ArtDes3 Drawing is Seeing
WELCOME TO:
ArtDes3 DRAWING IS SEEING – Create drawings that effectively capture what you’re seeing.
What happens when someone sits in the den and tries to draw a tree? There’s no tree to look at, so they draw their “idea” of a tree or their memory of a tree, the same tree that they’ve drawn since childhood. Now what would happen if you went to your backyard and looked at your favorite birch tree? You notice the peeling bark, the knothole where your nephew broke off a branch. You are now seeing the tree and understanding it, not just drawing the concept of some random tree. Every little bend, branch and knothole defines that birch. Draw a dog from memory. Now sketch your sleeping dog while looking at him. Compare the two drawings.
DRAWING IS SEEING – Create drawings that effectively capture what you’re seeing.
By the end of this course you will:
- Learn how to compose, measure and see your drawing subject(s)
- Visually recognize the gesture and flow of your drawing’s elements
- Understand the visual relationship of shapes and their surrounding space
- Create drawings that effectively capture what you’re seeing.
Course Instructor: Ron Plante
Contact Information: rcplante@artdesignvillageclasses.com
Classes meet when it’s convenient for you.
Download all information and/or documents for each lesson from the
Art-Design Village site: artdesignvillageclasses.com
Then, when you’ve followed the lesson, completed the assignment, scanned or photographed it and you’ve submitted it to the instructor, you will have access to the material for the next lesson.
“Office Hours” for instructor feedback or questions:
Instructor will be available on line to answer any questions, clarify issues, offer additional information and provide feedback on exercises, via email at rcplante@artdesignvillageclasses.com
Course Work
Course exercises are highly encouraged, in order for you to fully realize the benefits of these lessons and to gain access to the material for your next lesson. Doing so will provide the opportunity for beneficial constructive criticism from the instructor.
Class exercises can be sent to your instructor as a PDF, jpeg or tiff image. Digital photos or scans of your work are recommended. Please allow adequate time for the instructor to review your work, in order to get timely, meaningful feedback. Be sure that your name and lesson number appear clearly on your work. You may send a document explaining or describing any issues, but this course is an unplugged course and producing your drawing exercises digitally is not in keeping with the spirit of the learning objectives, for ArtDes3. Please work unplugged.
*Attention Teachers. If you’re taking this course as Professional Development, please notify the Instructor, prior to beginning the course. 80% attendance and submission of all exercises are required for certificate of participation.
Text Book(s) There is no required text for this course, but at the end of the course, the instructor may offer a list of “Want to read more about it?” books that you can order from your favorite dealer or check out from your hometown library.
Required Materials
It is not necessary to purchase high-end professional art supplies, for this course.
We recommend student-grade drawing materials.
In order to fully enjoy the benefits of taking this course, it is recommended that you have:
- Internet access and Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader (download, Reader, free from Adobe: http://get.adobe.com/reader/ ).
- Audio listening capability on your computer
- Image capturing capability (scanner, digital camera, cell phone photo, etc.)
- X-acto or other craft or utility knife, a roll of masking tape, a kneaded eraser
- An assortment of graphite drawing pencils: HB, 2B, 4B, 6B
- A drawing pad or sketchbook, approximately 9” x 12” max.
Some materials will be useful for future courses.
How to take this course.
Following registration for the course, you’ll have access to Lesson 1 materials and subsequent lessons will be available as you submit each assignment. Download all lesson materials, read all instructions and complete all exercises, in order to fully benefit from the lesson objectives. You may choose to send photos or scans of your work to the instructor for evaluation and feedback, but since this is an on-line course, digital images are necessary. Be sure to include your name and email address on everything that you send in. If you have issues, questions or remarks, please email the instructor, through the Art-Design Village website. This is not a credit-earning course and therefore, there will be no grading of work. The instructor will review your work and make comments, so that you can continue to grow as an artist/designer. Your opinions, feedback and input are important to us, so please don’t hesitate to contact us.
ArtDes3 DRAWING IS SEEING
SCHEDULE
| Lessons
Downloads |
Tasks | Assignment | |
| Lesson 1 | IntroductionSet up and seeing
Lesson 1 material |
Review all materials and follow all instructions.Make a simple viewer frame and experiment with set up techniques.
Have Fun! |
Send in Optional Personal Background Info and notes from set up exercises. |
| Lesson 2 | Position, gesture and flow
Lesson 2 material |
Follow instructions to create a group of gesture and flow sketches of your subjects. | Submit gesture and flow sketches. |
| Lesson 3 | Figure and Ground
Shapes, spaces, negative spaces
Lesson 3 material |
Following Lesson 3 instructions, see and explore the spatial aspect of your drawings. | Submit figure, ground and spatial studies. |
| Lesson 4 | Critique and review
Put it all together
Lesson 4 material |
Using Critique Checklist, review exercises from Lessons 1, 2, 3.
Create preliminary drawings that capture proper set up, gesture, flow and spatial design. |
Submit preliminary sketches for final drawing. |
| Lesson 5 | The Final Drawing
Capture what you’re seeing
Lesson 5 material |
Following the steps you have learned, set up a proper still life and capture exactly what you are seeing. | Submit Final Drawing. |
| Lesson 6 | Follow up critique
Lesson 6 material |
Critique your drawing and evaluate the learning objectives.
How’d you do? Write it all down. |
Submit final notes |
If you enjoyed this course, keep your eye on our schedule, to sign up for future classes.
Thank you for visiting!
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