Classes Overview

“Hi, I just wanted to thank you for yesterday’s class. Casey kept drawing for hours after to finish his drawings. Between school lessons today he’s been drawing. He showed his friends his art and told them he “can draw now”. Rather than getting frustrated, he’s relaxed. You did that! Thank you.” –Cara M

For 2021 and 2022, there are LOTS of exciting new classes on the schedule, something for everyone, and new classes in new places:

Largo Recreation Center (Highland Complex) – Tuesday Evenings

Youth Cartooning – 5:45 – 6:30pm

Magical Manga – 6:30 – 7:30pm

400 Highland Avenue, Largo, FL 33770 Phone: 727-518-3016
650 Pine Avenue N, Oldsmar FL 34677 Phone: 813-749-1152

Morean Arts Center Saturdays

Drawing & Illustration For Teens – Ages 11-16: 10 – 11:30am

719 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Phone: 727-822-7872

Online Home-school Art Classes

Magnum Arts has created a standalone drawing class for home-school students, ICE Online Classes. Visual references, fun sound effects and animated backgrounds are used to inspire and engage students, bringing their skills and confidence to the next level, all in a fun, relaxing environment in which students also learn from each other. For questions, or to register, call/text 727-492-0135 or send an email to magnumcreate@gmail.com

As always, classes are tailored to each student’s needs in a judgement-free setting where there is no pressure to keep up with other students, with an emphasis on self-acceptance and nurturing the creative spirit. With humor and a relaxed environment, students are guided to move beyond their comfort zones to try new techniques and learn about other noteworthy artists (note all class times are Eastern Standard Time). Click on the class name to take you to the registration page.

Available Online Art Classes

(Class availability subject to demand; for questions, call/text 727-492-0135 or email magnumcreate@gmail.com)

Drawing Star Wars – Use the Force to draw your favorite Star Wars ships and characters! This fun six-week class will teach Star Wars fans how to draw the Millennium Falcon, Star Destroyers, X-Wing and TIE fighters, Darth Vader and more, all in a fun, relaxed environment sprinkled with interesting, little known Star Wars trivia by the instructor, who has been a member of a global Star Wars costuming organization for over 10 years and owns movie accurate Star Wars costumes. There is no pressure to keep up with other students; everyone learns at their own pace. All that is required is a sketchbook, drawing pencils, and a desire to defend the galaxy. Students learn to improve their drawing confidence while having fun at the same time. (Times TBD)

Creative Cartooning For TeensKa-POW! Get your cartoon on with this fun course in which students draw a three to five panel comic strip, learning everything from creating cartoon characters to panel shapes. With lots of visual references and examples, students learn the easy way the art of cartooning. As a bonus, students receive a free visual reference ebook designed specifically for the class. (Times TBD)

Dazzling Digital Drawing – Take your art into the Dazzling Digital Drawing realm, with ease! This course uses a FREE graphics program called Ibis Paint X available on Mac and Android devices (preferably tablets). Using online demonstrations, drawing instruction and reference hand-outs created specifically for this course, students will start with the basics of the program, learning all the tools it offers to bring their creativity to the next level, all in a relaxed, pressure-free environment. Additional assistance is available to help students get set up with everything they need. Don’t delay, get Dazzling today! (Times TBD)

Drawing & Illustration For Teens – The Drawing & Illustration class has run continuously since 2007, and has expanded to two hours based on the response from students. Now online, this class covers sketching, developing creativity, figure drawing, perspective, charcoal pencil, inking and more. Students focus on what they like to draw, learning techniques and concepts that help them improve their skills and build self-confidence, while learning about different artists and art genres. Because each student works at their own level, there is no need to “keep up” with other students. Additionally, students are encouraged to try new concepts and techniques they may not be familiar with in order to foster their development as artists. (Saturdays 10am – 11:30am)

ICE Homeschool Drawing Class(Tuesdays 12 – 1pm) Magnum Arts has created a standalone drawing class which runs continually, for home-school students, unaffiliated with other home-school co-ops: The ICE Creative Classes program. Plenty of visual references are used to inspire and engage students, bringing their skills and confidence to the next level, all in a fun, relaxing environment in which students also learn from each other.

No Limits Digital Drawing – (Morean Art Center,time TBD) There are no artistic limits for students with reduced or severely limited mobility, not in the No Limits Digital Drawing class! Students learn to use a free online digital drawing program along with a touch-sensitive tablet to express themselves creatively in a fun, relaxed, online environment. A once-a-month private lesson for each student is included, along with a once-a-month social hangout, each with a different theme, allowing students to socialize and support each other. This innovative program gives students a creative outlet with NO LIMITS!

Below: using a (now unfortunately defunct) comic strip generator called Bitstrips, I created a fun comic starring Sharonda, who explains why sketching is important and how to approach it. I put in a cameo at the end.