Draw Incredible Comic Book Heads & Faces From Your Imagination
In Just 4 Weeks You'll Gain The Ability to:
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Draw dynamic heads & faces in perspective
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Construct heads with correct shape & proportions
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Place, scale and draw the facial features accurately
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Shade the head under multiple lighting setups
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Add hair, beards and makeup to your heads
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Modify the shape of the head for variety
Enrollments Close In:
If You Want to Draw Perfect Heads And Faces
From Your Imagination - KEEP READING
You get one chance to make a good first impression, and when it comes to drawing comic book characters, that all depends on the head. Screw it up (even slightly) with inaccurate proportions, misaligned symmetry or odd looking facial features...
...and your entire artwork will be condemned as
'badly drawn' in the eyes of onlookers.
I wish that wasn't true. But we both know it is. Here's some of my own badly drawn heads. I'm embarrassed to say this was the best I could do at the time.
As you can see, badly drawn faces are all too easy to spot. You might have even come across some in the comics you've read. What is your immediate reaction when you do? Laughter? Repulsion? Disappointment? Pity?
Let me explain why that is.
We see faces all the time in real life. The faces of friends, family loved ones and strangers down the street. We see faces in movies, youtube videos, facebook photos.
They are everywhere!
So even non-artists know how a face should look. They can instantly tell when a drawn head appears 'weird', 'off' or 'not quite right' - even if they can't quite figure out why.
Intuitively, we all know how faces should look.
As comic artists, it's even worse. We can tell when we've drawn a bad head that doesn't hit the mark, and we judge ourselves harshly for it.
If you're reading this, the bottom line is you're not happy with the heads you're drawing and you want to fix it!
You're doing what the books and courses told you to do, followed all the rules and even use photo references to keep things in check - but you're still not satisfied with how your heads are turning out.
You want them to look better and it's frustrating the heck out of you. I've been there too and it sucks when all you want to do is draw kick-ass comic book characters.
You're not the only one. The fact most comic artists struggle to draw an appealing face is no secret. It's rare even for an experienced pro to nail it 100% of the time.
It's no wonder either, when you consider the head's complexity.
Think about everything that needs to fall into place for you to actually pull off a well drawn head.
The underlying skull determines most of it's shape, but layered above that is a complex system of muscles that allows the facial features to express.
The eyes, nose, mouth and ears must be sized up and placed onto the face proportionally to one another.
The catch is though, those proportions will scale and distort relatively to one another, depending on the shape of the head, it's size, and the angle we're looking at it on.
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What if you could make all of those things second nature, and automatically draw great looking heads?
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What if you could actually enjoy the process of drawing heads and faces, instead of being intimidated by it?
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What if you felt proud of the heads and faces you drew, instead of disappointed?
HTDC's Heads & Faces LIVE Workshop aims to make that a reality.
To give you a flexible method for drawing heads and faces, that makes the process fun and leads to an impressive outcome every time.
This workshop gives you a series of interactive, online classes that'll teach you everything you need to know about drawing expressive heads and faces in any position, on any angle, under whatever lighting set up you want - from your imagination.
You could probably find the same promise being made in any other courses focused on this topic. But you're getting something more in this training package - and it'll ensure you see real results.
These are LIVE lessons.
Which means you won't be learning passively. You'll be actively putting the methods and techniques taught to you into action.
Better yet, you'll get immediate feedback on your work so that you can confidently apply what you're learning in the right way. You'll also be able to ask me questions, and learn from your peers as you watch them progress throughout the Workshop.
We're all in this together, and you'll have me there as your instructor to support you along the way. In fact, I won't let you leave this workshop until you can confidently draw an amazing looking head!
Here's What You'll Get Out of The Heads & Faces Workshop
This training gives you a simple, straight forward approach to drawing dynamic heads, but most importantly it makes the whole process way more enjoyable.
What do I mean by that?
Mathematically measuring out and sizing up the human head helps us keep it's proportions in check, but it also makes drawing it much less fun.
Make no mistake, this workshop will teach you all about the correct measurements, form and structure that lead to an ideally drawn head, but then I'll show you how to break away from that.
You'll leave this workshop with an ironclad understanding of how the head should be constructed, but in practice, apply a less regimented approach that relies on your artistic intuition over analytical thinking.
That's something else that sets this training apart.
A perfectly drawn head doesn't always lead to a perfect outcome. It might be measured up and scaled with complete accuracy, but still fall flat on it's face.
I'll teach you the rules, but you won't have to rely on them as a crutch. They'll be your companion instead of your master.
How? Simplification of the process.
A less complicated process is easier to remember and requires less thinking. The less you have to think when drawing, the more in the moment you can be when pencil goes to paper - and that makes both the journey and destination equally satisfying.
By the end of this workshop you'll be able to:
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Use a simple head model to form the basis of all your head drawings no matter how complex they are
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Draw heads and faces in multitude of dynamic poses and perspectives - while ensuring their proportions remain intact!
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Draw, size up and place facial features onto the head correctly with a range of expressions
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Shadow and render faces under different lighting conditions
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Keep your character's faces looking consistent from one panel to the next
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Modify the shape and design of your character's head to make them unique and memorable
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Style hair, beards and incorporate other head accessories that'll make your characters look unique
How It Works
The Heads & Faces Workshop runs once a month on weekends and gives you 8 LIVE, 4 hour sessions which are spread out over four weeks. Each session covers a different set of topics.
Here's a break down of what each session will cover:
SESSION 1:
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The Mannequin Head
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A solid foundation is vital for the success of anything you draw, but this is especially true for drawing heads and faces! In this module, you'll get a dependable base model, that you can use to draw great looking heads 99% of the time.
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The Mannequin Model Head gives you the best chance of success because it allows you to establish the head's pose, placement and proportions from the very start. That means you can feel confident moving forward with a solid foundation that holds up every time!
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The best thing about this simplified head model, is that it's easy to visualize, and even easier to draw. I personally use it on a daily basis during the early drafting faze of my head drawings.
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You'll also learn about a more advanced version of the Mannequin Model head, that breaks it down into simple building blocks for easy construction.
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Head Proportions
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If you have any hope of drawing a head that doesn't look unattractive or malformed, it needs to have proper proportions. This module focuses on giving you the idealized measurements of the head, so that you can draw it with the correct shape, scale and placement of the facial features.
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We'll also cover the proportional relationships between the eyes, nose, mouth and ears so that you can scale the size and distance between them accurately, when drawing the head in dynamic perspectives.
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SESSION 2:
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Standard Head Views
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As comic artists, we've got to be able to draw the head from every possible angle. But before we even attempt that, we've got to know what the head looks like from the front, side, back and three quarter angles. In this module, you'll learn how to construct a finished head in each of these views.
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This section shows us how the standard views of both the male and female heads are drawn, highlighting the distinctions between masculine and feminine attributes.
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After familiarizing ourselves with the head's standard points of view, it'll be easier to fill in the gaps when we begin to turn the head in space and draw it from different angles.
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SESSION 3:
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Dynamic Head Views
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Now we're ready to draw the head in perspective! What makes this process significantly more complex is that the proportions we learned about it the previous week completely change - yet their measurements still apply.
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Though it appears the head no longer adheres to it's idealized measurements when viewed on an angle, this is simply an optical illusion. The proportions of the head still remain intact when it's turned in space, it's just that they're distorted by perspective.
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This means we can simply apply the rules of perspective to the proportional anchor points of the head, scaling the relative distance between them to accurately draw it on different angles! In this module, you'll learn how.
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The Head In Motion
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The human head is capable of a large range of expression. We want to take full advantage of that and bring our comic book characters to life! This all begins with the basic mechanics that give the head motion. In this module we'll learn what they are and how to use them.
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WEEK 4:
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Facial Features
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Drawing heads like a pro means understanding the shape, form and placement of the eyes, nose, mouth and ears - this module shows you everything you need to know.
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The face is where all the focus is going to be when someone looks at your characters. Even the slightest miscalculation in the size and positioning of the facial features will be instantly noticeable. So it's important that we not only know how to draw them, but where to draw them! By the end of this module, you'll know how to judge the distances between the facial features, and where they line up in relation to one another on the head.
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Just as the form of the head distorts as a whole in perspective, so does the shape and positioning of the facial features. With an understanding of their base geometry, you'll be able to competently draw the eyes, nose, mouth and ears in these dynamic angles.
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We'll also take a look at the key differences between feminine and masculine facial features.
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SESSION 5:
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Facial Expressions
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The eyes, nose, mouth and ears take expression to a whole new level. They allow us to visually communicate how we feel and what we're thinking without ever saying a word - and since comics are a visual medium, knowing how to draw them effectively is crucial for allowing your characters to emote.
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To truly understand the range of movement our facial features are capable of, we'll take a look at the underlying structure of complex muscle systems that allow us to express!
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This module covers the various expressions we can achieve through the configurations of facial feature movement, conveying emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, excitement, fear and surprise.
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SESSION 6:
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Head Planes
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Head planes provide a simple representation of the head's geometry. This helps us to visualize the head in three dimensional space, as well as how it should be lit under any given lighting condition.
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This module defines the planes of the human head from multiple points of view, giving you a more comprehensive understanding of it's primary forms, which will in turn allow you to shade it effectively.
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Head Lighting & Shading
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Good lighting provokes mood, sets context, and adds drama to your head drawings. But due to it's complex forms, wide range of movement and the dynamic nature of lighting - knowing where to place the shadows, mid-tones and highlights on the human head becomes an extremely challenging task!
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Through the use of head planes and an understanding of light physics, you'll learn how to light the human head under any given lighting condition. I'll also show you the most common and effective lighting set ups used in comic books and cinema to amplify the mood, drama and context of your head scenes.
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SESSION 7:
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Hair Styles
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Hair adds personality, gesture and expressiveness to the heads of your characters. It's one of the most prominent addons you can incorporate to set your characters apart.
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But how do you draw comic book styled hair? In this module you'll discover a simple approach to styling, layering and rendering vibrant hair that bounces with volume.
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You'll also learn how to add movement and gesture to the hair of your characters, to help frame the head, enhance compositional framing and drama, and imply environmental conditions such as wind and rain.
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Beards
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Beards are the make up of men, enhancing the cheek bones, chin and jawline, modifying the shape of the face and making your male characters look more distinct. In this module, we'll learn how to draw and style them.
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We'll also take a look at what your character's beard says about them, and how your audience associates with different beard styles. You'll learn about the cultural styling of beards and how they can be used to make your character's backstory more convincing and consistent.
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Makeup
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The sole purpose of make up is to make the heads you draw more appear more attractive. Make up hides blemishes and accentuates our features by contrasting them against the rest of the face. This is why foundation is used to make the face appear smoother, and the skin younger. It's why eye shadow is used to draw attention to the eyes, making them look bigger with an emboldened outline. Why lips are painted with lipstick to lure in the eyes with added color and delineation.
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Make up also serves to enhance what we biologically find attractive in a face. It can make the difference between a character that glows with vitality, and one that looks tired and sickly.
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In this module we'll learn about different make up styles and combinations, and the effects they have on the heads we draw!
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Head Accessories
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Something else that can make the heads we draw more memorable and unique are the accessories we include on them. This can include things such as piercing's, tattoos, freckles, scars, head gear, glasses and more!
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This module takes you through a variety of different head accessories you might want to include on your character, how to draw and make them fit properly.
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SESSION 8:
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Head Shapes
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It's all good and well to draw an idealized head. But what if we want to create some variation between our characters so that they look unique and distinguishable from one another? That's what this module is going to show you how to do.
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Understanding how to construct a head with the idealized shape, size and proportions is a great starting off point. But it's only the base line. And now, we're at a stage where we can bend the rules, without breaking them, to get a wide range of head combinations.
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So how do we achieve a memorable head the stands out from the rest? By modifying it's shape and proportions of course! And you'll learn how to do that in this segment as we discuss the different effects that can be achieved by pushing, pulling, squashing and stretching the established form and measurements of the idealized head.
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Head Aging
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Did you know the shape and proportions of the human head changes according to the age of your character? Each age bracket has it's own set of proportions for the head, and a specific size, shape and positioning for the facial features. This module details what they are!
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Creature, Mutant & Robot Heads
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Of course, the Heads & Faces Workshop wouldn't be complete without learning how to draw creature, mutant and robot heads. That's right, we're saving the best for last!
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When you book in for the Heads & Faces Workshop
you'll join a LIVE class of just 9 other students and myself.
Working with such a small class of motivated and driven learners means I'm able to give you the attention, guidance and feedback needed to ensure this Workshop works for you.
What you're getting is an intimate, and highly interactive learning experience that will fully engage you - where you'll be putting my best methods and techniques into action and observing their immediate impact on your work.
By the end of every session you'll actually have something to show for it.
Each session is held LIVE over Streamyard and is limited to 10 students max!
The class runs through your web browser so there's no need to install any third party software or plugins. I'll email you a direct link to join the call on the day the workshop class is scheduled to start, just click that and you're in!
Because the Workshop is LIVE, you'll be able to ask me questions and get as much direction as you need to ensure everything you're learning really sinks in and you're able to apply it correctly.
I've purposely limited student numbers so that I'm able to give you personalized feedback on your work and gage your progress closely throughout the Heads & Faces Workshop. My top priority is for you to succeed.
So as an added bonus, you'll also get access to a private Facebook Group dedicated to HTDC students.
You'll be able to post homework, get feedback from me and other students, as well as ask questions. Best of all, you'll be part of an motivated group of artists who are driven to develop their drawing skills, and help others to do the same.
At no point will you be left hanging, unsure of what to do or how to do it.
In fact, an entire hour will be dedicated to answering your questions at the end of every session to help you overcome any obstacles you might run into throughout the Workshop. That includes draw-over critiques as well!
LIVE in-person training is what sets this workshop apart from most other courses that focus on drawing Heads & Faces.
Since each set of sessions are spread out by a week, you've got the opportunity to practice what you've learned, complete your homework and get feedback on it the following week.
This is vital to your success throughout the Heads & Faces Workshop, as it'll ensure I'm able to monitor your progress over the time and help you overcome any obstacles or challenges you might come up against outside the classes.
Every student will receive a video recording of the Heads & Faces Workshop sessions so that they can go back and re watch the classes as many times as they'd like.
That's right - even though these are LIVE, interactive sessions, you get to download and keep them as video files for playback, just like any other online course.
And as another bonus, you'll also get access to a resource folder full of head diagrams and slides for you to reference whenever you need them.
Here's What To Do Next
If you want to draw heads and faces with confidence it's time to take action. Get in NOW to secure your spot in the upcoming Heads & Faces Workshop.
This Workshop works 100% of the time, for 100% of the people who enroll and do 100% of the work.
I can guarantee you'll be able to draw impressive heads for your characters ONLY if you're prepared to commit and put what you learn into practice.
If you do, drawing Heads & Faces will literally no longer be a problem for you. Heck, you'll be able to teach other people to do it by the time you've completed this workshop!
A training package like this is easily worth $600+. That's more than a fair investment cost for 32 hours of LIVE in person tutoring. But maybe not one that's affordable for you right now.
I don't want money to be an issue, and I don't want you to miss out on this.
Eventually the normal price for the public will be set at $297. For now though, I'm going to keep the Heads & Faces Workshop at a special launch price for a very limited time.
You can wait for the public price, and take your time to think about it. But why put it off when you know investing in your passion, is one of the most important investments you'll ever make?
Action takers who know exactly where they want to take their art always get big results fast. Those who are unsure about what they want and sit on the sidelines go no where.
That's the difference between those who make it, and those who don't.
So, if you know this is for you, and you're ready to take action...
I want to give you access to the Heads & Faces Workshop today for just $197.
Below you'll see a big blue button. Click it and follow the prompts to join me in the next Heads & Faces Workshop.
After you've secured your spot you'll be sent a confirmation email with more details about the time and dates the Workshop will be held.
Here's Why You Should Do It Now
Since I can only let 10 students into the Heads & Faces Workshop at a time, spots are very limited.
The reason these classes are kept so small is so that you're able to receive the attention and feedback you need to get the most out of this training program.
I'm going to work alongside you to make sure you fully understand the strategies used to draw dynamic, comic book heads, and how to apply them.
Over 4 weeks you'll see a progressive improvement in the heads and faces you draw - but only if you book in now.
The Heads & Faces Workshop only runs once a month, and if it fills up before you get a chance to book, you'll have to wait until the month after to take advantage of this opportunity.
Are you a dabbler, or are you serious about honing your craft and becoming pro comic book artist?
Then don't delay your learning. There is no better thing to invest in than your passion - and if you know this is an area you could be doing better in, than you owe it to yourself.
You could put this off till next month, or ignore this opportunity altogether. But where will that get your abilities? More off looking heads, with odd proportions that don't quite look right?
Risk Free Money Back Guarantee
If by the end of the Heads & Faces Workshop you feel like you haven't improved as much as you'd hoped, I’ll personally give you a full refund, no questions asked.
That means if you're not 100% satisfied with this Workshop, you could do the entire thing and still get your money back.
I'm taking on all the risk for you here. The worst that can happen is you get a free workshop.
This is the fairest way I know, to back the value you'll get from the Heads & Faces Workshop. I believe in this training package and the results you'll see from taking it mean something to me.
So if I don't deliver on what’s promised, I don’t want to keep your money.
I'll take the hit if this doesn't work out. You've got everything to gain and nothing to lose by enrolling in the Heads & Faces Workshop right now, today.
When You Book Your Mentoring Session You'll Receive:
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A confirmation e-mail with the times and dates the Workshop will be held
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Personalized feedback, guidance and questions answered at the end of each session
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A downloadable video recording of the complete Heads & Faces Workshop
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Access to Head & Face resources including slides and diagrams for you to keep as reference
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Access to a private Facebook Group where you can post homework, ask questions and get feedback
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30 day money back guarantee if you feel I haven't delivered above and beyond
Disclaimer
There are no magic pills. Being a great comic book artist can only be achieved through hard work, patience and consistent practice. Our Workshops aim to give you the roadmap, but you still need to apply the steps and guidance given to you. We only want serious people who are motivated, willing to put in the effort, and committed to honing their craft. Without the necessary actions taken on your behalf, we cannot guarantee that you'll get results from our advice, techniques or strategies.
We want to help you along your journey by providing feedback, guidance and actionable steps. You should know that HTDC's Workshops are for educational and informative purposes only. Nothing on this page or our site is a promise of your future success as a comic book artist. Any examples of art or video referenced here are illustrative concepts only and should not be considered average, exact or promised outputs of future performance.
Inquiries
Contact me at claytonbarton@howtodrawcomics.net if you have any questions or concerns about HTDC's Workshops - And I’ll be happy to answer them for you!
-Clayton