The Block In Course
Get the start of every portrait right.
A drawing can only be as good as its block in. Learn four ways to block in a portrait, then draw eight full studies alongside me.
Enrol for $2504
ways to block in
8
portrait studies
11 h 20 min
of lessons
Lifetime
access
Why the block in
Most problems in a portrait start in the first hour.
If the proportions and big shapes are off, rendering cannot save them. Learn to get them right, then practise it through eight portrait studies drawn along with me.
Taught by Stephen Bauman. Trained at the Florence Academy of Art, teaching for 20 years, tens of thousands of students taught online.
What you will learn
Everything you need to block in a portrait.
- Four ways to block in: visual, structural, hybrid and mass drawing
- Eight portrait studies, drawn along with me
- How to measure and check your proportions
- The skull and muscles, and how they shape the head you are drawing
- How to see and draw light and shadow
Four styles
Four ways to start a portrait
Each one suits a different model, light and purpose. Learning all four lets you choose.
01 · Visual
Start from light and shadow
Block in the big shapes of light and shadow first. Those shapes become your tools of comparison as you refine the drawing with measurement and triangulation.
02 · Structural
Start from the form
Carve out a simple linear wireframe of the head that holds its basic proportions, so the drawing reads as three-dimensional from the first lines.
03 · Hybrid
Structure and value together
Bring in one value early, together with the big structural forms. You then have two ways to check accuracy: the structure of the head, and a plain comparison of the light shape against the model.
04 · Mass drawing
Block in like you paint
Lay in the masses of tone with a stick of charcoal, much as you would with a brush. We look at everything this method can do.
Inside the course
How it works
- Short parts, step by step, at your own pace
- Animations and diagrams that show what to look for
- You draw along with me in every study
- Watch it again whenever you like: access never expires
FAQs
Do I need experience?
No. The course is open to all levels and built so beginners can follow every step.
How long do I have access?
For life, in the account you bought the course with.
How long is the course?
Eight lessons, about 11 hours 20 minutes of video.