My mentored journey started right before the most trying period of my life began, when both of my parents passed away. Drawing was one of the few things that helped me bear the weight of that devastating event; it provided the quite gradual healing, and your companionship, encouragement, and optimistic attitude were indispensable in that process. I, of course, also learned a lot from you about drawing specifically and the world of art language in general.
I didn’t have any expectations as to the level of drawing skills I would acquire, but with consistent effort and your patient and careful guidance, I managed to improve rapidly in a relatively short period. At your encouragement, I found myself entering into competitions alongside very talented and accomplished artists and having my work recognized with awards. That was quite surreal 🙂
Our journey together has been very productive, collaborative, rewarding, and educational. I am a better artist thanks to your invaluable insight and expertise. I learned to think about expressing my feelings in every artwork that I attempted, and I owe that change of perspective to you, who always reminded me that each artwork should start with an idea.
My art journey began when I enrolled in one of the drawing courses on Udemy.com. It was thrilling to reconnect with my passion for art which always had a special place in my heart but sadly didn’t evolve into anything serious. Instead, I studied Economics and Computer Information Systems and ended up working in IT.
The course that I chose was quite easy to follow but there was no communication with the instructor. The students were just left to discover on their own relying on each other’s feedback rather than on qualified artists’ opinions. This situation led me to search for another drawing course in 2018. I selected The Complete Beginners Drawing and Shading course by Cindy Wider. The material was very well-designed, thorough, and engagingly presented. It started with simple concepts of the construction drawing and 2-D shapes as opposed to jumping right into human features and 3-D forms. Another thing that made this course stand out was active communication with the instructor, Cindy Wider. She responded and reacted to all the posts made in her Facebook group dedicated to this drawing course. Cindy came across as a very genuine and gentle person who was committed to helping people learn how to draw regardless of their artistic background and level of proficiency.
I had been working on this new course on and off for close to three years and managed to get through only halfway. I found it difficult to stay motivated and committed. I believe it was because at the end of each project there was still no certainty in the level of the achieved result.
Even with Cindy’s active support on Facebook, I felt like I need a more personalized approach to learning. I was happy to find out that Cindy offered a mentorship program personally and when an open spot opened up I jumped at the opportunity in August 2021.
I can say that it was the best decision on my art journey. Thanks to Cindy’s careful guidance and dedicated support, I feel like my drawing skills have improved dramatically in a relatively short span of time. There is no more blundering in the dark 🙂 Cindy’s feedback and video reviews are very clear, helpful, and encouraging which makes the process of learning enjoyable and relaxing. I am looking forward to every project and know that Cindy is there every step of the way to provide her support and expert advice.
