art 101 : a primer

Hi, I'm Jennifer. Welcome to art 101!

This course is an invitation to learn a little bit about a lot of art. Over six modules we'll draw, paint, print, take photographs, and make mixed-media work, with a short art history lesson after each one. You'll finish with a new set of skills and a new way of looking at art.

The modules are set to release on a timed basis so you'll have space between them, because no one needs time pressure. No one.

How the course works

  • One module at a time. Drawing is open now. New modules open on a schedule, and you'll get an email when each one does.

  • Each lesson has a video, a few notes below it, and a practice exercise. The exercises are where the learning happens. Do them as often as you like.

  • Go at your own pace. Nothing expires. Rewatch anything.

Every hands-on module (there are 5 - Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Photography, and Mixed Media) follows the same shape:

  • A short overview of the medium: what it is, what it's good for, what it takes to get started

  • A hands-on video lesson — me, doing the actual work, so you can watch technique instead of just reading about it

  • A handout with a practice exercise (or several) and a tools/supplies list, so you know exactly what to buy and what to do with it.

  • A short companion art history lesson — enough context to understand where the medium came from and why it still matters

Hey, Jen, where's the overhead camera?

In a lot of online art classes, a camera hovers over the artist's hands. I chose not to do that. Making marks is personal, and I want you to find your own way with the pencil instead of copying mine. Think of these lessons as sitting across my kitchen table: I'll tell you what I'm doing, show you how it turned out, and you'll do it your way.

What you need

Start with what you have. The first lessons need only a No. 2 pencil, copy paper, a ballpoint pen, and a few things from around the house. The supply list marks what's essential and what's optional, so you never buy more than you need.

One promise

Nothing you make in this course is supposed to end up in a museum. It's supposed to be practice, play, and exploration. That's how every artist learns, and it's how you'll go from feeling like an outsider in the art world to feeling like an insider.

NOTE: With one exception (alternative process photography), you do not need any "fancy" art materials for this course. Seriously. And just like all of these lessons, that alternative process lesson, inside the photography module, is there for you to take or leave. This should be fun, not stressful.

There are no prizes, so please let it be easy.

That's it. No lecture halls, no art-school jargon. Just the version of art instruction that I wish more people got to take. Let's start.