For the past two weeks, Val and I have been finishing up our workshop series, ending with a two day drawing intensive last week (taught by yours truly), and a papier mache workshop this week (taught by Val). It’s been great fun. Our participants have responded favorably to our efforts.
Demonstrating how to get started laying out a drawing
My studio turns out to be a space in which any kind of activity seems to work. The first go-round of workshop classes required a lot of planning not the least of which was how to set up the studio with tables, supplies, other stuff and last but not least, food! Each type of class required a different set up.
Here are the results of negative space drawings of a chair. Negative space is the open area in and around the object being drawn. We did this the first day as well as a series of exercises using negative space and exploring one point and two point perspective.
There are a myriad of details that went into creating the series of classes. Now that we’ve done it once, we’re looking forward to offering another set of workshops in the Fall, repeating some classes and expanding to add others.
Quickly drawing in the still life, figuring out angles and proportions
The group is working on a series of gesture drawings. Gesture drawings are very quick and energetic, intended to capture the essence of the still life in just a minute or two.
Getting wild and drawing with abandon is part of what gesture drawing is all about!
The drawing intensive was just that–intense. I’m told some participants went home and collapsed with a glass of wine in order to recover.They were a remarkably receptive and quick group, learning more than I would have thought possible in just two-4 hour classes.
Working with charcoal, adding dark and light values to the shapes (you can just see the still life set up of white shapes in front of a dark cloth)
Impressive charcoal drawings of a still life. None of the participants had worked in charcoal before this.
Stay tuned in–in the next few weeks I’ll be updating my workshop page on the website with the Fall schedule! And if you have suggestions of classes you are interested in, feel free to contact me or leave a comment in the section below.