Stan Prokopenko and Marshall Vandruff are art instructors. If you love the arts, particularly the craft of drawing and painting and image-making… and you want to level up your skills or even make a living with your skills, we are here to answer your questions. We’re here to offer you advice, refer you to our resources, share your love of the craft and maybe inspire you! Learn to Draw - www.proko.com Marshall Vandruff - www.marshallart.com Stan Prokopenko - instagram.com/stanprokopenko Privac ...
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Stan and Marshall discuss how the art industry is always changing, facing challenges like economic downturns, tech advances, and shifts in consumer behavior and the importance for artists to adapt to survive. Industries go through cycles, and the art world is no different. Stay resilient, improve your skills, and be open to new ways of working, lik…
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Long-term projects require dedication, focus, and patience, often starting with a big goal and breaking it into smaller, manageable tasks. Marshall and Stan discuss the crucial way to stay motivated by celebrating small wins and maintaining a balance between work and rest to avoid burnout. Collaboration can help, but knowing when to delegate is key…
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Marshall and Stan discuss the importance of cinematic perspective in storytelling, emphasizing how camera placement, movement, lighting, and color can influence the audience's emotions and perceptions. By manipulating these elements, artists can create dynamic and engaging narratives. They also touched on the contrast between continuity and dialect…
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Are You Ready to Become a Comics Professional? Marvel and Proko Collaboration
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In this special SDCC panel, Stan is joined by Marvel artists and instructors from the course to share their personal journeys and offer advice for aspiring comic book artists. Learn what it takes to become a professional comic artist straight from the experts themselves. Find out how long it took them to get their break at Marvel, why they create c…
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Stephen Bauman on Going From Graffiti to Fine Art
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This episode follows painter Stephen Bauman's journey from graffiti artist to fine art professional. He discusses his beginnings tagging buildings in Miami, training at the prestigious Florence Academy, and developing his artistic skills and philosophy. Bauman provides insights into mastering figure drawing, finding inspiration, judging good art, a…
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Glenn Vilppu on Mastering Fundamentals and Developing Your Artistic Voice
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Legendary artist and instructor Glenn Vilppu sits down for an intimate discussion on his artistic journey, sharing wisdom and advice for mastering fundamentals like gesture drawing and developing your own artistic voice. Vilppu explains his training under old master artists and transition from painting to animation, emphasizing imagination over imi…
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Aaron Blaise on Traditional Animation, Disney, and Creating CreatureArtTeacher
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Former Disney animator Aaron Blaise discusses his rapid journey to animating major characters at 21, losing his wife and leaving Disney, and starting an art education website to pass on artistic knowledge. Blaise also talks about his lifelong obsession with drawing animals, gaining inspiration from mentor Glen Keane, and the traditional hand-drawn …
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Steve Huston on Figure Drawing, Artistic Philosophies and Teaching Art
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This interview with Steve Huston covers his journey from comic books to fine art painting, his unique style combining realism with abstract expressionism, and his insights on figure drawing. Steve explains his mastery of lighting and form, approach to conveying emotion through art, and thoughts on engaging audiences. He also covers some of his arti…
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Karl Kopinski on Discipline, Sketching, and Making it as a Freelance Illustrator
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This interview with illustrator Karl Kopinski covers his artistic journey, from early influences like fantasy novels and biology books to honing his skills at Games Workshop. Karl provides an inside look at freelancing for big brands like Magic: The Gathering and Netflix, building an accidental social media following thanks to his wife's encouragem…
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Reilly Method and Advanced Fundamentals with Jeff Watts
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Jeff Watts is the founder of the Watts Atelier and Stan's art instructor. Stan recently got to invite him into the Proko studio to film a special Draftsmen podcast where they discuss his own artistic journey, the elusive Reilly method, and more. If you want to learn more about the Reilly Method, check out Jeff’s new course on Proko. You’ll learn th…
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Marshall and Stan give their thoughts about the book The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups. Skull sketchbook samples - https://www.proko.com/course-lesson/s4e2/notes Kim Jung Gi memorial sketchbook samples - https://www.proko.com/course-lesson/s4e2/notes MC Escher - https://static.proko.com/media/images/stan/draftsmen-s4-e2-mc-e…
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Why Be An Artist When There's AI?
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A lot of things in the art world have changed since the last time Marshall and I talked, perhaps nothing more so than AI art. More and more artists are wondering what this emerging technology means for them. That’s why, in this episode, Marshall and I will catch up and discuss the current landscape of AI art, its ethics, and potential uses. Btw, th…
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Stan and Marshall are here to address the many creative blocks posed in the last episode of Draftsmen, and provide long-awaited solutions. The two discuss ways to get over creative blocks, be they cultural, emotional, or otherwise. Learn how to recognize and grow past your limits and continue on your creative journey. Show Links (some contain affil…
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What’s Blocking YOUR Creativity?
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Sometimes it can be difficult to get your creative juices flowing. Using two books, How to Be More Creative by David D. Edwards and Fishing for Elephants by Larry Moore as touchstones, Stan and Marshall discuss some of the most common creative blockages, where they come from, and what impact they can have on artists. Show Links (some contain affili…
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Stan and Marshall take their long-awaited trip to the Getty Museum in Los Angeles! Hang out with the two as they walk through the museum, and later discuss art, museum-going etiquette, best options for museum buddies, and much more. Show Links (some contain affiliate links): Cesar Santos - https://proko.com/251 Bouguereau A Young Girl Defending Her…
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Once upon a time, two podcasters, Stan and Marshall, sat down to discuss the complex art of storytelling, and how to do it right. The two chatted about what makes stories work, and the process, principles, and components that go into successful stories. The End. Show Links (some contain affiliate links): Kristian’s Sketchy Van Podcast: https://link…
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Stan and Marshall sit down with industry veterans Brian Murray and Dan Fraga to discuss the art of storyboarding! Brian and Dan reveal how they each got their start in the industry, the craft itself, and offer some tips on how prospective artists can get a leg up in this competitive business. The group also talks about how this advice applies to ar…
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Persistence, Getting Back Into Art, and Marketing Yourself
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Stan and Marshall are here to answer some more of your pressing art-related questions from the last batch of voicemails ever. The two address topics like the importance of persistence, what to focus on after school, graphite versus charcoal, and the age-old conundrum surrounding the graceful acceptance of positive feedback. Show Links (some contain…
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All good things must come to an end, and podcasts are no exception. The Draftsmen podcast is coming to a close-- but that doesn’t mean Stan and Marshall’s friendship is! The two reminisce over the laughs, deep discussions, and favorite moments they’ve had together over the course of the podcast. Then, they talk about the future and what new adventu…
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Getting YOUR Work in a Gallery
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Join Stan and Marshall in their conversation with Ben Zhu, a former student of Marshall’s who also happens to be the founder, owner, and curator of Gallery Nucleus. Ben has years of experience as an artist and gallery owner, so he also has an abundance of wisdom to share with artists looking to get their work into a gallery. He’ll tell you how you …
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What is talent? Are we born with it, or can it be nurtured and encouraged in anyone? This time, Stan and Marshall are back in the Draftsmen studio to talk about Daniel Coyle’s book, The Talent Code. They talk about how to grow your own talent, ways to practice, and how to change your mindset to help yourself flourish. Show Links (some contain affil…
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Epiphanies are an important but elusive part of the creative process. Marshall and Stan discuss the different types of epiphanies that they’ve experienced throughout their lives, the importance of those realizations, and pitfalls one can run into in the pursuit of an epiphany. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…
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Bad Art Advice, Making Prints, and Moving for Your Career
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You’ve got more questions, and Stan and Marshall have more answers! In this episode, the two tackle questions about postgraduate training, bad advice for beginner artists, getting over anxiety about entering art school as an older artist, making prints of your artwork, moving for your career, and searching for good resources for studying perspectiv…
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Embracing Your Outdoor Studio
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Learn plein air painting from Stan! He talks about his plein air experiences, how the outdoors can be a powerful method to help you capture colors, and how it can force you to make important artistic decisions while working under time constraints imposed by nature. You’ll also hear the two discuss the pros and cons of working outdoors versus painti…
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Is it possible to have too much art? A listener’s question forces Stan and Marshall to conduct a thought experiment on the topic, making them ponder and interpret if there really should be such a limit. The discussion then transforms to how artists and art appreciators can come to terms with whatever the answer may be. Call and Ask Your Art Questio…
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Stan and Marshall took your calls live for Lightbox 2021! Here's the advice they had for listeners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesAf Stan Prokopenko and Marshall Vandruff
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Marshall and Stan sit down to talk about one of the scariest, but most important things an artist needs to learn: How to fail, and how to use that failure to succeed. Not only do the two discuss the importance of failing and landing back on your feet, they also chat about how to pivot from a failure, creating situations where failing is okay, keepi…
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Best Cities for Artists, Online Resources, and Self-Education
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This week, Stan and Marshall are back to answer some of the questions impacting you! The dynamic duo tackles topics ranging from the importance of art communities, and where to find them, building rituals and habits, and finding the right resources for self-taught artists. They also unpack ways to balance edgy art with marketable work and discuss w…
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Study Art Like You’re Playing A Video Game
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Our guest this week is animation and gaming industry veteran Flint Dille! He’s been involved in a wide range of projects from the 80s animated Transformers movie to games like Diablo III and Pokemon GO. We sit down with Flint to find out how artists can use methods valued in game design and writing to take their study routine and education to the n…
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Having difficulties figuring out how much to charge for your art? Do you feel like you’re undervaluing yourself and your work? There’s a lot that goes into pricing and selling fine art. We’ll show you how to break down the process into stages, and share a variety of ways we’ve found to negotiate and determine prices for your art. You’ll then get to…
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Horror Art, Shadow Shapes, and Mentor Friendships
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It’s that time again! Marshall and Stan are back to answer some of your burning questions about artist and mentor friendships, horror art, getting your foot in the door as an instructor at Universities, balancing your interests and marketability, dealing with regret in an art career, finding fun alongside study, pricing commissions, and understandi…
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Creativity Insights Artists can Pull from Writers
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This week, Marshall talks to Stan about how artists can borrow from a writer’s toolbox of exercises and thought processes and use them in their work. Using Gabriele Rico’s book “Writing the Natural Way” as a starting point, the two talk about techniques that can help boost creativity and help artists develop exciting work. Learn how to brainstorm m…
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The Psychology of Performance - Draftsmen S3E15
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Marshall interviews the clinical performance psychologist Dr. Eddie O’Connor, whose course “The Psychology of Performance: How to Be Your Best in Life,” was the subject of repeated references throughout season 1 of Draftsmen. They discuss the course, and Dr. Eddie shares valuable tips to help overcome anxiety surrounding your work as an artist and …
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Expressionism - Draftsmen S3E14
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Stan and Marshall discuss the importance of understanding expressionism and the purposeful rule breaking that comes with the territory. They both examine the work of notable expressionists like Kandinsky and Mondrian, and share their own personal experiences and opinions on the movement. Marshall also includes a few exercises that can help you disc…
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Marshall sits with Stan to chat about the wonderful world of cartooning. They spend time defining what a cartoon is, looking at some of the history and cultural differences behind cartoons and reviewing some work from famous cartoon artists. You’ll also hear some of the skills an artist would need to hone in order to be a good cartoonist. Call and …
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Flow States, Thinking in Pictures, and Abstract Figures - S3E12
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We return to answering voicemails left by listeners! In this episode Marshall and Stan dive into a range of topics from entering the “Flow State” to thinking in words vs images, the tools for perseverance, when it’s appropriate to remove a piece from your portfolio and more! If you have an art question that you’d like us to answer, call 1-858-609-9…
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Live Call-in Show! June 30th 12pm PDT - Draftsmen Hangout
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We're going live again and taking more questions from the community! This time we'll be taking live voice calls via Discord. We will start at 12pm PDT June 30th. HOW IT WORKS: Join the Draftsmen LIVE Discord In Discord, post your question in the #questions channel and then hop into the #WaitingRoom voice channel. If a mod likes your question, you w…
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Find Your Strengths - S03E11
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Special thanks to BetterHelp and Indeed for sponsoring today’s episode. Get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at https://www.betterhelp.com/draftsmen Get a $75 credit by visiting our sponsor at https://www.indeed.com/draftsmen In this episode, Marshall and Stan discuss the topic of identifying one's strengths and how to utilize it to…
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This Artist Got His Own Animated Film on Netflix! - Draftsmen S3E10
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Marshall reconnects with his friend Chris Appelhans to discuss his journey from working as an artist on movies like Monster House and Coraline to writing and directing his first animated and independent feature film, Wish Dragon. Chris tells his story on how he came to the realization he wanted to get into animation, how his time living in China in…
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An old comment from a previous episode prompts Marshall and Stan to crack open their old sketchbooks. This week the two discuss what sketches are, the value and purpose behind having sketchbooks, and how sketchbooks influence an artist’s growth. There’s also plenty of sketches that Marshall and Stan share from their own personal sketchbooks. Show L…
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Going Live! May 31st 12pm PDT - Draftsmen Hang Out and Q&A
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Submit Your Questions at https://proko.com/512! Marshall and I will be going live! Drop in and ask us questions while we hang out and celebrate the launch of Proko 2.0! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesAf Stan Prokopenko and Marshall Vandruff
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Concept Art - Draftsmen S3E08
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Start living a happier life today. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/draftsmen Get started right now with a FREE $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post at Indeed.com/DRAFTSMEN To get your new wireless plan for just $15 a month, and get the plan shipped to your door for FREE, go t…
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Developing an Illustration - Draftsmen S3E07
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In today’s episode, Marshall and Stan discuss the process of developing longform artwork, from thumbnail to final. They both share their personal process for creating a complex work, the different methods other famous artists use, the stages of the development process, and the importance of working from macro to micro. Special thanks to Manscaped a…
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The Key to Great Creature Designs ft. Terryl Whitlatch - Draftsmen S3E06
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Creature design artist Terryl Whitlatch is behind some of entertainment’s iconic characters like Jar Jar Binks from Star Wars. She joins Marshall to talk about her career path, going from amateur to professional, her artistic influences and her time working for Lucasfilm on Star Wars Episode 1. Call and Ask Your Art Questions: 1-858-609-9453 Learn …
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Can this Book Make You Famous? - Draftsmen S3E05
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Stan makes a special announcement and Marshall gives an in-depth review for a book called Hit Makers. It focuses on the science behind popularity and it provides artists with some info on some of the key ingredients you’ll need to make something a “hit”. You’ll also learn how to figure out what your customers want and how to get it to them and the …
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James Gurney’s Self-Education Journey - Draftsmen S3E04
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James Gurney is our podcast guest this week! He’s the creator behind Dinotopia and the author of “Color and Light” and “Imaginative Realism”. James talks with us about how he was able to succeed with his own art education and how it deviated from traditional art schools. We also take a look at popular art books that you can study from, try to imagi…
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NFTs, Art, and the End of the World - Draftsmen S3E03
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Get ready to jump into the Metaverse as Stan takes a deep dive into explaining NFTs to Marshall. Stan gives his overview of blockchain technology, why some people associate NFTs with a pyramid scheme, how others think it will revolutionize the digital art world, and what can be done to improve the space for artists and the environment. DISCLAIMER: …
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Scribble to Discover - Draftsmen S3E02
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Scribbling in your art can be an excellent starting point, or a disastrous dead end. In today’s episode, Marshall and Stan discuss how scribbling can reveal fresh ideas, how scribbling relates to categorizing thoughts, and how their training shaped the way they draw today. Call and Ask Your Art Questions: 1-858-609-9453 Thanks to Mint Mobile and Be…
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How to Shape Your Art Career - Draftsmen S3E01
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Stan and Marshall are back with a new season of the Draftsmen Podcast! This time they are looking at different career paths for artists: Employees, Freelancers, and Entrepreneurs. They discuss the pros and cons of these different career options as well as their varying levels of independence. They also discuss how to speed up the process of learnin…
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It’s the last episode of the season! Before Stan and Marshall go on break they share with you some of their favorite books that they recommend reading. Some of them are art related, business, marketing, fiction, and self help books. If you’re interested in picking up any of these check out the full list of books below. Answer the Survey - proko.com…
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