WELCOME
Welcome! The goal of my Drawing
Foundations class is to give a clear overview
of not just what the fundamental skills are,
but how to connect these dots to help you
draw how you want to draw. Remember,
learning to draw is a journey and I hope you'll
treat it as an adventure with an explorer's
mindset. I hope to see you share your work
and find support in the community!
Happy Drawing :) -M
MIMOCHAI STUDIO
This workbook accompanies my Drawing
Foundations class. You can use it as a quick
reference for the key concepts discussed.
Feel free to print out the ones you are
working on and stick it on your wall!
Here are some other quick links:
Watch Class on Skillshare
My Tools List (Notion Page)
Mindful Drawing 101 (Blog Article)
 TOPICS

Start with yourself. Draw your character;

LINES & you can be as realistic or abstract as you
1
SHAPES like. My character has longer hair to
suggest time has passed.

Select some species of plants that make

VALUE & you happy. Flowers are always nice symbols
2
FORM but it does not have to be flowers as long
as they feel full and alive.

Create your arrangement so it feels

COLOR & abundant and vibrant. This moment should
3 feel complete and peaceful. Consider
LIGHT multiple types of blooms in different shapes.

The character and your hand represent

BASIC the dichotomy of the physical self and
4 inner self. You brought about your own
PORTRAITS
blooming through care and cultivation.

Our friend Awareness appears as a

5
DEPTH & constant reminder on our path. Select your
COMPOSITION symbol for representing this element.

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
LINES & SHAPES
WARMING UP

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 LINES & SHAPES
OBSERVATIONAL DRAWING TECHNIQUES

1 Block-In 5 Proportions

2 Shapes 6 Negative Space

3 Landmarks 7 Shadow Shapes

4 Angles 8 Grid & Flip Check

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 LINES & SHAPES
SUMMARY & EXERCISES

SUMMARY KEEP PRACTICING

Learning to draw is about learning to see. Let go of Practice a gesture sketch
preconceived notions. Practice a block-in
Drawings are built out of lines and shapes, so we
Practice identifying the shapes
need to practice drawing these building blocks well.
Practice identifying landmarks,
Besides the structure of an object, it's important to
see its gesture. Everything has a gesture, has a spirit. angles, and negative space
We can use the Observational Drawing Techniques
to hone our hand-eye coordination

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 LINES & SHAPES
ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

Source: Unsplash @leladesign Source: Unsplash @dnkphoto

Source: Unsplash @mglbv

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
LINES & SHAPES
DOTTED PRACTICE SHEET

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 VALUE & FORM
SEEING VALUES

EVERY
COLOR HAS
A VALUE

0% 100%

SHADOWS HIGHLIGHTS

MIDTONES

Simple 2-value black & white,

used for “Notan” studies.
0% 100%

3-values, with the second

value being in the middle
0% 50% 100%

5-values (you generally

don’t need more than
this for value studies) 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 VALUE & FORM
MAJOR & MINOR KEYS

MAJOR KEY MINOR KEY

Proportion Range of Contrast

Understanding
HIGH

value relationships
helps us be
intentional about
MEDIUM

the moods we
create with our
value and color
LOW

choices.

Bright, happy Bold, rich Dark, tense

MINOR KEY

Overrexposed Serious Mysterious

Dreamy Moody Murky

MAJOR KEY

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 VALUE & FORM
ORDER OF LIGHT & RANGE OF VALUE

LINE SHAPE FORM

1 HIGHLIGHT LIGHT
SOURCE
LIGHT

2 LIGHT TONE

3 LIGHT HALFTONE 1
2

4 DARK HALFTONE 3 CORE

SHADOW
4
5 SHADOW
SHADOW

5
REFLECTED
6 CORE SHADOW 6 LIGHT

7 CAST SHADOW 7

MORE VALUES, MORE REALISTIC

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 VALUE & FORM
SUMMARY & EXERCISES

SUMMARY KEEP PRACTICING

1. Value is the study of lights and darks Practice a 5-value study

2. Good value relationships keep an image legible Practice adding form
3. Consider major and minor keys to create Practice changing the value
different moods relationships
4. Color can be "wrong" if value is right
Practice studying the light
5. Squinting lowers our visual information and helps
source and seeing the
us see and group values more clearly
difference between values in
6. Limit studies and thumbnails to two to five values,
color of an object vs. color
and work big to small
7. Use value structure to create intentional patterns shifts made by light.
to focus and lead the eye

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 VALUE SCALES
WORKSHEET

1 2 3 4 5

MEDIUM

MEDIUM

MEDIUM

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 COLOR & LIGHT
SUMMARY

We can understand color through its

properties of hue, saturation, value,
and temperature.
WARMER GREENS COOLER GREENS

TINT = hue with white

TONE = hue with grey

SHADE = hue with black

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 COLOR & LIGHT
SUMMARY

WHITE LIGHT

GREEN LIGHT
REFLECTED

HIGHLIGHT

WARM TONE

COOL TONE

CORE
SHADOW

SHADOW
(NO LIGHT,
NO COLOR)

Without light, there is no color. With varying amounts of light, we see

varying amounts of highlight, tone, and shadow colors.

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 COLOR & LIGHT
BUILDING PALETTES

MONOCHROMATIC ANALOGOUS COMPLEMENTARY TRIAD SPLIT- DOUBLE SPLIT-

COMPLEMENTARY COMPLEMENTARY
HIGHLIGHT WARM COLOR

ACCENT DARK VALUE

COMPLEMENTARY
BACKGROUND OR

COOL COLOR

COOL COLOR
DOMINANT WARM ANALOGOUS WARM COMPLEMENTARY
COLOR COLOR COOL COLOR

POWER WARMTH OPTIMISM NATURE CALM

PASSION MINDFUL HAPPINESS PEACEFUL TRUST
DANGER ADVENTURE CREATIVITY GROWTH COOL

FEMININE LUXURY EARTHY SERIOUS MODERN

EXCITING UNIQUE HUMBLE CLASS CLEAN
PLAYFUL ROYALTY DEPENDABLE ELEGANT SIMPLE

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 COLOR & LIGHT
SUMMARY & EXERCISES

SUMMARY KEEP PRACTICING

1. Seeing color like an artist reveals nuances in color when Practice color theory
we study the world or a photo. This helps us understand exercises to understand the
how to better use color in our own work. interaction of color
2. Color is composed of hue, saturation, and value. We Practice color studies in real
can better learn the interaction of color by mixing paints.
life or with photographs
3. Temperature is another important aspect of color.
Study and experiment with
Usually, more red = more warm, more blue = more cool.
different palettes
4. Studying color helps us notice subtle shifts in hue and
Consider color psychology
value, as well as reflected light and illusions of color.
5. When selecting palettes, keeping it simple, harmonious,
and mood-appropriate is a good starting place.

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
PORTRAITS
HEAD & FACE

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
PORTRAITS
UPPER BODY

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
PORTRAITS
HANDS

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 PORTRAITS
SUMMARY & EXERCISES

SUMMARY KEEP PRACTICING

1. We learned the basic measurements for constructing the Practice constructing a

head and face, and how to think of our body forms in portrait using the standard
terms of 3D shapes. measurements
2. We learned how to use the head as a measure to find the Place the measurements onto
landmarks for our upper body, and took a closer look at
a photo or drawing
hand construction.
Practice portrait studies
3. We learned how to think of hair and clothing as
Practice stylized portrait
wrapping around our body forms.
studies
4. Finding our own people style is a matter of practice,
study, and observation.

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 DEPTH & COMPOSITION
APPROACHES TO PERSPECTIVE

The School of Athens, Raphael, 1509-1511

Returning Late From A Spring Outing, Dai Ono Waterfall on the Kisokaido,
戴進
Jin ( , 1388–1462), Ming Dynasty Katsushika Hokusai, 1832

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
DEPTH & COMPOSITION
LINEAR PERSPECTIVE

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 DEPTH & COMPOSITION
PLANAR PERSPECTIVE

Planar perspective creates depth

through the placement of objects
on three planes, generally:
(1) foreground,
(2) middle plane, and
(3) background.
Artists also employ graduating
levels of detail, hue, and value to
convey atmosphere.

Buildings and geometric objects

suited for linear perspective are
instead drawn in parallel
perspective which avoids vanishing
points while still achieving a sense
of space in relation to the subjects.
Naruto Whirlpools in Awa, by Katsushika Hokusai, 1853

Famous Places of the Eastern Capital, Hiroshige, 1854

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
DEPTH & COMPOSITION
COMPOSITION

Utilize film and photography concepts

such as The Rule of Thirds and Rule of
Threes to play with compositions.

Start with thumbnails and study the

compositions you love. What patterns
emerge? What are you drawn to?

As you get more comfortable, feel free

to break the rules with intention.

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 DEPTH & COMPOSITION
COMMON DESIGN
PARAMETERS

1 Where will this be used?

2 What is the purpose of it?

3 Who is the audence?

4 What size & resolution is needed?

5 Any printing/color limitations?

COMMON COMPOSITION
PAIN POINTS

As a beginner, a few things you

can try to avoid are:
Awkward tangents
Confusing overlaps
Unclear plane hierarchy
Unintentional symmetry
Unsupportive values

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 DEPTH & COMPOSITION
SUMMARY & EXERCISES

SUMMARY KEEP PRACTICING

1. We learned the evolution of different approaches to Practice studying the
perspective, including classical linear perspective and
composition of films, photos,
planar and parallel perspective.
and art you love
2. We learned how to create depth in planar or flat
Practice thumbnailing your
perspectives by utilizing the foreground, middle
own compositions
ground, and background, and varying detail and tone.
3. We learned classic composition techniques such as the Practice different perspective
rule of thirds and groups of threes, and how to lead approaches to see what suits
the eye with focal points and rhythms. your needs
4. We put it all together by going full circle to the first step Practice putting it all together
of an original drawing: ideating and thumbnailing.

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
DRAWING FOUNDATIONS
BRINGING IT TOGETHER
1

1 2 3

Composition Value Structure Color Harmony

The flowers are placed Bringing in shadow The orange flowers
in a way that allows the shapes helps create offer a warm
eye to flow around the more depth, and the complement to the cool
artwork, zigzagging balance of whites and green while not taking
gently around a subtle darks complements the away from the pop of
triangular shape. composition's lead. the yellow spheres.

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 DRAWING
FOUNDATIONS
PRACTICE THE SEQUENCE PRACTICE MINDFUL DRAWING

1 Thumbnail Compositions 1 Kind, Nonjudgmental Awareness

2 Line & Shape 2 Inner Critic -> Inner Friend

3 Value & Form 3 Nuture Self-Compassion

4 Color Palette 4 Cultivate Joy & Gratitude

5 Final Render & Detail 5 Stay Open & Curious

Through the art of drawing

may you come to know
yourself.

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
Monthly Planner Month:

Plan out your goals for going through the class along with any high level notes. If you fall off track,
don't worry! Just keep going into the next month. Goals just help you visualize where you're headed.
You can do it! -M

Notes Goals

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
Weekly Planner
month WEEK

priorities to do appointments to call

mon

Tue

wed

thu

fri

sat

sun

MIMOCHAI STUDIO
 "The meaning of life is to
find your gift. The purpose
of life is to give it away."

PABLO PICASSO