Session Descriptions :
Overview
Each week we will explore a set of life drawing skills that will expand your ability to see the form & capture your subject with accuracy & confidence. Through demonstrations, one on one instruction & play, each participant will hone personal skills.
The first hour of class will be spent in demonstration & guided instruction with the model & photo references. The second hour will allow participants to practice & explore their new skill set with the model & consult with the instructor as needed.
FEB 4TH : OBSERVATIONAL DRAWING
The basics; proportions, negative space, the body as a collection of approachable shapes, mapping the form, using line direction and mark making to create the illusion of mass, observing light and shadow, gesture drawing how-to’s. Foreshortening!
Tools: Bring your own graphite pencils, sketch pad, eraser
FEB 11TH : CONFIDENT LINE
Build trust between eye and hand, learn observation over assumption, let your hand teach your mind, become more assertive with your mark making. We will have a live model and a photo of the model that we will also trace, observing how we use lines differently between observation, tracing and blind contour. You will be more assertive with your line work at the end of this class.
Tools: Bring your own graphite pencils, sketch pad, eraser
Supplies included: Tracing paper, photo references
FEB 18TH : LIGHT & SHADOW
When everything is shadow all you can do is capture light. By inverting our usual tools, black paper instead of white, white pencil instead of dark, we will strengthen our understanding of how light, not just shadow, creates the human form. This technique is designed to teach you to draw the form in volume not outline, and will bring more effortless attention to details into your drawing.
Tools: Bring your own eraser
Supplies Included: black paper, white pencils
FEB 25TH : CHARCOAL ERASE
Charcoal is the most amenable of drawing mediums. Learn to use this medium in new and unexpected ways. A great class if you hate charcoal like I did before I discovered these techniques. By combining observations of light and shadow we will build complex drawings quickly with lots of room for revision and play. This drawing medium is mistake proof.
Tools: All supplies included: vine charcoal, white paper, kneaded eraser, other erasers, fixative
MARCH 4TH : MIND THE MIDTONES
Putting it all together, seeing the form in light and shadow then letting the paper do the rest of the work. Using toned paper allows the artist to focus only on highlights and shadow and not “filling in” the rest of the space. Great if you’re tired of your figure drawings never getting past the “outline phase”. Create a rich dimensional drawing within a ten minute pose.
Tools: BYO: graphite, eraser
Supplies included: grey toned paper, white pencil
MARCH 11TH : HOT & COLD
Using a provided limited palette of warm and cool pencil and paper we will begin to add color to our observations of light and shadow. Bring life blood into your composition. Learn to observe and capture the blushes and blue veins that make the human body such a compelling subject matter.
Tools: All supplies Included: cool and warm paper, cool and warm pencils, eraser