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From comics to portraits, learn to draw from professionals for under $40

Story highlights
  • Whether it's the basics, comic style, or specific tools this bundle has you covered
  • This Fundamental of Drawing bundle includes seven multi-part courses

(CNN) As part of an ongoing series, the CNN Underscored team showcases outstanding deals you can shop right now on the CNN Store. Each week, our staff chooses a product to feature that we think you'll love. This week, we're highlighting the Fundamentals of Drawing Bundle ($39, originally $694.93; store.cnn.com).

Maybe you're looking for a creative outlet, but don't feel confident about starting a new skill from scratch. Or you've always been artistically inclined, but haven't had the chance to take formal art classes. As it turns out, there are more benefits to taking up a creative hobby then you might have expected.

A 2014 study suggested that producing visual art increases self-reflection and self-awareness in individuals. In addition, taking the time to be creative had measurable physical effects on the body. Some participants showed normalized heart rates, blood pressure and even cortisol levels.

The Fundamentals of Drawing Bundle ($39, originally $694.93; store.cnn.com) is a comprehensive course bundle that will walk you through the basics of drawing. The courses cover a range of techniques and styles, in addition to how and when to use different drawing pencils and tools. And you'll learn artistic technique from professionals in an easy-to-digest, step-by-step format.

Whether you want to start your own comic book series or draw sketches of the people and places in your life, you'll be creating your own masterpieces in no time. This bundle includes seven courses that cover everything from drawing the human figure to ways to manipulate shading to bring your art to life:

How to Draw Dynamic Comic Book Superheroes Start to Finish (9 hours, 57 lessons; $199.99 value)

If you've ever dreamed about creating your own superheroes, look no further. Robert Marzullo, a seasoned professional who has published comics and created characters for television, will show you how to nail the proportions of male and female figures and master dynamic superhero poses. You'll create an entire comic book scene by the end of the course.

How to Improve Your Figure Drawing Step by Step (6 hours, 27 lessons; $194.99 value)

This course, also led by Marzullo, will provide you with the basics you need to be able to draw the human figure. By breaking down various parts of the body into simple shapes, you can gradually work your way up to creating different body types in a variety of positions and from different angles.

How to Draw Heads Step by Step From Any Angle (8.5 hours, 49 lessons; $99.99 value)

This third course led by Marzullo covers another skill you'll need to create your own character: drawing the head and face. You'll start off by breaking the elements of a human face down into several smaller and more conquerable components. By the end, you'll have a firm understanding of the way to drawing a human head.

The Art And Science of Drawing And Shading: Beyond the Basics (1.5 hours, 5 lessons; $24.99 value)

Shading is fundamental to adding life into your drawings. In this course, Brent Eviston -- who has taught drawing for more than two decades in numerous schools, museums and galleries -- will show you how to effectively utilize light and shadow in your drawings. By observing everything from bowls to different fruits, you'll be on your way to mastering shading on all types of concave and organic forms.

The Art And Science Of Drawing: Basic Skills (4 hours, 15 lessons; $44.99 value)

If you're looking to cover the absolute basics of drawing, this is the course to start with. Also led by Eviston, it covers simple but necessary techniques like how to hold a pencil, how to replicate simple shapes, and even how to use light lines to build the first layer of any complex drawing.

Drawing Animals Using Pastel Pencils (10 hours, 27 lessons; $29.99 value)

In this course, you'll learn to layer in colors to your sketches. Pastel pencils are known for being one of the easiest mediums to work with, making them a great place to start when it comes to adding color to your drawings. Colin Bradley -- a professional artist and gallery owner with over 35 years of experience -- will walk you through bringing animals like cats, owls, wolves and penguins to life through color.

Portrait Drawing Fundamentals Made Simple (6 hours, 34 lessons; $99.99 value)

In this course, Hien Nguyen -- a professional artist and teacher whose strength is in deconstructing complex techniques and subjects -- will teach you how to tackle portrait drawing. He'll walk you through the Loomis Method, which you'll use to draw a simplified head from the front and side views. You'll also cover the anatomy of the different facial features in order to gain a better understanding of how to draw them accurately every time.

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