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Drawing , Live Class Replay ,

How To Draw Snakes – A Beginner’s Guide

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Shelby Abrahamsen (Foxsy)

Class Description:

Unlock the captivating forms and intricate details of snakes in this class. Snakes offer a unique challenge with their sinuous bodies, scales, and dynamic poses. This class is designed to help you understand and accurately depict snake anatomy, enabling you to create lifelike and expressive snake drawings.

We'll begin by exploring the basic anatomy of snakes, breaking down their bodies into simple shapes to facilitate easy sketching. You'll learn about foreshortening and how to apply it to render snakes in various perspectives, from overhead views to challenging frontal poses. 

Through guided practice, you'll develop the skills to draw different snake species, each with their unique characteristics. By the end of the session, you'll have the confidence and techniques to bring these fascinating creatures to your artwork.

What You Will Learn:

  • Fundamentals of snake anatomy and proportion
  • Breaking down snake bodies into basic shapes for easier drawing
  • Techniques for achieving accurate foreshortening in snake poses
  • Drawing snakes from overhead (basic) and frontal (advanced) perspectives
  • Identifying and illustrating unique features of various snake species
  • Practicing dynamic poses and movement in snake drawings
  • Enhancing your sketches with shading and texture to depict scales realistically

Supplies You'll Need:

  • Sketchbook or Drawing Paper
  • Pencils: A range of HB to 6B pencils for varying shades and textures
  • Erasers: Kneaded eraser and vinyl eraser for corrections and highlights
  • Blending Tools: Blending stumps or tortillons for smooth shading
  • Sharpener: To maintain pencil points for detailed work
  • Reference library

About Instructor

Shelby Abrahamsen (Foxsy)

Shelby is the co-founder of Foxsy and the creator at Little Coffee Fox. She is a professional watercolorist, letterer, and artist with a passion for teaching others to reintroduce creativity back into their lives. Shelby lives in Chicago, IL with her husband Jon and her pets Summer, Basil, and Korra.

218 Classes

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+6 enrolled

Class Details:

  • 📊Level: Beginner
  • ⏰Time: 2 Hours, 8 Minutes

Class Pass includes:

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Access Everything Foxsy Has To Offer

Be Part of the Foxsy Revolution

Join a thriving community of over 2,300 students, all united by a shared love for creativity. Together, let's paint a brighter, more creative future.

  • Access [coursetotal] classes with 250+ hours of content.
  • Work through over 400 lessons and 70+ projects.
  • Access the Watercolor Academy, Drawing Bootcamp, & Modern Lettering Academies.
  • Join weekly live classes.
  • Get personalized feedback on all projects.
  • Get real answers to your questions with Creative Support.
Access Everything Foxsy Has To Offer

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Trusted By Over 2,300 Students Like You

  • “As a total beginner when I started, I’m amazed at the amount of skill and knowledge I gained. There’s a wide variety of courses so you can’t get bored.

    There’s always another challenge in the next class. Really appreciated the personal feedback when I submitted projects.
    Janet G
  • “I loved the Watercolor Academy I learned so much and have developed self-confidence in my ability as a budding "artist "

    (I 'm still getting used to this lol)”
    Gail P
  • "This is excellent.

    As a chronic copier of other people's art, the tips offered here will help me with my own creative process and prevent the block that I feel with "what next"."
    Carol R
  • “The Watercolor Academy was a great experience. I learned so much and was able to get feedback on my projects along the way. I feel like I accomplished something when all was completed.

    I would recommend (and I have) the Foxsy Watercolor Academy to others wanting to try out watercolors or improve on their skills.”
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  • "This was so helpful! I loved the way Shelby broke down the basics in a succinct way and tips to use while practicing. Lastly, I appreciated Shelby mentioning that everyone is going to have a unique bounce lettering style.

    As someone who is new to brush lettering in general, I've been copying a lot of what I see. I need that consistent reminder to avoid potential frustration, especially as a beginner!"
    Kelsey
  • "I loved this course. I loved how it showed the lesson and then a project that corresponded with that project.

    The explanations were amazing and helpful and I really felt confident in doing the project. This was probably the best watercolor lesson I've ever taken and enjoyed."
    LG Woods
  • "I really enjoyed this course. Instructions and examples were clear and practical and the feedback was really kind and helpful.

    It has improved my lettering knowledge and given me confidence to keep practicing."
    Nic

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Join a thriving community of over 24,000 students, all united by a shared love for creativity. Together, let’s paint a brighter, more creative future.

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All Foxsy Memberships include:

  • Access to the full 250+ class library
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  • Project feedback from Foxsy Pros
  • Unlimited creative support

Yearly Membership

$164 / year
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All Foxsy Memberships include:

  • Access to the full 250+ class library
  • Access to The Watercolor Academy, The Modern Lettering Academy & Drawing Bootcamp
  • Access to exclusive weekly live classes
  • Fox Den Community Access
  • Project feedback from Foxsy Pros
  • Unlimited creative support

Lifetime Membership

$599 Never pay a subscription fee again.
Get Lifetime Access

All Foxsy Memberships include:

  • Access to the full 250+ class library
  • Access to The Watercolor Academy, The Modern Lettering Academy & Drawing Bootcamp
  • Access to exclusive weekly live classes
  • Fox Den Community Access
  • Project feedback from Foxsy Pros
  • Unlimited creative support

Monthly Membership

$29 / month
Go Monthly

All Foxsy Memberships include:

  • Access to the full 250+ class library
  • Access to The Watercolor Academy, The Modern Lettering Academy & Drawing Bootcamp
  • Access to exclusive weekly live classes
  • Fox Den Community Access
  • Project feedback from Foxsy Pros
  • Unlimited creative support

Yearly Membership

$164 / year
Go Yearly

All Foxsy Memberships include:

  • Access to the full 250+ class library
  • Access to The Watercolor Academy, The Modern Lettering Academy & Drawing Bootcamp
  • Access to exclusive weekly live classes
  • Fox Den Community Access
  • Project feedback from Foxsy Pros
  • Unlimited creative support

Lifetime Membership

$599 Never pay a subscription fee again.
Get Lifetime Access

All Foxsy Memberships include:

  • Access to the full 250+ class library
  • Access to The Watercolor Academy, The Modern Lettering Academy & Drawing Bootcamp
  • Access to exclusive weekly live classes
  • Fox Den Community Access
  • Project feedback from Foxsy Pros
  • Unlimited creative support
All plans come with a 30-day Money Back Guarantee.
Cancel anytime in your dashboard.
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Foxsy is an art education platform with on-demand creative courses. It’s designed so you can explore and grow your artistic skills.

The courses contain in-depth lessons and step-by-step projects to fuel your creativity and give you the skills to create your own amazing art.

Here at Foxsy, we are working to build a platform where you can have everything you need to give your creativity everything it needs to thrive.

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We're doing this by working with online creators who have been where you are. Our instructors have all decided to make their creativity a focus of their lives. To devote themselves to exploring their creativity and helping others do the same, and many of them are self-taught. Basically, they get it and can help you no matter where you are.

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Ratings and Reviews

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What's your experience? We'd love to know!
Lois
Posted 2 years ago
Live Class Review

We know that snakes have volume, but how do we indicate volume when drawing? Shelby explains and demonstrates exactly how to achieve volume that levels up your drawing!

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runningwater
Posted 2 years ago
Live Class Review

Interesting class. The best part was seeing Pearl steal the show! Loved it!

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LindaH
Posted 2 years ago
Live Class Review

Shelby gave so many New Facts about Snakes I learned so much today All of her Drawings were Great also

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What's your experience? We'd love to know!