Backgrounds in your art will engage your audience in richer, more compelling banner. Learn how to construct backgrounds make your narratives more vivid, and your compositions more dynamic and exciting.
Table of Contents
![Creature Design: Imagined Environment, Julie Benbassat, banner](jpg/img_9303.jpg)
We’ll explore a diverse range of ways you can create backgrounds to enhance your compositions.
Enrollment is closed
Sign up for our email list to get workshop notifications.
“The format & flow of the workshop worked really well. The small group, one-on-one coaching / critique, and Discord chat.
Prof Lieu’s seasoned ability to listen & hold space for all the participants is clearly felt throughout the process, from signing up, the actual voice call part of the workshop and the follow up week.
Watch a Sample Workshop
How it Works
![Soft Pastel Drawing: Landscapes, banner](jpg/new-6.jpg)
Before the workshop
- Students receive access to the workshop channels in our Discord.
- Hang out in the workshop channels so we can see your artwork and site, and chat about your goals can make the workshop more efficient.
![Discord](jpg/2022-11-06_22h23_10.jpg)
- Please know that if you have no experience with Discord, it does take some time to get set up and learn how Discord works.
- Watch this 53 second tour of our Discord for a preview.
- We highly recommend joining several days before the workshop date so you can learn the ropes, troubleshoot any problems, and get help from us to make the workshop run as smoothly as possible for you.
![Linear Perspective Drawing, banner](jpg/1-14.jpg)
Workshop Guide
- Every workshop has a detailed workshop guide doc that you’ll receive the week before the workshop.
- The guide has resources related to the workshop topic, comprehensive information on using Discord, art supplies, prompts, and more.
Prompts
- Option #1: choose yourself what you want to explore.
- Option #2: the workshop guide provides suggested prompts.
- Our suggested prompts are a combination of art along videos, step by step instructions, lesson plans, and resources like our free reference photo collection, timed drawing videos, and more
![Brush Pen Drawing: Oil Refinery, banner](jpg/img_2152.jpg)
Art Supplies
- Option #1: use any art supplies you would like.
- Option #2: if you’re not sure, the workshop guide provides concrete specifics on recommended supplies.
- There is a 1 week period in the Discord where you can Prof Lieu questions about supplies that aren’t covered in the workshop guide.
![Linear Perspective Drawing, banner](jpg/img_0137.jpg)
First 2 hours: Studio
- Students draw and take occasional breaks to post their drawings into the Discord text channel.
- On voice, Prof Lieu continually critiques drawings as they are posted in the Discord text channel.
Last hour: Critique
- Each student will speak on voice with Prof Lieu about their artwork.
![Imaginary Environment: Ballpoint Pen Drawing & Watercolor Illustration, banner](jpg/plein-air_001.jpg)
Workshop recording
- A recording of the workshop will be available to workshop participants. The recording will not be available to the public.
Workshop Channels
- Students will continue to have access to the workshop channels.
- The week following the workshop, Prof Lieu will provide feedback and follow up resources.
- After that week, Prof Lieu will answer quick questions, but will not be providing feedback.
![Discord](jpg/2022-11-06_22h22_11.jpg)
Written Feedback
- Prof Lieu will write a paragraph for each student which reviews the student’s artwork made during the workshop + suggestions for how to move forward, see sample below.
![Clara cartoon](png/img_4091-2.png)
You have so much going for you and your figure drawings, I love how fluid your marks are, and also how organic and fleshy the figures are in your drawings. I think you’ve got a really good balance between line and tone, and that the volume of the figures come across beautifully.
I think it would be worth thinking more deliberately about proportions. Proportions can be a really tricky thing, and it’s definitely not a skill that you can learn overnight. A lot of getting experience with the fortunes is really training your eye to make comparisons between the various parts of the figure.
Prof Lieu
![Song Kang, dip pen & marker drawing, banner](jpg/song-pen-ink-marker_004.jpg)
“Prof Lieu goes above and beyond. She offers the universal (those things we all can use) and the personal, those ways we need our individual work to be poked. Pointing us to videos and showing examples, also. Brilliant.“
Student info
- Limit 12 students
- Enrollment is first come, first serve
- All students are required to join our Discord to participate.
Confirmation
- We will confirm whether the workshop is running by the Wednesday after the Friday registration deadline.
- If the workshop does not run, you will receive a full refund no later than a week from the Friday registration deadline.
![Banner colored pencil drawing Bread Fairy](jpg/img_4680-2.jpg)
Refunds
- All payments are non-refundable if the workshop runs.
- Students must join our Discord at least 24 hours before the workshop starts. There are no refunds if you do not join within this time frame.
- There are no refunds if a student is late or does not attend the workshop for any reason.
- We only issue refunds if the workshop does not run due to lack of enrollment.
Contact
- Questions? Contact us.
About our Staff
Prof Lieu has 15 years of teaching studio art at the college level, and was an Adjunct Professor at the Rhode Island School of Design from 2007-2020.