Nature Drawing Fundamentals _ with Afsaneh Michaels _ Jan 8- Feb 19 _ Wed_ 9:30-12:30 _Studio 1
Nature Drawing Fundamentals
January 8- February 19 , 2025
Wednesdays 9:30-12:30
Studio 1
Nature drawing has a way of bringing your body and soul in synch with nature and helps you stay in the calm and quiet of the moment. Drawing concentrates your mind and helps you see the world in a new way. In nature drawing you can bring natural things into your home, on vacation, outdoors with friends, anywhere you wish with just a small sketchbook and some pencils.
We learn the fundamentals of drawing and visual thinking in a detailed and methodical way over several weeks with a lot practice and attention from the instructor. You will learn about form, shading, line weight, and composition and make lively, interesting and beautiful drawings. A wide range of materials and mediums are gradually introduced along with demonstrations.
In my classes we work together in a cohesive environment, without judgement where you get to see and appreciate a variety of art and inspire each other. You draw as beginners, intermediate students, and more experienced students all in one class, each group working on material appropriate to their group, overlaps are encouraged among the various levels.
Beginners learn the basics of form, line and value/shading and learn to draw branches, leaves, small flowers, fruits or vegetable, and an animal, bird or insect. At the end of class you’ll have at least one drawing with three or four components and probably more. Beginners come to the first class half an hour early to meet and greet and to get the beginner materials.
Intermediate students draw more complex scenery or a still life with natural elements in it, perhaps work on a series and learn to use color (optional) with colored pencils, pastels, or watercolor. This group produces several drawings, some in color and some in graphite or charcoal pencil.
More advanced students work with scale, perspective, tonal variation and more detail and color and scale. A recent group of students made a series from four different flowers.
We will use pencils, charcoal, colored pencils, pens, or pastels and to lesser extent watercolor ( always combined with pencils or pens). Great emphasis is on drawing real specimens and not necessarily working from photos. Small things are brought in to the studio or from your home as models.
Please come with your materials or at least a sketchbook and some pencils to the first class and learn about materials then.
Instructor: Afsaneh Michaels AfsanehAm@gmail.com
Dates: January 8- February 19, 2025
Wednesdays: 9:30- 12:30
Class Fee: $210.00 Members. $230.00 Non-members
Place: studio 1
Number of students: 18
Materials: Sketchbook: 93-120 Ibs. weight of your choice. Pencils: 6B, 5B, 4B, 3B, 2B, B, F, H, 2H, 4H. Set of charcoal pencils. Pink/white eraser. kneaded rubber eraser. Pencil sharpener. Gray scale. Blending stumps. Small ruler,
Set of colored pencils if you choose color (Prismacolor is ideal but other brands work too).