Classical Method Course: drawing and painting with live model

Drawing is considered the basic ability to be able to express the power of art in all its forms, such as in painting and sculpture. The final aim will be to acquire the classical academic method of drawing used by the old Masters and to create with the pencil / charcoal on paper a whole human figure. The drawing work will inform the portrait painting sessions in this course.

This workshop offers students an introduction to the fundamental bases of academic drawing using its main tools while also providing a basic understanding of skeletal structures and muscle arrangements. Moreover, students will learn to select and prepare materials for drawing, measurements and proportions, the artistic effect of chiaroscuro and improve observation skills and draw realistically.

Our Program is divided into sessions, each session is the length of three hours, developing the same figure drawing and portrait painting over 8 weeks. Students will also be shown examples of methods used by the old masters each lesson, and will be encouraged to research, and provide examples of figurative art they connect with.

There will be a final group critique.

About the instructor Eric Drummond

After studying Art History at the University of Guelph, Eric was accepted and enrolled at The Florence Academy of Art in 2016. There he was taught to draw and paint the figure from life and compose portraits and still lifes, using the traditional methods and practices developed by the old masters. Eric works only from life. Staying true to the sight size method developed by the Academie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France in the 1800s, he largely crafts his own materials, and hand preps his own canvases. Working from life allows Eric total creative control and interpretation of his subjects.

Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 6:00-9:00pm (LENGTH 3 hours)

October 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 20, November 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 and 27, 2024

Instructor: Eric Drummond

Location: Cocker Fulton Studio

$720 + materials

Maximum of 12 students

*Fees are non-refundable and non-transferrable.

*TAP Centre for Creativity reserves the right to cancel any course or workshop at any time if the minimum number of students required is not reached. In such cases, fees will be fully refunded.

INTRODUCTION: MATERIALS

Introduction and course overview; this session helps to coordinate with the teacher about appropriate materials, supports and equipment for the course. The instructor will explain the goal of the course: to complete a structured charcoal figure drawing in the classical method alongside a limited palette portrait painting using the same figure.

LESSON ONE, day 1

Drawing: During the session the instructor will do a live demo of a block in, illustrate measurement techniques, the use of materials, and the handling of simple and broad lines to establish structure. The first session will focus on basic alignment of pelvic points, rib cage and collar bones.

LESSON TWO, day 2

Painting: Instructor will demonstrate the stretching of canvas and application of paint ground with students. Once canvases are set, students will begin quick charcoal sketches of the composition to understand the values in black and white. History lesson begins with an intro to the ancient Greeks and art philosophy.

LESSON THREE, day 3

Drawing: This lesson will begin with corrections. The student will continue to study and develop the figure using straight lines. Anatomy of the spine and shoulder blades will be discussed, along with designing a separate anatomical drawing of the bones beside the figure.

LESSON FOUR, day 4

Painting: Students will block in the portrait using raw umber and straight lines. Image will remain simplistic, just laying in the basic shape and division of light and dark. From the ancient Greeks, we will discuss medieval art in essence and move into early renaissance work and its influence.

LESSON FIVE, day 5

Drawing: Corrections to begin the lesson. Then the breaking down of broad lines into more organic angle breaks to be more specific with the contour and likeness of the figure. Focus on the skull will begin, with students starting to outline the initial likeness of the portrait.

LESSON SIX, day 6

Painting: Students will learn fundamentals of setting up the palette, mixing values and balancing chroma using 4-6 values. They will apply shapes in accordance with the planes of the face and contrast of light and dark. Shadow values will be lightly applied. History lesson focus will be on the  middle renaissance and the literature that influenced the thinking of the time.

LESSON SEVEN, day 7

Drawing: The instructor will help the students to establish the shadow line and a light value within it. White chalk will be used to note the absolute highlights. Discussions about light and form will begin as students' visual perspective will shift from measuring to visualizing shapes and mass. Boning points of the legs will be discussed to help students get a better sense of weight on the legs.

LESSON EIGHT, day 8

Painting: Features will be more described, and fabric will be discussed in its arrangement. Background value will be applied to help the student correctly draw the contours of the face and understand space. History will consist of the high renaissance, specifically focusing on the works of Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael.

LESSON NINE, day 9

Drawing: Corrections and specificity to lines are encouraged at this point. Students will be instructed on different uses of lines to describe the figure at this point. The instructor will explain a value scale and instruct students to make a value sketch of the figure on a smaller piece of paper to be used as a reference going forward. Muscle structures of the legs will be introduced at this point with a separate anatomical drawing of the muscles also to be made.

LESSON TEN, day 10

Painting: Creating tighter transitions between the shadow edges and halftones will be taught, using different types of brushes. Portrait will become more full. History lesson will discuss the mannerists and their branch to Michelangelo.

LESSON ELEVEN, day 11

Drawing: Students will establish a value for the background to isolate the lights, to understand what the impression of the light is on the figure. The instructor will review value scale and the value sketch as a reference. Muscle structures of the front torso and arms will be introduced.

LESSON TWELVE, day 12

Painting: Key components will be established.  Students can now apply lightest light and darkest dark and begin to bridge values in-between. Temperature and chroma balance will be discussed as well to create harmony. Baroque art will be discussed in the history lesson and its harmony with music.

LESSON THIRTEEN, day 13

Drawing: The boning areas versus fleshy areas will be discussed at length as students will be merging white chalk with halftone areas of charcoal to create form.  Edge variety and line quality will be elaborated. Muscle areas of the back will be discussed and designed.

LESSON FOURTEEN, day 14

Painting: Textural elements will be discussed, like hair, fabric and the rendering of flesh. Light refraction will be explored as multiple colours can be used in highlights to create temperature variety. History will discuss the french academics and school structures for painters.

LESSON FIFTEEN, day 15

Drawing: Students will learn to model form and create tight transitions while subduing information in the classical manner. Students will understand a sense of harmony, totality of form and idealization. They will be empowered to see their drawing for what it is as a work of art. Muscle structures of the face will be studied and finished.

LESSON SIXTEEN, day 16

Painting: Students will carefully observe and model form, push depth of field and be encouraged to take artistic liberties with their work. Like in drawing, harmony, form, spirit and paint language should be explored. History will conclude with the neoclassical painters and their connection to the ancients and renaissance, culminating in the cyclical nature of styles, mentalities and human nature.

Materials (drawing): 

Students are expected to have

-Graphite Pencils ranging from 2H to 2B (Bijans)

-White Chalk pencil (Bijans)

-Nitram Charcoal and Nitram Charcoal sharpener: Two boxes of B, HB, and one box of H (Bijans)

-Vine Charcoal

-Two Full sheets of Sommerset Paper, Students must hand tone it with ink(Bijans)

-Small Regular Mirror

-Synthetic Fan Brush (Not mandatory)

-Kneadable Eraser (Bijans)

-A collection of Drawings they find inspirational to place in front of their easel

-Masking Tape

Materials(Painting):

-Prepared Wooden Palette. Palettes must be prepped AT LEAST a week before with a coat of  linseed oil each day, in order for the palette to be cleaned properly after each use.

• Painters linseed oil (Bijans)
• Oil paint pigments: Raw Umber, Ivory Black, Titanium White (Preferably from Michael Harding or Old Holland), Yellow Ochre, Vermillion, English Red
• Palette knife(Bijans)
• Turpentine (Bijans)
• Oil cups(Bijans)
• 50x90 Gesso primed Linen(order online)
• Roll of Paper towel
• Staple gun
• Stretcher pliers for canvas
• Stretcher bars 50x90cm

Fine Brushes:

• Brushes must be Oil paint standard. Rosemary and Co have a great selection to order from on their website. No synthetic brushes.
• Rosemary series 66 Size 4(Round, order online)
• Rosemary series 66 size 5(Round, order online)

Hog Hair Brushes: Tintoretto brand or Da Vinci brand brushes are wonderful. Must be also ordered online.

• Size 5 Sable
• Size 6 (Flat and Filbert each)
• Size 8(Flat and Filbert each)
• Size 12 Filbert
• Size 14 Filbert

If brushes cannot arrive in time, Bijans has a variety too. Ask for hog hair brushes.