Drawing II: Portrait and the Human Figure

 

Instructor: Robin Adair
Tuesdays 5:30-8:30pm
10 weeks: April 14 to June 16
Location: In-person Williams Building room 306
$395 (supplies not included) + $55 model fees (required)
Prerequisite: Drawing I

This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of portrait and figurative drawing: measuring proportions, blocking out lights and shadows, and creating natural textures, such as skin, hair, and clothing with a variety of mediums. We will also draw inspiration from a range of techniques and styles by other masters, including Käthe Kollwitz’s emotive portraits and figures, Rembrandt’s expressive pen and ink sketches, and Jim Dine’s mixed media experiments. Students will also get experience drawing from a live model on two separate occasions throughout the course. 

Syllabus

  • Mapping out the face: structure and proportion
  • Gestural studies and action poses
  • Chiaroscuro techniques with charcoal and conte
  • Intro to Pen and ink sketching
  • 1st live model session
  • Expressing human emotion
  • The self-portrait
  • Creating designs with multiple figures
  • Mixed media experiments
  • 2nd live model session

Supplies

  • Vine Charcoal
  • Graphite pencils (2B to 8B) Staedtler Mars Lumograph brand is recommended
  • Erasers: 2 kneaded and 1 white
  • Blending stumps (assorted sizes)
  • Conté sticks (brown, black, and white)
  • Metal ruler
  • Two fine tip felt pens (.05 and .08) Sakura Pigma Micron brand is recommended
  • One Pentel pocket brush pen.
  • 2 bamboo ink brushes
  • Nib dip pen holder and at least one fine-tip nib and one chisel-tip nib
  • Container of India Ink
  • Strathmore pad of white drawing paper (11x14)
  • Pad of Bristol board (9x12)

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