We started teaching illustration because nobody else was doing it the way we needed
Back in 2016, we were three freelance illustrators tired of recommending the same generic courses to people asking how to learn. The options were either too basic or assumed you already knew things that took us years to figure out.
So we built something different. Not a course factory, but a place where you actually learn how illustration works in practice, with real feedback and real projects that matter.
It started with weekend sessions in a shared studio
Three of us, a whiteboard, and students who showed up because they heard we'd answer the questions other instructors avoided. We covered perspective until it made sense, not until the hour ended. That first group of eight people is still our benchmark for what good teaching looks like.
The shift to remote happened because students moved
Two students relocated for work but wanted to keep learning with us. We set up a video call, shared screens, drew over their files in real time. It worked better than we expected. By 2018, half our sessions were online. By 2020, we'd redesigned everything around remote interaction.
Going remote meant we could finally offer both group workshops and individual sessions without needing people to coordinate schedules around a physical space. Some concepts work better when you're learning alongside others. Some need one-on-one time where an instructor can watch you work and point out exactly where your process breaks down.
We kept the parts that actually helped people improve
Live critique sessions where you see how other people solve the same problem you're stuck on. Recorded walkthroughs you can rewatch when you're trying to remember how layer masking actually works. Project-based learning where you're illustrating things you'd want in your portfolio anyway, not abstract exercises.
The individual path option came from students who needed to move faster or slower than the group pace. Some people grasp composition immediately but struggle with color. Others nail rendering but can't plan a layout. Personalized learning isn't about making you feel special, it's about not wasting time on what you already understand.
We're still learning how to teach this better. Every cohort shows us something we hadn't considered. The platform evolves based on what actually works in practice, not what sounds good in marketing copy. If you want to learn illustration in a way that respects your time and focuses on building real skills, this might be the right fit.
How we approach teaching illustration fundamentals
We've refined this over hundreds of students and thousands of hours spent figuring out where people actually get stuck. These aren't theoretical principles, they're what consistently produces results.
Group sessions for collaborative learning
You learn faster when you see how others approach the same challenge. Our group workshops include live demos, shared critique sessions, and structured exercises where you're working alongside people at similar skill levels. Questions from other students often answer things you hadn't thought to ask yet.
Individual paths for targeted improvement
Sometimes you need someone watching over your shoulder as you work, catching the exact moment your process goes wrong. Private sessions let us focus on your specific weak points, whether that's understanding light logic, improving composition balance, or fixing color relationships that feel off.
Project-based skill development
You're not doing random exercises, you're building actual illustrations you'd want to show people. Each project targets specific fundamentals while producing work that goes straight into your portfolio. By the end, you have both skills and something concrete to demonstrate them.
Foundation phase
We start with the mechanics that underpin everything else: how to see shapes accurately, how light creates form, how perspective controls space. These aren't exciting topics but they're the difference between illustrations that work and ones that feel wrong without you knowing why.
Application stage
You take those fundamentals and apply them to increasingly complex projects. Still lifes become environments. Simple characters develop into full compositions. You're making decisions about what to emphasize, what to simplify, how to guide viewer attention through your work.
Refinement period
This is where individual instruction matters most. We help you identify your specific tendencies, the patterns in your work that hold you back or could become strengths. Your color sense, your rendering style, your compositional instincts, they all get refined through targeted feedback and deliberate practice.
