Techniques You’ll Learn in Collected Stories
Understanding Classical Proportions of the face.
3 views of the face.
Sketching, Line, Value, Color, Collage, Stitching,
How to build layers of charcoal to create depth and form.
Paint an abstract background using a limited color palette.
Practice Value.
Practice Line.
Create a Color Chart.
How to bring your stories and emotions to your final art pieces.
Self-Guided Sketchbook Studies with prompts to inspire your daily practice.
How to use a reference photo as your guide.
This class is more than a "how-to" on drawing a face; it is about connecting with your subject and allowing inspiration to guide your hand and heart. I demonstrate how I draw the portrait with a nod to classical proportions, relationships of the head's features, value, and different views. I share how I practice and embrace the early raw sketches and work toward more inspired pieces that tell a story.
The Lessons
The course begins with three videos discussing art supplies, paper, and sketchbooks. I encourage you to use the supplies and paper you have on hand and work in the colors you love.
In addition to the lessons listed below, I will provide ideas and prompts for self-guided sketchbook studies. Daily work in your sketchbook will strengthen your drawing skills, open you to the flow of inspiration, and reveal your style as an artist.
Lesson 1 | Line, Value, and Color
The LINE is how we begin a drawing, and it's how we respond emotionally to our subject. The line will guide the eye around the artwork and direct the viewer where to look. Each of us has a distinct way of creating lines, bringing beauty and originality to our work. In this fun lesson, we will warm up by creating pages and pages of lines using different tools and art supplies. Think of the great collage paper you will have in the end!
VALUE refers to the light and darkness of a color. It is essential to your artwork as it describes the form of your subject. We will create a beautiful value chart in our art journals. Further study of the face's light side and shadow side will give us important information as we draw the portrait.
In the third section of this lesson, we will create a fun COLOR chart using vintage photos, stitching, and a limited color palette. Selecting your color palette in advance, it allows you the freedom to create.
Lesson 2 | Reference Images
In this class, you will receive five beautiful high-resolution photos for your personal use. I will discuss light, value, proportions, and different views of the head. I will demonstrate how to approach three different views during our sketching lesson.
Lesson 3 | The Practice Sessions
In this lesson, I will share exactly how I practice. We begin with timed contour drawings on sketch paper. Next, we gather bits and pieces of vintage paper, sketch paper, and tracing paper to draw small, expressive portraits. We finish with three views of the head in 15-minute quick sketches on kraft paper. We work on observing and finding the essence of the portrait. I will guide you in mapping out the features, light, and shadow to better understand the subject.
This section is an essential component of your practice. It will help build muscle memory and open you to inspiration. It is where the magic happens!
Lesson 4 | Portrait and Collage on Wood Panel
Storytelling in art allows a deeper connection to the work and is the gateway to inspiration. Ideas that take hold and will guide your work as you become immersed in the flow of creating.
In this lesson, I will share one of the stories I've collected and the meaning behind the decisions I make in the piece. Starting with a drawing on paper, we will cut, stitch, and collage it onto a beautiful abstract painting. Then, add more layers of paint, a touch of pastel, and take a few risks to push us out of our comfort zone.
Lesson 5 | Collected Stories Collages
We used the beautiful raw sketches from your practice sessions and combined them with storytelling, collage, and stitching in this lesson. The lesson will allow you to go deep into your work and unravel your style.
Lesson 6 | Charcoal Portrait Demonstration
In this final lesson, I take you through drawing a 3/4 portrait in charcoal on paper. We begin with your composition's overall placement, then move to the block in, place the features, measure, and create a beautiful form with value. I guide you through each step and explain the different effects you can achieve with different types of charcoal
