
Drawing as impulse, drawing as purpose
Online Drawing Program with Cristóbal Schmal
About the course
My approach to drawing is based on observation, but not on the pursuit of perfection. Instead, I explore drawing as an act of attention, presence, and experimentation.
This course invites students to interact with the world through an emotional lens, not to reproduce it, but to explore it. Rather than focusing solely on technical precision, we prioritise process over results. Mistakes are welcome and results may be uncertain or imprecise. Feeling lost in order to find ourselves. Through experimental mark-making, shifting perspectives, and exercises that prioritise seeing over knowing, we reconnect with the raw, exploratory nature of drawing.
This is a space where drawing becomes a form of research, where looking closely leads to personal discovery, and where analogue practice brings us into contact with the real world.
During the course we will experiment with different porcesses in a free and playful way. A turning point to give free reign to the abstract, the absurd, the wild and to explore the possibilities of drawing as a personal language. We will draw a lot but above all we will have fun with new ideas, techniques that can open up new paths of expression.

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what
you see.
– Henry David Thoreau
Methodology
The whole DRAWING WORKOUT is planned as a year long course, that gives you the space and inspiration to practice drawing regularly.
The year is divided into 6 modules of each 2 months. It is possible to book 1 module, 3 modules and the whole year.
You can start at any time. Once you register I’ll send you the contents.
Each module starts and finishes with a live session (Zoom) on Wednesday evening (8.30pm), that serve as an introduction to the topic, review of work, feedback and exchange with other participants. A third live session in between will be an inspirational talk with a guest artist.
The weekly exercises are homework.
Each exercise is oriented to make contact with a certain process and to encourage exploration and experimentation through playfulness, chance and intuition.

How it works?
Each module has 3 live sessions, one at the begining as an introduction to the new module, one in the middle with guest artist lectures and one at the end for a general review (see schedule).
The live sessions last between 1 and 1,30 hours.
Once you register you will receive an email every Wednesday with the exercise and related content in a short video and a PDF format.
Each week you should upload your results to a Slack group, that will be available once you access the course.
The exercises are planned to take around 30 - 60min.
What do I get as a participant?
︎ Weekly inspiration and drawing exercises related to the topic of the module.
︎ Access to a community Slack channel to share my work and view the work of others.
︎ Live Zoom meetings with the whole community at the beginning and end of each module.
︎ Talks with a guest artists from different disciplines in each module.
About me
My name is Cristóbal Schmal.
I am an illustrator, artist, designer and passionate about drawing.
I believe that drawing is a form of expression that is worth discovering both to improve your relationship with representation and narrative and also as a means of observation. But I also see drawing as an emotional state where we can express our concerns, visions, desires and fears. A personal space of our own, in which we feel free and confident.
I studied Graphic Design in Valparaiso (Chile) and then emigrated to Barcelona where I worked in Design and Advertising Agencies. In 2008 I moved to Berlin when I decided to take the leap to dedicate myself to Illustration. Since then I have worked for more than 15 years for different brands, institutions and media such as The New York Times, Washington Post, Lufthansa, Taschen, Greenpeace, Financial Times and National Geographic among others.

FAQ
Can I start the course at any time?
Yes, the modules are independent of each other. Once you register I give you access to the contents.
What kind of people participate in this course?
In the last 2 years people from more than 30 nationalities have participated. Mostly from Europe but also from Asia, North America and Latin America. The level is varied, there are beginners as well as professionals.
I only know how to say “thank you” in English, can I participate?
A basic level beyond “thank you” is great, but the drawing is universal and if you don't want to speak it's OK.
How are the works evaluated?
The works are not evaluated but reviewed with the teacher and the rest of participants. Part of the concept of this course is to share the processes and learn from them.
I'm afraid to share my drawings because I always think they suck.
The bad drawings are sometimes the most interesting ones. I try to create a climate of trust without prejudices and judgements.
What kind of artists are the guest artists?
In the last years artists like John Broadley, Powerpaola, Katrin Stangl, Catalina Bu, Gosia Machon, Fanny Dreyer, Chris Harnan, Sophia Martineck, Amanda Baeza, Martha Verschaffel, Sarah Mazzeti, Mantraste , Molly Fairhurst and many more have been invited.
Program 2026
1.– Point of view
(January/February)︎WE 07.01
LIVE Introduction at 8.30 pm CET Timezone
– Orbservational Drawing
– Abstraction: a way of seeing
– Symbols, Signs and Totems
– The Sense of Nonsense
– Sound & Vision: What we see when we hear?
– Improvisation: Sound Landscapes
– Exploring the Invisible: The Real, the imaginary and the Symbolic
︎WE 25.02
LIVE Closing with general group review

2.–Nature
(March/April)︎WE 04.03
LIVE Introduction at 8.30 pm CET Timezone
– Fragments fo Nature
– Plant Fiction
– Botany, Trees and Forest
– Landscapes
– Stones & Minerals
– Water and Gardens
︎WE 29.04
LIVE Closing with general group review

3.– Human Body
(May/June)︎WE 06.05
LIVE Introduction at 8.30 pm CET Timezone
– The Abstract Body: essence and gesture
– The Kinetic Body
– Portrait: expression and non-expression
– The Symbolic Body
– Random People
– Characters on Stage
︎WE 24.06
LIVE Closing with general group review

4.– Animal World
(July/August)︎WE 01.07
LIVE Introduction at 8.30 pm CET Timezone
– Animal Fiction
– Protective Animals
– Hybrid Creatures
– Animal Patterns
– Birds and Insects
︎WE 26.08
LIVE Closing with general group review

5.– Spaces
(September/October)︎WE 02.09
LIVE Introduction at 8.30 pm CET Timezone
– Emotional Spaces
– Atmospheres
– Dreams and Visions
– Interior Spaces
– Sound Spaces
– Nonplaces
︎WE 28.10
LIVE Closing with general group review

6.– Storytelling
(November/December)︎WE 04.11
LIVE Introduction at 8.30 pm CET Timezone
– 4 act structure
– Sequences and Visual rythm
– Inaction, Stillness and Boredom
– Abstract Narrative
– Dialogues and Monologues
– Fragmentation and Deconstruction
︎WE 16.12
LIVE Closing with general group review

Live Zoom Sessions
Wednesday at 8.30pm CET Timezone
︎Live sessions are recorded so they can be viewed later.
1 Module (2 months)
3 Modules (6 months)
6 Modules (12 months)
*modules can only be taken consecutively
*the member option is for Drawing Workout 2025 members only.
** if you are a student please email me a copy of your student ID card
Materials:
Sketchbook, Mix media paper ( 240 g/m2) Graphite Pencils (HB, 2B, 4B), Brushes, Inks, Drawing pens, Watercolors, Wax Crayons, Color Pencils, Blend Stumps.
Language: English
The course is designed for all levels.
If you have questions just send me an email:
info@artnomono.com
You can also check the Drawing Workout Instagram account.
Some outcomes from participants in 2024.
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