ANYBODY CAN LEARN TO DRAW!  Drawing is a compound skill, composed of many simpler skills… like driving or playing basketball.  Just as the basketball player drills a small skill over and over– free-throw shooting, layups– in art class we practice small skills– shading, contour drawing, gesture drawing– to develop the skill of drawing what you see.

The first semester, students practice drawing in one- and two-point perspective, figure drawing, and drawing the components of the face and head in full face view, three-quarter view, and profile view. Students also practice seeing light and dark, and ways of representing shadow and light in their artwork.  Students are expected to practice the ”drills” they learn in class for homework in a sketchbook for 20 minutes each night.

If you come to class and try your hardest… if you practice your art as hard as you’d practice basketball to start for varsity… I guarantee you will become better at drawing what you see.  Your friends will say… “YOU’VE GOT BARS!”

In the second semester we apply drawing skills in different media, including pen and ink, watercolor, tempera, and pastel.  We learn some color theory and we learn about careers in art like graphic design, architecture, and fashion design.  Finally, we create a mask out of plaster gauze and other materials.