Portrait/Figure

Our comprehensive portrait and figure drawing class is designed to equip students with clear demonstrations and hands-on practice for rendering three-dimensional forms on paper and canvas. We thoroughly cover perspective fundamentals, essential techniques for achieving likeness and character, and step-by-step methods that progressively build your confidence. Learners can begin wherever they feel most comfortable and gradually advance toward full-figure drawing or painting as their skills and understanding develop.

Class Requirements:

• All skill levels are welcome
• This is a 2-hour class, arrive anytime during the scheduled time period
• Extend your learning by purchasing the THIRD HOUR option to stay for the complete class

What You Will Learn:

• Placement, proportion, shape, and spacing techniques
• The planes of the head and systematic construction methods
• Shading, contours, and various mark-making approaches
• Describes the form with effective use of light and shadow and perspective principles
• How to capture both the gesture and an accurate likeness

Sample Class Format:

• Gesture Drawing Essentials - Breaking down the line of action and identifying key skeletal masses like head, clavicle, rib cage, and pelvis
• Adding Mass to Gesture Drawings - Learn to add mass to arms and legs on top of the gesture, using geometric shapes to represent larger body parts and strengthen figure structure
• Gesture and Proportion - Learn key proportions using the head as a standard measuring unit to establish figure height and position on the page, understand alignment, apply enveloping to ensure the figure fits properly within the picture plane composition, and become familiar with the 7 standard proportions of figure drawing
• Finishing the Drawing - Emphasize accurate placement of shadow shapes, consolidating form, adding hints of anatomical structure, and including fine details to bring the figure to life on the page

What To Bring:

• 18x24 Strathmore 400 Series drawing pad
• 18x24 Newsprint drawing pad
• Willow charcoal sticks
• 2 each of compressed charcoal pencils: 2B, 4B, and 6B
• 1 each graphite pencil: HB, 2B, 4B
• Kneaded eraser