Ricko Tang

Phase 1: The Foundations
1. Line Quality and Mark Making
Before drawing "things," students must master the tool. Exercises include "ghosting" lines, varied pressure strokes, and continuous contour drawing. The goal is to build muscle memory and eliminate the "hairy line" syndrome.

2. Geometric Simplification
Students learn to see the world as a collection of 3D primitives: spheres, cubes, cylinders, and cones. By breaking complex objects (like a car or a bird) into these shapes, they master structural drawing.

3. Perspective and Spatial Depth
Introduction to 1-point, 2-point, and 3-point perspective. Students apply these rules to create environments and ensure objects feel grounded in a 3D space rather than floating on a flat page.

Phase 2: Light and Form
4. Value and Shading
An exploration of the five-point lighting system: highlight, mid-tone, core shadow, reflected light, and cast shadow. Students practice rendering textures like matte, metallic, and glass.

5. Anatomy and Gesture
Focus moves to the human figure. Students practice gesture drawing (30-second poses) to capture movement and "flow," followed by simplified skeletal and muscular breakdowns to understand proportion.

Phase 3: Illustration & Style
6. Composition and Framing
Introduction to visual storytelling through the Rule of Thirds, leading lines, and focal points. Students learn how to guide a viewer’s eye through an image using "thumbnailing."

7. Color Theory and Mood
Moving beyond the color wheel, students study color harmony (analogous, complementary) and how color temperature affects the emotional weight of an illustration.

8. Character and World Building
Students apply previous steps to create original designs. This includes "turnarounds" (showing a character from different angles) and prop design, focusing on consistent visual language.

Phase 4: Professional Practice
9. Medium Mastery (Digital vs. Analog)
Introduction to industry-standard tools. Students explore the tactile nature of ink and gouache alongside the efficiency of digital layers, brushes, and non-destructive editing in software like Procreate or Photoshop.

10. Conceptual Illustration and Portfolio
The final step focuses on the why. Students are given "briefs" (e.g., an editorial magazine cover or a game concept art piece) to solve a visual problem. They finish by curating their best work into a cohesive portfolio.

Key Teaching Strategy
The 50/50 Rule: Spend 50% of class time on technical drills (the "boring" stuff) and 50% on "Play" (drawing whatever they want) to prevent burnout and maintain engagement.