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Just Draw the Boots

An introductory drawing workshop in how to see proportions, how to make intentional marks, and how to combine these to make quick, dynamic sketches from a live model.

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Level:

Beginner

Prerequisites:

None

Tools:

chalk pastel and newsprint paper (both provided)

What you should bring:

Interest, curiosity, patience with yourself, and a willingness to play; everything else is provided

What you can expect:

A lighthearted and comfortable, judgment-free learning environment; insights into how an artist sees; discovery of skills you didn’t know you possessed; an expanded sense of your own potential.

What you’ll leave with:

A dozen drawings, ranging from abstract shapes recognizable forms; pastel under your fingernails and possibly on your nose; a giddy smile.

Workshop length:

3 hours

Description:

Learning to draw from life is like learning a new language. We’ll start with making marks on paper; this is our vocabulary, simple phrases from which we can construct increasingly sophisticated ideas.

We use square pastels because they let us make a wide variety of marks. We use newsprint paper because it takes the pastel well, and because it’s inexpensive; even unconsciously we tend to hold back if we use expensive materials.

Next we’ll bring out the model. After a brief introduction, I’ll give a short demo of how to use reference points to find shapes through simple triangulation. We’ll talk about the dominant line, and the importance of having a clear starting point - in this case, the boots.

Then the model will give us a series of short poses which we’ll draw with large gestures using our marks and triangulation to capture the essence of her form - always beginning with the boots.

After the gestures, we’ll try some slightly longer poses, allowing for more precision in our drawing. I’ll spend time with each student individually, answering questions and providing guidance.

We’ll finish up by thanking the model for inspiration, reviewing what we’ve learned, and talking about next steps.

Register

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Figurative Landscapes

An intermediate-beginner drawing workshop on how to form the mountains and trace the rivers of the figure when working with a live model

Level:

Intermediate-beginner

Prerequisites:

Some figure drawing experience, a degree of comfort with and control of basic drawing tools

Tools:

chalk pastel and newsprint paper (both provided)

What you should bring:

Focus, energy, dedication, patience with yourself and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone; everything else is provided

What you can expect:

A richly informative and data-dense hands-on learning environment; insights into using metaphor to deepen your visual understanding; ideas on how to integrate this knowledge into your existing creative workflow.

What you’ll leave with:

Over a dozen drawings, ranging from floating body parts to cohesive figure studies; pastel under your fingernails and possibly on your nose; a giddy smile.

Workshop length:

2 hours

Description

Whether you use the metphor of spheres and cylinders or mountains and valleys, it's helpful to make comparisons when learning how to express the human form. What appeals to me about using landscape is that, even at rest, the body's hills tremble, its rivers flow.

With this in mind, we'll be approaching drawing the figure from the point of view of time; which parts change slowly, which parts are never still. This enables us to dwell on the former while being alert to moments where we can capture the latter.

This workshop will build upon what we've learned in Just Draw the Boots by using our personal language of marks to create volume on the paper. We'll begin with a demo of these techniques, then the model will give us a series of short poses. Our focus here will be less on the entire figure than on particular relationships between parts; her shoulder and her neck; her hip and her ribs; the crook of her elbow.

With longer poses will come more attention to representing the cohesiveness of the figure. In a landscape, we're always acutely aware of gaps in the trees or mountains shaped by tectonic forces; we'll look at how the functions of joints and muscles affect how they're rendered. (We aren't studying anatomy, per se, but a passing understanding doesn't hurt.)

We'll finish up by thanking our model for her inspiration, reviewing what we're learned, and talking about next steps.

Register

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Body Heat

An intermediate pastel drawing class on using saturated colors to bring light and life to drawings from a live model.

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Level:

Intermediate

Prerequisites:

Solid figure drawing experience, good control of chalk pastels

Tools:

chalk (soft) pastel and 6-10 sheets of toned pastel paper (not provided)

What you should bring:

your own pastels and paper, or purchase them on arrival (reply to your registration confirmation email)

What you can expect:

An intensive deep-dive into selecting your palette for figure drawing; how to mix your colors on the paper by juxtaposition (not smearing); ways to expand your perceptual of the visible spectrum.

What you’ll leave with:

Several pages of color mixing tests, plus a handful of partial or complete drawings from a live model; pastel under your fingernails and possibly on your nose; a giddy smile.

Workshop length:

2-3 hours

Description

This workshop builds upon what we've learned in the previous two, but any level of skill and experience is welcome.

The introduction of color into a figure drawing can be a game-changer. Whereas monochromatic studies can be sculptural (see our Figurative Landscapes workshop), adding color can make them breathe.

We'll be looking at the temperature of color on the skin; warm highlights, cool shadows, but also vice-versa. We'll also experiment with layering of complementary colors and how that allows a limited palette almost infinite nuance.

Emphasis will be on process over product, with both demos and exercises liberally sprinkled with plenty of self-guided exploration. This workshop builds upon concepts and techniques introduced and developed in the first two workshops.

Register

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