Everything You Need to Know About Drawing
Learn the skills to make the art you’ve always dreamed of.
Build fundamental skills through clear, approachable techniques that work for all skill levels—whether you’re a total beginner or looking to return to the basics. This course is grounded in the same time-tested methods used by 19th-century master artists, but it’s not just about recreating the past; it’s about empowering you with the tools to create anything you can imagine.
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From sketching your first lines to creating finished works of art, this course is made for anyone who wants to build fundamental skills. Join us and get excited to start your drawing journey!
Our Mission:
Make Drawing Fun and Simple for Everyone
Every great artist started with a great education—and at Halftone Studio, we believe you can have that too, right from home. We were inspired by how 19th-century artists built incredible careers from simple, focused training. Now, we’re bringing the best parts of that tradition back—giving you the essential tools you need to express yourself and create the art you’ve always wanted to make.
At Halftone Studio, we share free resources, so that anyone can start building a strong foundation in drawing, no matter where they’re starting from. Our goal with Everything You Need to Know About Drawing is to make your artistic journey easier and a LOT more enjoyable. Whether you’re picking up a pencil for the first time or reconnecting with your creativity, we’ll guide you through clear, simple steps—so you can start creating art you’re proud to share.
What's Included
35+ In-Depth Video Lessons
Follow along with guided lessons using traditional drawings, digital demos, and clear visual breakdowns—all designed to make learning feel simple and doable. Over 21 Hours of content
Exclusive Access to the Video Library
Access all lessons anytime in a neat library, so you can draw at your own pace, whenever you’re ready.
Downloadable Resources
Each chapter comes with helpful extras— reference images, material lists, and study notes— to support your learning every step of the way.
What you'll learn
11 parts - 3hr 52m
• Meet Jake and Ramon, as they guide you through the basic materials you’ll need to get started.
• Learn simple techniques to keep track of proportions and achieve accuracy in any drawing.
• How to keep your drawings full of character, fluidity, and personality. Finish the chapter with a complete cast drawing demonstration, applying everything you’ve learned.
9 parts - 7hr 56m
• Learn how to make your drawings feel 3-Dimensional with simple forms.
• Learn the simple proportions of the head.
• Build a head step-by-step, adding details like bones, fat, and muscles easily.
• Follow along with Jake as he casually sketches skulls to demonstrate the underlying structures of the face.
• Master portrait drawing with step-by-step breakdowns of each facial feature.
6 parts - 3hr 42m
• Learn the basics of light and shade to add depth to your drawings easily.
• Learn how to use traditional charcoal techniques to sculpt form.
• Use the previous lessons on form to understand what you see and represent it clearly.
• Follow along with Ramon while he sketches from master portrait paintings.
9 parts - 6hr 31m
• Follow along as Jake and Ramon each create their own finished portrait drawing.
• Learn how to apply everything you’ve learned so far with a structured, easy-to-follow approach.
• Learn simple composition basics and how to plan your drawings using quick thumbnail sketches.
• Learn how to bring your drawings to a strong, polished finish you’ll be proud of.
What You’ll Achieve with Your New Drawing Skills
By the end of Everything You Need to Know About Drawing, you’ll be amazed at what you can create, even as a beginner. From sketching your first lines to drawing beautiful portraits, here’s what you can look forward to with simple techniques inspired by 19th-century art.
Draw with Confidence Every Time
Create Portraits That Feel Real
Draw portraits that feel like living, breathing people- even if you're just starting your artistic journey
Easily Understand Light and Shadow
Share Art You’re Proud Of
Make art you’ll want to show off—to your friends, family, or add to your portfolio.
Who is Jake?
Most people know me from my channel @JakeDontDraw, but not everyone knows I didn’t start drawing until I was 19.
I was studying engineering with zero art experience—and when I finally decided to learn, I was overwhelmed by how confusing and scattered everything was. There were no clear, simple resources for the fundamentals. So I decided to make them myself.
Now, I teach drawing the way I wish it had been taught to me: structured, approachable, and grounded in the timeless methods of the 19th-century masters.
Who is Ramon?
I am a painter, art instructor and cat dad living in Los Angeles.
I’ve been passionate about 19th c French academic training for a long time, and particularly what it can teach us about not letting perfectionism steal all the fun from our creative work.
The guiding principle of my teaching is that everyone can learn how to draw, just like everyone can learn how to write. If you’ve already learned one visual system of expression, why not two?
These are the same ideas I’ve taught at:
Beaux-Arts & Entertainment- Paris
Dreamworks Feature Animation
The Society of Illustrators- LA
Emile Cohl Atelier
Riot Games
What our community says
Overall, Ramon has helped me change my practice from a source of burnout (ie, grinding to improve skill with only the vaguest notion of applying it to something of wider interest) into a manageable, more cohesive path where improved skill happens as a side-effect of creative expression.I still go back and watch the class recordings, because they are packed with so much useful information.
When I started learning from Jake, I couldn’t see my own abilities or potential. Through his coaching, I grew to recognize my strengths and passions. Jake teaches more than drawing—he teaches the ability to see possibilities, growth, and art within yourself, just as Leonardo da Vinci described.
For years, I tried numerous ‘traditional’ art instructions methods that only left me confused and unfulfilled. Ramon changed all that...He helped me realize that attaining a skill level comparable to 19th-century standards was not only achievable, but could be incredibly enjoyable. Ramon hasn’t just taught me the art of drawing and painting; he has instilled in me a joy and confidence that has spilled over to every aspect of my life, as well as the lives of those around me. -
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What's Included:
FAQs
This course is for artists of all levels. If you’re just starting out, it’ll give you a strong foundation. And if you’ve been drawing for years, revisiting the fundamentals through a structured approach can sharpen your skills and fill in any gaps you didn’t even know you had.
Learning sticks best when you’re not cramming. This course is designed to be flexible—whether you have 30 minutes a week or 4 hours a day, you can move at a pace that works for you.
If you're making progress and not feeling overwhelmed, you're right where you should be.
That said, most people find that a couple of hours a week is enough to see real improvement.
Nope! This course is built around core fundamentals, not techniques tied to one specific tool. You can follow along with whatever materials you have, and we actually encourage you to experiment. That said, some materials will make the process a little easier. We’ll give you a recommended materials list with a few options, so you can start simple without having to buy a bunch of stuff up front.
Nope! When you purchase the course, you get lifetime access to all the content—watch the videos as many times as you want, whenever you want.
Subtitles are included in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, and Mandarin.
We offer a 7-day money-back guarantee so you can try the course without any pressure. We’re confident you’ll find it helpful, but if not, we’ll happily refund you—your growth matters most to us.
This course focuses on portrait drawing, but that’s just the starting point. The portrait is a tool to teach you the foundational skills of drawing—like form and value— that apply to any subject, including figure drawing and painting.
We use traditional charcoal techniques that were historically designed to prepare artists for painting. So while this course doesn’t teach painting directly, it sets you up perfectly to make that transition.