WELCOME!

[Mike Sibley]

Here you can post your work or WIPs for critique, comment, suggest content for future videos, browse the Free Resource links, just chat in our comfy Lounge, and much more...

And while you're here... why not make your first post and introduce yourself - just click "Post Reply" above.

In the meantime, here's a little useful guidance for you...

USING THIS SITE:
When in the Members Area (where you are right now) use:

• the orange navigation at the top to move through the parent site, Mike Sibley Fine Art
• the green navigation below the logo to move through the Members Area

HINT:
You can click the little Board index to return to... well, the board index. But it's much easier to just click the DRAW with Mike logo at the top of any page -- it takes you straight back to the home (index) page.

POSTING YOUR DRAWINGS:
As you are reading this you're already a registered member and you can post your work now and browse the forums.

If you wish to comment on a drawing, just click the reply button on that drawing's post. Please do not post your drawings in another artists thread. Post each of your drawings as separate topics, so the images, comments, and critiques will be about that specific drawing.

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM:
Many of our members have a very critical eye and freely share their thoughts on how to improve the drawings they comment on. This is one of the things that makes this forum special. There are other online forums, and social media sites, that will give you plenty of compliments but very little constructive criticism. We all need a pat on the back occasionally but, if you want to improve, nothing beats constructive criticism. It really is the best way to learn. So, when posting a drawing, be prepared to read comments that you might disagree with, but they are just personal opinions and offered with your best interest at heart.

When critiquing the work of others, please look objectively at the posted work. Imagine it is your drawing and ask yourself questions: How could I make this better? What adjustments need to be made? And try to be positive too - add a line or two about what you do like about the drawing.

DRAW WITH MIKE "HOW TO" VIDEOS:
If you're browsing as a Guest... well, you can't. We left one forum open to the public and the spammers found it. So, now you must be a registered user. But just in case you aren't and you're a hacker who loves to draw..... sooner or later you'll no doubt read references to the VIDEOS and wonder what the heck they are? You can read all about them, and view samples of each one, here: Draw With Mike Videos. You can purchase those you're interested in. Or you can join this subscription MEMBERS AREA, which permits you to watch ALL the videos in full, anywhere, at any time, on any device. All that for less than the cost of a coffee each week. And you get full access to this forum, and all new videos on their release too.

[gah_carmen]

Mike,
I am a new subscriber. Your drawings are beautiful and inspiring. However, this note is to thank you for your efforts and time to explain and demonstrate methods and techniques of your craft. I have drawn on and off over the years, but the requirements of life prevented formal education and I have never found a source I could use to learn on my own. Your book is a joy and your videos are really excellent and to the point (chisel that is). The wife and I work in the same office at home and she also listens to your videos. She is a retired teacher (High School and University instructor). She gives you high marks for content organization and presentation. My drawings have improved significantly and I look forward to the journey now that I have a map.
Jerry Holley (gah_carmen)
Carmen, Idaho USA

[Mike Sibley]

Hi Jerry, and welcome to DWM. Apologies for the delay - I caught a stomach bug that's laid me low for a few days.

Your book is a joy and your videos are really excellent and to the point (chisel that is). The wife and I work in the same office at home, and she also listens to your videos. She is a retired teacher (High School and University instructor). She gives you high marks for content organization and presentation.

First, thank you! The book took me a year to write, and I'm OK with that. The videos are taking longer to produce than I would wish... but, I treat them the same way as I do my drawings. A script with visuals allotted along the way; umpteen rewrites; animations made, soundtrack recorded; and action sequences finally filmed. Within that are there are usually about 20-24 editing sessions. In other words... I like things to be "right"

Again, just like my drawings, I know they're never going to be perfect. So I aim to do the best that I can at that time with the knowledge I currently have. The difference is that, unlike drawings, I can always remake them again later

And I have secret US weapon... called Mary We met when she took my Drawspace courses and now nothing is released unless it's passed her scrutiny

My drawings have improved significantly and I look forward to the journey now that I have a map.

Excellent. Just take it one step at a time. Aim to do the best you can. And know that next time you'll improve on that. It's a natural human trait because we simply don't like to travel backwards

Oh! - I think this is important - never throw anything away. You need to be able to look back through your work to realise how far forward you've progressed.

[wayneCol]

Hello
I am a retired Canadian now living in the Philippines (where I can easily avoid winter!). I have just ordered Mike's book "From Line To Life" and I'm waiting for it's delivery - soon I hope. I live in a small town here with no art supply store, so I need to order everything from Manila which usually means a 1 or 2 week delivery delay, but when I ordered Mike's book I also ordered some supplies - Staedtler clutch pencils and leads, Pentel mechanical pencils and leads, erasers and some smooth Bristol paper.

While waiting for the book and supplies to arrive, I have been watching a few of the Videos in the BASICS series and because I have not used clutch or mechanical pencils before, I'm planning to do each of the early exercises twice - once with each type of pencil, until I decide which I prefer. Hopefully that's a good plan!

In a previous life, I managed an art school in Canada and I had some experience with the atelier-style Bargue drawings. I attended one of Mike's tutorials a few years ago in Utica New York USA which was my first exposure to Mike's type of realism. The tutorial impressed me so much that I invited Mike and Jenny to give a weekend tutorial at the school in Ottawa. I had hoped to have them back to Canada the following year but life intervened and regrettably that never happened.

Now that I'm retired I have the time to try this "drawing" thing again and I'm quite excited to get started. I've browsed around the Forum and admired the art work that Mike's students/members have submitted - I just hope I can keep up.

[Mike Sibley]

I've browsed around the Forum and admired the art work that Mike's students/members have submitted - I just hope I can keep up.

You'll find it easier to keep up if you use the forum. Just saying...

Any time you'd like help, or just a second or third opinion, post your exercises - or whatever you're working on - to the Graphite forum. And if you think we need a new forum for the exercises, suggest it, and I'll seriously consider creating one. So far, that’s not been worthwhile, because almost everyone here reads but doesn't post. And that's a pity, because we regular posters would love to help anyone progress... and we can't do that without material to work with.

Welcome to DWM, Wayne!

[wayneCol]

Mike, I most certainly intend to post my "exercises" - actually they are your exercises from the videos, just my attempts. I don't see much sense in doing an exercise without getting some kind of comment about what to improve. Otherwise it's unreasonable to expect any progress.

[Mike Sibley]

I don't see much sense in doing an exercise without getting some kind of comment about what to improve.

Agreed, Wayne. And at least here you'll receive sound advice and not gratuitous praise, such as you might receive from social media.

For now, post into the Graphite Pencil Drawing forum. If enough folk eventually see the sense in submitting exercises and drawings for helpful critiques, I'll create a new "Lessons" forum.

[JulianC]

Hi, I'm Julian! I'm a new member and happy to be here. Been drawing on and off all my life...initially very detailed dogs and portraits in graphite whereas nowdays mostly landscapes more freely and in charcoal. Gave up work 6 months ago to try and make a living from my art....I must be crazy!! Will post some work but atm all my drawing photos exceed accepted file size! I need to get them resized. Mike is not only an amazing artist but very knowledgeable in all the technical stuff (printers, scanners, websites etc)...stuff that completely baffles me.

[Mike Sibley]

Welcome to DWM, Julian. It's great to see you here.

Mike is... very knowledgeable in all the technical stuff (printers, scanners, websites etc)...stuff that completely baffles me.

Necessity is the mother of invention

When you're a one-man-band, nobody else is going to do it for you.

That said, we're here whenever you need us to help you on your road to success. Just ask - and if we can help, we will.

Finally, I know I keep going on about adding your website address to your email signature (you can never promote too often) - well, that applies here too. I can help you with that. In the meantime:
JulianCourtDrawing.com
Visit and enjoy

[JulianC]

Thanks Mike!