I’m Holland, an illustrator from the US, and the author here at lrn.onl.

While my skills have finally gotten up there, I struggled greatly to learn art from the resources that are normally available online. I have a learning style that requires very explicit, linear explanations, which isn’t helping me in a world where most artists have very abstract teaching styles.

So many creatives have figured things out through trial and error or brute force, and they expect you to do the same. But that just doesn’t work for all of us.

Others are so attached to the formal education they received or to their personal styles — and rightly so, their beauty may very well be awe-inspiring — that they struggle to accommodate students with differing interests, tastes, or goals.

My hope is to fill the gaps by diving deep into the coremost theories of art for others who learn like me, and to develop a collection of educational resources that can be referenced when teaching people of all paths of life.

You’ll find that many of these theories go well-beyond the simple act of drawing. The true fundamentals of art are fundamental to the arts, not just to the pen.

To support this endeavor — and because it brings me great pleasure — there will also be a premium component to this newsletter that focuses more on hands-on activities, community events, and the mind games side of art.

That will take the form of a daily care package with art prompts, warmups, exercises, personal advice, and accountability check-ins. Share your progress with the community, join in some art games, and find the fun, all while helping to keep the core educational articles free for those in need.

Regardless of how you participate, I look forward to our time together, and I hope that my little corner of the internet can offer you some peace and clarity in these hard times.

With love,
Holland