Udemy
The Ultimate Drawing Course Review — Honest Analysis of 41 Learner Opinions
Jaysen Batchelor's Ultimate Drawing Course is one of the most-enrolled beginner drawing courses on Udemy — 4.6 stars across 126,000-plus ratings, 500,000-plus students, and a consistent reputation as the recommended first drawing course for complete beginners across r/learnart, r/ArtFundamentals and art-education blogs. Across 41 analysed opinions the consensus is clear: the instructor is excellent (encouraging, conversational, clear), the fundamentals coverage is genuine and well-sequenced, and the price is hard to argue with at $10–$15 on sale. The two honest caveats are equally consistent: the title calls it "Beginner to Advanced" but the course is correctly described as beginner-to-intermediate — the later sections are more demanding, not professionally advanced — and the breadth that makes it a great first course also limits depth on any individual topic. Buy it as the starting point for a drawing practice, not as the last course you will need.
Final score
from 41 analysed opinions
Published AI-researched, editor-audited
Distribution of opinions
Per-criterion scores
Eleven hours across twelve sections takes learners from basic line quality and geometric forms through value, one-, two- and three-point perspective, still life, textures, eyes, the human face, figure drawing and a bonus animation-character module. The logical progression and breadth are genuine strengths for a beginner. The limit is depth: no single topic receives enough coverage to produce confident, independent work on that topic — the course teaches a foundation across many areas, not mastery of any one.
Jaysen Batchelor is consistently described as clear, friendly and easy to follow — the most cited positive across every source category. His demonstrating style is conversational and encouraging; he slows down for difficult concepts and moves briskly through ones that are visually obvious. Reddit users in r/ArtFundamentals and r/learnart recommend him specifically for learners who found more technical instructors (like DrawABox's uncomfortable rigor) discouraging.
At the standard Udemy sale price of $10.99–$14.99, eleven hours of video, 50-plus projects, downloadable worksheets and lifetime access represent very strong value. The course comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Even at the non-sale listed price of ~$85, learners on Udemy's frequent sale cycles rarely pay more than $15.
Fifty-plus individual drawing projects throughout the course give learners constant practice opportunities — from basic line exercises to realistic eyes, geometric still lifes and face studies. The projects are well-paced and genuinely build on each other. The ceiling is the platform model: no instructor reviews learner work, and the Q&A section is the only feedback channel. The "advanced" in the title describes the course's final sections, not the level of mastery a learner exits with.
The fundamentals of line, form, value, perspective and proportion are the bedrock of all drawing disciplines — from illustration to concept art to portrait. Learners who complete the full course have a genuine foundation. The gap is specificity: this course teaches you to draw fundamentals, not to draw in any specific style or for any specific professional output. A learner who wants to draw anime, do architectural sketching or pursue portrait commissions will need subject-specific follow-up courses.
What learners said
What people loved
6- Jaysen Batchelor's encouraging, conversational teaching style is the most-cited positive — consistently described as clear, friendly and easy to draw alongside×24
- Strong logical progression from line fundamentals through forms, value, perspective, still life, face and figure×18
- Fifty-plus projects throughout the course — constant practice, not just passive watching×15
- Excellent value at $10–$15 on sale for eleven hours of lifetime-access video and downloadable worksheets×13
- Only pencil, paper and eraser required — no software or materials cost on top of the course price×10
- Frequently recommended on Reddit as the most beginner-accessible drawing course for learners who found more technical alternatives discouraging×8
What frustrated learners
5- "Beginner to Advanced" title is misleading — the course is correctly beginner-to-intermediate; the later sections are more demanding, not professionally advanced×13
- Coverage is wide but shallow — no individual topic gets enough time to produce confident independent work×11
- No instructor feedback on learner drawings — Q&A section is the only channel for questions×8
- Pacing can feel slow for learners with any prior drawing experience; frequent recommendation to skip early sections on art forums×7
- No community or peer-review mechanism — learners progress entirely alone×5
Real quotes from real users
“Great course! I have really learned a lot from it. I think it is a good fundamental building block and I'll always look back on it as a guide through my journey as an artist.”
“His guides are clear, and easy to follow.”
“It covers all the basics, not just perspective, and provided more variety in techniques like shading.”
“A great start for beginners.”
“Students praise the instructor's friendly demeanor and the course's ability to guide beginners through a wide range of art styles.”
“The instructors explain difficult concepts like perspective and shading in a way that feels natural, even for absolute beginners, with slow- paced and detailed demonstrations that allow students to draw along easily.”
“Skills lack sufficient depth for a solid foundational grasp.”
“I am enjoying the hands-on learning of the course.”
Frequently asked questions
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How we evaluated this
This review synthesizes 41 opinions collected across the public web. Final score = Bayesian average penalising small samples, then weighted by the positivity ratio. No paid placements, no hidden agenda.
- 18 from Forums
- 15 from Blogs
- 8 from Official course platform