Below are some of the reviews my classes have received.  These classes were previously available only on Skillshare and now available in Mimochai Studio. You can try our studio with a free trial to see it if it's right for you 💛

For Drawing Foundations 

"I've done quite a few drawing classes on this platform and others, and this is by far the best! It has all the fundamental concepts, and the explanations are clear and methodical. Other courses often go far too quickly and don't explain the underlying principals. They just draw something and say "Do that!" -- if I could, I wouldn't be taking a course! -- without explaining how to get there. Mimi's class is exactly what I needed. There is so much in here I will be rewatching to make sure it all sinks in. I'm quite shy of my efforts so far, but with a bit more practice I will upload some project images. Thank you so much for this beautifully done class, Mimi! It's really helping me improve my drawing. :)"

- Ash B. 

"This class far exceeded my expectations! I am a big fan of Mimochai, and my plan is to eventually make my way through all her course catalog, but this class is super special. I have some experience in drawing, but still I learned many new things, and lots of new techniques, not to mention the importance of taking my time with those initial sketches, or how to create successful color palettes, or the process of conceptualizing an illustration idea... Mimi really takes her time to walk the student through all the knowledge necessary in a fun and engaging way. I can't wait to go through the class again--I know I will be viewing it many, many times to let all the concepts sink in. Highly recommended for all levels--I know you will learn something new :-) Thank you, Mimi, for such an awesome class!!"

- Ledys C. 

"I would recommend this class to any and everyone looking to learn the true fundamentals of creating art. I've been drawing since I was a child, but I never really had any direction. I could draw from pictures and mimic styles quite well. But I never had many ideas to call my own. I never knew why things worked the way they did in other people's drawings. I've been trying to get more into art lately but felt this overwhelming frustration that I'll never be as good as the artists I enjoy observing and I'll never have art to call my own. I was ready to give up. But as a last straw attempt to find my own way, I signed up for skillshare and saw this class, and it has been a true life changer. I absolutely love how we followed along and practiced to the same image to learn just how much goes into creating quality art. Even though it's a 4-hour course, I've spent much more time just rewatching the videos and trying to deeply understand the concepts here. I feel like I could watch most of the lessons 10 times over and still learn or notice something new every time. My mind is honestly blown away by how helpful this class has been and its only strengthened my passion for art. The concepts were explained in such an easy and understandable way. This class has truly been a life saver for me. Art is my way out of darkness, and I was never truly sure how to put how I felt into a well composed drawing. I always had these feelings I wanted to get out through art but didn't really have the foundation to be able to draw my ideas out. I feel like I have a better understanding now, and a way to release the emotions. Words cannot express how much I appreciate this class. Thank you so much for this well thought-out and organized course Mimi."

"This course takes you to the basic building blocks needed to continue art beyond the lessons. I found it great because rather than copying a piece step by step, you gain the skills to explore drawing on your own. This is as good as any college course I have taken. I will revisit much of the course daily as a practice. I have always had a hard time with line work and now I see its not me...I just need to put in the practice. I loved that the course went beyond just the very basics and introduce drawing portraits - my biggest fear! And now I have a starting point. I look forward to finishing more practice and projects when I have more tools to work analog and not just digital!"

- Stephanie S.

"Loved this class! I hadn't taken an art class (or really drawn much) since high school & I had a great time following along with the lessons and projects. Learning about a lot of the basics really helped move my mind to think about everyday objects in a new way - I already see a big improvement in how I sketch out little drawings and doodles by looking at shapes and values more. I have trouble with drawing people, but I appreciated the instruction about the basics, and look forward to continuing to practice!" 

- Rachel W.

"From the very introduction, Mimi speaks to the heart and psychology, relates with how fear of not drawing well enough and being stuck in an ‘aspiring and wish-I-could-be’ mode can hold us back from actual progress. She also knows that impatience to be great overnight needs to be tampered with true fundamentals that serve us better for very consistent strides of improvement. Such a gentle coach she is. Slow and steady, through every building block. I have been rewatching the class chapters repeatedly like morning breakfast meditation… to allow her wisdom to soak into my brain well. I am deliberating taking my time, as I know this process cannot be hurried. As one who has been petrified of and feared drawing all my life, but recently developed a keen interest in art (at midage!)…, I now take up these learning strides with an encouraging methodical coach like Mimi. Her smile and patient approach just melts my heart."

-LeAnne

"Don‘t be scared off from the time tag. Over four hours in one lesson sound like a lot, but each single minute delivers. The chapters and single videos are structured into small, actionable parts, which makes it easy to rewatch, jump back in after a break or to watch parts of the class more selectively. While different chapters intersect and build on top of each other, Mimi guides the viewer through the learning process, from simple to more complex concepts. The class is straight-forward and (spoiler haha) comprehensive, touching on many different aspects, The introductions/summaries as well as the class resources are superb and Mimi goes above and beyond to supply a range of examples and references, which I personally really enjoyed. It‘s precise, playful and you can feel the passion behind :) I would highly recommend the class to anyone who wants to start learning the basics of drawing properly. The title of the class really does say it all."

- Peter P.

"Wow, this might be the most comprehensive drawing class I've ever watched! I learned so much about lines, shapes, color, light, depth, value, portraits, and composition. Mimi's teaching style is clear and easy to follow. This class is packed full of useful information. It's organized and extremely thorough. My favorite part was the section on value studies. Thank you Mimi!"

- Em K.

"This class is saving my life, literally. Mimi has divided lessons into sections/excercises that make sense to me. As a beginner I was trying to follow some books about drawing, I was failing miserably without any understanding why. Now I know where to start and what to do. I will be coming back to this class, specially to portrait drawing as it still scares me. I love 'small steps' approach, from easy to more advanced. It was a fine art class for me and I highly respect amout of work Mimi has put into preparing it."

- Justyna G.

"What a wonderful (and visually beautiful) class! I'm not a complete beginner, and still found a huge amount of actionable steps to improve my drawing. Loved this course, and it's definitely going to be one of those courses I come back to when I'm stuck."

- Julie H.

"This course was very inspiring. All these questions that one should ask from oneself… for the life that gives joy and fullfilment. Actually, my daughter is at the age of choosing the studies for her future career and I will really encourage her to look this course, before choosing. So she would have no regrets :) But it is a great course to follow for anyone that questions about the life she/he really wants and with provided workbook it is easy to follow each step. Thank you! Thank you!"

"This class was just what I needed to help me figure out what’s next. The journey the lessons took me through brought clarity to my next goal and how to get there. Thank you!"

"Mimi is incredible - I LOVED that class. It was exactly what I needed at this time. Onwards and upwards!"

"I loved the thorough and well thought out metaphor. Just today, after completing the course, I met three different "helpful villagers" on my quest. I loved her supportive and kind soul and felt like she meant it for me specifically when she spoke. This was a great class."

"Very engaging! I just lost my motivation and direction for the past weeks and I am so grateful I stumbled with this class. It's what I really need. If you feel lost or unmotivated with what you are doing right now, this is the best class for you! It will help you clear you intentions and goals. Thank you Mimi for this!"

"Thank you for taking the time to put this class together Mimi, it helped me design the roadmap for the creative journey I want to embark on in life. For the first time in a long time, I'm excited about the future."

"Thank you Mimi! Enjoyed this class that I could not sleep unless I finished it. Very creative, thoughtfully organized, simple yet powerful! Keep doing what you do and keep inspiring people!"

"Loved this class! I went into it skeptical, but Mimi is so engaging and clear. I really appreciated her openness and honesty — it helped me connect with the lessons more because I could see a real-life example of what she was talking about. The lessons are really well organized. I appreciated the graphics and slides along the way. And I got a new perspective on a topic I already a bit about."

"This has been very helpful for me as I'm also trying to transition from a corporate career to a creative career I would love to do. More than anything, the exercises helped me clear my mind on what matters to me at this point in my journey. It has also inspired and encouraged me to take small steps towards my goals even with my fears. I love how this class has a spiritual approach to art and crativity. Thank you for making this class and sharing your story, Mimi :)"

"wow! what a great class! i love Mimi! Her story resonated with me too because i was an aspiring violinist who was pressured by my father to go to medical school. i went to law school instead. i was a solo practitioner for 15 years. Although i liked lawyering at first, i soon realized i wanted my life to be more creative, less stressful, less narrow. i began taking random classes in master gardening, ceramics, jazz theory and watercolor. i retired several years ago but feel i am still floundering to figure out what sustains me. i want to be more than just a dabbler but my perfectionism and fear of failure are holding me back. Mimi’s class helped me to understand this. i can not wait to take more of her classes. she really is an inspired teacher and artist and just a very compassionate human being. Thank you Mimi!!"

"I am at the beginning of taking my creative work seriously and this class is helping me (as it will stay with me for some time) enormously! The class gives an opportunity to bring a lot of awarness into each and every aspect of creative journey and career. Mimi asks excellent questions and gives very helpful examples from her life. All the steps are well calibrated, logical, kind and help to make a feasible plan. It helped me to slow down my unrealistic expectations and cease some unsupported fears. I am implementing a slower and way more conscious approach. It already feels better! Thank you Mimi!Learn Digital Painting." 

“Mimi, I’m 62 years old and have done this kind of life planning work dozens of times, sometimes paying those huge sums of money you referenced in the course. Your course provided the very best experience. It is beautifully and thoughtfully organized, with incredibly useful prompts. Your manner is straightforward and reassuring. Thank you ... I’m glad you’ve found your true calling as illustrator and teacher. We all benefit.”

"I was looking for a class that explained how to keep an illustrated journal or a sketchbook of my daily life. I think this is the BEST class for it. Mimi explains so well and the class is very fun and easy to follow. Thank you!"

"This course immediately inspired me. I've always found it hard to justify investing time in practicing art and design. With this weekly project, it's a way to capture beautiful memories, stretch creativity, and practice useful skills. I'm very excited to get started myself!"

"I love the journaling along with the doodling and drawings. It'll make it so much more fun when looking back at older journals. I really have no previous experience with creative journaling so this is awesome for a beginner. Thank you, Mimi."

"I LOVED this class. It was short and straight to the point, as well as really focusing on the learners level of art, journaling etc. Mimi Chao makes sure that the students don't feel intimidated by starting something new, or feel like they can't draw. I felt so comfortable to start my own journal. Thank you :D"

"this class was very fun to take!!!"

- Josie K. 

"I loved just how you could show many examples of how to illustrate a day, week or month in a page. I never would've thought of doing this for me but it's definitely something I will incorporate in my daily routine so I can improve my skills on drawing, story-telling and simply for fun! Such a great class!"

"I have been wanting to do this type of art for the longest time but i never felt like I could do it nicely. When I took this class, I realised that you just have to start and enjoy the process. I really liked the pacing of the lessons, the examples and tips discussed and overall the class was just inspiring and encouraging to me as a beginner. Thank you so much! :)"

"Awesome! Was in the middle of some mental chaos when I found this class and it really helped me focus and feel in the moment. Will hopefully use this technique regularly."

 

"Thank you, Mimi! This was such a helpful class. It's surprisingly difficult to find practical instructions for beginners, so I really appreciate your guidance."

"MiMi does a beautiful job of laying out her process and showing us her tips and tricks for successful digital painting, but she leaves room for you to interpret and create in your own style!"

"I loved the class! Mimi is an amazing teacher, who is super engaging and helpful! I did not expect to learn so many tips and tricks, which are so essential when you are just starting to learn how to draw digitally. Thank you very much, you are an amazing teacher, Mimi! Loved your class and definitely watching your other classes! P.S. the quality of the class material (i.e. presentation slides) is so clear, professional and cute looking! Thanks again!"

"I've learn so much by watching this video compared to me searching all over YouTube. I can't wait to practice all her words and knowledge into action!"

"I found this class so so helpful!!! I am always curious about what tech people use and why. I'm new to digital art and it's hard to know where to begin, sometimes! Mimi was so pleasant and friendly and patiently explained all the little details in a way someone like me (who is not very tech savvy) could understand. I appreciate the time and attention to details given by the instructor!!"

"Really excellent class, very clear technical instruction and inspiring creative examples. This tutor focuses on ensuring the learner gets a good grounding to understand procreate and what it can do on a basic level and moving onto a more professional level. Above all else, she seems to really want the learner to benefit and not just to demo her own skillset, like some of the other classes found on SK. Brilliant thank you."

 

"As someone just entering the illustration world, I kept toggling back and forth between learning Procreate and Photoshop. Mimi does an exceptional job on showing her workflow for each and how to leverage the best for each tool. This alone has saved me countless hours of trial & error, and YouTube searching. THANK YOU MIMI!"

"The class made it really clear how to get started drawing in Procreate for a beginner. I especially liked how she included downloadable files so we could practice along with her (so many other classes give just give you the theory, but I learn better when there's a project I can play along with the teacher to learn while doing). I would highly recommend this class to any other beginner artists/illustrators who want to figure out how to quickly get started in digital art."

 

Thank you for reading. Learn more at https://www.mimochai.com/pages/studio! 

-M