Steve Huston Draws From Life

2024-05-02 Simple Ways To Draw Great Legs

The Legs have to jobs: To support the weight above them. And propel the whole body forward in an instant like the bow propels the arrow.

This create some real challenge for the artist trying to draw them. I'll show you how overcome, I promise.

Using the reference provided, practice the various strategies I've outl...

2024-04-25 - Simple Ways To Construct A Leg

Building the fluid gesture into each solid structure is the best way I know to draw any living form. And few things embody both as well and our legs.

Suggested Homework:

Using the methods offered above and the reference portfolio below, practice drawing well constructed legs that still flow beautifully from hip to...

4-18-2024-Stephanie Reimer Interview

No homework this week except consider more carefully your dreams:

What are they?

Why do you have them?

And where exactly do your true talents lie?

Come to think of it, this may be the most important homework you can do this lifetime!

Have fun.

The Simplest Way To Draw Great Arms On the Body

In this lesson, I break down the basic around constructing a solid arm by not being confused or overwhelmed by that devilishly difficult Shoulder Girdle.

Suggested Homework:

From imagination or from the reference provided practice drawing simple, beautiful arms on the torso.

How A Professional Creates An Amazing Portfolio

In this special training, I explain the ins and out of both the commercial and fine art fields.

And how to create a portfolio that attracts, not just interest, but interest from the right people.

Suggested homework:

Begin researching the galleries, entertainment and gaming studios, or in whatever industry y...

Creating Symmetry Through Core Shadows

In this one, I explain how all the Laws Of Light along with the idea of Symmetry can be used to create more solid Structure.

How The Masters Create Depth In Their Work

Of course, linear perspective does a wonderful job of creating the idea of depth.

But create the feeling or even the illusion of depth happens by strategic use of shape, value, and overlap, along with few a few other tricks of the trade.

Suggested Homework:

Using the reference portfolio provid...

2024-03-07 -- Respecting the Silhouette

Often, the process of rendering to completion (however that's defined) means adding detail. Detail can outright destroy a silhouette, confusing light from shadow or foreground from background.

Using the reference provided, practice the various strategies I've outlined in the lesson.

Have fun!...

2024-02-29 - How The Masters Use Gradation

Most of us think of a gradation as a smooth blend of light value to dark value, or warm color to cool. 

But a gradation can be between extremes within any craft idea: like organic to architectural, simple to complicated, and so on.

Suggested Homework:

2024-02-22 - Ways The Master Use Tonal Compositon

Most of us think of a gradation as a smooth blend of light value to dark value, or warm color to cool. 

But a gradation can be between extremes within any craft idea: like organic to architectural, simple to complicated, and so on.

Suggested Homework:

Using the provided ...

2024-02-15 - How The Masters Draw Contrapposto

Contrapposto means 'opposing positions". 

Two ideas the master artist will pay very close attention to is symmetry and asymmetry. Asymmetrical positions, contours, lighting, etc will add drama to your work. 

Contrapposto focuses on how the leaning, facing, and/or the tilting positio...

Bonus Lesson: A Demo on rendering a Torso in 2 Value Ranges

Since I missed posting new trainings over a couple weeks, I thought I'd share a lesson from a new course I'm in the process of recording.

I hope you enjoy it.

Suggested Homework:

Using the images provided, try out the 1) 2 sides of the form, 2) Shape of shadow on the form 3) ...

2024-02-01 -- How The Masters Draw Deep Perspective

There a just few, but critical strategies for building deep perspective into your figures.

In this lesson, I show the most powerful.

Suggested Homework:

Using, especially, the strategies of Contour and Closure, practice build getting each part of the figure to break that picture plane.

Have Fun!

2024-01-25 - Looking At The A Few Of The Wonderful Lessons Michelangelo Can Teach Us

Each of our favorite artists, epecially artist that stand the test of time, has wonderful lessons to teach us. 

By far the best I know to learn them is one or two simple lessons (of what I like to call "filters") at a time. 

Suggested Homework:

Using the images prov...

2024-01-18 -- Leonardo: How A Master Becomes A Master

There is a process we can build into our art practice that allows us to break past plateau after plateau with no true limit to what we can achieve. 

And it's not easy. But, actually, it is pretty simple.

Suggested Homework:

Practice the filter ideas in the lesson using t...

2024-01-11 - Analyzing The Masters: Gustave Klimt

In this continuing series of understanding the simple, yet elegant creative choise that make the masters masterful, we look at Gustave Klimt.

If you are more of a fan of more traditional realism, keep this in mind:

If we truly understand the creative choices of an artist, we can use their stratgey to very differen...

2024-01-04 - Learning from the Masters -John Singer Sargent

This training is part of a  whole series of lessons on the powerful and personal choices of style history's great artists made. And how elegantly simple they almost always are.

Suggested homework:

1. Practice the drawing the heads as simple yet characteristic eggs.

2. Try to make each strok...

2023-12-28 Analyzing The Masters: Rubens

Every great master is doing a few things really well and also in uniquely their own way.   In this lesson, I'm breaking down a few thing Rubens does that makes him both brilliant and instantly recognizable.   Suggested Homework:   Using the reference provided, target a few unique filters from the...

2023-12-21 - Using The Very Simple Ideas Behind Great Art: Rembrandt

In this training, I show you how to analysize a few of the key ideas (or filters) that Rembrandt uses that makes him instantly recognizable. 

If we learn to cherry-pick the best craft and creative ideas from the best in the world, there's really no limit to where we can take our art.

Suggested Home...

How I Renders in Charcoal

You can use whatever medium you're most comfortable with.

I'm using: 

Strathmore 400 Series Bristol paper

AlphaColor black charcoal stick

Conté sticks HB or B

Kneaded eraser and hard white eraser

A paper Stump

My simple 3 step process is :

1. Draw 2 S...

Drawing Like A Pro

In this lesson, I show you how to measure Ringing True as precisely as possible.

And explaining. why give yourself permission to be not so great is the very best way to become great.

Suggested Homework:

Using the image portfolio provided, distilling down the 2-4 simple ideas that are th...

2023-11-30 - Drawing The Foot Or Anything Else In Perspective

In this lesson, I show you how to use Curves and Corners to structure a drawing in perspective.

With the intuitive definition of perspective as the 3 positions in space:

1. Leaning

2. Facing

3. Tilting

Suggested Homework:

Use the reference provided to struct...

2023-11-16 - Drawing A Foot Like A Pro

In this lesson, I begin your training on drawing feet by explaining some broader principles that can be applied to anything.

Suggested Homework:

Practice drawing a basic foot (or anything body part for that matter) by using the techniques of Curves and Corners.

Enjoy!

2023-11-09 Chunking Down: How The Best In The World Become The Best In The World

There are certain training patterns the best practice to become the best. In this lesson, I show you what that are.

Here's a portfolio of images to try out some chunking down techniques.

Enjoy!

The Process For Developing World Class Skills

In this training, we talk about how to dial in your process so there's no limits to where you can take your art.

Have fun!

2023-10-12 - How To Draw The Ears

In this lesson, we explore the basic structure of Ears.

Suggested Homework:

Using the reference provided, work constructing the big simple form of the ears AND its correct placement on head.

Have fun!

2023-10-05 Drawing the Mouth and Lips

I finish our exploration of the mouth with a lesson on how to draw the pillowy forms of the lips.

Suggested Homework:

Nailing The Background In Relationship To The Foreground PART 2

This is Part 2 of my two part training on the relationship between foreground and background in composition.

Enjoy!

Suggested Homework:

Try the lesson I've shared using the reference I've provided below.

Nailing The Background In Relationship To The Foreground PART 1

Drawing a single figure is a massive challenge. But creating a full composition with figure and ground, and light and shadow ups the ante considerably.

In this first of a two part training, I breakdown some of the basics around those challenges.

Suggested Homework:

Using the ...

2023-09-14 - Ask Me Anything

I answer questions from the attendees. And we talk about everything from painting wet over dry to how to rebuild momentum in our art practice after the practice has fallen off.

No homework in this one. But I did give you a few images in case you're inspired to practice on something that seem valuabel to you.<...