I hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving week last week!
Despite being sick for the entire week 🤒 and not being with family 😢, I still managed to gain 3.5 pounds...which leaves me to believe my holiday couldn't have been all THAT bad! I was clearly still having my fill! 🤣

I recently took the time to ask my Facebook Group what their biggest drawing struggles were and a LOT of people came forward to tell me about their shading struggles. Specifically, where to put the shadows and highlights when drawing faces.

In today's free video art lesson on YouTube I put forth my best explanation to answer this question followed by a one hour, real time lesson to show you exactly how it's done. When I do these full length tutorials, my hope is that you will pick up a pencil and draw with me!!! All you need for this exercise is a grocery bag (yes, you heard me right!) and a black and white pencil. Or charcoal/conte crayons/china markers work as well!

I will teach you how to determine where your shadows and highlights fall when drawing your faces. I'll also be showing you how to draw realistic faces from a photo reference, and how doing it on toned paper is exciting and easier than you think to get great results!

This lesson also acts as prompt 5/20 for the #100FunFabFaces  challenge I am running with my Facebook Group and on Instagram. 

If you'd like to draw along with me for all of my weekly challenges (all include a free video lesson) and start at the beginning, use this link to see them all in once place http://bit.ly/100FunFabFacesPlaylist

You actually save this Playlist to your own YouTube account and it will automatically get updated with new lessons each week as I share them there.  Isn't that cool?  Oh technology.  Sometimes you are my foe, but in this case you are a most definite FRIEND!

Now let's go DRAW!

Scribble art is a really relaxing way to create!  It's the most fun to grab a pen (so nooooo you cannot erase!) and just get movin' and groovin' on your paper!  Don't worry you can still draw your faces guidelines and draw everything the way you normally would BUT with extra pizzazz and scribbly, crazy FUN!  Put extra scribbles where the areas should be shaded and get outlandish with your shapes and features!  Throw all caution to the wind and JUST. GO.  Ready?  Let's do it!  

For those playing along in the #100FunFabFaces challenge this is week 4 of 20!  I LOVE looking at your creations on Instagram and also in the Facebook Group!  Also this week, in addition to the challenge is a giveaway! To enter the giveaway simply leave a comment in the YouTube video below!  The winner will receive FREE enrollment to my Drawing Daze course (a $99 value) as well as free watercolors from Xanadu Art Studio!  There's nothing to lose so watch the video and enter to win!  Winner will be announce one week from tomorrow!  Let's play!
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(This is drawing prompt 3/20 of the #100FunFabFaces Challenge now happening on Instagram!)

As I get to know more and more of my students through Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and email (thank you to all those that email me back! I really enjoy our offline chats!) I am getting a better picture of what drawing and painting struggles you are having.
I think the most frequently talked about challenge has to do with shading on the face.
With all those sockets and bumps, lumps and curves, where the heck does the shading go?
And how do you blend out the different mediums to even make that happen?
And what if the light source moves?
(Speaking of light sources, have you downloaded my free shading guide yet?)
Well I am listening hard to your concerns and am taking active steps to address these questions in both my classes and on YouTube.
Yesterday I posted a free video on YouTube that teaches you how to correctly shade a face using only graphite and a blending tool.
The video is just under an hour but is in 100% real time so I walk you through EXACTLY how to blend and navigate around all of the facial features as well as how to draw the nose, eyes, ears, lips ... the whole sha-bang!
So when you're ready to learn, I got you.
Just press the play button below to start the tutorial.
And don't forget to have fun!

So...I started this 100 faces challenge last week and...let's just say that a LOT of people came out to watch and play (and post and share!!).  After just 7 days there are already 171 posts (and so therefore DRAWINGS!!) on Instagram of the #100FunFabFaces challenge!  Check it out!

I literally can't wait to see what unfolds over the course of the next 18 weeks!!!  If you want to jump aboard the fun train, it's NEVER too late to start!  Today's prompt I go over eyelashes (2 fun ways) and give you a sneak peak into the world of Mixed Media!  I also do one version, hate it so much that I chop off all her hair and give her a completely new lease on life (ha!  Cuz why not?!) . Come play with us!!!  

Join me in this fun, real time tutorial going over How To Draw An Easy Face Step By Step In Marker!  This is the very first drawing prompt of a 20 week drawing faces challenge that I am running in my Facebook Group!  
Click here to grab your Fun Fab Faces Shading Cheatsheet!!
Not in my Facebook group?  Join here!
New prompts every Friday - you may 5-7 more during the week!  Change a facial feature, change your medium, and lets gooooo!!!

Halloween is my FAVORITE time of the year!!!  Why?  Well, because:  Candy.  Hahahah only joking!  I actually genuinely love it because the crafts are sooooo easy and sooooo fun and sooooo spooky!!  Here's on of my all time favorites!!!