Cubebrush Art School Term 1 By Marc Brunet ✪

Term 1 of Marc Brunet's ART School for Digital Artists on Cubebrush serves as the foundational entry point for a structured, college-like curriculum designed for digital artists. It consists of approximately 6.5 to 8 hours of video instruction and covers four core modules focused on basic digital tools and artistic fundamentals. Core Modules

Photoshop for Digital Production 1: An introduction to essential software tools. Lessons include pen control exercises (drawing lines and circles), color adjustments, and image manipulation. Specific assignments often involve photo compositing, such as matching colors and atmosphere between different image layers.

Nude Figure Drawing: Focuses on the basics of human proportions and gesture drawing. Students practice by identifying "lines of action" and simplifying the human body into basic 3D volumes like cylinders and spheres to understand its structure in space.

Perspective 1: Covers the fundamental rules of linear perspective. Students learn how to place objects in a 3D environment, often starting with basic boxes and grids to establish a sense of depth.

Visual Communication 1: Explores how to use visual elements to tell a story or convey an idea, introducing the "Design Toolbox" for future concept art and illustration work. Included Materials ART School on Cubebrush.co - Marc Brunet cubebrush art school term 1 by marc brunet

Week 9: Drapery & Clothing Folds

What good is a nude figure if you can't dress it? Marc categorizes folds into 4 types: Pipe, Zig-zag, Spiral, and Diaper (inert). You learn how fabric wraps around the forms you built in week 6.

How to Get the Most Out of Term 1

If you decide to purchase the course, follow these rules to avoid quitting:

Do the homework. Seriously. Watching Marc draw a hand does nothing for you. You must draw the hand 50 times.
Post your work. Even if it’s ugly. The Discord community will do "red-lines" (drawing corrections over your work). That is where you learn.
Don't skip the 3D assets. Marc provides 3D models of the skull and torso. Rotate them, study them, trace over them.
Stick to the timeline. Try to finish Week 1 in 7 days. If you take a month for Week 1, you will lose momentum.
Use traditional paper for warm-ups. It is faster. Only switch to digital for the rendering weeks.

The Pros and Cons

Pros:

Production Quality: The videos are crisp, and the resources (PSD files, brushes) are included.
Marc’s Teaching Style: He is encouraging but realistic. He emphasizes that art is hard work, not magic.
Price: Compared to a university credit hour, the value for money is undeniable.
No Fluff: It gets straight to the point. No long intros or rambling anecdotes.

Cons:

Pace: It is fast. If you are a true beginner, you may find the volume of information overwhelming. You might need to pause and re-watch lessons frequently.
Technical Requirements: You need a drawing tablet and Photoshop (or similar software). It doesn't teach you how to use the software buttons, it teaches you art theory.

Actionable study plan (8 weeks)

Week 1 — Fundamentals & thumbnails

Watch introductory videos.
Do 50 thumbnail sketches (1–2 min each) emphasizing silhouette and readability.
Complete 5 value studies (5–20 min) in grayscale.

Week 2 — Perspective & construction

Practice 1- and 2-point perspective grids.
Build simple form constructions (boxes, cylinders, spheres) in perspective: 30 quick exercises.
Do 10 environment thumbnails focusing on horizon and camera placement.

Week 3 — Gesture & anatomy basics

Daily 30 gesture drawings (30–60 sec).
Complete 10 figure constructions from reference (5–15 min each).
Produce one simplified character design using learned construction.

Week 4 — Light & value refinement

Study and replicate 8 lighting scenarios (rim light, backlight, hard/soft).
Create three value comps for a chosen concept; pick the best for further work.

Week 5 — Color basics & palettes

Practice color studies: convert the best value comp to color using 3 different limited palettes.
Learn color temperature and color contrast exercises.

Week 6 — Digital workflow & brushes

Recreate a demo painting following Marc’s workflow.
Organize a PSD with non-destructive layers, masks, and adjustment layers.
Complete one medium-speed painting (3–6 hours).

Week 7 — Composition & storytelling

Produce 10 narrative thumbnails; select 2 to refine into detailed comps.
Add storytelling elements (gesture, props, environment cues).

Week 8 — Final project & polish

Execute final piece (character or environment) incorporating feedback from earlier weeks.
Perform final polish: edge control, focal sharpening, color adjustments.
Export portfolio-ready images and write a 2–3 sentence project blurb explaining intent and challenges.

Strengths

Instructor expertise: Marc Brunet is an experienced industry artist and teacher with practical workflows tailored to production needs.
Clear progression: lessons build logically from fundamentals to applied projects.
Actionable demos: step-by-step videos model real-world artist habits and pipeline techniques.
Emphasis on fundamentals: reduces bad habits and accelerates improvement.

The "Hidden" Curriculum (What Nobody Tells You)

It’s a Workout, Not a Movie: You cannot passively watch this. Marc explicitly says to pause every 2 minutes and copy him. If you watch an hour of video without drawing, you wasted your money.
The Discord Community: You get access to a private Discord. Posting your "ugly" homework there is terrifying, but the feedback from alumni is higher quality than Reddit’s /r/learnart. People actually point out why your shoulder muscle looks wrong.
No Shortcuts on Color: Term 1 barely touches color theory. That’s all in Term 2. If you want to learn vibrant rendering right now, this will frustrate you.

Deliverables and outcomes

Several completed studies and 1–2 finished concept paintings (characters or environments).
A portfolio-ready piece (if you complete the final assignment to a professional standard).
Improved speed and clarity in ideation and execution.
Stronger grasp of foundational principles applicable across styles.