What’s Included in the Bonny Snowdon Academy and How it Will Help You and Your Coloured Pencil Artwork

You may have heard me talking about the Bonny Snowdon Academy on my social media feeds and in my weekly newsletter, and you might be wondering what all the fuss is about. 

Well, there’s no need to wonder any more! Below are the details of exactly what’s included in the Academy Ignite Membership, so you know exactly what to expect and how it can help you grow as an artist and improve your coloured pencil skills. 

The Formula for Success Quiz

When you join a new membership, sometimes it can be hard to figure out where is best to start. If you’re anything like me, you’ll just be eager to dive straight in, but having some guidance to point you in the right direction can come in handy. Because of this, I created the Formula for Success Quiz, which gives you a chance to understand the areas of coloured pencil drawing that you’re strongest in, and where you might need a little more help. When you’ve completed the quiz, you’ll be sent a personalised report of your skills, and you’ll be directed towards the modules in my Coloured Pencil Foundations Course that will help you the most.

It’s a really quick and easy way of figuring out where your skills lie, and it will help you to get the most out of the Ignite Membership from day one. 

The Coloured Pencil Foundations Course

My signature course has over 40 hours of learning material and will teach you all you need to know about drawing with coloured pencils. I go into depth about the materials we’ll be using in the course and explain why I recommend them so highly. You’ll be brought up to speed with the different types of pencils and paper, and learn when it’s best to use them. 

I take you through the basic principles of coloured pencils and realism, going into detail about tonal values, pressure, layering, mark making, colour theory and why they are all so important. 

I also have a module focussing on mindset and confidence, which is brilliant for anyone who struggles with these. We’re not always fortunate enough to be blessed with an abundance of confidence, and this is often something we have to work on as hard as we do anything else. This module, along with my monthly Confidence Sessions, will help you to understand why you may be down on yourself and your artwork, and will give you helpful tips on how to start believing in yourself and your abilities more. 

And then, it’s onto the really fun stuff, where we put pencil to paper as I teach you how to draw truly lifelike fur, eyes and noses, before putting everything you’ve learned together to complete a full, realtime tutorial. 

Members who complete the Coloured Pencil Foundations Course receive personalised certificates to mark their achievement. Gold certificates are available to those who complete Modules 1 to 6, and Platinum certificates are reserved for members who complete the entire course, the final tutorial included. 

The Tutorial Library

Those 40 plus hours of content in the Coloured Pencil Course aren’t the only thing available to help you improve your skills when you join the Ignite Membership, you’ll also gain access to my entire back catalogue of realtime tutorials and step by step tutorial guides, giving you hundreds of hours of video content where you can learn something new and really hone your skills as a coloured pencil artist. 

And, that’s not the best bit. The Tutorial Library is fully searchable, allowing you to quickly find videos focussing on specific subjects, that use specific materials or techniques. It really is a game changer. 

Live Sessions

Each month, I run a collection of live sessions where you’ll be able to ask me your questions, draw with me and other members, or simply have a bit of a chat! 

There’s Art Club, where we all decide on a subject, then get together each week to draw. Skills Club focusses on the more technical side of coloured pencil drawing, and each month, we challenge ourselves to focus on the things that we find more difficult or need extra time and help on. My monthly Confidence Sessions, as I mentioned above, are there to help you boost your confidence and self belief, and break down any walls that may have been standing in your way. 

Once a month, I hold Live Q&A Sessions, where you can ask me your questions and pick my brain. I also hold weekly critiques, where you get the chance to send me your artwork, and I can point you in the right direction to show you what you’re doing well, and how you can take your artwork to the next level. 

And, on top of those, run a monthly Business Drop In session. This will be the perfect place for anyone who already has their own art business, or for those who are thinking of starting on and need a little help and encouragement. I also now run Coloured Pencil Mastermind sessions, where I assign a subject and my members are encouraged to put what they've learnt into practice, choose their own pencils, paper, create their own line art and more, and draw the piece without any guidance. It's an excellent way to continue developing your skills and gain independence in your artwork. 

Members-Only Bonuses

There are so many great advantages to joining the Academy and the members-only bonuses are definitely high on the list. Each member gets 10% off and early access to any of the Coloured Pencil Workshops I run outside of the membership, as well as regular bonuses throughout the year. Members also get a chance to have their work displayed in my upcoming online virtual exhibitions, which gives them to opportunity to have their artwork viewed by the thousands of visitors to my website. On top of this, they have the chance to gain recognition from myself and their fellow members in my annual Academy Awards, and the chance to get their name and artwork on display on my website on my Member of the Month page, which celebrates members for their kindness and achievements. 

Community!

This is by far my favourite part of the Ignite Membership! The Academy is home to an incredible community of coloured pencil artists. Not only can you get to know me and other artists in the live sessions, but with the help of my Members’ Only Facebook Group, you can really embed yourself in this special group of people. 

The Facebook Group offers a safe place where you can share your work, receive kind, supportive feedback from your fellow Igniters, and make friends with likeminded coloured pencil lovers. 

Of course, I am incredibly proud of every part of the Academy, but the amazing community of artists that I’m lucky enough to be a part of makes me happy, proud, and grateful each day. 

If you’d like to learn more about how to draw realistic animals in coloured pencil and become a part of something really special, make sure you’ve signed up to the waitlist to be notified when the doors open! You can join the waitlist by clicking here.