Learn to illustrate at your own pace
Discover Art by Benjamin in 1.5 minutes
What makes Art Classes by Benjamin so special?
Scroll down to see the 6 reasons why!
Reason 1
Empowering Skills
Reason 2
Lesson Plans
Reason 3
Practical Application
Reason 4
Post graduate training
Aside from all of the practical assignments in the Art Classes, we will have extra project modules available. These modules will help you to practice what you’ve discovered even more and enhance your skill level. Look at it is an internship. Once you’ve successfully finished the Art Class, you can get extra assignments, as if you’re training on the job. I’ll take you through a project, guiding you along with clear instructions, showing and telling you how to do it and where to pay attention to.
Next I’m going to give you a new assignment, but I’m not completely going to tell you how to do it. However there is a video available with minimal spoken instructions. The third step will be an assignment where I’m not going to tell you how to do it, neither show you how to do it, but let you figure out how to do it by yourself. My finished artwork will be available for you to study and compare your work to. You’ll be challenged to apply what you’ve discovered in the Art Classes all by yourself.
You can also use these project modules as fun projects. Don’t want to pick something generic from the internet to practice and work on? These modules will have fun and unique projects for you to work on. The best thing…. even if you don’t know how to draw at all, you can still have fun with these projects, as long as you’ve participated in the Art Class first. All the sketches needed to successfully do these projects are included. Even without following my Art Classes you could get these project modules, if you’re already familiar and experienced with the materials used. Nevertheless I do encourage you to get the Art Class first, due to the unique approach in it, which the project modules are built on.
Reason 5
You don't need a certain skill level
Reason 6
You can work with any brand (or non-brand) art supply
Some art courses out there, even if they don’t mention it, are brand related or can only be done with a certain type of supply. You need specific items to successfully do a course. Most of my art classes are not related to a certain brand or supply, they can be done with any brand or type of material.
For workshops this may differ since some of them are based on a certain type of tool. Some courses may need specific supplies, the material list will specify this.
I try to work brand independent and most of our art classes and workshops work fine with cheaper materials, as well as expensive ones. In the end it’s not the tool that really matters, but the skills of the artist and I try to focus on showing you techniques that you can use with your supplies. So no surprises halfway through the course realizing you bought the wrong brand.
Benjamin Aeilkema - the creative behind ArtbyBenjamin
For many years I’ve enjoyed creating art, learning many skills and techniques along the way. I often have a personal way of applying these techniques to my artworks. I love to share my knowledge, helping others to start their journey in art or getting a bit further along the way.
Is lack of talent really an issue?
You may have wondered about this….. do you need to be talented to become an artist? Many people would answer this question with a yes right away, we naturally think that. Let’s look at a, perhaps shocking, fact about Vincent van Gogh.
“Although Van Gogh’s mother was quite a good drawer, Vincent wasn’t blessed with exceptional natural ability as a draughtsman. Nor did he show particular interest in drawing or painting at school. There aren’t any childhood drawings, but a few of Van Gogh’s early drawings have stood the test of time.” (125 answers and questions – Vincent van Gogh Museum Amsterdam)
Did that stop the man who failed to graduate at two art academies from drawing and painting? No way. The whole idea that you need to be talented is stopping many people to enter into the marvelous world of art. Sure, you may never be as good as Van Gogh or Rembrandt. That doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy creating art as they did. While results may differ, we all can enjoy creating art…. talented or not. In fact, without work, talent doesn’t help much at all.
Invest in good materials or....
Often I’m asked if I use expensive materials for my illustrations and paintings. Many people seem to have the notion that using more expensive materials suddenly make you a (better) artist. Does buying a better car make you a better driver? Most likely not. Sure, the ride may be more comfortable, but you are still the same driver you were before. The same counts for being creative. In the end it’s not the tools that matter, but the skill of the artist. You can make great art with just a simple pen, some cheap colored pencils or student paints and less expensive no brand papers.
Instead of spending more money on better tools, it is way more beneficial to spent more money on learning how to use the tools instead, especially when starting out. An investment in yourself is a lasting one, tools are easily upgraded when needed. If you start out small and invest more in yourself first, you also will enjoy the more expensive tools too, because you know how to use them. It is a logic fact that (aspiring) artists that first invest in themselves grow harder than (aspiring) artist that invest most into materials, neglecting to learn the skills needed properly. While clothes may make the man, materials don’t make the artist…… but skills do.