Hi, and welcome to Learning2draw.com's newsletter. This issue includes:

1) Our Q&A Answer Session, where you will learn exciting secrets of the artworld exposed through answers to your questions.

2) Send us Your Success STories- we'd love to hear from you! May 5th is approaching, Send Stories for Chance at Drawing!

3) Da Vinci's secrets to the human figure. What was the Mona Lisa really smiling about? Proportions Part 2

4) Tip of the Month- This month's tip is an inspiration piece. You will not want to miss this!

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1) Question and Answer Session with Todd

QUESTION: from Dustin

Hi, I am applying to get into an art school and they want 6-12 pieces in my portfolio. What kinds of art do I put in and do you have any advice? Should I show art work from awhile ago that isn't as good to artwork now that is great, that can show my improvement?

ANSWER: from Todd

Hi, First of all, let me address the question about what to put into your portfolio. Being that we are in the game industry, what we look for may be a lot different than what a gallery or a graphic design job would look for. That being said...we like to see characters that have a lot of personality and show action. This is one of the top things that we look for and that I think would work well for you in your interview.

Well, on your second question about showing progression in your portfolio,let me tell that's hard to answer. I can tell you what we look for. There's a saying that you are only as good as your worst piece of art. So we would recommend only putting in your best art and not pieces that show weaknesses. Not even if they show that you have improved greatly over time. That being said we like to see hard workers who are striving to better their art. But that is usually reserved for the actual interview.

When we see a weak piece of art, we automatically put into our heads that this person is not going to work out. It's a real black mark in our minds, even if it's from a long time ago. That being said, I can only answer for us and how we hire. I think you'll find you can demonstrate in the interview your hard work ethic and can demonstrate in your portfolio your best work.

You can read about my training on the Art Careers 101 download, like I say all the time, it's passion not talent that will get you where you need to go. It will develop your skills more than any thing.

Please, if you have a question you would like answered by Todd, email him at info@learning2draw.com.

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2) Send Us Your Success Stories!

We would love to hear from you on how our site and ebook have helped your art! So much so, that we will enter your name in aquarterly drawing for an art supply starter kit. Just email us your story to info@learning2draw.com with the subject line Success in Art Stories, and we will enter your name for a chance to win pencils, paper, kneaded erasers, and more. Please email your story by May 5th for our first drawing.

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3) Da Vinci's Secrets! Proportions...Part 2

So what was Mona Lisa really smiling about? Find out in our series on proportions by Da Vinci. Learning from the masters is a privileged step in being successful and mastering skills that will transform your figures into masterpieces.

Proportions of the Head and Face Cont. By Leonardo Da Vinci

12) The distance from the attachment of one ear to the other is equal to that from the meeting of the eyebrows to the chin, and in a fineface the width of the mouth is equal to the length from the parting of the lips to the bottom of the chin.

13) The cut or depression below the lower lip of the mouth is half way between the bottom of the nose and the bottom of the chin.

14) The face forms a square in itself; that is its width is from the outer corner of one eye to the other, and its height is from the very top of the nose to the bottom of the lower lip of the mouth;then what remains above and below this square amounts to the height of such another square.

15) The ear is exactly as long as the nose. The parting of the mouth seen in profile slopes to the angle of the jaw. The ear should be as high as from the bottom of the nose to the top of the eye-lid. The space between the eyes is equal to the width of an eye. The ear is over the middle of the neck, when seen in profile.

16) From the eyebrow to the junction of the lip with the chin, and the angle of the jaw and the upper angle where the ear joins the temple will be a perfect square. And each side by itself is half the head.

17) The hollow of the cheek bone occurs half way between the tip of the nose and the top of the jaw bone, which is the lower angle of the setting on of the ear, in the frame here represented.

18) From the angle of the eye-socket to the ear is as far as the length of the ear, or the third of the face.

19) From the top of the head to the bottom of the chin is 1/9, and from the roots of the hair to the chin is 1/9 of the distance from the roots of the hair to the ground. The greatest width of the face is equal to the space between the mouth and the roots of the hair and is 1/12 of the whole height. From the top of the ear to the top ofthe head is equal to the distance from the bottom of the chin to the lachrymatory duct of the eye; and also equal to the distance from the angle of the chin to that of the jaw; that is the 1/16 of the whole. The small cartilage which projects over the opening of the ear towards the nose is half-way between the nape and the eyebrow;the thickness of the neck in profile is equal to the space between the chin and the eyes, and to the space between the chin and the jaw, and it is 1/18 of the height of the man.

So what is the Mona Lisa smiling about? I dare say that she is smiling about her creator and his musings and formulas of art. The master has created a mystery that we as artists can only fathom. It may be that she is smiling about her masters formulas and thinking about how 21st century artists take a deep breath and sigh when thinking about them. I hope that you have learned something from his formulas on proportion and stay tuned for Part 3, where we will learn like Da Vinci, how to draw like the masters and have our human figures come alive. We'll discover the secret to her smile, we're getting closer, in our next issue. You can always check out our page at www.learning2draw.com for more info on how to draw faces and the human form.

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4) Tip of the Month

Inspirational Quote by Robert Henri

"An interest in the subject; something you want to say definitely about the subject; this is the first condition of drawing. The processes of drawing spring from this interest, this definite thing to be said. Completion does not depend on material representation. The work is done when that special thing has been said. The artist starts with an opinion (first impression), he organizes the materials (the elements I spoke of above), from which and with which he draws, to the expression of the opinion (first impression). The things have no longer their dead meaning but have become living parts of a coordination. To start with a deep impression, the best, the most interesting, the deepest you can have of the model; to preserve this vision throughout the work; to see nothing else; to admit of no digression from it...every element in the picture will be constructive, constructive of an idea, expressive of an emotion. Every Factor in the drawing will have beauty because in its place in the organization, it is doing its living part. It is only through a sense of the right relation of things that freedom can be obtained."