creative research gallery and drawing center
a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization

 

DRAWING CENTER STUDIO

 

 

 

DRAWING ESSENTIALS

Ten individual four-week classes (four Thursday evenings each) focusing on
the most essential skills and knowledge to serve the beginning or novice drawer.

(Available in Two Formats: Online OR In-Person at Manifest's Central Parkway Studios (M1)!)

Try one, or take them all! ($45 per class discount for the full package.)

 


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! 

This class provides two optional formats - online OR in-person (see below):

**NOTE: This series will now be offered in both online and in-person formats for the Drawing Center’s 19th Season.

Whichever meeting plan a student selects will apply to every class meeting for that month’s registration (i.e. If someone registers for the in-person option for September’s Composition course, they will only have access to the in-person instruction offered for that month).

If space is available, students may switch between online and in-person formats from month to month.

Those wishing to register for the (discounted) full series at the beginning of the cycle will be asked to select whether they would prefer to work online or in the studios for the entire 10-month series.

 

Series Instructors:

Online: Samantha Haring, Manifest Resident Instructor

In-person: To be announced very soon.

 

Fee:  Individual 4-week Classes: $185

Full Series Price (all ten courses): $1400 ($45 discount per class!)

 

Course Schedule: Thursdays 6-9pm

Minimum Enrollment: 4  
Maximum Class Size: 10

 

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.

 

 

 



***[ REGISTER HERE ]***


2022-2023 Schedule
4 Meetings Per Course: Thursdays 6-9pm

(See full descriptions in Essentials menu below.)

COURSE SCHEDULE

Composition
September 8-29
Registration Deadline: Monday, September 5, 2022
 
Measuring Your Observations
October 6-27
Registration Deadline: Monday, October 3, 2022
 
Gesture and Contour
November 3-December 1* 
Registration Deadline: Monday, October 31, 2022
*no class meeting on November 24th 
 
Space/Depth/Perspective
January 5-26, 2023
Registration Deadline: Monday, January 2, 2023
 
Value
February 2-23, 2023
Registration Deadline: Monday, January 30, 2023
 
Volume
March 9-30, 2023
Registration Deadline: Monday, March 6, 2023
 
Texture and Surface
April 6-27, 2023
Registration Deadline: Monday, April 3, 2023
 
Introduction to Color 
May 4-25, 2023
Registration Deadline: Monday, May 1, 2023
 
Optical Color/Perceptual Color
June 8-29, 2023
Registration Deadline: Monday, June 5, 2023
 
Expressive and Symbolic Color
July 6-27, 2023
Registration Deadline: Monday, July 3, 2023






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, 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

Instructor Bio: ONLINE

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).

 

Instructor Bio: IN-PERSON

Hannah Parrett grew up on the southwestern edge of South Dakota—a space that inspires her practice through the investigation of myths surrounding the American West. She received her Masters in Fine Arts from The Ohio State University (2020) where she taught as a lecturer from 2020-2022 and is the co-founder of Dream Clinic Project Space, an artist-run gallery that operates out of a shared studio collective in Columbus, OH. She has exhibited locally and nationally at galleries that include The Neon Heater, Gilman Contemporary, Holland Project, and the Pizutti Collection through the Columbus Museum of Art. She has received the Greater Columbus Arts Council Fellowship and was featured in the Midwest Editions #155 #167 of New American Paintings. Hannah currently teaches at the University of Cincinnati and can be found at her Wave Pool studio fueling her obsession with relief carvings, and in her new garden paradise that she shares with two bossy schnauzers and her partner Max.

     

COMPOSITION

MEASURING YOUR
OBSERVATIONS

GESTURE & CONTOUR

SPACE / DEPTH & PERSPECTIVE


September 8-29
Registration Deadline: Monday, September 5, 2022

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 (either the Factis BM2 or Tombow Mono)
• Pencil sharpener
• Sketchbook, recommended size 9x12”-14x17” (two recommendations: Strathmore 400 series Field Sketchbook, 9x12”, 70 pages (link) or Strathmore Recycled Sketch Pad, 14x17, 100 sheets (link)


October 6-27
Registration Deadline:
Monday, October 3, 2022

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 (either the Factis BM2 or Tombow Mono)
• Pencil sharpener
• Sketchbook, recommended size 9x12”-14x17” (two recommendations: Strathmore 400 series Field Sketchbook, 9x12”, 70 pages (link) or Strathmore Recycled Sketch Pad, 14x17, 100 sheets (link)

 


November 3-December 1* 
Registration Deadline:
Monday, October 31, 2022
*no class meeting on November 24th 

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
  • Negative space

Materials List:

• 2B pencil
• Kneaded eraser
• Retractable eraser (either the Factis BM2 or Tombow Mono)
• Pencil sharpener
• Sketchbook, recommended size 9x12”-14x17” (two recommendations: Strathmore 400 series Field Sketchbook, 9x12”, 70 pages (link) or Strathmore Recycled Sketch Pad, 14x17, 100 sheets (link)


January 5-26, 2023
Registration Deadline:
Monday, January 2, 2023

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:

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

Materials List:

• 2B pencil
• Kneaded eraser
• Retractable eraser (either the Factis BM2 or Tombow Mono)
• Pencil sharpener
• Sketchbook, recommended size 9x12”-14x17” (two recommendations: Strathmore 400 series Field Sketchbook, 9x12”, 70 pages (link) or Strathmore Recycled Sketch Pad, 14x17, 100 sheets (link)


VALUE

VOLUME

TEXTURE & SURFACE

INTRO TO COLOR


February 2-23, 2023

Registration Deadline:
Monday, January 30, 2023

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 value techniques
  • 6 levels of light
  • Rendering a sphere

Materials List:

  • 2B, HB, 2H pencils Prismacolor premier colored pencils: white, black (2 each)
  • Kneaded eraser
  • Retractable eraser (either the Factis or Tombow Mono)
  • Pencil sharpener
  • Sketchbook, recommended size 9x12”-14x17” (two recommendations: Strathmore 400 series Field Sketchbook, 9x12”, 70 pages (link) or Strathmore Recycled Sketch Pad, 14x17, 100 sheets (link)
  • 1 sheet Canson Mi-Teintes paper, 19x24”, Stygian black
  • 1 sheet Canson Mi-Teintes paper, 19x24”, either Steel grey or Felt grey



March 9-30, 2023

Registration Deadline:
Monday, March 6, 2023

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 value techniques
  • White and black pencil on toned paper techniques
  • Introduction to temperature
  • Atmospheric perspective

Materials List:

  • 2B, HB, 2H pencils Prismacolor premier colored pencils: white, black (2 each)
  • Kneaded eraser
  • Retractable eraser (either the Factis or Tombow Mono)
  • Pencil sharpener
  • Sketchbook, recommended size 9x12”-14x17” (two recommendations: Strathmore 400 series Field Sketchbook, 9x12”, 70 pages (link) or Strathmore Recycled Sketch Pad, 14x17, 100 sheets (link)
  • 1 sheet Canson Mi-Teintes paper, 19x24”, Stygian black
  • 1 sheet Canson Mi-Teintes paper, 19x24”, either Steel grey or Felt grey

 


April 6-27, 2023
Registration Deadline:
Monday, April 3, 2023

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 drawings
  • Modulating edges
  • Describing texture through mark-making and value

Materials List:

  • 2B, HB, 2H pencils Prismacolor premier colored pencils: white, black (2 each)
  • Kneaded eraser
  • Retractable eraser (either the Factis or Tombow Mono)
  • Pencil sharpener
  • Sketchbook, recommended size 9x12”-14x17” (two recommendations: Strathmore 400 series Field Sketchbook, 9x12”, 70 pages (link) or Strathmore Recycled Sketch Pad, 14x17, 100 sheets (link)
  • 1 sheet Canson Mi-Teintes paper, 19x24”, Stygian black
  • 1 sheet Canson Mi-Teintes paper, 19x24”, either Steel grey or Felt grey

 



May 4-25, 2023
Registration Deadline:
Monday, May 1, 2023

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 (either the Factis BM2 or Tombow Mono)
• Staedler white vinyl eraser
• Pencil sharpener
• Sketchbook, recommended size 9x12”-14x17” (two recommendations: Strathmore 400 series Field Sketchbook, 9x12”, 70 pages (link) or Strathmore Recycled Sketch Pad, 14x17, 100 sheets (link)


   

OPTICAL COLOR / PERCEPTUAL COLOR

EXPRESSIVE &
SYMBOLIC COLOR


June 8-29, 2023
Registration Deadline:
Monday, June 5, 2023

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 colored pencils
  • Full spectrum drawing

Materials List:

• 24 set of Prismacolor Premier colored pencils
• Retractable eraser (either the Factis BM2 or Tombow Mono)
• Staedler white vinyl eraser
• Pencil sharpener
• Sketchbook, recommended size 9x12”-14x17” (two recommendations: Strathmore 400 series Field Sketchbook, 9x12”, 70 pages (link) or Strathmore Recycled Sketch Pad, 14x17, 100 sheets (link)


July 6-27, 2023
Registration Deadline:
Monday, July 3, 2023

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 various color palettes, we will explore the communicative power of color.

Topics covered:

  • Limited color palettes and color relativity
  • The role of color in defining spatial depth
  • Color and temperature
  • Unifying and resolving a drawing

Materials List:

• 24 set of Prismacolor Premier colored pencils
• Retractable eraser (either the Factis BM2 or Tombow Mono)
• Staedler white vinyl eraser
• Pencil sharpener
• Sketchbook, recommended size 9x12”-14x17” (two recommendations: Strathmore 400 series Field Sketchbook, 9x12”, 70 pages (link) or Strathmore Recycled Sketch Pad, 14x17, 100 sheets (link)



  Season Funder:

Manifest's 19th season is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign, by a sustainability grant from the Ohio Arts Council, and through the generous direct contributions of individual supporters and private foundations who care deeply about Manifest's mission for the visual arts.


gallery hours:

tues-fri 12-7pm, sat noon-5pm
closed on sun-mon

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gallery map
2727 woodburn avenue
cincinnati, ohio 45206


drawing center map
3464 Central Parkway
cincinnati, ohio 45223


   

 


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