Fundamentals of Figure Drawing

Learn to capture the dynamic energy of the human figure in charcoal, graphite, and white chalk on toned paper. In this introductory figure drawing class, practice drawing from museum objects, anatomy props, and live models. Find essential shapes and gestures before building loose sketches into developed drawings with form and weight, and practice combining drawings of live models with studies from the High’s collection to create multi-figure compositions.

• Week 1: Learn to hold the pencil between your forefinger and thumb, drawing from the shoulder and elbow and striving to make large, light, and loose marks. Begin with brief poses and capture the action line, then develop a loose gesture drawing. Then learn to measure the height and width of a pose to create an angular silhouette.
• Week 2: Warm up with gesture drawings. Then, use contour lines to develop an angular silhouette into a pose with structure and depth. Find the large forms, including the pelvis, ribcage, and skull. Develop your drawing, ensuring that the energy of the gesture remains intact. Connect joints with straight lines, then flesh out the skeleton with outer contours.
• Week 3: After warming up, learn to describe the structure of the head, feet, and hands. Look for values—light, medium, and dark tones—in the figure, and describe each shadow’s shape simply and clearly. Practice creating a dynamic relationship between light and shadow.
• Week 4: Visit the galleries with sketchbooks, and create studies of figurative paintings. As you work, the model will alternate between rooms, posing in the museum space. Take inspiration from the strong foreshortening and dramatic lighting in the paintings to inform your depiction of the live model.
• Week 5: Combine multiple figures on one sheet of drawing paper, varying the scale and position of the drawings to create improvised compositions. Notice the shapes between the drawn figures as a composition emerges.
• Week 6: Integrate the previous lessons into a longer-form drawing. Take time with the gesture and the proportional drawing, then build shapes of shadow and light. Combine figures, as well as cropped portions of the figure, to create an emergent composition.

This is an introductory-level Studio Class; it is designed to accommodate all levels of skill and talent. If you have never taken an art making class before, this is a great place to start. You will learn new skills that you can use in your artistic practice.

Please note that in the event of a session being canceled, November 17 is reserved as a makeup date.

Expand your art-making skills through guided, step-by-step instruction with expert instructor. Over multiple weeks, you will learn alongside other creative adults and delve deeply into the artistic process, explore new techniques, and build your practice.  

The registration fee includes all materials, weekly access to world-class art in the museum’s galleries, hours of expert instruction, and access to a Friday afternoon Open Studio during the run of the class.