DRAWING CENTER STUDIO

THE DRAWN SUBJECT
AN INTRODUCTION TO ART HISTORY'S GREATEST THEMES

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

Throughout our lives as artists, we may speak in a variety of visual languages in order create images unique to our own, evolving perspectives. For many artists throughout history, these visual languages, or “styles,” have been assembled from both their investigations into the connotative potentials of multiple subjects (consider Piet Mondrian’s famous tree studies that preceded his geometric abstraction, for example) and the complex influences of their artistic community. 

The Drawn Subject is a new series of classes that offer curious artists the opportunity to experience such a survey of subject-matter connotations, looking at five of the most influential Art Historical subjects…

… while simultaneously building further upon previous knowledge and skills, as they gain a better understanding of their personal “language.” Through an array of new observational studies from a different subject each month, we will focus on what guides your own perspective and the ways that it can be refined to develop an artistic voice.

Series Instructor: Brad Davis

Fee:  Individual 4-week Classes: $150

Full Series Price (all ten courses): $600 (a discount of nearly 20%!)

Course Schedule: Sundays, 1:30-4:30pm*
*May’s Plein Air class may meet earlier in the day to take advantage of cool, morning temperatures.

Minimum Enrollment: 4
Maximum Enrollment during COVID-19 restrictions: 5

Level: Drawing Materials is specifically geared towards artists with basic knowledge of observational drawing and drawing media, but who may not have a clear idea of what to draw. This series will also benefit those wishing to brush up on their basic knowledge of particular subjects. 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:
Brad Davis is a painter from Cincinnati, Ohio. He earned his BFA from the Art Academy of Cincinnati in 2016, and his MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 2019. His paintings are typically centered around the urban environment and seek to transform its banality through careful and personal reconstruction. In addition to teaching at Manifest Drawing Center, Davis also teaches at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning (DAAP). Davis’ work has been exhibited nationally and was included in the 2018 XL Catlin Art Prize traveling show. Most recently he has been shown at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. His paintings are in the permanent collections of the Union League of Philadelphia and Capitol One Bank.

LOCATION: Unless otherwise specified, all courses are hosted at Manifest's new facility at 'M1' in Clifton at 3464 Central Parkway (see map and directions below). Manifest's new facility provides multiple studio classrooms, private lesson space, a darkroom, a film processing room, and a multi-purpose lecture and class meeting space as well as on-site parking, grounds, and exterior spaces in which to relax, discuss, and make art. The studios are outfitted with professional equipment, furniture, and study aids.

Map to Manifest's M1 Studios   |   Studio Calendar   |   Darkroom Calendar

Brad Davis

2020-2021 Schedule:
4 Meetings Per Course: Sundays 1:30-4:30pm
(See full descriptions in Subject menu below.)

COURSE SCHEDULE

Introduction to the Figure
September 6-27
Registration Deadline: Thursday, September 3, 2020

The Portrait as Likeness and Expression
November 1-22
Registration Deadline: Wednesday, October 29, 2020

Animating the Still Life
January 10-31
Registration Deadline: Thursday, January 7, 2021

Interior Places Beyond Perspective
March 7-28
Registration Deadline: Thursday, March 4, 2021

Wrestling with Exterior Spaces (en Plein Air)
May 2-23
Registration Deadline: Thursday, April 29, 2021

 

SERIES MATERIALS LIST
(These same supplies will be used in each month’s class):

• Vine charcoal
• Workable spray fixative (Krylon suggested)
• White Prismacolor Premier colored pencil
• 2-3 sheets of Canson Mi-Teintes 19x25” gray paper (either dark gray, felt gray, flannel gray, or steel gray) OR 1 Strathmore Grayscale pad, 12x18”
• Strathmore 400 drawing paper 18x24”
• Kneaded eraser
• Retractable eraser
• HB Pencil
• One sheet 100 grit sandpaper

 

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

(Note: Manifest's Drawing Center is now in Walnut Hills! Follow our map links to find our studios.)

September 6-27
Registration Deadline:
Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020

While the figure is perhaps the most common subject throughout art history, its depictions and interpretations could never be exhausted. Drawing the figure is a challenge that begins with the establishment of good composition, proportion, and form and culminates in the rousing interpretation of subtle gestures and postures. Few artistic tasks are as demanding or as rewarding!

Topics covered:

• proportions of the body
• value hierarchy
• composition
• gesture
• communicating through posture

November 1-22
Registration Deadline:
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020

Portraiture is perhaps the most personal and psychologically engaging pursuit in drawing because it is linked to what we most readily identify with—ourselves. We will explore our cast busts, the self portrait, and the many ways this timeless subject has been depicted by artists throughout history.

Topics covered:

• landmarks of the head
• working with a mirror
• finding planes of light
• defining parts of a shadow
• expressive movements of the head and its features

January 10-31
Registration Deadline:
Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021

While it’s not always apparent, every object has its own personality derived from the nature of its creation, the people it’s touched, the spaces it’s inhabited, and the jobs it’s done. In this way, they combine the intimacy of portraiture and the compositional potential of figure drawing (with the added benefit of staying still). Whether single or combined, drawing from the inanimate allows for a deep study of form, texture, and edge quality.

Topics covered:

• working in a set range of value
• edge quality
• developing texture
• overlapping shapes and tangencies
• technical narrative

 

March 7-28
Registration Deadline:
Thursday, March 4, 2021

How often do we really pause to consider the spaces we transition throughout each day? To consider the events that define one room and separate its tone from another? Beautifully, interior drawing harnesses the ability to imply activity, existence, and history through absence. In this month’s investigation, we will look at the descriptive qualities of spaces and how light and composition can work to enhance their potential narratives.

Topics covered:

• layering space
• finding dynamic angles
• grouping values
• mark making
• implementing tools of perspective