September 5-26
Registration Deadline:
Monday, Sept. 2, 2019
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:
• 2B pencil
• Kneaded eraser
• Retractable eraser
• Newsprint 18x24” pad (100 sheets)
• Strathmore 400 drawing paper, 18x24” pad
• Sketchbook (a handheld, bound book that you’re comfortable carrying around, sketching, and taking notes in during class)
|
October 3-24
Registration Deadline:
Monday, Sept. 30, 2019
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:
• 2B pencil
• Kneaded eraser
• Retractable eraser
• Newsprint 18x24” pad (100 sheets)
• Strathmore 400 drawing paper, 18x24” pad
• Sketchbook (a handheld, bound book that you’re comfortable carrying around, sketching, and taking notes in during class)
|
November 7-December 5
Registration Deadline:
Monday, Nov. 4, 2019
*no class meeting on November 28th
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:
• 2B pencil
• Kneaded eraser
• Retractable eraser
• Newsprint 18x24” pad (100 sheets)
• Strathmore 400 drawing paper, 18x24” pad
• Sketchbook (a handheld, bound book that you’re comfortable carrying around, sketching, and taking notes in during class)
|
January 9-30
Registration Deadline:
Monday, Jan. 6, 2020
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:
• 2B pencil
• Kneaded eraser
• Retractable eraser
• Newsprint 18x24” pad (100 sheets)
• Strathmore 400 drawing paper, 18x24” pad
• Sketchbook (a handheld, bound book that you’re comfortable carrying around, sketching, and taking notes in during class)
|
February 6-27
Registration Deadline:
Monday, Feb. 3, 2020
We see the world through light and shadow. Light reveals form and creates beautifully poetic illusions of contrast, form, and space. Seeing shadow-shape relationships is the first step towards describing and, ultimately, understanding the role light plays in a composition.
Topics covered:
- Shadow shape mapping
- Value scales
- Additive charcoal techniques
- 6 levels of light
- Rendering a sphere
Materials List:
• Vine or Willow charcoal, soft (box of 12)
• Compressed charcoal (3 sticks)
• Krylon workable spray fixative
• Strathmore 500 series Charcoal paper, white, 18x24” pad
• Canson Mi-Teintes paper, 19x24”, 1 sheet of either felt grey or sand
• White conte or white NuPastel, 1 stick
• Kneaded eraser
• Retractable eraser (Factis BM2 or Mono)
• Staedler white vinyl eraser
• *Optional: 1-2 sheets of nicer paper, either Rives BFK or Arches Cover (white)
|
March 5-26
Registration Deadline:
Monday, Mar. 2, 2020
Creating the illusion of form on a flat surface has long been the aim of perceptual artists. Through a variety of lighting scenarios, we will explore the beautiful nuances and subtleties of value drawing.
Topics covered:
- Edge quality
- Three kinds of light: direct, reflected, ambient
- Reductive charcoal techniques
- White pencil on toned paper techniques
- Introduction to temperature
- Atmospheric perspective
Materials List:
• Vine or Willow charcoal, soft (box of 12)
• Compressed charcoal (3 sticks)
• Krylon workable spray fixative
• Strathmore 500 series Charcoal paper, white, 18x24” pad
• Canson Mi-Teintes paper, 19x24”, 1 sheet of either felt grey or sand
• White conte or white NuPastel, 1 stick
• Kneaded eraser
• Retractable eraser (Factis BM2 or Mono)
• Staedler white vinyl eraser
• *Optional: 1-2 sheets of nicer paper, either Rives BFK or Arches Cover (white)
|
April 2-23
Registration Deadline:
Monday, Mar. 30, 2020
There is nothing like the visual impact of a full value drawing. Describing a variety of light effects on different surfaces and textures is an easily attainable skill… with practice. Bring your keen eyes and your curiosity, and be prepared to observe with intention and care.
Topics covered:
- Understanding light effects on a variety of surfaces
- Drapery and patterned forms
- Full value charcoal drawings
- Modulating edges
- Describing texture through mark-making and value
Materials List:
• Vine or Willow charcoal, soft (box of 12)
• Compressed charcoal (3 sticks)
• Krylon workable spray fixative
• Strathmore 500 series Charcoal paper, white, 18x24” pad
• Canson Mi-Teintes paper, 19x24”, 1 sheet of either felt grey or sand
• White conte or white NuPastel, 1 stick
• Kneaded eraser
• Retractable eraser (Factis BM2 or Mono)
• Staedler white vinyl eraser
• *Optional: 1-2 sheets of nicer paper, either Rives BFK or Arches Cover (white)
|
May 7-28
Registration Deadline:
Monday, May 4, 2020
Color is the most powerful element of design. Good color has the alchemical ability to turn the most basic object into something incredibly beautiful. Join us to learn the building blocks of color and its experiential qualities.
Topics covered:
- 3 characteristics of color: hue, value, intensity
- Simultaneous contrast, visual complements
- Subtractive color
- Transparency
- Color wheel
- Color scales
Materials List:
• 24 set of Prismacolor Premier colored pencils
• Retractable eraser (Factis BM2 or Mono)
• Staedler white vinyl eraser
• Canson Mi-Teintes white paper 19x24”, 4-6 sheets (or 4-6 sheets of Strathmore 400 drawing paper, 18x24”)
|
June 4-25
Registration Deadline:
Monday, June 1, 2020
Observational drawing is not merely about copying what you see; it’s about understanding why something appears the way it does. In this class we will identify perceived colors, describe their unique qualities, and attempt to recreate them with increasing finesse and accuracy.
Topics covered:
- Color temperature and value
- Local color
- 3 kinds of light: direct, ambient, reflected
- Color mixing in both pastels and colored pencils
Materials List:
• 24 set of Prismacolor NuPastel chalk pastels
• Rembrandt soft pastel – Permanent Red Light, 1 stick
• Rives BFK paper, 22x30”, 4-5 sheets of either white or gray
• Retractable eraser (Factis BM2 or Mono)
• Staedler white vinyl eraser
• Workable spray fixative (Krylon)
• *Optional: additional soft pastels, either Rembrandt or Sennelier (colors to be discussed in class)
|
July 2-23
Registration Deadline:
Monday, June 29, 2020
Color has the potential to alter consciousness, affect mood, and transform the mundane into the magical. The psychology of colors and their inherent meaning has a tremendous impact on the content of a work of art. Working with a full spectrum palette, we will explore the communicative power of color.
Topics covered:
- Full spectrum drawing
- The role of color in defining spatial depth
- Color and temperature
- Unifying and resolving a drawing
Materials List:
• 24 set of Prismacolor NuPastel chalk pastels
• Rembrandt soft pastel – Permanent Red Light, 1 stick
• Rives BFK paper, 22x30”, 4-5 sheets of either white or gray
• Retractable eraser (Factis BM2 or Mono)
• Staedler white vinyl eraser
• Workable spray fixative (Krylon)
• *Optional: additional soft pastels, either Rembrandt or Sennelier (colors to be discussed in class)
|
|
