PRACTICE NOTE / 02

A course is not
a backlog.

The next useful lesson is not always the next video you have not watched. Give the work on your desk a say in what you study.

Choose a question small enough to use.

“Get better at painting” is a direction. “I want to think about this cloak” is a place to begin. The Advanced Course includes chapters on metal, wood, cloak and fabric, stone, freehand patterns, basing, and skin and muscle tones. Choose the part that matches the piece in front of you.

Keep the foundations within reach.

Colour and materials do not make the foundations obsolete. The Basic Course keeps light and shadow, colour saturation, layering and linework together. Return to a foundation when it is the question you actually have.

Know which kind of recording you are watching.

Some recordings show practical work. Others contain screen explanations or discussion of original assignments. A review can be useful to watch for the decisions being discussed, but it is not a promise that your own work will be reviewed.

End with a next action.

Before leaving a session, write down the part you want to try or revisit. A small note can be more useful than moving on to another hour of video simply because it is available.