DRAWING CENTER STUDIO

Drawing Essentials
AN INTRODUCTION TO BASIC DRAWING CONCEPTS

“Fine art is that in which the hand, the head, and the heart of man go together.” – John Ruskin

The mechanics of drawing don’t have to be mysterious. Slow and careful looking, deliberate mark-making, patient comprehension, and fearless revisions are the foundations of any productive observational drawing practice. 

Whether you’re picking up a pencil for the first time, or brushing up on your skills after a studio sabbatical, Drawing Essentials is the perfect place to start. This ten-class series offers a foundation in basic observational drawing practices and techniques, in an effort to unite the hand, the head, and the heart.  

You may sign up for any class within the series individually—as a “refresher” on a specific topic—or you can register for the entire series as a whole for a significant discount! 

Series Instructor: Samantha Haring, Manifest Resident Instructor

Fee:  Individual 4-week Classes: $120

Full Series Price (all ten courses): $850 (30% discount)

Course Schedule: Thursdays 6-9pm

Minimum Enrollment: 4

Level: All levels are welcome. Drawing Essentials is geared towards absolute beginners and those wishing to brush up on their basic drawing skills. Each class will feature short demonstrations, specific lessons, and individual feedback for each student. Drawing is a practice that has a far reach, and whether your artistic goals are for pleasure or profession, we believe that anyone can learn to draw and in doing so, learn to appreciate the world more deeply.

Instructor Bio:
Samantha Haring is a Midwest painter from Des Plaines, Illinois. She makes quiet paintings that discuss the nature of loss and the inherent duality of absence and presence. Haring earned her MFA from Northern Illinois University (2014) and her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2011). She has also studied in Italy at the International School of Drawing, Painting, and Sculpture; it was there that she fully developed her commitment to light, color, and observational painting. Haring’s work has been shown nationally, most recently in Chicago, Cincinnati, and New York. Her work is published in issues #119 and #123 of New American Paintings, as well as the Manifest International Painting Annuals 4 and 5. She was one of the 2015–2016 Manifest Artists in Residence, and has been Resident Instructor at the Drawing Center since 2016. In addition to teaching at Manifest Drawing Center, Haring is a Drawing Instructor at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art & Planning (DAAP).

Location:
Hosted at Manifest's Drawing Center Studios in Madisonville at 4905 Whetsel Avenue (second floor) (see map and directions below). Manifest's facility provides two studio classrooms totalling over 3500 square-feet. The studios are outfitted with professional equipment, furniture, and study aids.

**[ REGISTER HERE ]**

2018-2019 Schedule
4 Meetings Per Course: Thursdays 6-9pm
(See full descriptions in Essentials menu below.)

COURSE SCHEDULE

Composition
            September 6-27
            Registration Deadline: Monday, Sept. 3, 2018

Measuring Your Observations
            October 4-25
            Registration Deadline: Monday, Oct. 1, 2018

Gesture and Contour
            November 1-29*
            *no class meeting on November 22nd
            Registration Deadline: Monday, Oct. 29, 2018

Space/Depth/Perspective
            January 10-31
            Registration Deadline: Monday, Jan. 7, 2019

Value
            February 7-28
            Registration Deadline: Monday, Feb. 4, 2019

Volume
            March 7-28
            Registration Deadline: Monday, March 4, 2019

Texture and Surface
            April 4-25
            Registration Deadline: Monday, April 1, 2019

Introduction to Color Theory
            May 2-23
            Registration Deadline: Monday, April 29, 2019

Optical Color/Perceptual Color
            June 6-27
            Registration Deadline: Monday, June 3, 2019

Expressive and Symbolic Color
            July 11-August 1
            Registration Deadline: Monday, July 8, 2019

 

 

Questions?: Contact Adam Mysock at mysock@manifestdrawingcenter.org

Map to Studio    |   Studio Calendar    |   Darkroom Calendar

September 6-27
Registration Deadline:
Monday, September 3, 2018

Composition is the foundation of all good design. Learn to create visual harmony through the thoughtful arrangement of shapes and forms. Organizing pictorial space in an aesthetically pleasing way is the first step towards creating an image that communicates. Come harness the visual power of order, design, balance, and harmony.

Topics covered:

• Design principles: symmetry, balance, rhythm, movement, proportion, anomaly, contrast, emphasis, hierarchy, unity
• Seeing in shapes
• Organizing the picture plane
• Thumbnails and considering edges
• Introduction to compositional theory, including the rule of thirds, ratios, and other compositional forces

Materials List:

• Pencils: 2B, HB, 2H
• Kneaded eraser
• Retractable eraser
• Newsprint 18x24”
• Strathmore 400 drawing paper 18x24”

October 4-25
Registration Deadline:
Monday, October 1, 2018

Learning to draw is learning to see. Creating an accurate drawing requires letting go of what you think something looks like, and honing your attention on what your eyes actually see. Perceptual tools like angling, measuring, and sighting offer foolproof methods for creating truthful drawings every time you step into the studio.

Topics covered:

• Angling
• Measuring
• Sighting and proportions
• Organizational lines
• Perceptual strategies for accuracy

Materials List:

• Pencils: 2B, HB, 2H
• Kneaded eraser
• Retractable eraser
• Newsprint 18x24”
• Strathmore 400 drawing paper 18x24”

November 1 – 29*
*no class meeting on November 22nd
Registration Deadline:
Monday, October 29, 2018

A good drawing has sensitive lines and specific edges. Paying attention to contours, contrast, and the speed of the mark will increase your visual acuity and expand your visual language.

Topics covered:

• Movement, energy, fast drawing
• Thumbnails
• Blind contour, continuous line contour, broken line contour
• Edge control
• Sensitive lines

Materials List:

• Pencils: 2B, HB, 2H
• Kneaded eraser
• Retractable eraser
• Newsprint 18x24”
• Strathmore 400 drawing paper 18x24”

January 10-31
Registration Deadline:
Monday, January 7, 2019

Space is the place. Conveying a sense of depth on a flat surface is one of the most satisfying visual tricks an artist can pull. Broaden your perspective and increase the depth of your imagery.

Topics covered:

• Negative space
• Linear perspective: 1 point, 2 point, 3 point
• Edge quality, line variety
• Overlap and non-western perspectival systems
• Interior space

Materials List:

• Pencils: 2B, HB, 2H
• Kneaded eraser
• Retractable eraser
• Newsprint 18x24”
• Strathmore 400 drawing paper 18x24”