Learn to draw the human figure
Figure fundamentals is a 10 week life drawing course focussed on the human figure. Over 10 weeks we'll go through the core fundamental skills and a simple step by step approach to drawing human figures that look natural, believable, and alive. This course is open to everyone, beginners looking for a place to start and more experienced artists looking to enhance their practice.
Figure fundamentals is taught by Bren in collaboration with NuDD HK
Learn to draw! Numbers are limited. Book a class
Designed for beginners and experienced or intermediate artists
This is a course designed for beginners and intermediate artists already familiar with life drawing. If you're uncomfortable holding a pencil or have only drawn stick figures and don't know where to start learning, this course is a great starting point. For more experienced or intermediate artists this course will help you sharpen your skills and improve. Likewise if you want or discuss your practice with a friendly professional then you are very welcome to join.
Fundamental drawing skills, step by step
This course is focussed on drawing, in black and white, using traditional materials. Together we'll learn and develop the basic fundamentals for successful figure drawing, covering in detail observation, gesture, structure, some perspective, and shading. We'll start with some basic 2 dimensional line drawings and finish the course with students completing more finished, three dimensional renderings with shading.
The course will be focussed on figure drawing, but the aim of the course is to give you a strong set of foundational skills and approaches which you can use to draw anything, using any medium. The aim is for everyone who attends to feel confident completing a 10 minute figure drawing in any life drawing session on their own. You'll improve your observational skills, your drawing skills, and your hand eye coordination.
A ten week step by step course, starting January 2026
Over 10 weeks we'll cover the basic fundamental skills requires for successful drawing. Each week is focussed on a different subject, designed to help beginners progress from simple stick figures to polished, believable, rendered drawings.
This course is focussed on obersational life drawing, however the approach and skills I teach will give you a strong foundation to draw anything from observation and imagination.
Week 1: Gesture
Saturday 10th January
In week 1 we'll discuss how we capture a full pose quickly and easily as a gesture. We'll discuss how we can capture movement and energy in as few lines as possible. This is the core fundamental skill required to make our drawings look dynamic, alive, and believable.
Week 2: Landmarks on the body
Saturday 17th January
In week 2 we'll learn how to identify some very simple anatomical details we can see on the body, and how we can use them to understand a pose and the figures proportions. Quickly identifying some key landmarks on the body will help us observe and understand the figure.
Week 3: Proportions and measuring
Saturday 24th January
Proportions are something all artists struggle with, and can be daunting. We'll go a simple system for understanding human proportions in a way that is simple, and how we can measure what we observe to check our proportions.
Week 4: Balance and movement
Saturday 31st January
Making our figures look balanced is key to capturing figure poses that look natural. We'll discuss how weight is distributed through the body and how we can make sure our figures look like they're not falling over.
Week 5: Rhythm
Saturday 7th February
A good understanding of rhythm can be used to enhance our gestures to make our drawings look more believable, while leading the eye through a composition. Understanding rhythm will help us draw figures that flow nicely and look alive, while providing a framework for more advanced topics like structure and shading.
Week 6: Head and torso, three blocks
Saturday 14th February
The head, chest and hips are the three largest masses in the body. By understanding their relationship and how we can simplify them we can start to make our figures look more three dimensional and solid.
Week 7: Twisting and turning
Saturday 21st February
A natural tendancy of making the figure look three dimensional is to make our figures look stiff and rigid. We'll discuss how understanding the twists and turns in the body we can keep the dynamism of our gesture drawing while keeping our drawings solid.
Week 8: Structure and Simplification
Saturday 28th February
In week 8 we'll focus on how we can make our figures look three dimensional, including the limbs, while using gesture and rhythm as a guide to help us. We'll cover some simple forms which can help us draw anything, not just the human figure.
Week 9: Foreshortening
Saturday 7th March
Foreshortening is something everyone struggles with, as it requires us to draw the figure in perspective. Often with foreshortened poses there's a lot of the figure we can't see. We'll do a deep dive into how perspective affects proportions and how we can use rhythm and simple forms to draw successful foreshorted poses that look dynamic, believable, and interesting.
Week 10: Shading
Saturday 14th March
The course ends by covering how we can render and polish our drawings to make them look complete. We'll discuss how light interacts with forms to create shading, and how to apply tone to make drawings that look three dimensional and polished.
Learn to draw in a fun, friendly environment. All are welcome!
All students get free printed learning resources when attending a session. You can choose the sessions that are most convenient to you, there's no requirement to book all 10 weeks.
If you're unsure or have any questions about the course, please contact us!
Demonstrations and individual, tailored feedback for all participants
I'l be giving two demonstrations in each class, one at the start and one halfway through class too, where I'll explain an approach or technique in detail and take questions.
After each demonstration you'll do some drawing, while I'll be spending time with each participant. I'll be giving feedback and advice tailored to you personally, as well as taking any questions you may have. Every participant will get some one on one coaching on their drawing and art.
In person at the NuDD studio in To Kwa Wan, Hong Kong
This is an in person course run by NuDD (Nude Drink Draw) in To Kwa Wan, Hong Kong.
We'll be drawing every Saturday afternoon for 10 weeks from 10th January 2026, in a large, clean, comfortable air-conditioned space in the Merit Industrial Building in To Kwa Wan, approx a 10 minute walk from the local MTR station.
Learn to draw! Numbers are limited. Book a class
Directions to the NuDD Studio
Start from Pau Chung Street and turn right onto Sheung Heung Road. Then turn left into To Kwa Wan Road. The entrance to the building is on Ma Hang Chung Road.
Bus: 106, 107, 28M, 85X
Free printed guides for all students
Printed guides summarising the lesson will be provided to all students for free as a learning reference to take home and work from, if desired. These are intended to help attendees develop their drawing skills in their own time. We all live busy lives with professional and personal commitments, and remembering everything from a single two hour session can be challenging. These simple guides are intended as a reference to help reinforce and remember everything we've covered in class.
Learn to draw in a fun, friendly environment. All are welcome!
All students get free printed learning resources when attending a session. You can choose the sessions that are most convenient to you, there's no requirement to book all 10 weeks.
If you're unsure or have any questions about the course, please contact us!
About Bren, your teacher
Bren is a full time artist, illustrator, and designer from London, now living in Hong Kong. As an artist with a high degree of technical skill, his art practice is rooted in a love of the craft of drawing. Bren has exhibited work in both London and Hong Kong, and his illustrations have been published in several anthologies in the UK.
Bren strongly believes that art and creating art should be accessible for everyone and anyone, regardless of background or circumstances.
You can follow Bren on Instagram, and view his illustration work on his website.
About Nude Drink Draw
Founded in 2016, NuDD (Nude, Drink & Draw) has organised over 200 unique life drawing workshops and events to date. NuDD takes the traditional life drawing experience and infuses it with a vibrant, lighthearted spirit. Rather than a staid, serious atmosphere, we encourage a more playful, whimsical approach. We work with a diverse array of performing artists, from dancers to fashion designers, to create thematic drawing sessions that foster an imaginative, interactive environment.
What truly sets NuDD apart is our strong emphasis on community, creativity, and an accepting, non-judgmental attitude. There's no pressure for technical perfection - the focus is on the joy of drawing from life and the shared experience. Through our unique approach, NuDD provides artists a refreshingly spirited space to explore figure drawing in an uninhibited way.
You can keep up to date with the latest events from NuDD via their Instagram and BookWhen page
Learning to draw feels hard. It doesn't have to be.
I wanted to design a course to help ease people in to the joy of drawing and creating in a way that's simple, open, accessible, and encouraging, whatever your age or circumstances. I'm a strong believer in creating positive and encouraging environments that are safe spaces for us all to learn together. This is the course I wish I had when I started out.
We'll start with the very basics, and progress from there. Successful drawing is really just learning to simplify, and demonstrating an understanding. We'll cover all of the essential skills you need in simple easy to understand steps.
As a beginner artist who wants to learn to draw, walking into a life drawing session can be intimidating. There's a naked model, and a bunch of artists some of whom seem to know each other quietly and confidently drawing. Some of the posesare really quick, sometimes just 3 minutes. Drawing in that time feels impossible, yet somehow some people manage it. At the end people share their drawings, some of them look amazing. It feels overwhelming.
I've been there. We all have. Starting as a beginner artist is challenging and intimidating. There's an huge amount to learn and it's difficult figuring out where to start. Especially if you have a full time job and family commitments. Drawing looks like it should be easy, but it isn't. Drawing the human figure is harder. There are a lot of YouTube tutorials and books available, but they're not easy to understand and progress feels slow. Plus you need feedback and coaching to help correct mistakes and focus our efforts in the right place.
Even for more experienced artists their first life drawing session can be uncomfortable and difficult. This course will change that, and life drawing will become a fun and interesting part of your artistic practice.
Learn to draw! Numbers are limited. Book a class
Testimonials
NuddHK classes are incredibly valuable. I've taken 10 classes here and will come back, I've learnt so much and appreciate the commitment to every individual the teachers Bren and Sing give. My life drawings have gone from flat and 2D to extremely real-like, 3D and I've learnt more in these classes than any else I've been to. The atmosphere is warming, encouraging and they pay attention to you and your technique - truly one not to miss.
- Iris
As a complete beginner to drawing, Bren made life drawing approachable and fun. Bren made sure that each of us had personalised comments, and I was rewarded with improvements session after session.
I was also grateful that Bren and NuDD created a space as safe and respectful for the artists as it was for the life models.
- Anthony
Thank you so much to Bren and NuDD for providing a welcoming figure drawing community and workshop series! I have no art background, so I especially appreciate Bren's teaching approach, with thoughtfully distilled tutorials and insights that made figure drawing so much more accessible. Each workshop, Bren spent time to come around to each person times to give tips, suggestions, and encouragement, all of which really helped my process. It was so exciting to see when the concepts would finally click and find their way to the page. I also appreciate how these lessons have made me view the world just a bit differently, and the sense of support and inspiration from all the workshop participants (and models!)
- Kathy, IG: @kwander_lost
Bren's figure fundamental series were really helpful to build up basic techniques ! He gives detailed feedback every time and really encouraged me to develop my skills, couldn't ask for a better introduction to life drawing! I could really see tremendous progress over the course of 10 weeks.
- C
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some answers to some questions we've been asked about the course. If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to contact us
Is the course beginner friendly?
Yes, this course has been designed for beginners, while also being useful for more experienced artists. All skill levels are welcome, and I'll tailor my teaching to the needs of each person attending a session. All attendees get one to one feedback on their drawings.
Do I need to attend all 10 sessions?
No, it's not necessary. Beginners will get the most benefit from attending all 10 classes, but we understand this isn't realistic for everyone.The lessons have been designed so anyone can drop in at anytime and learn something useful. This includes beginners
Drawing guides from previous sessions will be available in all sessions for free to all attendees, so anyone can easily catch up on anything they missed. I'm also very happy to spend time with individuals bringing them up to speed on topics covered previously if it helps them.
You're also free to ask me questions anytime, and I'm happy for attendees to message me on Instagram outside of class, or get in contact with me via email. I'll do my best to help.
Do I need to bring materials?
Materials are provided, so it's not necessary. If you want to bring your own materials you are very welcome to.
I recommend everyone draws with charcoal, however this isn't a rule. Everyone is encouraged to draw with whatever they feel most comfortable using.
Do I have to use charcoal?
I always recommend charcoal as a medium to learn with as it's very flexible, however you are welcome to use any material you feel comfortable with. The skills we're learning can be applied to any material or medium. So long as you can make a mark on paper you're welcome to use whatever you want. We've even had one person use an iPad.
Can I buy the drawing guides?
Currently no, these are limited only to students. A more detailed book or zine may come in the future, and I'll be committing to making this affordable for everyone while accounting for my time and costs. Producing these guides has been a lot of work, and a book will probably be even more effort, so it may take me a while to produce. Sign up to my mailing list if you're interested in following my progress, or follow me on Instagram for updates.
I'm an experienced artist, can I still attend?
Absolutely! Everyone is welcome to join, the course is structured so anyone can drop in at any time and learn something.
I want to learn how to draw portraits or the head
This course is focussed on the full human figure. You will learn some skills that may help you approach portraits, but it's not something we're focussing on. A portraiture course focussed on drawing heads and faces is being dicussed and is in development. Sign up to my mailing list or follow me on instagram if you want to learn more.
I want to draw hands
We'll discuss a very simple way to draw hands and feet in this course, but our focus is the full figure. A portraiture course focussed on the head, hands, and feet is in development. Sign up to my mailing list or follow me on instagram if you want to hear about this when it's available.
I want to draw from imagination
Great! Although this course is focussed on observational drawing some of the skills we cover will help you draw from imagination, particularly gesture, rhythm, the head and torso, twisting and turning, structure, and shading. Drawing from imagination is hard, I recommend keeping a sketchbook and drawing regularly from imagination and observation at the same time. Be patient, the more you practice consistently over time the better you will get.
If you would like to attend a course on drawing from imagination please let me know, if there's enough demand we'll plan something.
Do I need experience drawing to attend this class?
Nope! This class is suitable for complete beginners. Everyone attending will be at different skill levels during the class, and some will be complete beginners. I'll be giving tailored individual feedback to all students, so you can learn and develop at your own pace.
Will there be homework?
No, you'll develop and improve your drawing just from attending this class alone. If you do want advice on exercises you can do outside of class to improve we're happy to provide suggestions. Just ask.
If you've got questions or want to find out more information, please don't hesitate to contact me
I read every email, and I'm happy to help answer any questions you have.
If you can draw the human figure you can draw anything
Learning to draw has many benefits. As well as learning a new skill, drawing and observing our environment in a more deliberate and focussed way is a mindful activity that can help with stress management. By learning to draw we learn to enhance our observational skills and concentration skills. Drawing is a form of demonstrating an understanding, and also a form of problem solving. By learning to draw can improve our creative problem solving skills, become better communicators, and improve our concentration. We also get to relax and practice mindfulness while focussing our attention away from a screen.
For me Life Drawing has provided the foundation for my work as a professional artist, drawing from my imagination. It's given me a supportive community of other artists and life long friendships. There are many benefits to drawing!