Drawing II: Developing Techniques and Styles

Instructor: Robin Adair
Thursdays 1-4pm
10 weeks: September 26 to November 28
Location: In-person Williams Building room 306
$387.50 (supplies not included)
Prerequisite: Drawing I or equivalent experience

This course focuses on the continued development of drawing skills through observation, hands-on exploration and experimentation with a variety of traditional drawing materials, surfaces and processes. In-class exercises will focus on further development of your technical skills in drawing, and the introduction of color mediums and color theory. In the course you will learn different techniques and how they are applied in various movements in Art & Art History as well as how to use and combine various reference materials. You will have the opportunity to apply the techniques learned throughout the course to develop and pursue your own artistic interests as they relate to drawing.

Syllabus

  • Course introduction and warm-up exercises
  • Mixed-media reductive drawing
  • Abstraction series using vertical balance, figure ground reversal, endotopic/exotopic treatment, and hard and soft edges
  • A Vanitas of Style: exploring various styles and methods in art history using a chosen subject
  • Symbolic representation: creating visual analogues and narratives with gestural line, value, shape, and pattern
  • Hybrid creature drawing: exploring shape, value, and textures with various media
  • Still-life portrait drawing: utilizing a sighting grid to construct a complex drawing
  • Independent work

This outline is subject to change in response to class dynamics and development.

Supplies

  • Vine Charcoal
  • Graphite Sticks
  • Pencils (2B to 8B) Staedtler Mars Lumograph brand is recommended
  • Erasers: 2 kneaded and 1 gum
  • Blending sticks (assorted sizes)
  • Conte (brown, black, and white)
  • Blending stumps (various sizes)
  • Metal ruler
  • 2 bamboo ink brushes
  • Nib pen holder
  • 1 fine tip nib and 1 large line nib
  • Container of India Ink
  • Roll of rice paper
  • Pad of newsprint (18” x 24” or larger)
  • Pad of white bond paper 
  • Bulldog clips (two)

Note: During the first class, we will discuss options for other drawing papers.

For a brief list of frequently used suppliers, please see Where can I purchase supplies? on our FAQ page.