![]() DRAWING and JOURNALING WORKSHOPS ~ 2009
NOTE: Some of these workshops have changed in content from those presented in 2008. Register here for courses offered at The Grove (1195 E. Main Street) or Ashland Senior Center (1699 Homes Avenue, in Hunter Park), Ashland, Oregon. Click on images for a larger view.
Nature & Landscape Drawing
You'll learn how to see your subject in ways that let you draw it true-to-life, and you'll learn how to use tools, tips and techniques to let you relax and enjoy the creative process as you increase your drawing skills.
You'll sketch small natural items, and learn how to get your pencil to do what you ask of it, including basic shading and textures.
Then you'll learn how to capture and draw landscapes with lakes, rivers, and mountains. You'll practice creating grasses, textured rocks, trees and shrubs for your landscape foregrounds. You'll be amazed at what you can do!
Encouraging critiques and sharing with other students will help improve your art. Take home a lavishly illustrated workbook full of exercises and techniques. Bring a lunch ~ all other supplies are provided.
Bring only your lunch, a cup for tea or coffee, and an adventuresome attitude. All supplies you'll need for this workshop are provided. (If you want to purchase your own tools for working at home, here's what we'll be using: a .5 mechanical pencil, kneaded eraser, black ballpoint pen, small tortillon. If you don't know what these are, just ask at the art store.)
You can see what other students have done in the class here.
January 10-11 ~ 9 to 2:30 at The Grove,
This two-day class is perfect for artists with some experience and a desire to improve. It is also the next step for students from the Nature & Landscape Drawing for Beginners workshop (although attending that workshop is NOT required before attending this one).
First you'll brush up on right-brain techniques; then you'll learn how to improve your ability to transfer what you see to your paper. You'll gain practice on techniques for shading spherical and cylindrical shapes and experience in applying these techniques to natural objects.
Irene will demonstrate special effects achieved with kneaded erasers and other special tools, then you'll try your hand at these techniques plus shading and texturing items found in nature with 3-dimensional effects.
You'll learn techniques to show fur, draw realistic eyes, draw and shade convoluted seashells, leaves and other textured natural objects. Although we won't leave the classroom you'll also learn techniques for drawing outdoors, tools to take and use, how to draw moving subjects, etc.
Bring only your lunch, a cup for tea or coffee, and an adventuresome attitude. All supplies you'll need for this workshop are provided. We'll use the same tools as in the basic drawing class.
You can see what other students have done in the class here, on Day 1. This has been expanded to two days so students can fully delve into the details of shading and other important techniques (by request from students).
January 24-25 ~ 9 to 2:30 at The Grove
=====================================
Nature Sketching With Color
Both beginning and experienced artists will love this class on watercolor pencils.
You'll warm up with some right-brain sketching to give you something to color, then we'll break out the watercolor pencils and waterbrushes (paintbrushes with a water supply in the barrel) and start right to work.
After some playful experimenting with a color wheel, you'll study a step-by-step tutorial for painting a seashell in your workbook ~ then try your hand at duplicating the steps. Color makes even humdrum items beautiful - learn how to use reflected color to make a white item beautiful. Compare pencil, ballpoint, and ink pen for making drawings to color. Follow simple steps to add convincing colorful light and shadow to foliage and bark.
Over the course of the two days, you'll explore how to use this versatile technique to get glowing results ~ first by painting a step-by-step orchid, trying out other techniques as we proceed, then by coloring your own drawing of a colorful natural item (provided by the instructor).
You can see what other students have done in the class here, on day two, only expanded to take two days instead of just one by request from students who wanted it to last longer!
February 7-8 ~ 9-2:30 at The Grove
=====================================
Nature Sketch/Journaling ~ 2 days
Does your journal suffer from humdrum prose,
In this class you'll explore all manner of ideas for joining journal and sketchbook into a fascinating record of your life worth reading and re-reading far into the future.
On Day 1 you'll learn some right-brain techniques for scribbling sketches that are quick, fun, and add a lot of pizzazz to your journal, plus some basic drawing pointers in case you want to expand your skills further
You'll examine and try techniques for attaching ephemera to your journal pages,
If there's time, you can add touches of color to your sketches with watercolor pencils, but we'll only have a few moments to spend on it here (this is covered in Irene's watercolor pencil workshop if you want to take it further).
On Day 2, you'll learn how to dress up a sketchbook or journal pages with expressive writing, short evocative poems and haiku that complement your sketches.
You'll explore
Bring only your lunch, a cup for tea or coffee, and your journal with heavy UNLINED pages. Along with your class journaling, you'll also take home an illustrated workbook full of tips and pointers covered in class.
You can see what other students have done in the class here and here.
=====================================
Saturday you'll hone your observation and sketching skills at the Deer Creek Center, learning how to draw fur and feathers, and sketch moving targets. On Sunday, experience close encounters with raptors and other wildlife at Wildlife Images, capturing your subjects on paper.
Bring a camera on Sunday to get reference photos of wolves, badgers, eagles, and other winged and four-footed beings so you can continue to sketch on your own later on!
This brand new workshop should be a very rewarding experience, since you'll be sketching animals close-up and personal. We'll break occasionally for gentle critiques, and as you draw you will get plenty of coaching from the instructor if you want it.
If you are working on your Naturalist Certificate through Siskiyou Field Institute, this class qualifies toward the certificate. While students with a little sketching experience will get the most out of this class, all levels are invited to attend.
Sign up for the class (when it opens for registration) here.
May 2 ~ 9-2:30 at Deer Creek Center, Selma OR
=====================================
In the second workshop session, we will focus on sketching journal entries and designing good journal pages on the first day. Our sketching subjects will be free choice, but the covered wagons outside the Interpretive Center would make terrific sketches.
This day, we'll concentrate on the writing part of travel journaling.
Take advantage of this unique workshop, the experience of a lifetime, and join us to investigate The Long Trek as the emigrants must have lived it.
The Baker area has many fine overnight accommodations and is near the Blue Mountains, offering excellent camping opportunities at this time of year. The Interpretive Center will be presenting a full roster of happenings during that period, which will appeal to all ages.
June 20-21 and 27-28 ~ 9-2:30 at The Oregon Trail Interpretice Center, Baker, OR.
=====================================
"Observing Nature" Teachers Workshop ~
This workshop is a half day (3 hr) class in which participants will take the course and do the exercises in the student guide "Nature Observation at (YOUR) Nature Center " created on request for Nature Centers by Irene Brady.
This guide was designed to encourage young people (and the young at heart!) to
Teachers will experience the session from the viewpoint of their students, gaining insight into effective approaches and teaching tools. Discussion about teaching techniques will follow each project in the guide.
Participants will be encouraged to share with the other participants any additional techniques, visuals and sketching subjects they feel might be useful for teaching the course. Adults only, please.
To request a targeted Nature Observation Guide (and/or a workshop) for your Nature Center, contact Irene.
=====================================
More dates will be added as workshops are confirmed. Return often to check for new listings.
Return To Top
|