WHAT TO EXPECT:
How to Draw Intermediate: Mixed Media Figure Drawing is the next step for those learners who have experience with figure drawing or have taken a figure drawing course with me before. In exploring the figure and gesture drawing through various media, learners will engage with new ways to think about their approach to art, learn how to use a wide variety of materials, master their figure drawing skills, and much more. HtDI: Mixed Media Figure Drawing is designed in the same, familiar format as my How to Draw Basics courses. That is, each class balances lecture, guided exercises, and in-class drawing assignments to create fun, engaging lessons that focus on the mastery of techniques. Every class builds off the next, allowing for easy transition into more difficult topics and consistent repetition of ideas to ensure learners retain the vocabulary and skills necessary to master Mixed Media Figure Drawing. 

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE: 
Young artists who will have the most success with this course are those who already have experience in basic figure drawing. Does your learner know what a gesture drawing is? Have they had practice in simplifying figures? Do they have experience in drawing from life and reference? If not, I strongly recommend beginner artists interested in figure drawing start with my course How to Draw Basics: Figure Drawing. 

LESSON SUMMARY:
 How to Draw Intermediate: 201 Intro & Jumping Into Gestures
Our first lesson will begin with introductions.  We will then move into a brief explanation of course expectations by exploring the Outschool Classroom and provided PDFs together. After introductions, learners will be reminded about basic landmarks of the human form and re-introduced to gesture drawing through a brief PowerPoint lecture. Once learners are confident in their understanding of a gesture drawing, we will move to Line of Action, an online photobank of references. This class will review how to do gesture drawings, allow learners to practice doing gestures with graphite, and introduce them to the course. Your learner will complete this class with several graphite gesture drawings. Gesture drawings will teach learners how to train their eyes to recognize landmarks of the human form, proportion, and help them build a visual library of figures.

How to Draw Intermediate: 202 The Value of Charcoal 
Our second class will focus on using charcoal as a medium for gesture drawing. We will begin with a demo lecture on the varieties of charcoal and reductive drawing techniques. After, we will complete several gesture drawing exercises that emphasize values. We will return to one of our online figure drawing tools to complete several gesture drawing exercises. This class will teach learners how to create successful drawing with charcoal, how to do reductive processes, and how to successfully use values to create drama in forms. Your learner will complete this class with several charcoal gesture drawings that emphasize value. 

How to Draw Intermediate: 203 Contours with Crayons & Pastels
Our third class will focus on using crayons  and pastels as a medium for gesture drawing. We will begin with a brief lecture on types of crayons  and pastels and how they may be used. Then, we will review what contour drawings are and how to do them through several blind-contour drawing exercises. After, we will complete several gesture drawing exercises that emphasize the contour of the form. Using one of our online tools, we will complete several gesture drawing exercises. As usual, these exercises may vary depending on learner preference. Then, we will work on layering several crayon contour drawings, with fifteen minutes for each contour, on top of one another to create an interesting compilation of figures. This class will teach learners about how to use crayons, revisit contour drawing and encourage mastery of it, and continue to teach your learner to train their eye. 

How to Draw Intermediate: 204 Colored Pencil Anatomy 
The fourth lesson will follow the same format as the last three classes in this series. We will begin with a demo describing different colored pencil techniques, such as hatching, burnishing, layering, and more. After a breif gesture drawing warm-up, we will begin our project for this course. Our project for this lesson will be to use one or two pose references in tandem with accurate anatomical references to “build” the pose as if the artist could see inside of it. This class will teach learners about how to use colored pencils and encourage mastery of the medium through creation of an anatomical drawing. In addition, learners will have a better understanding of how the human body functions. Your learner will complete this class with several colored pencil gestures and an anatomical drawing using references of their choosing. 

How to Draw Intermediate: 205 Inky Scribbles 
Class will begin with a brief lecture that will explain the types of ink media suitable for this class and how each may be used. Then, learners will proceed to warm-up, doing a variety of exercises. Learners with pens, ball-point, dip, or otherwise, will be encouraged to do “scrumble” figures while learners with ink and a brush will be encouraged to do one-stroke gestures in one- and five-minute intervals. After, we will move on to the project of this class, doing a figure study in ink. Learners will be encouraged to bring their own references for this class and to do as many figure studies as they like, time permitting. This class will teach learners how to do use various types of ink and how to use those types of ink to create successful figures. Your learner will complete this class with several ink gesture drawings and an ink figure drawing project using references of their own choice. 

How to Draw Intermediate: 206 Motion with Markers
The sixth lesson will begin with a demo lecture that will describe how to use various types of markers including felt pen markers, standard markers like those from Crayola, and alcohol markers. Young artists  will complete a series of gesture drawings in one-, two-, and five-minute intervals and one “figure in motion” drawing. This class will teach learners how to use a variety of markers to create successful gesture drawings, teach your learner to draw “in motion”, and encourage learners to draw the human form in new ways. Your learner will complete this class with several marker gestures and one “figure in motion” drawing. 

How to Draw Intermediate: 207 Mixing Media 
Our seventh class will begin with a PowerPoint lecture that will explain how to layer and mix media with the goal of encouraging learners to use their new knowledge on how to use a wide variety of media in creative and fun ways. We will discuss the differences between “wet” and “dry” media, explore products like workable fixatives in the process of mixing media, and a lot of different ways in which media can be mixed. After, learners will begin to practice drawing using a variety of media by practicing gesture drawings in various intervals. This class will teach learners various ways in which to incorporate multiple mediums into their drawings. Using multiple media in drawings can create dramatic and interesting effects in learners’ work and in addition, teaches learners to think about their approach to drawing in various ways. Your learner will complete this class with a knowledge of how to layer and build media and several mixed media gesture drawings.

How to Draw Intermediate: 208 Figures of Choice
The final lesson of this course will require your learner to bring their own references and media of choice. We will spend the entirety of our last lesson working on between one and three full-body figure studies using mixed media techniques. Our final class will be a culmination of everything learners have learned so far through our final figure drawing project. Learners will be encouraged to share their final projects, once they are finished, in the classroom or through the learner tab so I can give them feedback on their final work in detail.