Learning to See - Drawing in Journals with Helen Shafer Garcia

Learn drawing skills fearlessly in your own personal art journal

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Are you new to drawing? Are you curious about how to improve your skills as a budding artist and learn creative ways to draw? Would you like to be guided by a world-renowned instructor who will show you how to break away from judgement and draw in a mindful and observational way?

If you answered “yes” to these questions, then you are in the right place. Helen Shafer Garcia has brought her well known drawing methods and techniques exclusively to Create Arts Online. In this online course, you will watch Helen work in real time as she demonstrates her easy to achieve methods of drawing simple objects while adding color, shading, and other art elements.

In this course you will learn:

  • Why working in a journal feels safe and gratifying
  • Helen’s favorite journal, pencils, and pens
  • How to choose objects that will help you achieve success
  • How to connect lines that give you confidence
  • A variety of methods to experiment with
  • How to explore creative imagery while adding botanical and geometric shapes
  • The Step-by-step process from a simple shape to an arrangement of colorful objects
  • Colored combinations through demonstration with a pen and other pencils for shading

In this course Helen will dive into important “art speak” terms such as: Value, color theory, intensity, contour, and negative space. Helen will help you see the shapes around the objects to expand your drawing skills. Helen also shares her collage method, which will add texture and depth to your work.

This course is great for anyone that wants to learn to draw for the first time or improve their skills. There are so many ways to learn, with Helen’s talents and knowledge you will be starting off on the right foot and creating page after page in your personal journal in no time.

Included in this course is a PDF for download of the suggested tools, materials, and resources.



Your Instructor


Helen Shafer Garcia
Helen Shafer Garcia

Helen Shafer Garcia is a painter, mixed media, book arts, ceramics artist and

award winning illustrator. Helen’s watercolor illustrations have graced the cover
brochures, garden articles and advertisements of numerous international resorts
and magazines for more than 30 years. Awards include four San Diego Press
Club First Place Awards of Excellence in Illustration for San Diego Home/Garden
Lifestyles Magazine. Her works and articles have been published in Southwest
Art, Cloth, Paper, Scissors, San Diego Home and Garden Lifestyles, and Studios
Magazines. Helen holds a BA degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis in
illustration and ceramics. She is a signature member of San Diego Watercolor
Society and teaches watercolor and mixed media workshops internationally and
across the US.

Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 14 days and we will give you a full refund.

Get started now!