Learn to draw online with the Darmstadt Study Group

As a passionate amateur artist, I took a step at the end of October 2011 to further my development in drawing and painting. Learning this craft, or rather this art, had long been a goal of mine. I still lack the mastery of some basic drawing and painting techniques.

Learning to draw online was therefore an option for me, as I didn't want to be tied to a specific location and wanted to practice creative design from anywhere.

So I signed up for the intensive drawing course offered by the Darmstadt Study Group and now have the first three lessons in my hands.

I'm very glad I made this decision. Beforehand, I looked at and compared informational materials and sample lessons from various distance learning providers. After a few days, I decided on the intensive drawing course at SGD.

The intensive "Drawing" course is an introductory course that teaches professional drawing techniques. This supports participants in truly engaging with art and expressing their artistic potential. This drawing course can be considered equivalent to a high-quality training program and an introduction to oil and watercolor painting.

You'll be accompanied by experienced instructors who are also artists. However, one of the most important advantages of this art course for me is that you develop your own style, your own unique approach. You develop a distinctive characteristic that sets you apart from the crowd.

The course runs for approximately 12-18 months and costs around €100 per month. A great feature is that the course fees are tax-deductible, and there are frequent offers to try the first six weeks for free. This makes the drawing course significantly more affordable.

State accreditation was also a key factor in my decision to choose SGD. All SGD distance learning courses are reviewed and approved by the State Central Office for Distance Learning (ZFU) . Furthermore, SGD courses are widely recognized in industry and business and have received numerous awards.

If costs are a barrier, there are also a number of funding programs and financing options available.

I've now completed the first lesson, which covered the basics of sketching simple objects and still lifes, and I'm very pleased with my progress so far. I get the impression that the teachers are very thorough in their assessments and give individual feedback to the submitted artwork and sketches. I really appreciated that.

My questions were answered in detail, and I received extra tips on how to improve my line work. However, I sometimes miss having someone to look at while I draw, someone who could give me more specific feedback.

That's the drawback of learning to draw online, which I have to accept. I'm considering supplementing my drawing lessons at SGD with in-person lessons from a local, established artist. However, that's also a question of cost.

In conclusion: I'm really impressed with SGD so far and convinced I'm with the right provider. There are cheaper options for learning to draw, though.

In my opinion, the quality suffers considerably as a result. However, my primary motivation was to learn to draw properly and to do so at a high level. I've already tried some smaller do-it-yourself courses in books in the past. These were quite helpful for getting started and finding your bearings, but to truly learn to draw, you need professional instruction over a period of several months.

Even without in-person classes, you can learn to draw online at SGD at fair prices and to a relatively high standard. However, this requires a certain degree of initiative, self-motivation, and discipline.

I'm really looking forward to the next lesson.