Private Online Classes

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Looking for unique drawing classes for your child? If so, you are in luck! Using the power of this new fangled thing called the “in-ter-net”, I can teach live PRIVATE classes with your child(ren) using webcams and Zoom, either one on one or in a group, in the USA or Canada!

Many of these classes are 100% created by me, so you won’t find them anywhere else! REGISTRATION FORM at the bottom of page along with FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS!

PURCHASE GIFT CERTIFICATES

ONLINE CLASSES TAUGHT: (prices (US$) are per child)
Junior Kids Comic Workshop – Ages 6-7 (2 classes, 45 mins each – $40)

Beginner Kids Comic Workshop – Ages 8-11 (4* classes, 45 mins each – $80)

Advanced Kids Comic Workshop – Ages 12+ (4* classes, 45 mins each – $100)

Character Design – Ages 9+ (3 classes, 45 mins each – $60)

General Drawing Skills – Ages 7+ (1 class / 30 minutes – $20)
See FAQ below on what is taught. Can take multiple sessions.


HOW TO DRAW classes from various cartoons, movies and games. – Ages 6-11 (1 class / 30 minutes – $15) See FAQ below for complete list.
 
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT…
LEARNING PHOTOGRAPHY – Ages 10+++ (2 classes, 45 mins each – $50)

*=Four instructional classes PLUS one 15min consultation follow up to review comics made.
Prices listed are for the full course.

1) REGISTRATION is below. You have total control when class happens and you'll be able to pick the dates/times that work for your schedule inside the form. (Please note that younger kids typically are unable to have back to back classes in the same day.) To finalize registration, payment is mandatory and is built into the form. The system uses SQUARE.

2) The day before the first scheduled class, I will email you a link to connect to Zoom. Some classes will also have a PDF you need to print out for worksheets. You do not need an account to use Zoom!

1) A large screen display (laptop, desktop, tablet) so your child sees what I'm drawing. A camera on the device so I can see your child's work and give advice.

2) High speed internet is a must.

3) You must live in the United States or Canada. (For other countries, please CONTACT me. My credit card payment system might be able to work with your country!

4) Your child must speak English. (Sorry, that's all I know!)

5) You provide paper, pencils and other materials depending on class. I keep the supply list ultra simple. I will let you know what is needed after registration. I will also provide PDFs of worksheets to print for class, if needed.

6) For Photography class, you need a second device to shoot photos with. You can't use same device you are watching class with. Phones, Tablets and traditional cameras are acceptable.

JUNIOR KIDS COMIC WORKSHOP (Ages 6-7)
The Junior workshop introduces kids to the basics of comic creation. Simple facial expressions, speech bubbles, understanding characters, storytelling, and drawing a lot of comics!

BEGINNER KIDS COMIC WORKSHOP (Ages 8-11)
The Beginner workshop teaches kids the comic process in more depth. They’ll learn detailed facial expressions, more speech bubbles and how to use them, character design, motion lines, sound effects, panel composition, writing stories, and finally drawing a single, three panel, and six panel comic of their very own.

ADVANCED KIDS COMIC WORKSHOP (Ages 12+)
The Advanced workshop is aimed for older kids and goes even deeper in the comic making process. They will learn in depth character design, script writing, drawing techniques, shading, professional level speech bubbles, shot composition, panel layout and flow, thumbnailing, and a six page mini comic book as a final project.

CHARACTER DESIGN (Ages 9+)
This course focuses purely on character design and the techniques taught can apply to cartoon or realistic characters. Several principles will be taught, including facial proportions and expressions, character scale, height/weight variations, different profiles, giving expressions to things without a face, exaggeration and body language, simple skeletons, color palettes, silhouette comparisons, K.I.S.S. drawings, and ideas on how to make characters unique from one another.

"HOW TO DRAW" CLASSES (Ages 6-11)
These classes give step by step instruction in teaching characters from the following:

Adventure Time (Ages 7-11)
Amazing World Of Gumball (Ages 7-11)
Angry Birds (Ages 6-11)
Captain Underpants (Ages 6-9)
Cartoon Animals - Limited List (Ages 6-11)
Cartoon Dragon (Ages 6-11)
Cartoon Monsters (Ages 6-11)
Classic Disney (Ages 6-11)
Dogman (Ages 6-9)
Minecraft (Ages 7-11)
Pokemon (Ages 6-11)
Spongebob Squarepants (Ages 7-11)
Star Wars (Ages 7-11)
Teen Titans GO (Ages 7-11)

GENERAL DRAWING SKILLS CLASSES
These are traditional fundamental classes. There are many factors that go into these classes as each is individualized from child to child. They can learn anything from how to hold a pencil, line weight exercises, shading techniques, perspective, 2D design, balance, still life drawings, optical illusion art and so on, just to name a few.

PHOTOGRAPHY (Ages 10-76.5)
Teaches shot composition and framing, lighting, how cameras work, how to properly hold your device, editing photos, and much more! The course also includes time to critique photos that you've taken so you can become a better photographer!


 

WHAT PARENTS HAVE TO SAY…

“His lessons are content-rich and well organized.”

Todd impressed us from his first lesson with our son. His lessons are content-rich and well organized. My son’s knowledge of the process of cartooning has grown considerably under Todd’s guidance. I would highly recommend Todd to anyone interested in developing their cartooning skills.

Mike (Burlington, VT)
Advanced Kids Comic Workshop (Online Class)

“I’ve seen some real “a-ha” moments as my son starts to realize the details of the craft.”

My son loves the online one-on-one format — he says he can really concentrate and that Todd really teaches you how to do stuff! I love that a rural kid can have access to this level of art/design/story instruction – and I’ve seen some real “a-ha” moments as my son starts to realize the details of the craft.

Susan (Westmoreland, NH)
BEG Kids Comic Workshop (Online)

“Todd made each session a rich experience that has motivated our son to get to work!”

We took Todd’s comic book class online and it quickly became our son’s favorite day of the week. Todd gave him tools that he could use instantly and helped turn his interest into technique. Todd’s skill sets in illustration, along with his easy manner and good eye, made each session a rich experience that has motivated our son to get to work!

Scott (Shawnee, KS)
BEG Kids Comic Workshop (Online)

“I’m already excited about taking another class with Mr. Todd”

My son loved Todd’s online character design class. It was so convenient for him to take the class at home. After each class, he was filled with confidence and excitement about his drawings.

From son: “I learned a lot in Mr. Todd’s character design class. He explained everything really clearly, and we did a lot of drawing activities together. I feel like my comic drawing skills really improved from this class, and I’m already excited about taking another class with Mr. Todd.”

Karen (Gardner, MA)
Character Design (Online Class)

“My son said this was the best online class he has taken…”

“My son said this was the best online class he has taken (and he has taken a lot this past year). He learned concrete cartooning skills and had fun doing it. Todd was a great teacher and kept him engaged and making progress.”

Elizabeth (Kensington, CA)
BEG Kids Comic Workshop (Online)

“My son … feels more confident in his drawing abilities.”

My 11 year old son signed up for the online Beginner Kids Comic Workshop. It was terrific! The online process was seamless, as both Todd and my son could easily communicate and show each other their drawings throughout class. My son loved the style of comic drawing he learned, and feels more confident in his drawing abilities. Todd was encouraging, fun and a real expert. We are signing my son up for the advanced class and look forward to seeing him progress. I strongly recommend Todd’s classes!

Allison (Grand Rapids, MI)
BEG Kids Comic Workshop (Online)

“I really liked this comic class because Mr. Todd showed us very specifically each thing and let us try it on our own!”

I really appreciated Todd’s approach with my 10-year-old son and his friend. He spoke to them like adults, teaching them the fundamentals, giving them solid feedback on their comics and providing examples from his own real-world experience. My son had this to say: “I really liked this comic class because Mr. Todd showed us very specifically each thing and let us try it on our own!”

Shawna (Longmont, CO)
BEG Kids Comic Workshop (Online)

“Perfect for the young budding artist.”

“Todd’s Junior class online was great! Very engaging and straight to the interesting material. It was a very useful and compact course perfect for the young budding artist. I was amazed by how much was fit into just two 45 min sessions – basics of comic drawing, character design, and narrative structure. My daughter also appreciated the game-ification aspect! Todd also has a very personable style with young students. We look forward to taking more. Thanks Todd!”

Ryan (San Francisco, CA)
JR Kids Comic Workshop (Online Class)

“Todd explained concepts very clearly and provided the foundational skills of drawing that would apply to any type of art.”

My 13 year old son really enjoyed Todd’s online Character Design Class. This was the first formal drawing class he has done and found the class extremely helpful for building his drawing skills and supporting his growing interest in drawing. The online format was perfect. Todd explained concepts very clearly and provided the foundational skills of drawing that would apply to any type of art. My son has seen improvements in his drawing ability already and we are planning to continue with additional online classes.

Sonya (Bethesda, MD)
Character Design (Online Class)

“We absolutely recommend Todd’s class and plan to do another!”

My son is obsessed with comics: reading, writing, and drawing. Working with Todd helped him understand the mechanics of creation, from planning to final product, and he is churning out stories now. We absolutely recommend Todd’s class and plan to do another!

Amanda (Minneapolis, MN)
BEG Kids Comic Workshop (Online)

TODD HAS TAUGHT KIDS FROM...

REGISTRATION:

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Using the power of this new fangled thing called, "the in-ter-net", my online classes are effectively a live video phone call with your child. I use Zoom and a high speed internet connection, and with the help of a video switcher program, I have two cameras on my system that I show. One camera is facing down at my desk so your child can see what I'm drawing, and the other one aimed at me for back and forth conversations.

What you need to have for online classes with me and your child:

1) A device like a laptop, desktop, or tablet that has a webcam attached to it. This way I can see your child and their artwork so I can offer advice with what they are drawing. Mobile phones do not work for this as they are too small and your child won't be able to see what I'm teaching as easily.

2) High speed internet is a must.

Unfortunately, I cannot offer free classes as this is what I do for a living. If you are hesitant and want to see how I conduct classes and how it all works, a great starting point is to sign up to one of my many HOW TO DRAW classes. Those are only 30 mins long and US$15, so it's an easy entry point into seeing what I do.

For right now my classes are only taught to students in the United States and Canada. Please CONTACT me and tell me where you live and I'll see if I can work something out! The biggest hurdle to this is time zone differences and whether my credit card payment system will accept payments from your country.

For PRIVATE GROUP online classes, whoever is organizing this group class needs to fill out the registration form to start the process. There are options in there that will tell me this is a group class. You will pick a date/time in the registration process, and finally you will pay for your children.

Next, let the other families know what class you picked along with date and time. Then, every other family needs to fill out the registration form and select "Previously scheduled class." They will then enter your name in so I can connect the dots. They will then also select the class you picked and pay for their own children at that time.

Once everyone has registered I will email you all at once with further class information and we'll be good to go!

If you want to see what my availability is before registering, fill out the form till you get to the date/time picker screen. Here you will see what dates and time slots are available. You can then take this info to the other families to decide before you complete the form and submit it.

For my PRIVATE online classes (one on one or in a group) you get to pick the dates/times that work best for your schedule. I have held "online public" classes in the past where the date/time is pre-scheduled, but it's uncertain if I will bring those back.

My PRIVATE online classes don't have a limit on number of seats and are usually either one on one or in a small group, like your child and their friends.

These PRIVATE online classes are designed to work around your own schedule so you can pick the dates/times that work for you within the registration form.

Yes, sometimes there will be homework depending on what the class is. This is due to these online classes being condensed down from their "in person" versions. I cut out several things that wouldn't work in an online setting, so unfortunately that means sometimes your child will have to do some things on their own before the next class.

There is guaranteed homework in the Beginner and Advanced Kids Comic Workshop classes, but everything else has either nothing or very little.

Ideally you want to be somewhere where the internet is reliable and is in a quiet room. This won't work if you are in a public place that is noisy and has a sketchy internet connection. (like a hotel room, for example.)

You will need one device to watch class on (laptop, etc), and a second device to take photos with (phones, tablets, traditional cameras, etc.) You cannot use the same device for both.

If using a phone or tablet you will also be provided with a link to download a photo editor app to learn about editing your photos.

Please feel free to CONTACT ME with any questions or concerns you have about my online classes!

If you need to reschedule a session, you must do so no later than 24 hours before your class.

I will then work with you on finding a replacement date/time. If you don't reschedule before 24 hours, or forget about class entirely, you will be invoiced for an additional makeup session. For my Comic Workshop and Character Design courses, you will be pro-rated for the reschedule. For How To Draw and General Drawing Skills classes, you will be charged a full single class fee.

In order to get a refund for your classes you need to cancel no later than one week before the first session begins. There are no refunds if it's after that point or after the first session has already taken place. This is because the chances of me being able to refill those time slots at short notice is much lower.

PLEASE NOTE: If the reason is a scheduling conflict, I am more than willing to work with you to reschedule the times/dates you picked to find something else that works.

In either case, please CONTACT me!

My site will email you a reminder that class is about to happen a couple of hours before each session. This will be the only notification you will get from me, so please add the dates/times you registered for into your calendar.

In the event you are not home when class starts, please DO NOT rely on your child (and sometimes spouse) to remember when to log in. This rarely ever works out, trust me.

Please refer to the "WHAT IF WE MISSED A CLASS?" question in case you did miss a session.

If you know you're running late for a scheduled session, please CONTACT me and let me know! Please note that many of my classes are booked back to back, so if you show up late, we will still be ending the class at the scheduled time.

I have a 10 minute grace period where I will wait for you before logging out. If you haven't contacted me before hand to let me know you are running late, we'll have to reschedule.

I will then work with you on finding a replacement date/time. If you forget about class entirely, you will be invoiced for an additional makeup session. For my Comic Workshop and Character Design courses, you will be pro-rated for the reschedule. For How To Draw and General Drawing Skills classes, you will be charged a full single class fee.

Todd will stay logged into the link he provided you and will give you a ten minute window before he logs out.

In the event you missed a class, whether due to an emergency or just plain forgot, you will be invoiced for an additional makeup session and he will email you to reschedule a new date/time.

For my Comic Workshop and Character Design courses, you will be pro-rated for the reschedule. For How To Draw and General Drawing Skills classes, you will be charged a full single class fee.