Recently, Therese was given the chance to work through a drawing course from Beyond the Stick Figure Art School. She's been showing an interest in learning how to draw better, so I thought this would be a great program for her to try out. She was thrilled to have the Beyond the Stick Figure Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses to work through since we've been on lock down since March. It has helped her pass the time during the stay at home orders our governor imposed during this pandemic.
Beyond the Stick Figure Art School was created by Sally, a fellow homeschool mom of eight children. Sally realized early on about her love of art. She followed her dream and studied art at Loughborough College of Art and Design in England. After obtaining her degree in art, she headed to the states. She is passionate about passing on her love of art as well as skills to learn art.
She believes everyone can learn to draw.
She believes everyone can learn to draw.
For this review, we received access to the Beyond the Stick Figure Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses. Families are offered four different art courses. The courses contain 180 easy to use art lesson and subscribers get lifetime access to the program. Each subscription is provided with personalized email support. It's like getting your own one on one art lessons from a specialized art teacher.
The program is designed to be used on a daily basis over the course of a year. With each lesson, students will gain the confidence to continue on with their artistic journey.
~Complete Drawing Course~
Drawing Part 1~ 17 topics
Drawing Part 2~ 33 topics
Drawing Part 3~ 5 topics
~Pen and Ink~
Pen and Ink Part 1~ 4 topics
Pen and Ink Part 2~ 11 topics
~Watercolor~
Watercolor Part 1~ 10 topics
Watercolor Part 2~ 19 topics
Watercolor 3~ 23 topics
~Acrylic~
Acrylic Part 1~ 5 topics
Acrylic Part 2~ 13 topics
Acrylic Part 3~ 6 topics
~ 3D Designs~
3D Designs Part 1~ 6 topics
3D Designs Part 2~ 14 topics
3D Designs Part 3~ 10 topics
How Did Therese Use Beyond the Stick Figure Art Courses?
Therese worked through a few lessons a day. For the first part of the drawing course, she needed markers, copy paper, scissors, and some cardboard to place under the paper.
Common supplies that can be found at any craft store.
Therese has worked through the entire drawing course and the bonus pen and ink course. She was able to do a few drawing lessons a day. She would often complete two in the morning and then work on one or two after dinner.
She stopped at the water color section because we need to get supplies for that one. She has looked at the first lesson though and is excited to give it a try.
She hasn't looked at the acrylic or 3D section yet!
~Our Thoughts About Beyond the Stick Figure Art Courses~
~My Thoughts~
I looked over the program before giving Therese all the information to sign in. The account was all set up on their set and they quickly emailed us the links to sign in. So, I'd say set was a breeze. At first there was no materials list provided up front. This was quickly resolved when the crew moderator contacted the company. Now there is a tab to access very easily next to the course tab. This shows that customer service is fantastic.
I personally didn't complete any of the art lessons in the program. I did sit in and watch a few with Therese and I was in the room working on other projects when she worked trough many of the lessons. I studied fashion design in college and took a variety of art classes during my four years. None of my classes were taught in the way that Sally from Beyond the Stick Figure teaches. Even my high school art classes were nothing like the classes in this program. The lessons were simple and broken down for students to really learn how to draw. I did like how she recommended looking at the shapes of objects when you draw. This was something ALL my art teachers over the years said!
Beyond the Stick Figure truly takes the student back to the basics. A student that has had art classes in the past may find them too simple. It teaches students to see the shapes in objects and then draw from there. I was a little surprised that there weren't more projects to complete. I think students would like to complete a piece of artwork and see their accomplishments. Drawing shape after shape can get a little boring to students. To me, it feels like it's a slower pace art course which would be great for beginners!
~Therese's Thoughts~
The layout of the course online is done well. Everything is labeled and set up in a concise way. I was able to find the lesson I needed to work on and go from there.
The first few lesson were simple. Since I had taken art classes in the past, I found the first few lessons a little tedious and too repetitive. They would be great for a beginner!
The videos were good. The pace and explanations were great. The directions were easy to understand and I could follow along. She is encouraging throughout the videos and I love her motto of everyone can learn to draw. It's like in the movie Ratatouille, when the chef says anyone can learn to cook!
There was one time during the pen and ink section that they camera angle didn't cover the area she was drawing in. She was explaining what to do, but I couldn't actually see what was being done. I'm more of a visual learner so I was a little confused at that part.
I wish there was a brief description or title for each lesson. I like knowing ahead of time what I will be doing. It kind of annoyed me not knowing! I would also suggest listing what supplies were needed for each lesson. Supplies are listed for each course section, but I didn't know exactly what supplies I would need for each specific lesson.
While working through the program, I did find a few things wrong. For drawing part 2, day 2, I couldn't find the downloads. For drawing part 2, day 5 & 6, the workbook downloads were flipped. It was confusing at first, but I quickly figured out the issue.
Overall, Beyond the Stick Figure Complete drawing course is well done. Students can work through the lesson pretty much on their own. Younger students may need some help. I enjoyed learning a few new things. I would definitely recommend the program to any student wanting to learn the basics to drawing.
The videos were good. The pace and explanations were great. The directions were easy to understand and I could follow along. She is encouraging throughout the videos and I love her motto of everyone can learn to draw. It's like in the movie Ratatouille, when the chef says anyone can learn to cook!
There was one time during the pen and ink section that they camera angle didn't cover the area she was drawing in. She was explaining what to do, but I couldn't actually see what was being done. I'm more of a visual learner so I was a little confused at that part.
I wish there was a brief description or title for each lesson. I like knowing ahead of time what I will be doing. It kind of annoyed me not knowing! I would also suggest listing what supplies were needed for each lesson. Supplies are listed for each course section, but I didn't know exactly what supplies I would need for each specific lesson.
While working through the program, I did find a few things wrong. For drawing part 2, day 2, I couldn't find the downloads. For drawing part 2, day 5 & 6, the workbook downloads were flipped. It was confusing at first, but I quickly figured out the issue.
Overall, Beyond the Stick Figure Complete drawing course is well done. Students can work through the lesson pretty much on their own. Younger students may need some help. I enjoyed learning a few new things. I would definitely recommend the program to any student wanting to learn the basics to drawing.
Connect with Beyond the Stick Figure Art School
Want to learn more about the Beyond the Stick Figure Drawing course?
Just click the link below!
Till Next Time,
Monique
I like that suggestion too.. having descriptive lesson titles.
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