Drawing Basic Fundamentals and Techniques

The students will learn the steps to take to design and draw realistic animal portraits. From using guidelines and shapes to calculate proportions to shading and coloring to complete the sketches. Students will become comfortable planning out a drawing and using the techniques taught in class to draw any type of animal Portrait. These are the same techniques I use when I illustrate or teach one-day realistic drawing courses. We will begin with an animal model to sketch (puppy, kitten, horse, wolf, or elephant) and then plan out the basic outlines and guidelines. Students will engage with me so I can observe their work and I will provide feedback. The most important aspect of any type of art, is that the student has fun and becomes motivated to produce more art. Art is important to the development of young minds and is great at allowing the students to grow their creativity. 

All Classes will emphasize: Use of guidelines, shapes, and proportions will be emphasized to produce a complex portrait. The course will follow the following format.

Week of August 29th Theme - Guidelines/Ghost lines & Proportions
Topics: Students will be engaged to recognize shapes that make up the animal’s form. Importance of guidelines (ghost lines) and why we lightly trace the shapes before we move into darker outlining and shading will be discussed. Shading techniques and directional strokes to produce fur structure and volume will be utilized. The animal model will be a kitten in a portrait pose. This model can be broken down into common shapes to use as guidelines. Students will understand that the eraser is not only to eliminate mistakes but is used to erase the guidelines once they have served their purpose and have helped with the portrait’s proportions. 

Week of September 12th (no session week of September 5) - Theme Observation/Shapes/Anatomical Details
Topics: The basic techniques of lightly tracing guidelines will again (and in every session because it is how all realistic drawings are started) be reviewed and utilized on the week two animal model. This sketch will allow students to master concepts of using guidelines, observing shapes and proportions, lightly tracing and outlining final details. Shading and character details - eye shapes and sizes, nose, sitting or standing positions will be explored in detail. The animal model in this week’s class will be a cute puppy.

Week of September 19th -  Theme – All About Shading and Blending
Topics: This session will explore drawing animal fur and using shading techniques to achieve realistic sheen on the fur. The animal model will be a horse and a long flowing mane is a good example to practice drawing. 

Week of September 26th - Theme – Color/Shine/Sheen/Glow
Topics: Color pencils will be used in this session that focuses not only on basic techniques of pencil sketching, but also the use of color to create life-like glow and sheen on fur and skin. After sketching out the model, we will practice laying down color and gently blending to achieve photorealistic glow of the animal model. Animal model may either be a Macau, Butterfly, or Beta Fish.