ONLINE BOOTCAMP
Drawing
Build a strong foundation for artwork and illustration
NEXT COURSE: Oct 19-Dec 18, 2026
Online 9-week course.
Asynchronous. Project-Based.
No Zoom meetings. Just Creative Education.
Level Up Your Drawing Skills
Many people are afraid to draw, but the truth is that drawing is not as hard as it seems. If you can relax, get your mind around the task, and begin to understand what you see, you can draw. In this 9-week Drawing Bootcamp, you will learn to understand what you see in the world around you and communicate it on paper. Guided by a professional artist, you will explore the critical concepts of line, mass, form, perspective, value, and composition, building a solid foundation for all your art and design work.
A Bootcamp Like No Other
Upon completing the course, you can:
Receive a Certificate of Completion.- Earn a micro-credential in Drawing with a final grade B or higher.
- Transfer credit into a degree or certificate program at Sessions College.
“Drawing is the best way to visually communicate the world around you. No other art form can express the human phenomenon of sight so clearly. In this course, you can take your drawing skills to another level as we explore the expressive qualities of different types of mark making.”
Jordon Schranz
Jordon Schranz is an audio/visual artist and designer whose work has been exhibited internationally in New York, Chicago, El Paso, Berlin, Bogotá, and Ciudad Juárez.
See Bio
Register For this Bootcamp
How It Works
Flexible Learning
Access detailed course lectures and exercises 24/7, with no Zoom meetings required.
Project-Based Learning
Advance your skills with creative assignments, getting feedback as you go.
Weekly Assignments
Weekly deadlines keep you on track. With no set login times, you can build your studies around your schedule.
Interactive Sandbox
Deepen your skills with other students in our collaborative sandbox.
Creative Mentorship
Receive an end-of-term skills assessment on your coursework.
Micro-Credentials
Students who complete the course with B or higher earn a shareable micro-credential.
What You Will Learn
Stretch your artistic skills with classic assignments. Hands-on drawing projects include controlled mark making, 1 and 2-point perspective drawing using scale, foreshortening, and overlapping, ellipses in 1-point and 2-point perspective, still-life drawings with positive/negative space and complex forms, use of charcoal to capture value.
Unit 1 - Learning to See
Let’s examine how to interpret what you see, translate it, and communicate it to others on paper.
- How to interpret what you see and translate it to paper.
- Exploring the different types of drawings that you can create.
- Introducing the various drawing materials you will need.
- Learn compositional terms and concepts for making marks that can assist you in your drawings.
Unit 2 - Linear Perspective and Rectilinear Form
Learn to understand and apply the classical concepts in linear perspective.
- How shapes create the illusion of a three-dimensional form.
- Exploring techniques that artists use to create a sense of depth in a composition: overlapping, scale, and foreshortening.
- Learn important concepts in linear perspective: vantage point, eye level, and vanishing point.
- How to create 1-, 2-, and 3-point perspective drawings.
Unit 3 - Linear Perspective II, Elliptical Forms, Basic Forms
Let’s further examine how to draw rectilinear forms in perspective and explore how to draw circles and ellipses.
- How to multiply and divide rectilinear shapes or forms.
- Learning the hard and easy ways to drawing circles.
- How to draw an ellipse in 1- and 2-point perspectives.
Unit 4 - Complex Forms and Drawing From Observation
In linear perspective, there are five primary geometric forms: cubes, spheres, cylinders, cones, and pyramids. We’ll explore fundamental rules and techniques that can be applied when drawing from direct observation.
- Learn how to draw primary geometric forms, cylinder, cones and pyramids and objects with complex forms.
- How to utilize different techniques as you begin a drawing, including triangulation and gesture drawing.
- How to use guide lines, measuring points, enveloping, and plumb lines to maintain proportions.
- Tips for setting up a still life for drawing.
Unit 5 - Volume, Shadows, Notan
We will focus on how to create volume in a drawing by applying value to capture the effects of light.
- How value is used to show the light and dark parts of an object.
- How the location of the light source affects on the shape of the shadow.
- How various effects can be created based on the placement of your light source.
- How to create a composition using the distribution of light and dark, a concept created in Japan called Notan.
Unit 6 - Value and Working With Charcoal
We’ll complete our course with a further exploration of the concept of value. We’ll be learning how to see and represent the individual parts of a shadow, and introduce the basics of drawing with charcoal.
- Concepts for understanding value in an object, including value range, local value, and the difference between high contrast and low contrast.
- Understanding the six components of a shadow cast by an object.
- What to look for in the light part and dark parts of a scene.
- Tips and techniques for beginning to draw with charcoal.
Bonus: Creative Mentoring
At the end of the course, you’ll upload your final coursework for an end-of-course skills assessment.
- Receive a breakdown of the strengths and opportunities in your work.
- Gain personalized recommendations on next steps in your development.
We can’t wait to see what you do next.
What Drawing Course Graduates Say
Jordon is an amazing instructor. His lectures have the right amount of information, examples, and tutorials that are very helpful. He responds promptly when asked a question and gives very valuable feedback so you can improve in your drawing abilities.
It was a wonderful experience! The instructor was very positive and understanding and very helpful!
The course is very detailed and easy to follow; I learnt the exact way to see things from the artist’s point of view. Looking to move forward and be a pro in drawing.
Featured Student Work
Student work by: Juan Agudelo, Katie Pojorlie, Ludmilla Peacock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our online application process makes getting started easy, fast, and convenient.
How Do I Enroll?
Open Admissions.
Our Bootcamp classes are open admissions. Any students under 17 years of age will need to provide the signed permission of a parent or guardian.
In order to enroll, students will need to complete the following steps by the registration deadline:
- Complete our simple, convenient online registration form.
- An Admissions advisor will contact you to process your payment.
Classes start in January, April, and July, and October.
What Software or Supplies Do I Need?
To complete this class, students will need:
- Desktop or laptop computer with a reliable high-speed Internet connection.
- Adobe Illustrator CC.
If you have any questions about class requirements, please contact admissions@sessions.edu.
What is the Time Commitment?
9 weeks – 5-6 hours/week.
This course will help you build a technical and creative foundation in Illustrator in just nine (9) weeks. This is an intensive class that will require a weekly time commitment of 5-6 hours/week. Depending on your experience level, you may need to allocate more time per week. The reward will be a platform for your future creative growth.
Will This Class Fit My Schedule?
Weekly deadlines help you stay on track. And with no set login times, you can build your studies around your schedule, wherever you are located, provided you can meet assignment due dates each week on Friday.
Many of our students are adult learners who complete their courses and programs working part-time or full-time.
Is the Tuition Affordable?
Truly Affordable Tuition.
We are committed to making the highest-quality design and digital media education available at an affordable price.
| Bootcamp Course Tuition |
| $550 Tuition |
| $200 Registration Fee |
| $750 Total Course Price |
A $200 registration fee is required to process your enrollment in the program. Registration fees are nonrefundable after 5 days from the scheduled beginning of student orientation. Federal Financial aid is not available for this course.
Payment Plans Available. Pay tuition and fees in three monthly installments of $250.
What Do I Earn on Completion?
Skills and Credentials. Not only will you complete the course with enhanced skills and creative work. You will also open up new credential pathways:
- Students who complete the course with a B or higher earn a micro-credential in Adobe Illustrator.
- Course graduates may transfer credit into a degree or certificate program at Sessions College.
Get Started Today
Enrolling is simple and convenient.
1. Complete our online registration form.
2. An Admissions advisor will contact you to process your payment.