Hello all, I’m a self-taught beginner with no local life-drawing sessions or teaching available. I’ve been learning from books and Youtube, but thought I’d ask if anyone had any recommendations for online resources. Live courses/workshops are challenging given my work schedule and time zone, but I could do a course that meets on weekends. Thanks in advance for your recs!

This Friday, I had the chance to visit The Met in NYC with @Tim Dosé , and we spent time exploring the breathtaking John Singer Sargent exhibition. While Sargent’s finished paintings are always a showstopper, what truly moved me this time were his sketches — the raw, intimate studies done in pencil and charcoal that rarely get the spotlight. Some of these sketches struck me immediately — especially those that echoed the figure of Madame X. Though the exhibition doesn’t explicitly connect each one to the final painting, I noticed what seemed to be recurring studies of her across different works. It’s a reminder of how much groundwork Sargent put in before arriving at his iconic compositions. He didn’t just dive into the masterpiece — he explored, iterated, and refined through thumbnail after thumbnail. But here’s the other thing that really inspired me: not all of the sketches were tied to a final painting. Some were simply exercises. Practice figures. Random musings in line and form. And honestly? They were just as powerful. They showed a master staying loose, curious, and committed to the process — even when the goal wasn’t a gallery wall. @Chris Legaspi has always emphasized this: thumbnail, explore, stay connected to the work. Whether you're planning a masterpiece or simply studying for the sake of growth, those reps matter. So I’m sharing some of the sketches I found — both the deliberate studies and the spontaneous ones — because they remind me (and hopefully you too) that every drawing counts. Whether it’s a warm-up, a throwaway, or a deep dive into a final piece — it all builds your eye, your hand, your connection to the work. Let me know what you see in these. What do they make you feel about your own process? Let’s keep drawing. Let’s keep learning. Let’s keep growing.

My vision for The Society is to showcase the most beautiful art in the world, AND be a center of culture, taste and aesthetics (think ARC but interactive:)). This month, I want to honor the lineage of American realism, specifically the lineage of the great Steve Huston. Is Steve related to the great masters of the 19th Century like Bouguereau? And if so, how? Discover Steve's linage and more in this presentation with our resident Art History expert and professor @Steven Kloepfer. To our Steve Huston fans, students and mentees, what have you learned from Steve? Are you familiar with his teachers and mentors? Do you have any information or details about his lineage? Share your thoughts in the comments.👇 PS. the video is the raw (unedited) recording, please forgive the long pauses 🙏