tutorial I've watched has never been this in-depth, this was the first time someone talked about muscles and curves not just boxes. This was awesome!

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Thank you for sharing your skills

[@_-tiaa-_5598]

21 year old here that's been drawing ever since I could hold a crayon. I've really been struggling with my art over the past few years. Disliking almost every thing I've made and wanting to improve my skills but not knowing how. This video was super helpful! Thank you so much!

[@kushalrai2732]

Not gonna lie, I was struggling with anatomy for the past 6 months when I started drawing again after 5-6 years. I have never learned anatomy In my entire life, and when I touched my pencil after so many years, I actually realize I forgot to draw! Not that I can't draw, I can't draw figures proportionally and when I was in school, I never noticed this crucial thing at all. 🙁 This video really helped a lot compared to others. Thank you for putting it here.

[@BeefBossu]

This is such an amazing lesson. Improved so much in just 30 minutes.

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Omg can’t believe I just found these by pure accident. Been looking for 4 months for a tutorial or lesson about drawing figures and I found and saw a lot. This is the first one I understand from beginning till the moment I am now with watching. For now I watch the entire episode and when the children are in bed I will get my sketch book. Can’t wait to start. Thank you so so much.

[@gordonshrubb7155]

Thanks Richard!

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I can't thank you enough, this class was incredibly helpful.

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I was walking today and found your channel and listened with a few glances at the drawing. Below I wrote "great" because I was walking and I it is difficult to type and walk. Now at home, I rewatched and took notes. "Great" isn't enough to thank you for this wonderful tutorial. You made my day. Weather is breaking here and I found you... double happiness. You have made so many people happy during Covid. I hope a million blessings come your way in return for giving us this tutorial. Sometimes as a beginner, people give us WAY too many body parts and names and we just give up. I can digest this. I might have to replay a few times, but it is just what I needed. Hundreds of viewers like me don't even know how to thank you for making a difficult subject understandable. I wish I could articulate my profound gratitude.

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It's just WOW!!!

[@scopher911]

Excellent! Thank you 😊

[@phantomcatpunch]

Thank you for taking the time to share your skills. The well paced explanations on each line being created are appreciated. This video is a great example of gaining knowledge vs replicating process. Cheers!

[@RichardSmithemanArt]

Thank you!

[@valdirmeretchaikovsky155]

I have been drawing since the age of four draw free style do a lot of figurative art work he very good one of the best next to my art teacher who was Welsh he would say draw what you see keep at it and then it will come naturally to you

[@andrewsleepwalker4622]

I've learned a lot from this video! Thank you!

[@benmidson9574]

This is a game-changing guide. Thanks so much, Richard!

[@chaikajpeg2842]

I was drawing simultaneously with you, and the whole time you were putting down the base with a soft line I was keeping up pretty well, but when you were lining, I was just staring at your hand without blinking lol. Your movements felt too slow and too fast at the same time, and every line you placed down made me say "huh?" out loud. Now I understand what "mastering the line" means... Both the process and the result of this video made me emotional. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with people!

[@RichardSmithemanArt]

Thank you for your thoughtful comment and kind words. The 'too slow and too fast at the same time' I find particularly interesting because I think it's speaks to us being deliberate in our process. I want to explore that further as a concept. Thanks!

[@elizabeth2380]

I've been trying to learn how to draw different poses in a more realistic fashion for such a long time and this helped me out so much! thank you for making these!

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You're an excellent teacher, Richard. I'll be watching your other videos, too!

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I'm so grateful I found your channel. Thank you so much for taking the time to post your videos. They are incredibly beneficial. Truly, thank you!!

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I can't thank you enough for sharing such valuable content!

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Вся художественная школа за 40 минут, захотелось выучить английский. Автор - вы лучший!

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Everything explained clearly, simply and with a lot of passion, Thank you so much for doing this!

[@dennisrockwell7834]

YOU TEACH IN PICTURES, FANTASTIC! EASY TO UNDERSTAND! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[@marieann3496]

I'm only 11 minutes in and I feel like I am learning so much. This lesson is fantastic, thank you.

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This is fantastic stuff. You are right. I am revisiting figure drawing/anatomy after about an year and this is an entertaining and informative watch. Great job.

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I would legitimately buy a guidebook written by you on this sort of topics, your explanations are very easy to understand yet explain really crucial things. Thank you so much for this video.

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Thank you for creating these videos - a really great resource!!!

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I love how instantly my drawing transformed with your explanation thank you

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Absolutely instructive and detailed. This is the best I have seen. Thank you David

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It's amazing to have access to this content, It really helped me to clear some questions on my mind. Thank you so much for this wonderful class!

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so much respect for your skill and knowledge

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Wow, this is exactly what I needed! Thank you so much for putting this up here for free!

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You're so good sir! We are grateful to have teachers like you doing this work for free!

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IM CRYING TEARS OF JOY THIS IS SO GOOD

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What a great lesson. Thank you so much!

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Just...thank you so much for teaching us this precious lesson🙏

[@veraveida]

The detail with which you choose to describe the reasons for your choices, and the over-emphasis of the gesture throughout the figure's anatomy...really, this entire video has been so helpful. Thank you, thank you.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to make these lessons for us all. Beyond appreciated!

[@user-fj1is2sh9i]

Thank you so much for making this video!

[@MrKesdo93]

Please keep uploading - amazing work and so much information… Thank you!

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Thank you so much for this, just seeing the art transform before my eyes is a testament to your skills. Appreciate this series

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These are life changing !! You're such a good instructor you make everything seem so clear and easy.

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It finally feels like all the pieces of study I’ve done are connecting and falling into place. Thank you SO much for the videos!

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Fantastic! Thank you!

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This video will stand the test of time. How incredibly well explained! Thank you sir.

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This is absolutely amazing, the professional mix of every dimension of this drawing is just incredible. You got my sub easily !

[@RoyUrrego]

You have been very explicit. Thanks so much for your pasion on teaching!

[@KidAfro29]

its amazing how simple it starts out and then becomes so beautiful.