8-Week Portrait Drawing Curriculum

IvyBlade (@ivybladev.bsky.social)

The bootcamp was a pleasant, charming and intensive 8 weeks of learning, artwork and experiencing growth both as an individual but also as a community! The structured character of the learning process, themed weeks with live sessions and chance to share your highs and lows with likeminded members was everything and more than I could hope for! Sylessae is a great teacher, full of passion, understanding, wit and humour. There was never a dull moment during our sessions and all this fun is only the cherry on top of the main thing and that is the learnings! All the introduced methods felt very well thought and meanigful. I have ones I enjoyed more and ones I enjoyed a tiny bit less of course but none of them ever felt like "a waste of time" or "something not worth considering". They broadened my effective tools of practicing art and creating pieces while allowing me to dive deeper into observing, studying and DRAWING at the same time. They are designed with customisation in mind so I could always challenge myself more or tone the difficulty down if I felt the need for a breather. I feel like an important aspect of the bootcamp was the fact that it also directly influenced and positively changed my art approach and mindset surrounding it. Not only did I learn how to practice more effectively and draw better but also how to feel better about trying and experimenting with the process. One other thing that I valued a lot about the bootcamp is the idea that despite the 8 weeks being already over this is only the beginning of our journey. The event leaves all of us with a lifelong access to all the materials and recorded classes, 6 repeatable and practiced study methods to continue our growth, a group of friends to keep sharing and improving together, a changed perspective on creating and finally a direction to move forward. I wholeheartedly recommend it!

Miggy (@MiggyMasenko.bsky.social)

I started my art journey back in high school and was consistent then, but over the years as life starts to happen, I just ended up getting "too busy" to work on it again. I'd dabble here and there on it but never consistent. I'm 33 now and got tired of benching something I had once enjoyed. I took a leap and invested in this bootcamp with Sylessae, she gave me the feeling of someone who understood my struggle of art. I didn't know what to expect in the beginning, but each day there was a lesson (except for one for breaks if you choose to take one) averaging 30 minutes and sometimes longer. Honestly, the time flew by before I knew it and I wanted to learn more. Sylessae breaks these lessons down to its simplest form, from the basics of structures and shapes and then building from that foundation. One of the beauties of this bootcamp is that whether you choose to follow along the live sessions during the week or self pace the curriculum. You decide how much challenge you wish to give yourself, at its core, all you really have to do is show up and draw and I think that's a design of Syl not just for the bootcamp, but for long after it is finished. She not only supplies the tools but also an enlightening perspective on how to approach art and to be real, she not only encouraged curiosity and experimentation, but she made it fun. That's something I didn't get from past art teachers, and not once did she discourage anyone's thoughts or observations, she welcomed it and sometimes would even include it in the lesson. Which leads to another beauty of the bootcamp, the community. Art can feel like a solo journey, but being apart of a collective journey with others felt much more impactful. Getting to share the struggles and successes with others who are also trying to improve was something I'm grateful was included, so you are not alone! I've come out the other a better artist and a better student and could not be more grateful that I decided to take a risk on this and that Sylessae created this bootcamp and gave so much of her energy each day to make this a friendly and welcoming atmosphere for learning. Even though the bootcamp is over, you are setup for success afterwards. This is only the beginning Easiest 5 stars I will ever give

Dan (@yazirian.bsky.social)

I always wanted to draw, and I never really did. I don't truly know why. I don't feel like I was especially bad at it or anything. Priority, accountability, practice (and lack thereof) all played factors. And I haven't had an art class in... oof. 28 years? Then I happened on the bootcamp from somewhere on bsky, and for whatever reason decided it sounded right, and it was the right time for me. It would be difficult to overstate how true that ended up being. This course was exactly right. Sylessae's approach was ideal for me, just spot-on. It has everything I needed to succeed: a sound plan, concrete skills, immediate feedback and results, a fun and supportive community of other students, a good but flexible pace. All of it and more. The classes and studies are thoughtful, specific, and set up a series of meaningful things to do to keep seeing improvements. One of my very favorite new skills is how to find, see, understand, and change problems rather than just look at something I was doing and feel vaguely unsatisfied with it. This and more, all applied in an iterative approach, and every one of these studies came fully prepped with materials. Did I mention how good of a presenter Sylessae is too? So easy to learn from. Clear, approachable, confident, responsive. I did not spend one minute of this 8 weeks unhappy about any of it at all, perfect record, and that's 6 nights a week. I'm more interested in continuing going out than I even was coming in; the course only added more momentum. Unreservedly recommended!

Sebastian (@sebastianyue.bsky.social)

Before starting Sylessae's Postrait Drawing Bootcamp, I had no prior background in art and no idea where to start learning to draw. When I joined the class, I found a comprehensive and beginner friendly experience. Sylessae did a great job of breaking down the fundamentals and teaching in bite-sized chunks. The weekly portrait assignments kept me motivated and focused enough to practice consistently. Syl encouraged a positive space for students to give and receive constructive criticism, which allowed me to learn from the more experienced artists in the group and develop my visual analysis skills. It was also nice to learn in a community that acknowledged the highs and lows of making progress. Everyone supported each other and cheered each other on, which was great. I'd recommend the bootcamp to anyone looking to grow their portrait drawing abilities, but especially to beginners like myself who are looking for a starting point. Syl was a kind and thorough teacher and I'm definitely going to look out for her future classes. Before & After Piece: https://bsky.app/profile/sebastianyue.bsky.social/post/3lkyxbndrso2k

Titoxd (@rocketdancing.bsky.social)

Sylessae's portrait drawing bootcamp is a highly effective, structured program for a beginner to learn art, and for intermediate and advanced artists to further practice and expand their skills. The course introduces a study framework that is continuously reinforced throughout the duration of the course, and that can be straightforwardly applied to art learning after the bootcamp. As with any large learning endeavor, half of the problem is determining what to learn, and when to learn it, so that the experience does not turn into a "boil the ocean" task that dissuades anyone from undertaking it. Sylessae structured the course so that a primary topic is focused on for a week with sufficient detail for the students to try their hand at it. Then, as the different study methods are implemented by the students, questions naturally begin to arise; but there are ample opportunities for students to ask questions, explore solutions on their own, and experiment with discovering answers that work for them under Sylessae's guidance. As part of every session, students are asked to reflect on how they felt about the lesson, on what they learned, about what they understand, and about what they want to try the next time. This ask->examine->attempt->understand cycle is the core pedagogical loop of the program. As the week ends and a new subject becomes the focus, the material from previous weeks continues to be reinforced by serving as a building block for future topics. Sylessae also fostered an environment that allowed participants to give and receive feedback from each other, as well as support and celebrate each other's progress. I believe that this supportive community is what makes the biggest difference in the outcome of the bootcamp compared to other art courses I have taken in the past. To close, the bootcamp has a solid didactic foundation, a supportive, collaborative atmosphere, and empowers its participants to future success. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Stevie (corvanablack.bsky.social)

The portrait bootcamp was a well thought out dive into learning to draw portraits. Sylessae did a wonderful job introducing, and then reinforcing, her methods, as well as giving us an understanding as to why we were doing the things we were doing. Every method was well thought out, and even if it wasn't your favorite it still had valuable aspects that you could pull into your learning repetoire. The addition of reflection to the daily work was something I was honestly a bit skeptical of at first, but found myself loving quite quickly. Writing these things down immediately after, or even during, my studies helped me to not forget what I was thinking about once some time had passed. And being able to go back to them later and see where I maybe needed to focus in the future has helped me to progress even more than I thought I was able to. The weekly breakdowns were really great, and gave us all enough time to get a fair handle on whatever the subject was without us also feeling like we'd been doing the exact same thing for a million years. I also really appreciated that the study sessions were so short, as I struggle with the concept of time due to my ADHD and often think things need to take much longer than they truly need to. Having the proof that just half an hour is enough time really helped, and made it easier for me to get myself to pick up my pen. It was "just" half an hour, afterall! But the thing I found the most valuable was the community that Syl fostered in her students. Everyone was so warm and helpful, cheering you on even when you felt hopeless. The support was so invaluable to me, and I don't think I would have done half as well without it. I've been trying to learn to draw for almost a decade now, struggling for the vast majority of that time to gain any sort of competence. I'd managed some things here and there, but overall I was pretty stuck, and because of that I would stop trying for months at a time. The amount of improvement I managed with this bootcamp is no small feat for me as an artist, and I believe is a huge testament to Syl's teaching. She made learning both easy and enjoyable, and gave me tools that I can use when learning anything else I set my sights on.

Petya (@pp-petya.bsky.social)

I initially signed up for the bootcamp (curriculum only), as I felt I had hit a brick wall in my art. I was unhappy with my character's faces, I felt like the always looked off in some way but I couldn't quite put my finger on why that was and didn't know how to get past it. This bootcamp was the exact thing I needed to get past this struggle. The lessons in this bootcamp gave me new ways to approach drawing faces, which really helped me move towards more realistic and less uncanny faces. Furthermore, the study methods introduced during the bootcamp are an amazing tool for learning and developing my art, even beyond just portraiture, and will stick with me for the rest of my art journey! I specifically purchased the curriculum only version of the bootcamp, which was ideal for me, as life has been quite chaotic so it would not have been possible for me to follow with the live lessons. This version of the camp is an excellent, self-paced option, where it never felt like I missed out on any learning, and Syl does an excellent job at teaching and not skipping over anything for the curriculum-only folks. While the curriculum-only version lacks the group-based feedback from peers, I personally did not mind that as I'm not the most social person anyway. However, even despite this I never felt discouraged to post my progress in the general chats available to the curriculum students, and love to see what other post there as well. Overall, I would say that this bootcamp was well worth the money I spent on it and I will most definitely keep returning to it over and over to re-consolidate the things I learned.

Cakey (@cakey39 bluesky/twitter)

I was incredibly nervous going into this bootcamp, as I'd never signed up for anything like it. As someone who struggles to get herself to draw and is terrified of interacting with people, I was really unsure if it was for me - but Sylessae always came across really well and approachable in her online presence (as well as making breathtaking artwork), so I wanted to give it a try! The curriculum itself was so useful - the topics each week were broken up into manageable lessons, with some great tips and observations from Sylessae. They were very educational in learning anatomy, as well as general illustration techniques. The study sessions each week were also honestly more in-depth than I expected - having the ability to ask questions, observe Sylessae's problem solving skills and have a friendly group to give you some accountability was genuinely so much fun. I also loved each of the study methods, and they were presented each week really well! Being split into timezone-based groups was a wonderful idea too, and for me personally, made the bootcamp so much more enjoyable. You really felt like you had a team of people to chat to, ask for advice, give feedback to, and to support throughout the journey. Everyone in my team (and the rest of the bootcamp) contributed to such a friendly, constructive environment. I was also surprised with how much feedback Sylessae gave throughout the whole course - if I had any issues, questions or got completely stuck, I never once felt alone in figuring things out! Sylessae is both a wonderful artist and teacher, and this bootcamp experience really highlighted her expertise in both areas. I feel like I learnt so much, and wouldn't ever hesitate to join more bootcamps in the future. Very highly recommended!! Would give 6 out of 5 stars if I could!