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What would you like to see in a foundational drawing class?

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Dear readers,

I have a question for you this week: I’m in the process of putting together and filming the foundational drawing class. It’s going slower than I had planned, and although I already have a few hours worth of material, I can still add things. I have already planned in short mini lessons for all kinds of nature topics (how to draw flowers, how to draw animals) and of course foundational lessons (basic drawing techniques, visual thinking, dealing with perspective, shadows, and so on).
If there’s anything you would like to see or learn specifically, let me know and I’ll see how I can integrate it into the class. It can be anything related to drawing. Just leave a comment below the post.

And that’s all from me this week. Like many of us, I’m struggling to keep up with work and focus while there is a war happening on the European continent. On some days it feels so weird to just go on with everyday life and offer people art instead of a real perspective on how to deal with this world in its disintegrating state. It seems like every year is getting harder, sometimes I’d really like to give back this century (but in exchange for what?).

All the best to all of you out there, I hope you are okay. I’ll be back next week!

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42 thoughts on “What would you like to see in a foundational drawing class?”

  1. Light and sparkle. For example, how to render the sparkle you can see on a frosty, sunny winter morning.

  2. Barbara Obergfell

    More than anything I want to advance my skill set for quick sketches of live birds that I can add watercolor wash to after getting that individual ‘jizz’. Not sure how that could be taught but perhaps you do.

    1. I will try to address this with tips on how to draw from living, moving subjects. Thank you Barbara!

      1. This sounds wonderful…..quick gestural sketches, shadows and texture patterns and light levels are all something I struggle with .

        This Sounds great.

    2. Have you include about quick gesture drawing. I have a hard time with trying to capture the changing poses birds and animals make. Do you have any tips?

      1. Gesture drawing will be part of the class! One tip ahead of time: it will take some practice, so keep doing it!

  3. I hope I can participate in this class. Sounds great.
    How about skies, clouds, mountains, water and land? Something basic. How to put it all together. Oh, and also trees. Thanks!

    1. Those are all great topics. There’s going to be a lesson about simple landscapes! And I’ll see about a tree-specific lesson. Thank you for the ideas!

  4. How to show form in a drawing done from a photograph (eg a photograph of a bird). As a photograph is 2D – so how to create the illusion of three dimensions in the drawing.

    1. I will include a lesson in which you can explore making different kind of marks, but no specific hatching or stippling techniques.

  5. I would like as you mentioned birds, flowers, and foliage. In addition, simple animal shapes like deer, rabbit, coyote etc.
    Thank you and I’m looking forward to your class.
    Kristie

    1. Hi Kristie, I will put together lessons about the general anatomy of mammals, birds, plants, etc. that will help you understand how they are built, and I will give you techniques that enable you to draw everything you want or encounter. So it’s not just going to be “how do I draw one specific animal” but “how can I learn to draw everything”. 🙂

  6. I never did art as a child and I always feel I miss out. I would really love to see very basic techniques as well as more advanced drawing. I have so little knowledge, when I looking at drawing or paintings I would love to instantly know what materials are used to create the image.

    1. My intention for this class is that we start with very basic techniques and subjects and then work our way up to more complex shapes. I will not so much focus on different materials in the demo, but still encourage you to try out different tools!

  7. years ago I took a wonderful drawing class that taught us to draw without looking at our paper, not that blind contour was all we did of course, but she was teaching us to be able to feel the measurement as you moved your pen/pencil across the page, so you drew as your eyes followed the outline and learned to judge the distance you traced with your eyes in the distance you drew with your pencil. You could look at the page, but had to stop moving your pencil when you did. Getting proportions and shapes accurate in sketching from life I guess is the distilled version of this comment. 🙂

    1. It is a very popular technique, I find it to be a lot of fun – and also helpful to develop a way to observe what you draw! There are more ways to get accurate measurement, and I will show a few of them so that everyone can choose what works best for them.

  8. Julia, it looks like from the above comments everything is pretty well covered.
    As for the war, let’s hope it ends soon and we can get back to something resembling normal. Stay safe.

  9. I want everything that the previous commenters requested!! I would like to develop techniques on how to make quick nature sketches. I hike with friends and I’m always uneasy stopping for 15-20 minutes to sketch. Instead, I’d like to figure out how to capture a plant, animal, rock, landscape feature quickly.

    1. I know how hard it is to combine sketching with hiking (plus other people), Jaci! I will show quick sketching techniques that can speed up your sketching a bit, but you might need to trade in a bit of realism.

  10. Would like to know how to incorporate humans and farm animals in a landscape. All the other ideas above too! Thank you.

  11. Your new class sounds great! The only other thing I can think of would be a lesson on how to incorporate water-soluble graphite as a way to add value to drawings that we could later refer to when we’re painting. It seems like you’re developing a very comprehensive course and I’m eager to learn more drawing skills from you.

    1. I think I will need to add another lesson on more drawing materials after all..but I have to say I don’t use water-soluble graphite very often. But I like the idea about turning a sketch into a value drawing, so I will think of something!

  12. Nancy Scarzello

    Thank you so much for this Julia! Right now I’m struggling with trees, not looking 3 dimensional, don’t know where to start and layers? But most of all I want to let you know that for me, your newsletters and classes DO give me a way to step away from all of the stresses right now, and really connect with Nature and Source, to calm and nurture myself so that I can be more present and grounded and better able to respond as a kind and loving human. Please continue to offer this refuge, I know I am stronger and better for it! Much gratitude and sending you lots of love and warmest blessings, Nancy

    1. Nancy, thank you so so much for your response, this is so helpful for me! I know I need to get away from stress, too, and have to have these calmness refuges – but I never stop and think that what I’m doing could actually help other people do the same. So this is a good reminder. Thank you so much for being a part of this blog and for your kind words!

      And – I will add a bit of strategy for trees!

  13. I like all these suggestions. I want to second the making two dimensional drawings more realistic. In both drawing from 2D photos and from life I struggle with knowing where to put the accents and shadows. As another topic, I also never know the level of detail to do sketching when I plan to later paint. Sometimes keeping it too simple just makes it harder to get the coloration and shadows right.

  14. The class you are planning sounds wonderful. I will look forward to it. Will the lessons include the composition of a piece? In other words, how to arrange the elements of a drawing on the page.

    1. I plan to include a bit about composition when it comes to landscapes, and we will draw some still lives. Apart from that, my composition + layout class goes more in-depth on this.

  15. A relliable procedure for drawing accurately, whether simple or complex subjects. What to do first, what next? What you should be sure to do every time. What’s optional (like gesture drawing?). Any exercises to practice the key techniques of the procedure.
    Bill Polm

    1. I will give you a process that you can use for every drawing, but you’ll be free to choose from different techniques. And lots of exercises, too!

  16. Estoy expectante y deseosa de las lecciones. Yo no acabo de simplificar y o me paso o no llego y las texturas…. Y los pájaros, como se mueven, no posan. Creo que está todo pedido. Un saludo Julia y ojalá esta locura, tanto dolor y desolación acaben pronto. Cuidate.

    1. Thank you, dear Marta, I really hope for the end of this horrible war. And I know, birds are often not very still-sitting subjects, they make sketching challenging for us!

  17. How to paint small creeks and streams. The creek in my neighborhood is shallow and more often it’s light green from algae, even when it’s clear and rocks are visible below the surface. How to draw or paint green or brown creek
    water and still have it look attractive? It is surrounded by lots of dull-brown bank of trees and vines that are reflected. When I paint it, it’s really dull colored, though I know it could be better. Sometimes the blue sky or pink sunset is reflected in parts of the dull-colored water, but there are so many dark trees and bushes near the bank. I also need help painting trees so they don’t look cartoonish. Thank you!

  18. Hola Julia, hoy me he encontrado con una dificultad para dar textura a rocas y texturas en campos. Que no parezca que los campos están llenos de hierbajos, que no se ve lo que quieres poner y que las piedras parezcan piedras y no borrones. Gracias y un saludo.

  19. Hello Julia, I’m very curious about your new class. I can’t think of anything that has not been mentioned so far by other people. I would just like to tell you that, every time I see a new post from you, it enlightens my day. Keep up the good work!
    Thank you and love from Hanneke

    1. Hanneke, thank you so much, I’m very happy to hear that! I hope that at some point I will finish the class, so that you can actually take it. 😉

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