Drawing Lab

Basic Drawing Skills for Creativity & Productivity

The Scribbles Institute Drawing Lab lessons are perfect for teachers, students, parents, retirees, business owners, artists, designers, engineers, corporate executives—anyone with the desire to learn basic drawing skills for everyday life.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic our studio location in Santa Cruz had to permanently close in 2020. But we look forward to doing Drawing Lab workshops at select locations in 2025.

To see highlights of Drawing Lab students from 2009-2020, please watch our little video.

Meantime, you can start drawing with Rob through your Premium Membership…

Premium Membership

Please scroll down to learn more about our popular Drawing Lab program:

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Your Customized Learning Path

Drawing Lab is a safe environment for creativity and collaboration. Learn at your own pace. Develop skills, techniques, and strategies as you learn to draw with confidence.

Here’s how it works:

What You'll Learn in Drawing Lab
Level 1: Explore! Core Skills (4, 2-hour studio sessions): Gripping the pencil, blocking in shapes, measuring proportions, and perceiving space. Beginners–especially those who think they can’t draw–quickly gain confidence in our fun, informative sessions. Learn to make drawing your new habit!

Level 2: Experiment! Ignite your passion to draw. Develop core skills and strategies (4, 2-hour studio sessions) while learning to use different media (graphite, charcoal, pastels, ink, watercolor), drawing papers, and techniques. You are introduced to basic principles in composition as you learn to draw from observation and the imagination. Begin investigating areas of interest in drawing such as sketchbooks, illustration, design, and animation.

Learn to draw with confidence!

Level 3: Express! You’re on fire! Hone your core skills as we help you to find and express your voice through the language of drawing. Whether it’s more intensive studies in realism or surrealism, concept art or fine art, the Scribbles Institute Drawing Lab provides the guidance and tools for drawing out your inner artist. Many of our Level 3 sketchers have been drawing with us for several years!

Adult Drawing Lab

Whether you want to draw with charcoal on paper or with a stylus on an iPad, the Adult Drawing Lab is for you. Small class size ensures plenty of personal attention from your drawing coach. Refreshments are served.

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Wednesday evening Adult Drawing Lab sessions: Level 1 (beginner): 6-8pm, Level 2: 6:30-8:30pm, Level 3: 6:30-8:30pm. Sessions are ongoing so you can start on any Wednesday.

Youth Drawing Lab

For young artists (13-17 years) who want to learn fundamental observational drawing skills. Small class size ensures that each sketcher gets personal attention with their particular lesson.

Level 1 youth students begin with our 4-week Core Skills program. During the next 4 weeks, at Level 2, we continue students’ core skill-building, introduce various drawing techniques. At Level 3 we continue customizing each student’s learning path as they hone their core observational skills and explore areas of interest such as abstraction, realism, concept art, and illustration.

Youth Design Team

Drawing is your kid’s super power! Does your teenager love to fill sketchbook pages with drawings and fantastic ideas? Are they serious about improving their drawing skills and exploring ways to apply their skills in everyday life, possibly even a career? Then check our exclusive program for self-motivated youth sketchers.

After students satisfy our Level 3 Drawing Lab observational drawing skill requirements (8 weeks), they are eligible to join Youth Design Team. Students are guided in pursuing their own areas of interest such as concept art, animation, and fine art.

Sessions are ongoing and include all materials except iPad. (We do have an iPad available if student wishes to explore drawing apps.) Sketchbooks are required. Prerequisite: Level 3 Drawing Lab at the Scribbles Institute. Group size: Limited to 6 youth participants. Ages: 13-17 years.

Here is more information about our policies and program details:

Youth Design Team Program

Draw With Your Kids

The family that draws together, has fun together! Our Draw With Your Kids program (7-12 years old, and parent) teaches a meaningful approach to exploring and applying your child’s innate desire to draw. Parents and kids learn fundamental skills such as gripping the pencil, drawing with lines and shapes, observational drawing, and sketching 3D objects.

Thursday evening Draw With Your Kids sessions: Levels 1,2,3: 6-8pm. Sessions are ongoing so you can start on any Thursday. Draw With Your Kids class size is limited to 4 parents, 1 child each. Open to all beginners. Minimum age of children is 7 years old. Refreshments are served.

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Learning to draw from life is… well… what does that smile tell you?

Connect With Rob!

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Drawing For Work, School, Enjoyment