ALL THESE LOVELY NEW INTERACTIVE CLASSES...BUT...

[Kasey Snow]

I'm so excited! Thanks for all of the news @Lisa-F and @Lee-White !! Can't wait!

[Miriam]

@lee-white
I'm looking forward to it! I love the hair blowing out into leaves.

[Cory Shaw]

@lee-white Ooh, can't wait to see the painting video.

[carriecopadraws]

@lee-white
Thanks for the teaser image, I was on the fence about subscribing for another month because I watched most of the library, but I'd really like to see this video!

[Lee White]

@carriecopa I'm glad you brought that up. I want to make a suggestion on how to best use SVS.

We have a lot of students that sign up, then they binge watch everything (Note: not saying that you did this! Just speaking in general).

To get the most out of these videos, I suggest watching only 2 or 3 and the doing a ton of work in that area. You could spend 6 months just doing the environments, then another 6 months making a picture book dummy based on will and jake's class. In other words, watching videos is not the same thing as learning from the videos. If you guys really use the videos correctly, it could take a few years to get through them all.

[Lee White]

We will be releasing a lot of new videos this year. Many with famous illustrators. Sterling Hundley is making 2 videos for us which should be amazing. Lot's of stuff coming out this year.

We may also have some live workshops at our studio in utah this summer! We are working out the details now...

[Andy Gray]

@lee-white i'm doing it slightly differently. I exercise each morning (road bike on a turbo during the winter...so pretty boring if not sweaty! I am sure you wanted to know that) so plug into the videos. learn along the way, but then go back and rewatch the parts I need, or make notes which I then seek to apply across my work. Kind of like a library I am subscribed to. Can't help now though looking at images and shouting 'tangent...edge...design...'... wonder if I am developing something of an illness here....

[Lee White]

@andy-gray we all have an illness. It's called Illustrators Affliction. That is where a tangent or poorly drawn pose causes you to spontaneously cry. : )

[Lee White]

@andy-gray note, we are talking about starting a weekly podcast soon which might work well for your rides!

[holleywilliamson]

@lee-white a weekly podcast sounds amazing!

[demotlj]

@lee-white I’d love a weekly podcast. I learn as much from listening to the teachers talking among themselves about their art as from the lessons themselves.

[Andy Gray]

@lee-white it'll have to be 45 mins long then. Just saying (cue extreme laughter emoji). And I get illustrators affliction. Though mine is usually with regards to 'the other eye' syndrome. (is there a cure for that?)

[evilrobot]

@lee-white I'd love a podcast that would be awesome!!

[Miriam]

@lee-white
Thanks for this suggestion / explanation.

I've realized this for myself. I'm excited to watch more classes, but decided that I need to get the basics down better before moving on to other things.

I actually looked for this kind of instruction on the main SVS pages (it's what I thought I'd get on the "How it Works" page), but I didn't find anything to point me in the right direction & was a little disappointed not to find any helpful hints.

I think it would be good to have a page with these kind of suggestions (as well as info about using the forums, Third Thursdays, the monthly contests, etc.) on a page titled "Welcome", "Orientation", "Where to start", "How to get the most out of SVS", or something along those lines, along with including the info on the "Welcome" email (or at least a link to that page).

I know I'm not the only one who has been wanting more direction starting out. For a beginner, it's hard to know which classes to take first. I have seen a list for suggested order of classes here on the forums. I would include that on the page & email to new subscribers as well.

It would also be nice to have a short "Welcome" or "Orientation" video to go along with this info.

I appreciate how you guys keep working to make SVS better for everyone, and are great about responding to posts & answering questions!

[Will Terry]

@miriam It's coming - it's a daunting task but we're up for the challenge. This has actually been on our radar for about 18 months. We are re-committed to getting it out to you guys. We aren't going to do it half way either - it's going to be done right and because we want to do it right we're having to write dozens of class descriptions for classes we do not currently have on our site. Organizing this is fun but it's taking more time than we thought. Thanks for your patience!

[PamM]

@will-terry Thanks! That will be so helpful to have.

[Miriam]

@will-terry
"taking more time than we thought" Isn't that always the way it goes?!

The new curriculum page is great! On another forum thread, Lee said he'd work on a page with the other welcome / how to use SVS info that will have a link on the curriculum page. I think it will be extremely helpful, especially for the newer members.

I appreciate all the work you guys put into SVS and helping your students!