@William hello! Great to meet you! Hope yiu have a wonderful time learning new techniques and broadening your skills! Cant wait to see your art!
Hello everyone… I am from Alabama and have just picked up my art tools after many (30+) years of no drawing. Got coaught up in a youtube video, Gettin’ Sketchy, and got intrigued again. Matt, your voice is a combination of Bob Ross and Mr Rogers. It drew me in and has kept me intrigued for a few weeks now. I am a new member of both this site and to your instructions course. I have not been able to find out when Gettin Sketchy will air again. I find them very entertaining and informative.
Hi Will… I am new as well to this site. Hope you feel better soon and hope this gives you the distraction you need. Prayers
I’m pretty sure it will keep me distracted. I’ve already learned so much.
Hi There Everyone 
I just started back into art a bit over a year ago and im so glad to have found not only the Virtual Instructor but now all of you in this forum. 
Tink from the Netherlands here, I’m new to this community. I’ve decided I seriously want to learn how to draw. After using a lot of YouTube video’s I ended up on this site and was pleased to find a step by step course for learning how to draw. I’m working on the secrets to drawing and have already learned lots.
Hello Tink! Welcome to the forum! Best wishes as you learn to create and learn to see in different perspectives!
2 Likes
Hi my name is Jan and I love to be creative . I recently have decided to get back in to drawing and painting and using pastels and oil pastels . I am retired now so I thought this journey would be a great way to get out of the rut and start creating again . Look forward to being part of this wonderful program .
1 Like
Hi there everyone! I am Anne, almost 34 years old, living with my husband and two cats in The Netherlands. I have too much things I’m interested in and too much things I still want to learn. Most of the time I do photography, mostly just at home, but I also do pyrography (wood burning) and I draw with pen and ink. Recently I started learning watercolor and acrylic paint. But I also want to learn charcoal, gouache, bookbinding, writing… almost every week I discover new things I want to tackle. I also did some glass engraving as well, and some basic leatherworks. Almost everything I do I share on my YouTube channel. I don’t have a paid job, so sharing my art and growing together is a way for me to feel somewhat useful in this world. Luckily my husband supports me really well and he is always bragging about me to everyone. Sometimes it’s a little awkward, but the support is nice.
This is one of my most recent works. It’s the dog from friends of ours. They celebrated their 12,5 year anniversary and I gave this as a gift. I burned the dog portrait on oak. Oak is not the best wood for this type of art, because you can see the veins of the wood a bit trough it, and it burns a bit uneven, but it’s what I had available. It’s about A4 size.
I hope I can learn a lot from everyone here. Have a nice day everyone.
3 Likes
The dog is beautiful. Such detail. I would have been terrified of doing the medium. Your friends should be very pleased if I was doing it for a friend. Lenora
1 Like
Thank you so much! Well, they almost cried, so they were very pleased! About the art medium, it’s not scary, nothing can go wrong, it’s a bit like drawing in pencil but also a bit like painting.
1 Like
Hello from Germany. After spending time with my other hobbies I thought it would be a good idea to include drawing and painting back in my life again.
Specially drawing fits perfectly in combination with my passion for sewing, cooking and reading. I wanted to put my inspiration down from there on paper. It is also a good alternative for the IT stuff I am doing…
1 Like
Hi everyone, I’m Cathy from Hobart, Tasmania and I’ve just rejoined Matt’s wonderful online teaching platform. I’m now retired and enjoying the chance to practise all different types of art. I’m self-taught but have learned a lot from various online teachers over the past few years. Thevirtualinstructor.com has some of the best lessons and encompasses such a broad range of media, which is what always brings me back.
Cheers Cathy
1 Like
Hi everyone! My name is Diane and although I have been following the Virtual Instructor lessons for a while I have not been on this community forum. I started drawing and painting again about 2 years ago (after a 50 year hiatus to raise my sons, work F/T etc.!) I majored in art when in school sooo many years ago. I retired this year and have rediscovered my love for drawing/painting and am enjoying a number of different instructors who teach on line. I work in various mediums so love the varied lessons that Matt and Ashley teach. I am happy to be here and look forward to seeing all your work and learning for everyone!
1 Like
Welcome @DianeB it’s lovely to have you here. This is such a lovely group, you’ll love it 
Hello everyone! I have been seriously working on my art skills for about a year, no prior experience. After participating in so many Getting Sketchys, I joined TVI in December and am blown away by the content. I learn something new every day from Matt and/or Ashley and so many of you- very grateful to have found this community. I’m looking forward to sharing my progress and getting that ever-important critique when I’m ready.
Lisa.
3 Likes
Welcome Lisa! This is a wonderful community & happy to have you as a member.
Jim
Hello! My name is Cay and I just signed up after starting a course on Charcoal Portrait Drawing. I first discovered Matt when I stumbled on his Lizard Man drawing. In grade 1, I was the only student ever rationed their daily supply of paper because I finished a pad a week doodling. I was unstoppable and very brave in everything that ignited my creativity. After graduating, all of a sudden everything stopped and my non-creative career occupied my time. Now, close to retiring, I am back to trying everything. I am like a child in a candy store with all the online resources but the one thing I have lost during my non-creative years was my confidence and free spirit. It seems like I need to get some basic skills in place. I miss my untamed creative endeavors. I hope joining the virtual instructor is where it will all begin again.
1 Like
Hello, my name is Twilah and I’ve been a member of the site for over a year but I’m just now exploring the forums. I’m grateful to have found Matt and Ashley’s instruction and feel I’m benefitting a lot! I’ve always wanted to make art but life had other plans for awhile. I was even an art major at the college I went to for two semesters, but I couldn’t keep up with a crazy demanding design class and a professor who wouldn’t even evaluate a project I’d worked really hard on because they said it was folk art not fine art. So I ended up with a Philosophy degree instead. But now, a few decades later, with no worries about “keeping up” I’m here, grateful for the opportunity to learn with no pressure. I’m gonna make the finest folk art I possibly can.
Hi everyone!
My name is AndyJ, and I’m a newbie artist from the UK. I stumbled upon Matt’s online art tutorials through your YouTube channel, and I’ve been really impressed with how much I’ve learned so far. I’m absolutely hooked on this art thing, and I can’t wait to keep practicing and improving.
I’m particularly drawn to soft pastels. They’re so versatile and easy to work with. I’m excited to explore different techniques and styles in the upcoming lessons.
Thanks again for all your support, Matt! I really appreciate it.
Cheers,
Andy
3 Likes