Welcome to the Janice Tanton Art Academy!

I'm just getting started here and new on the block to online learning. Thought I'd just put that out there! However, I'm not new to teaching and sharing what I know through post-secondary institutions and during my time as Teaching Artist in Residence at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

We all have a desire to learn or improve our drawing skills, whether you are a beginner and don’t think you can draw a stickman, or whether you have a seasoned daily sketch and drawing practice. I’m here to help you along the way. After you complete the four sections of Drawing 101, you will have developed a fun way to spend some quiet time and be confidant in practicing your new skills.

You might be a little fearful of the blank page and feeling like you are not confident in your mark-making abilities. You might feel that you lack any kind of creative skills. You’re not alone. Every time I face a blank page and blank canvas, mustering the courage to make that first mark is a challenge, and I find that is the same for every artist at every level. Drawing 101 is about moving you into a relaxed and creative state where all that fear disappears and you are confident and sure in your mark-making.

You’re perhaps a little adventurous and curious but maybe cautious and a little nervous about how and where to start. Don’t worry. This is a safe space and you’ve made the first adventurous step in your own development just by showing up!

Let’s get started on this journey of practice together by learning a bit more about the tools and materials in that you will use to create some amazing drawings in Drawing 101- Tools and Materials. Without exception, I can say that this method of learning how to draw has been successful for literally thousands of beginner students that I have taught.

To kick off the Academy opening we are offering FREE DRAWING 101 courses as well as some things to keep the kids busy drawing and colouring during the COVID 19 "Stay Home" Days.

If you're ready to start, sign up for Drawing 101 - Tools and Materials today.

Soon, I'll be adding more course content, so please sign up to be notified of the next steps for Drawing 101:

• 01 - Drawing 101 - Tools and Materials (FREE)
• 02 - Drawing 101 - Values (FREE)
• 03 - Drawing 101 - Line & Emotion (FREE)
• 04 - Drawing 101 - Strategies (FREE)

All of these starter courses are designed for beginners, and build upon each other, so if you are a more advanced drawing student, you might want to keep this in mind. We suggest that you take the courses one at a time, and one week apart.

New courses and content will be added as they are developed and uploaded, so bookmark this page and check back often. I'm very excited to share with you!