We offer drop in classes for 1st time students who are thinking about joining our ongoing Drawing and Painting from Life classes, and want to try it before comiting to a full month.
Learn drawing and painting through a traditional, observation-based approach. In this class students will build a strong technical foundation by working from life (both still-life and with a live model)
New students begin with still life, focusing on the disciplined study of fundamental forms: the sphere, cube, and cylinder. Through careful observation, measurement, and rendering of light and shadow, students develop the visual language needed to understand structure, proportion, and value. This stage is considered the groundwork of all representational drawing and painting, and all students are expected to engage deeply with it before progressing.
Once a foundation is established, students move into the figure room to apply these principles to the human form. Working from a live model, they learn to translate their understanding of form, proportion, and gesture into increasingly complex compositions. Instruction is individual and tailored to support both beginners and more advanced students, with an emphasis on developing a clear, personal way of seeing.
The class is structured to operate across both rooms simultaneously, with the instructor guiding a group of still-life students alongside those working from the figure. This allows for a range of entry points and preferences, while maintaining a cohesive, atelier-style learning environment. Students who prefer to remain focused on still life are fully supported in doing so. Over time, students will have developed a deeper understanding of form, gained confidence working from observation, and established a strong technical base for further study in drawing and painting.
Material List:
- Charcoal pencils – 2 each 2B, 4B, 6B (= medium, soft, extra soft)
- Single edge razor blades for sharpening
- Sandpaper pads for sharpening
- Kneaded erasor
- Large blending stump
- Chamois
- Newsprint pad, rough
- Charcoal paper – white or light colored
Note that Lista has much of this on hand in case an item is forgotten or unavailable.
