Welcome to a fun and easy yet informative course on how to paint birds in watercolor.&nbsp;
Here we will use mixed style which means you will discover a combination of techniques needed to paint in realistic and impressionistic manner AND learn how to unite those 2 styles in a harmonious &amp; balanced way.<div> </div><div> </div><div>In this course you will:</div><div>- discover realistic &amp; impressionistic styles</div><div>- learn how to mix those styles and get a natural look of your painting&nbsp;</div><div>- learn color mixing rules</div><div>- apply wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, dry-on-dry, glazing techniques</div><div>- discover how to create volumes and make those birds 3-dimensional</div><div>- learn to paint realistic fluffy feathers</div><div>- use additional tools like salt and pen</div><div>- have fun while creating a sunny artwork with birds!</div><div> </div><div>This course is made for students mostly familiar with watercolor basics, but is still good for beginners as I explain every single step I take. So if you love challenges this would be great for you!</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Materials you need for this painting:
</div><div>
</div><div>- cellulose paper, 300gsm, cold pressed (can be hot pressed too)</div><div>- any good quality watercolor paints</div><div>- few brushes: synthetic round, natural round, small synthetic pointy brush for details</div><div>- pencil, tissues, cup of water, white gel pen, salt</div><div>For more details on materials and the alternatives please watch the first lesson inside this course.
</div><div>
</div><div>Together we will paint adorable yellow birds!</div>

English

Let's discuss paper, paints, and other tools you will need to be able to paint these cute birds in watercolor!

Materials for this class

Get your pencil ready as we work on a sketch for this painting. Make sure you don't press your pencil too much to avoid hard lines. 

Let's sketch!

Prepare paints you need for this class and try different combinations to figure out the best mixes for this artwork. Don't worry, I explain everything in the lesson.

Color Scheme

Time to apply our first layers in watercolor and let the magic begin!

First layers

Apply next layers enjoying the transparency feature of watercolor, and paint body and wings of our birds

New layers

Volumes are essential in working on a realistic 3-dimensional object. In this lesson we put special attention to making a painting stand out 

Creating depth

Time to wrap up our class, add final details and missing elements to bring those birds to life!

Final strokes

Watercolor Painting: Cute Birds in Mixed Style

Watercolor Artist and Teacher

Subscription

This writing-focused course is a chance to dig deep and really consider who you are and how your personal growth has led to the brand or business you now lead. Take the time to truly think about where you are in the journey - you might get some peaks into what's to come if you're still pretty early in the process!

The Entrepreneurs' Story Creation Guide

Copywriter & Brand Amplifier

Tier 9

Personal Brand Building

Personal Development

Error

Tier 1

Tier 17

Other

Strategy

Business

Human figure drawing fast and easy? It is possible for everybody, you don't need even drawing experience. Sounds like a joke but my approach really helps to fulfill this task. The secret is in replacing hard obtainable skills with a simple framework and few geometrical shapes. My method demands some training, but it doesn't take much time.

A friend of mine, a fashion designer, asked me once to help her with this technique. She of course could find on the Internet lot of videos teaching how to draw the croquis using a 10-head method just like they do in fashion college. But it wasn't what she needed. The question was not about fashion illustrations. She wanted to be able to draw quick sketches for herself while working on some ideas. Some kind of figure-in-one-minute drawing to look how definite kind of clothes fits the figure. And she wouldn't be satisfied by wirelike schematics, she wanted something vivid and elegant but quick. 

The main problem when we are trying to draw a human figure even in a very simple upright position is that we lose proportions. You could find on the Internet lot of videos teaching how to draw the figure proportions using a 10-head method just like they do in fashion college. But this is a method for drawing professional fashion illustrations and it takes a lot of time. 

The solution I offer is not a sophisticated one: a simple framework helps to keep proportions and some geometrical shapes help to mark main body parts. This simple framework you can draw by few lines. And it might be even simpler when you get some experience.

And, in fact, you can use this approach even if you have already advanced drawing skills. Main proportions stay the same for a long time drawing with shading, anatomy, perspective as well as for quick sketch.

You can take a closer look at my system - my course "Fashion Figure Sketches, Quick and Easy" is hosted on Grinfer.

Human figure drawing fast and easy? It is possible for everybody, you don't need even drawing experience. Sounds like a joke but my approach really helps to fulfill this task. The secret is in replacing hard obtainable skills with a simple framework and few geometrical shapes. My method demands some training, but it doesn't take much time.
 
A friend of mine, a fashion designer, asked me once to help her with this technique. She of course could find on the Internet lot of videos teaching how to draw the croquis using a 10-head method just like they do in fashion college. But it wasn't what she needed. The question was not about fashion illustrations. She wanted to be able to draw quick sketches for herself while working on some ideas. Some kind of figure-in-one-minute drawing to look how definite kind of clothes fits the figure. And she wouldn't be satisfied by wirelike schematics, she wanted something vivid and elegant but quick.&nbsp;
 
The main problem when we are trying to draw a human figure even in a very simple upright position is that we lose proportions. You could find on the Internet lot of videos teaching how to draw the figure proportions using a 10-head method just like they do in fashion college. But this is a method for drawing professional fashion illustrations and it takes a lot of time.&nbsp;
 
The solution I offer is not a sophisticated one: a simple framework helps to keep proportions and some geometrical shapes help to mark main body parts. This simple framework you can draw by few lines. And it might be even simpler when you get some experience.
And, in fact, you can use this approach even if you have already advanced drawing skills. Main proportions stay the same for a long time drawing with shading, anatomy, perspective as well as for quick sketch.
 
You can take a closer look at my system - my course "Fashion Figure Sketches, Quick and Easy" is hosted on Grinfer.

Fine Arts Teacher and Artist

How to draw human figure sketches without studying figure drawing for a long time even if you don't have drawing experience.

Human figure drawing fast and easy

Meditation/relaxation or calming down is something that is hugely under-rated and underutilized in our society today. Especially amongst the health enthusiasts who will perfect their training and diet but neglect taking care of their mind. Improved relaxation will induce:

* Better outlook on life, more positivity

* Superior digestion, therefore absorption of nutrients

I would like to propose a powerful method for relaxation which is based on visualization and can be done in 10-20 minutes depending on how deep you want to go. It should not be considered napping but rather relaxing and quieting down the mind allowing you to be present and feel your body whilst drifting into positive thoughts.

This is the all-important first part which will allow your body to move into a super relaxed state flushing your mind of clutter and freeing you up to start visualizing.

Try and lie on your back in a comfortable position and place one hand on your chest and one on your stomach, you should be breathing only through your nose and there should be little or no movement of your chest. All the breath should be into your abdomen, this is real deep breathing. Make sure your breath counts are roughly 3 in 3 out and relax for 3. 

Therefore you should be breathing roughly 6 times per minute. Once you establish this rhythm you will find after about 4-6 minutes you will reach a state of relaxation allowing your mind to drift and your body to feel relaxed.

After the good breathing rhythm has been established you can let go of your breathing and focus more attention on feeling your body. First focus on feeling the life in your hands and belly. You will probably notice your hands will start to tingle/pulsate as will your abdomen. This is a sign you deeply relaxed and not consumed in your mind/thoughts. Therefore ready to start visualizing and filling your mind with positive thoughts.

Think of a place or time of a year that you love, maybe summer holidays/the beach or being with friends and family. Anything that makes you feel comfortable and at ease. Let thoughts and positive emotions generate from these visualizations and feel them inside your body. Don’t focus too much on the thoughts, just let the thoughts flow, if you grasp onto them for too long the relaxed feeling will diminish.

You can also use this time to fill your mind with pictures of where you want to be in the future or visualize goals for the future actually happening, this will not only deepen relaxation but flush your mind with positive healthy thoughts which will dominate your thought process and eventually override any negative thinking patterns you may have developed.

This may seem hard at first but it really pays off and gets better with time and practice, you may find using some meditation music will help and make the relaxation time deeper. 

Relaxing and calming the mind is so important especially these days where our environment is polluted with noise and crowds. I would suggest using a relaxation method like this at least once a day preferably in the evening (before eating dinner is a good time). When it comes down to it you couldn’t spend 10-20 minutes better any other way.

Meditation/relaxation or calming&nbsp;down is something that is hugely under-rated and underutilized in our society today. Especially amongst the health enthusiasts who will perfect their training and diet but neglect taking care of their mind. Improved relaxation will induce:
 
* Improved&nbsp;gene expression
* Better outlook on life, more positivity
* Improved decision making
* Superior digestion, therefore&nbsp;absorption&nbsp;of nutrients
* Boosted immune function
 
I would like to propose a powerful method for relaxation which is based on visualization and can be done in 10-20 minutes depending on how deep you want to go. It should not be considered napping but rather relaxing and quieting down the mind allowing you to be present and feel your body whilst drifting into positive thoughts.
 
Step 1 – Breath
 
This is the all-important first part which will allow your body to move into a super relaxed state flushing your mind of clutter and freeing you up to start visualizing.
 
Try and lie on your back in a comfortable position and place one hand on your chest and one on your stomach, you should be breathing only through your nose and there should be little or no movement of your chest. All the breath should be into your abdomen, this is real deep breathing. Make sure your breath counts are roughly 3 in 3 out and relax for 3.&nbsp;
 
Therefore you should be breathing roughly 6 times per minute. Once you establish this rhythm you will find after about 4-6 minutes you will reach a state of relaxation allowing your mind to drift and your body to feel relaxed.
 
Step 2 – Let Go
 
After the good breathing rhythm has been established you can let go of your breathing and focus more attention on feeling your body. First focus on feeling the life in your hands and belly. You will probably notice your hands will start to tingle/pulsate as will your abdomen. This is a sign you deeply relaxed and not consumed in your mind/thoughts. Therefore ready to start visualizing and filling your mind with positive thoughts.
 
Step 3 – Visualization
 
Think of a place or time of a year that you love, maybe summer holidays/the beach or being with friends and family. Anything that makes you feel comfortable and at ease. Let thoughts and positive emotions generate from these visualizations and feel them inside your body. Don’t focus too much on the thoughts, just let the thoughts flow, if you grasp onto them for too long the relaxed feeling will diminish.
 
You can also use this time to fill your mind with pictures of where you want to be in the future or visualize goals for the future actually happening, this will not only deepen relaxation but flush your mind with positive healthy thoughts which will dominate your&nbsp;thought&nbsp;process and eventually override any negative thinking patterns you may have developed.
 
Practice Makes Perfect
 
This may seem hard at first but it really pays off and gets better with time and practice, you may find using some meditation music will help and make the relaxation time deeper.&nbsp;
 
Relaxing and calming the mind is so important especially these days where our environment is polluted with noise and crowds. I would suggest using a relaxation method like this at least once a day preferably in the evening (before eating dinner is a good time). When it comes down to it you couldn’t spend 10-20 minutes better any other way.

Mental Coach

Meditation/relaxation or calming down is something that is hugely under-rated and underutilized in our society today, especially amongst the health enthusiasts.

Visualization: power relaxation

Napping is one of the wonders of life. Nothing feels better than a good nap right? A good nap has been shown to:

Let's have a look at the best way to get a good afternoon nap:

“No day is so bad it can’t be fixed with a nap.”

Before drifting off into the land of nod you must make sure your mind is calm and not tied up in the days' events. This can sometimes be harder said than done, especially on stressful days or times your mind is in the midst of thinking. The best way to calm the mind for me is to meditate for 1-2 minutes:

- Pick an object in the room and stare at it, put all your focus into it.

- Let thoughts come and go, don’t concentrate on any they will soon fizzle away

After a few minutes of this, you will find your mind will have quieted down and so long as you do not provoke it by re-igniting thoughts it will stay quiet and allow you to get into a deep and peaceful nap.

So if you are lucky enough to have the opportunity to rest during this time then take full advantage and have a short nap. Another great technique to quiet the mind is to imagine yourself somewhere you have fond memories of. This could be a beach or a holiday that you enjoyed or felt relaxed on. Take a mental journey to that place it will put your mind at ease.

It's best to limit naps to 20-30 minutes this time period will yield stage 2 sleep which allows your mind to improve its long-term alertness and productivity without drifting into slow-wave sleep (40 minutes plus) which will leave you awakening groggy and grouchy.

Find somewhere comfy like a sofa or a reclining seat where you can lay down and relax all the muscles in your body. Remember it takes 50% longer to drift off into a nap when sitting upright! I also like to cover my eye’s during a nap. I usually grab a light pillow and throw it over the top side of my head.

To get the best out of a nap, I find it's best to keep your mind extremely still, not concentrating on any thoughts. I like to focus my energy on my body feeling, the waves of life going through my arms and hands, imagining I am melting into the ground. In doing this, you will allow your body to rest and recover deeply. Set aside half an hour every day to do all your worrying; then take a nap during this period.

- Experiment with a shot of espresso just before you nap, it will act as an automatic alarm clock and will leave you feeling extra alert once you get up. It's a great thing to try if you're having a mid morning nap and you want a really productive afternoon.

- I have always enjoyed a light/short nap just after a hard workout. I sometimes get back from the gym, take a nap, then eat once the nap is over. It's no coincidence that these have been the times of best muscle growth. Give it a try.

- Don’t feel guilty about napping, I used to feel lazy and unproductive for napping but it's a very normal thing to do.

- After you get up, it's a good idea to take a good stretch, a good roll of the neck and cat stretch will do the trick to re-limber up your body for the day. Naps will clear your mind and allow your body to recover leaving you ready for the day.

Napping is one of the wonders of life. Nothing feels better than a good nap right? A good nap has been shown to:
 
- Decrease stress
- Increase alertness and productivity
- Boost creativity
- Improve mood
 
Let's have a look at the best way to get a good afternoon nap:
 
“No day is so bad it can’t be fixed with a nap.”
 
Step 1 – Calming the Mind
 
Before drifting off into the land of nod you must make sure your mind is calm and not tied up in the days' events. This can sometimes be harder said than done, especially on stressful days or times your mind is in the midst of thinking. The best way to calm the mind for me is to meditate for 1-2 minutes:
 
- Pick an object in the room and stare at it, put all your focus into it.
- Let thoughts come and go, don’t concentrate on any they will soon fizzle away
 
After a few minutes of this, you will find your mind will have quieted down and so long as you do not provoke it by re-igniting thoughts it will stay quiet and allow you to get into a deep and peaceful nap.
 
So if you are lucky enough to have the opportunity to rest during this time then take full advantage and have a short nap. Another great technique to quiet the mind is to imagine yourself somewhere you have fond memories of. This could be a beach or a holiday that you enjoyed or felt relaxed on. Take a mental journey to that place it will put your mind at ease.
 
Step 2 – The Nap
 
It's best to limit naps to 20-30 minutes this time period will yield stage 2 sleep which allows your mind to improve its long-term alertness and productivity without drifting into slow-wave sleep (40 minutes plus) which will leave you awakening groggy and grouchy.
 
Find somewhere comfy like a sofa or a reclining seat where you can lay down and relax all the muscles in your body. Remember it takes 50% longer to drift off into a nap when sitting upright! I also like to cover my eye’s during a nap. I usually grab a light pillow and throw it over the top side of my head.
 
To get the best out of a nap, I find it's best to keep your mind extremely still, not concentrating on any thoughts. I like to focus my energy on my body feeling, the waves of life going through my arms and hands, imagining I am melting into the ground. In doing this, you will allow your body to rest and recover deeply. Set aside half an hour every day to do all your worrying; then take a nap during this period.
 
Bonus Tips
 
- Experiment with a shot of espresso just before you nap, it will act as an automatic alarm clock and will leave you feeling extra alert once you get up. It's a great thing to try if you're having a mid morning nap and you want a really productive afternoon.
 
- I have always enjoyed a light/short nap just after a hard workout. I sometimes get back from the gym, take a nap, then eat once the nap is over. It's no coincidence that these have been the times of best muscle growth. Give it a try.
 
- Don’t feel guilty about napping, I used to feel lazy and unproductive for napping but it's a very normal thing to do.
 
- After you get up, it's a good idea to take a good stretch, a good roll of the neck and cat stretch will do the trick to re-limber up your body for the day. Naps will clear your mind and allow your body to recover leaving you ready for the day.

Napping is one of the wonders of life. Nothing feels better than a good nap right? Naps will clear your mind and allow your body to recover leaving you ready for the day.

A no nonsense guide to napping

If you have a hard time getting into shape or you simply slip back into bad old habits, it can be refreshing to have a look over the basics again. Some things are so simple but often overlooked in the face of more advanced options. Master the simple stuff then move on.

1- Going to bed light? It's something I first found out about when I got into health and fitness. Going to bed feeling light allows your body to maximize growth hormone rebuilding your body and allowing for deeply restful sleep. You will always feel and look at your best when you go bed feeling satisfied but not stuffed or even slightly hungry. A perfect pre-bed snack is some nut butter spread on celery about 30-45 mins before going to bed, only if you're hungry though.

2- Thirst or hunger? We often mistake thirst for hunger. This is something that we read often but also need reminding. I can remember numerous times when I have felt hungry an hour after eating but downed a glass of water and realized how full I really was. Our bodies are not too efficient at differentiating between thirst and hunger, so always dash a glass of water when hunger strikes. If the pangs keep on coming it's time to eat.

3- Moving enough? Although I believe in high intensity and short weights workout being a core part of our training, they seem to be too hyped these days making people lazy and immobile. Doing a single weights workout a week no matter how intense is not enough exercise if you're sitting on a chair all day. The healthiest and fittest people are those who move, walk and play. So go for long walks, play tennis, go for a short jog and keep active. This can pretty much be the lifestyle addition that keeps you fit and healthy!

4- Basic supplements? While most supplements are not necessary there are some things that are very useful in our diets:

Cod liver oil. 1 Tsp per day will cover your omega 3 needs and give you a healthy dose of Vitamin D and Vitamin A

Magnesium. For some of us, this is a big deal and will leave you feeling a lot better. If you suffer from brain fog, cramps, and insomnia, some magnesium may do the trick. Our soils are heavily deficient in magnesium and stress can further push our bodies to excrete the stuff leaving us depleted. Try 200mg per day in citrate form.

Natural multi-vitamin. A natural multi-vitamin is a great addition to anyone’s diet. It makes sure all your bases are covered as well as supplying a good dose of B vitamins and Zinc. 

5- Drinking calories or diet drinks? Too many of us can slip into old habits of having a few too many smoothies or drinking diet drinks which both aren’t great for us. Diet drinks just plain confuse the body and artificial sweeteners are pretty nasty stuff. And most soft drinks and smoothies are packed with sugar.

If you have a hard time getting into shape or you simply slip back into bad old habits, it can be refreshing to have a look over the basics again. Some things are so simple but often overlooked in the face of more advanced options. Master the simple stuff then move on.
 
1- Going to bed light? It's something I first found out about when I got into health and fitness. Going to bed feeling light allows your body to maximize growth hormone rebuilding your body and allowing for deeply restful sleep. You will always feel and look at your best when you go bed feeling satisfied but not stuffed or even slightly hungry. A perfect pre-bed snack is some nut butter spread on celery about 30-45 mins before going to bed, only if you're hungry though.
 
2- Thirst or hunger? We often mistake thirst for hunger. This is something that we read often but also need reminding. I can remember numerous times when I have felt hungry an hour after eating but downed a glass of water and realized how full I really was. Our bodies are not too efficient at differentiating between thirst and hunger, so always dash a glass of water when hunger strikes. If the pangs keep on coming it's time to eat.
 
3- Moving enough? Although I believe in high intensity and short weights workout being a core part of our training, they seem to be too hyped these days making people lazy and immobile. Doing a single weights workout a week no matter how intense is not enough exercise if you're sitting on a chair all day. The healthiest and fittest people are those who move, walk and play. So go for long walks, play tennis, go for a short jog and keep active. This can pretty much be the lifestyle addition that keeps you fit and healthy!
 
4- Basic supplements? While most supplements are not necessary there are some things that are very useful in our diets:
 
Cod liver oil. 1 Tsp per day will cover your omega 3 needs and give you a healthy dose of Vitamin D and Vitamin A
 
Magnesium. For some of us, this is a big deal and will leave you feeling a lot better. If you suffer from brain fog, cramps, and insomnia, some magnesium may do the trick. Our soils are heavily deficient in magnesium and stress can further push our bodies to excrete the stuff leaving us depleted. Try 200mg per day in citrate form.
 
Natural multi-vitamin. A natural multi-vitamin is a great addition to anyone’s diet. It makes sure all your bases are covered as well as supplying a good dose of B vitamins and Zinc.&nbsp;
 
5- Drinking calories or diet drinks? Too many of us can slip into old habits of having a few too many smoothies or drinking diet drinks which both aren’t great for us. Diet drinks just plain confuse the body and artificial sweeteners are pretty nasty stuff. And most soft drinks and smoothies are packed with sugar.

If you have a hard time getting into shape or you simply slip back into bad old habits, it can be refreshing to have a look over the basics again.

5 simple but overlooked tips

If you want to accomplish anything in life you have to know how to set goals. High achievers in various fields like sports and business using goal-setting to help them succeed. Setting goals will help you acquire new skills, learn new things and make the most of your life. When you accomplish your goals it raises your self-confidence and feels wonderful. Let’s begin.

There are two types of goals. Long term goals take six months to several years to accomplish: buying a house, learning a language, getting out of debt. Short term goals take a month to six months to accomplish: losing weight, running a half marathon. I study Hermetic Philosophy and use it to assist me in accomplishing my goals. There are seven laws in Hermetic Philosophy and I apply three of them to goal setting.

The Law of Mentalism: all is Mind, the Universe is Mental. This means if you can conceive it you can achieve it. Most people never accomplish their goals because they listen to other people who say that they can’t or that it is too hard. Accomplishing your goals is only as hard as you make it. When I was at the college I taught myself how to edit videos by reading Final Cut Pro For Dummies. 

I told people I was going to start a film company and they laughed because I did not go to film school. I started filming and editing videos for whoever would let me and ended up filming and editing various videos for Vitamin Water, Def Jam Records, HP, and many other companies. The point is that because I never listen to what the doubters said I taught myself a valuable skill, made some good money, and accomplished my goal. So do not listen to the doubters, push forward and accomplish your dreams. 

Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the pendulum swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates.

This is very important in goal setting because you know from the start that your motivation to accomplish your goal is going to be affected by this law. We start off very strong and excited about accomplishing something and then two months later we lose our motivation and we fall off track. 

1. I change my motivation and set mini-goals.

I am always looking for new things that can motivate me to accomplish a long-term goal. Accomplishing daily or weekly goals can help boost your morale and motivation to accomplish long term goals: race a friend every week, in preparing to run a marathon.

I weave the goals into my daily routine so that every day I am working towards accomplishing the goal. I want to be more flexible so whenever I watch TV or a movie I stretch. I also want to be able to do 100 pushups straight. So whenever I go to the bathroom at work I do a set of push-ups before and after I handle my business. I started at 25 a set and now can do 40 a set. So each bathroom trip is 80 push-ups and I go to the bathroom about twice every day. This way I don’t have to be motivated to stretch or to do push-ups because they are built into my routine.

If you want to accomplish anything in life you have to know how to set goals. High achievers in various fields like sports and business using goal-setting to help them succeed. Setting goals will help you acquire new skills, learn new things and make the most of your life. When you accomplish your goals it raises your self-confidence and feels wonderful. Let’s begin.
 
Types of Goals
 
There are two types of goals. Long term goals take six months to several years to accomplish: buying a house, learning a language, getting out of debt. Short term goals take a month to six months to accomplish: losing weight, running a half marathon. I study Hermetic Philosophy and use it to assist me in accomplishing my goals. There are seven laws in Hermetic Philosophy and I apply three of them to goal setting.
 
The Law of Mentalism: all is Mind, the Universe is Mental. This means if you can conceive it you can achieve it. Most people never accomplish their goals because they listen to other people who say that they can’t or that it is too hard. Accomplishing your goals is only as hard as you make it. When I was at the college I taught myself how to edit videos by reading Final Cut Pro For Dummies.&nbsp;
 
I told people I was going to start a film company and they laughed because I did not go to film school. I started filming and editing videos for whoever would let me and ended up filming and editing various videos for Vitamin Water, Def Jam Records, HP, and many other companies. The point is that because I never listen to what the doubters said I taught myself a valuable skill, made some good money, and accomplished my goal. So do not listen to the doubters, push forward and accomplish your dreams.&nbsp;
 
The Law of Rhythm
 
Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the pendulum swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates.
 
This is very important in goal setting because you know from the start that your motivation to accomplish your goal is going to be affected by this law. We start off very strong and excited about accomplishing something and then two months later we lose our motivation and we fall off track.&nbsp;
 
1. I change my motivation and set mini-goals.
 
I am always looking for new things that can motivate me to accomplish a long-term goal. Accomplishing daily or weekly goals can help boost your morale and motivation to accomplish long term goals: race a friend every week, in preparing to run a marathon.
 
2. I weave my goals into my life.
 
I weave the goals into my daily routine so that every day I am working towards accomplishing the goal. I want to be more flexible so whenever I watch TV or a movie I stretch. I also want to be able to do 100 pushups straight. So whenever I go to the bathroom at work I do a set of push-ups before and after I handle my business. I started at 25 a set and now can do 40 a set. So each bathroom trip is 80 push-ups and I go to the bathroom about twice every day. This way I don’t have to be motivated to stretch or to do push-ups because they are built into my routine.

If you want to accomplish anything in life you have to know how to set goals. Setting goals will help you acquire new skills, learn new things and make the most of your life. 

Goal setting: how to set goals

I worked as a teacher of painting at Moscow Pedagogical University, as a teacher of clastic anatomy at School-Studio of Moscow Art Theatre, worked as a drawing teacher at British Higher School of Art and Design in Moscow. Mostly the teaching methods used there were traditional enough: students have had to spend years to get step by step closer to their goal.

Later on, I moved to Barcelona and a new challenge appeared when I started sketching workshops for tourists. The idea was to sketch the architectural landmarks of the city, including such a complex building as Sagrada Familia. But my students mostly were people with zero or close to zero drawing skills. How to make everyone draw nice-looking sketches from the first lesson?

As a teacher, I have always aimed at creating methods that would allow teaching effectively drawing and painting to any person regardless of skills. And I have had experience in creating short-term courses, workshops, etc. But with sketching workshops for tourists, the task was harder.

The crucial points in the sketching process are the ability to draw horizontal and vertical straight lines and measuring proportions skills.

For beginners to draw a straight line is a really hard task. But we can use an edge of our sketchbook like a ruler. We put the base of our palm close to the edge of a sketchbook and move the hand along the edge not moving the pencil by fingers. This skill easily obtainable in five minutes gave me the opportunity to overcome strait line problem.

And how to measure proportions if you are drawing first time in your life? Artists use the pencil method. It works like this: we hold a pencil in such a way that its free end is visually aligned with one edge of the measured object, and we mark the other edge of this object with our thumb. This method is, of course, not very convenient. It is not easy to hold in your mind the mark to align with it the tip of the pencil. And if you need to fit many times the smaller dimension into the larger one, the probability of errors increases noticeably.

Once, when I was preparing for the workshop, I made the grid over my sketch to make more visible all the proportions of the building. And it helped me to invent a tool to measure proportions. It consists of a grid on a transparent base. This tool saves your time and effort in the process of creating any drawings from life. It helps to compare the vertical and horizontal proportions at the same time! You change the scale of measurements by moving your gridded device closer to the eyes or further. In this manner was solved the problem with proportions measuring.

Now you can find on Grinfer my complete course "Landscape Sketching, Tips and Tricks" with all the tricks, tips, and shortcuts. This course made me start series of courses where I use my new approach to teaching drawing. In one word I replace hard obtainable skills with easy tools and tricks. It gives students the possibility to concentrate on the goal and reach this goal without extra work with minimal errors.

I worked as a teacher of painting at Moscow Pedagogical University, as a teacher of clastic anatomy at School-Studio of Moscow Art Theatre, worked as a drawing teacher at British Higher School of Art and Design in Moscow. Mostly the teaching methods used there were traditional enough: students have had to spend years to get step by step closer to their goal.
Later on, I moved to Barcelona and a new challenge appeared when I started sketching workshops for tourists. The idea was to sketch the architectural landmarks of the city, including such a complex building as Sagrada Familia. But my students mostly were people with zero or close to zero drawing skills. How to make everyone draw nice-looking sketches from the first lesson?
As a teacher, I have always aimed at creating methods that would allow teaching effectively drawing and painting to any person regardless of skills. And I have had experience in creating short-term courses, workshops, etc. But with sketching workshops for tourists, the task was harder.
The solution came with practice.&nbsp;
 
The crucial points in the sketching process are the ability to draw horizontal and vertical straight lines and measuring proportions skills.
For beginners to draw a straight line is a really hard task. But we can use an edge of our sketchbook like a ruler. We put the base of our palm close to the edge of a sketchbook and move the hand along the edge not moving the pencil by fingers. This skill easily obtainable in five minutes gave me the opportunity to overcome strait line problem.
 
And how to measure proportions if you are drawing first time in your life? Artists use the pencil method. It works like this: we hold a pencil in such a way that its free end is visually aligned with one edge of the measured object, and we mark the other edge of this object with our thumb. This method is, of course, not very convenient. It is not easy to hold in your mind the mark to align with it the tip of the pencil. And if you need to fit many times the smaller dimension into the larger one, the probability of errors increases noticeably.
Once, when I was preparing for the workshop, I made the grid over my sketch to make more visible all the proportions of the building. And it helped me to invent a tool to measure proportions. It consists of a grid on a transparent base. This tool saves your time and effort in the process of creating any drawings from life. It helps to compare the vertical and horizontal proportions at the same time! You change the scale of measurements by moving your gridded device closer to the eyes or further. In this manner was solved the problem with proportions measuring.
 
Now you can find on Grinfer my complete course "Landscape Sketching, Tips and Tricks" with all the tricks, tips, and shortcuts. This course made me start series of courses where I use my new approach to teaching drawing. In one word I replace hard obtainable skills with easy tools and tricks. It gives students the possibility to concentrate on the goal and reach this goal without extra work with minimal errors.

The approach to teaching drawing giving students the possibility to concentrate on the goal and reach this goal without extra work with minimal errors.

Tricks and shortcuts. A new approach to teaching drawing

More about Health & Fitness Online Courses

Take care of your body and soul with courses on Health and Fitness. Explore Yoga, Fitness, Nutrition, Meditation, Hypnotherapy, and Other topics to live life to the fullest.

Health & Fitness Courses

More about Lifestyle Online Courses

Brighten up your Lifestyle. Explore Cooking and Beverages, Arts and Crafts, Pets and Training, Home Improvement, Travel, Dancing, and Other categories to deepen your existing passions.

Lifestyle Courses

More about Marketing Online Courses

Learn how to do Marketing for your career and business with courses on Digital Marketing, sMobile Marketing, Branding, SMM, PR, Advertising, or Other marketing-related domains.

Marketing Courses

More about Photography Online Courses

Photography is king in the content-driven world. Sharpen your skills in Digital Photography, Photography Tools, Video Design, Commercial Photography, and Other — with courses taught by top-rated instructors.

Hannah Hassler

Hannah Hassler

The Entrepreneurs' Story Creation Guide

Recommended instructors

More Courses You May Like

Jason Gandy

Start A T-Shirt Business | Teespring, Merch by Amazon & More

Taurius Litvinavicius

Excel course

SIMONE SIESTO

Learn how to trade financial markets with indicators and techniques unique in the world of trading.

Jason Gandy

YouTube For Business | Create A YouTube Channel

Robert G

How to be a Successful Freelance Translator

Skillay Academy

How to Write a Marketing Plan

Bruce Wade

How to Create Effective Online Courses

Jason Gandy

Stock Trading With Technical Indicators | MACD, RSI & More!

Chester Sky

Standup Comedy Complete: The Ultimate Guide To Writing and Performing Jokes

Sorin Constantin

Product Launcher Pro - Create And Sell Digital Products