FAQ - Learn to Draw in 18 Steps

When does this course start and finish?

The course starts when you enroll and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.

For how long can I access the course?

You have lifetime access. After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own. When you read the fine print, lifetime usually means for the lifetime of the product or website, as it does in this case. However, if anything should happen to the site for a prolonged period of time, I will make every reasonable effort to provide you with course files.

Do you offer refunds if I do not like the course?

Yes, absolutely. The course has been designed from the ground up to focus on providing the right training to see improvement in drawing in the shortest time possible. I truly believe that it will improve your drawing and give you more confidence to practice drawing. If you start taking the class and feel like it's not the right fit for you, please contact me at g v a a t @ g v a a t . c o m within the first 30 days of purchase and you will get a full refund.

What is this course about?

This course will teach you to draw from absolute beginner to full proficiency using my unique approach of learning to draw as if learning a language. I will walk you through the 18 steps, which are broken down into short video lectures. In the end, a student is expected to have acquired a "fluency" in drawing ability by applying the concepts and methods demonstrated in the 18 steps. Is any prior knowledge or experience required? No, absolute beginners, intermediate and advanced artists will benefit from the course.

How can the skills learned in the course be applied?

The ability to draw is the foundational basis in a staggering amount of creative professions. This is as true in the 21st century as it has been for hundreds of years. The basic concepts in the course will provide you with the ability to communicate visually in a precise, adept, and meaningful way. Concepts introduced in the course can serve as a foundation in a multitude of industries, including entertainment art, concept art, portrait art, illustration, comics, manga and many others. Further, skills presented will provide a strong basis for a multitude of careers paths adjacent to fine art and illustration, including communication design, multimedia design, surface design, 3D and other design disciplines.

What are the Materials / Resources required?

You will need a working screen and an internet connection to listen to and watch the lessons. Otherwise, no software is required. You can follow along with either using the digital drawing software of your choosing (photoshop, procreate etc), or using a pencil, or pen and paper.  

Who is the course for?

Anyone who wants to learn to draw, or wants to improve their drawing skills as fast as possible. No previous experience is required, just bring your drawing pad and pencil and be ready to go.

Is this course a monthly subscription?

No, this course is a one-time payment for full access. You will also have access to any future updates and any monthly Q and A pertaining to the course. 

What does a Gvaat Academy course include?

The Learn to Draw in 18 Steps course is divided into 18 sections, each one includes lessons, informational texts and drawing assignments, as well as additional complementary resources and downloads. 

What exactly happens after I enroll?

Shortly after you enroll, you will get an email from Gvaat Academy confirming your enrollment in the course. You will then be able to login to access the course and begin improving your drawing skills.

What if I only use a pencil for drawing?

You can follow all instruction in the course using just a pencil, or a pen and paper. Concepts taught in the course apply to all drawing, regardless of media used.

Is the course for me if I already know the basics of perspective and using simple forms?

Yes, although these concepts are reviewed, we go way beyond the fundamentals of drawing. Complexity goes up after the initial few steps in the course.

How long are the lessons?

On average, the lessons are delivered in short bursts of 10 minutes or so. This way, there is time to pause and absorb information before moving to the next lesson. It is also much easier to go back to a specific topic when each step is split up into multiple shorter lessons rather than one long video.

What format are the video lessons?

Video format is 1080p. You will be able to slow down or speed up the video speed in the course interface.

What if I enroll in the course, but something is not clear and I have additional questions?

You will have the ability to submit questions through the course interface. You can submit as many questions as you like. In fact, you are encouraged to ask questions as it helps improve the course for other students. Each month, I will pick the top questions and answer them in the course. My goal is always to make sure that no student is left behind, and I will do everything I can to make sure you progress in your drawing goals. While I will do my very best to answer as many outstanding questions as possible, I will also challenge you to put real effort into your improvement since we improve the most when we step outside our comfort zone. With that said, If there are serious unresolved issues, you can always contact me directly at g v a a t @ g v a a t . com and I will do my very best to resolve them.

What if I am short on time?

It is no secret that learning to draw takes time and effort. But how we learn can take the frustration out of the process and help us progress even if our time is limited. This is why the course is split up into individual steps, and each is split up into short lessons, to be completed within a short amount of time. Course lessons can be reviewed multiple times, and you can watch them all on your own time, making as much progress as your schedule allows.

What about server speeds and security? Will my lessons load fast? Is this website secure?

Gvaat Academy is hosted with Teachable, a secure platform known for exceeding 99.9% uptime —which refers to the time the platform is up and available to Academy students. Generally, lessons should load much faster than if they are hosted on a typical blog. All reasonable steps are taken to protect student data from loss, misuse or unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration and/or destruction.

How much time do I have to complete each step in the course?

As much time as you need. You get lifetime access when you enroll.

I have only a mobile device, can I watch the classes online, or do I need a computer?

You can access the course and stream it on any mobile device.

Do I own the course for as long as it is available?

You have lifetime access to the course. Lifetime means for the life of the product. However, should the course ever go off line. I will make every reasonable effort to make all videos available for download for each student. You also have unlimited access to all future updates and additional examples to the course.

Is the course targeted at digital art or traditional art?

The course is targeted at all art. The principles taught apply to learning to draw in any medium, be it with pen or pencil on paper or with digital tools.

Will the course guide me through the topics in depth?

Yes. Each topic is covered in great detail. Also, I will be adding (and have already added) additional examples to steps, so that you have multiple examples to study from. In each example I add, I explain the same topic in a different way just so that it is covered in more depth and from a different angle.

When I complete the course, will I be able to draw anything I want?

Yes, the course teaches a transformation in how you think about drawing. What you learn should drastically impact how you approach each drawing, and drastically improve the results. And yes, the steps give you the tools to draw anything you want. As long as you put in the effort and practice, you will know how to approach and draw whatever you imagine.

What is the recommended timetable for each step in the course?

This completely depends on your skill level. Expect a few days to two to three weeks per step. I recommended more time for absorbing material in later steps. It is not uncommon for students to go though the course in a month, then repeat the course and pick up on anything that was unclear.

How do the steps work, do I watch what you do and try to reproduce what you did to learn?

Each step will have demo lessons, followed by an assignment. You complete the assignments after you absorb the information in the lessons. You can practice the assignment until you feel like you are ready to proceed to the next step. This practice time will be different for each person, but usually the more practice the better.

Will the course be a good fit for me if I want to go into stylized art, cartooning or anime/manga art?

Yes, all of these areas are based on a foundation of well honed drawing skills. The course will help you vastly improve your overall drawing skills, and this should result in you seeing great improvement in cartooning, and or anime/manga drawings.

Can I learn without a tablet to draw on? No digital tools? 

Yes, bring a drawing pad and a pencil.

Will this work for an absolute beginner? I have never drawn anything in my life.

Yes, the very first lesson is about how to make marks on paper with a pen or a pencil, so we start at the very beginning. When provided with the right instruction, we often see the most improvement at the beginning.

How long should I be spending on each assignment?

Work on each assignment for as long as you need to feel comfortable to progress. If you are stuck for a few weeks, (3+) in any one step, progress beyond that step and come back later. In drawing, everything has layers of depth - get comfortable enough with the new skill you acquire in one step and move to the next step. You can always come back to further hone your skill level. I say this because there is a definite benefit in going through all the steps - all the steps together are greater than just the sum of their parts. I would try not to get too hung up on any one assignment, get through and then go back to redo assignments to see even more improvement.