Basic Drawing

This course will teach you how to observe and draw objects from life in a realistic style, a fundamental skill for working in any media including painting, printmaking, and sculpture. Using pencil and charcoal and working from still life and models, you will learn several types of line and tonal drawing as well as key concepts such as negative shape, relative measuring, and perspective. Each class features a directed drawing exercise to teach a specific skill and these skills build on one another.

Fleisher will be closed on Monday, May 25, to observe the Memorial Day holiday, the make-up session will be on June 8.

What you will learn:

  • Make accurate contour line drawing of real objects

  • Create volumetric drawing using light and dark

  • Create three-dimensional space in drawings

  • Handle complicated subjects and correctly place groups of objects

  • Begin to develop an understanding of picture composition

Required supplies:

  • Soft vine charcoal

  • Kneaded eraser

  • White drafting eraser

  • Charcoal drawing pad 18×24”

  • 18” x 24” Strathmore sketchpad or similar white pad

  • Graphite drawing pencils: HB, 2B, 4B

  • Rives BFK paper

  • 9 x 12” pad of toned paper (one size bigger is fine too)

  • Paper towels

  • Red conte

  • White conte

  • Nupastel prismacolor set (Rembrandt and Sennelier is fine too)

  • One small palette knife

  • Small blending brush

Midway through the term students will need:

  • Week 7: yardstick (flexible metal)

  • Weeks 9 & 10: mirror 12 x 12 inches