Drawing on the Far Side of the Brain

Instructor: Robin Adair
Fridays 5:30-8:30pm
5 weeks: November 7 to December 5
Location: Online
$240 (supplies not included)
Prerequisite: None

This course is for anyone who has been enamoured by the imaginative side of drawing, who would like to put aside their reference pictures, or would prefer to not have a definite plan for how their art should unfold. Students will be introduced to a variety of approaches to creative expression inspired by art history and by the instructor’s own personal creative journey: visual journals, surrealism, symbolism and dream imagery, sketching from memory, and exploring abstraction through mark making and mixed media approaches.

Syllabus

  • Ink sketching with free-form shapes and patterns

  • Mixed-media abstraction

  • Imagined landscapes using principles of perspective

  • Hybrid animals

  • Visual Analogs — building narratives with personal symbol

Supplies

  • Package of Vine Charcoal

  • Pencils (2H, 2B, 4B, 8B) I recommend the Staedtler Mars Lumograph brand. My most preferred series for B pencils are the Mars Lumograph Black

  • Erasers: 1 kneaded and 1 white

  • Conte (brown, black, and white)

  • Blending stumps (various sizes)

  • 2-3 Black fine tip felt pens. I recommend the Pigma Micron brand

  • One Pentel pocket brush pen

  • Metal ruler with cork backing

  • Pad of 9x12 Strathmore drawing paper 90 lb

  • Pad of 9x12 Strathmore drawing paper 200 lb

  • Workable fixative. I strongly recommend the SpectraFix Degas fixative because it is non-toxic. Other art store fixatives are extremely toxic and need to be used in areas with excellent ventilation. Otherwise, I would opt for a can of cheap aerosol hair spray (strong hold)

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