The Online Class starts tonight!
ANNOUNCEMENT! I will be leading a web-based class from August 16-20 covering the first six weeks of drawing: showing you how to draw through the techniques CC highlights, how to break down art to simple processes, how to try different techniques for those who get frustrated. The cost is $25 for four 1-hour classes. While the live classes will be August 16-20, the recorded classes will be archived in the same place, allowing you to see how drawing is done in “real life”. Speaking as a student of art, I’ve only had a handful of teachers who drew in front of me, and who showed me, step-by-step, how to do a technique. SEEING how to do art techniques made a major difference in how fast I understood something and could add it to my skill set. I hope to see you there, either August 16-20, or later in the semester! For more information on what each of the four modules will cover, click here, or click over the Abstract Art’s module!

Perspective can be a tough subject to teach-or to learn. I spent a semester working on zero/informal perspective, one point perspective, two point perspective, and some of the tougher ones. (Six point perspective will break anyone’s brain–except, possibly MC Escher’s) But once I watched my drawing professor build a structure in 1 and 2 point perspective, it all (FINALLY) made sense. I just had to see him do it!

A couple of notes about the guide that I noticed because I’m an artist, and I hope many of you will think of yourself that way and go beyond these six weeks or so…

In the art world, the term “perspective” is a specific art technique in which you’re using a horizon line, vanishing points, and such to create a very specific sense of deep space.

The directions in the Guides (both 4th and 5th) are talking about something more specifically known as “Three-Dimensional Drawing”.

Three-Dimensional drawing is turning two dimensional shapes (Squares, triangles, rectangles, circles), into what LOOKS LIKE three dimensional shapes (cubes, cones, columns, and spheres), normally using diagonal lines, slight curves and ovals, and most importantly, shading. The object isn’t any more three-dimensional than it was earlier, we’ve just made it look like it is.

Because of the great age-range of our classes, I’ve split these “Perspective” courses into Mini Lessons. These are the first three (Well, 4-Lesson 2 has two parts to it)

Perspective Lesson 1 C2W5

Age Range: 4-8:

Because kids at this age are learning and exploring their world in their drawings, BUT they are not observing their world when they draw, this tutorial is designed to be slightly active (they get to look through windows or walk up and down hallways, measure items with their fingers and finally glue things to their papers) and teach the concepts of horizon, overlapping, and informal perspective (Informal or Zero-Point Perspective is the Perspective of landscapes…there’s no Vanishing point per-se, but stuff gets smaller the farther back it appears.) This lesson does require some pre-prep, but was very popular in my class (Abecedarians) last year.

Perspective Lesson 2 C2W5

Age Range: 6+
Being able to draw the simple shapes of the cube, column, cone, and sphere (sometimes Pyramids) is the basis of all drawing. However, drawing these shapes is not hard. If you take a drawing class, you’ll find these shapes appearing all over the place (OiLS is a half-step to these basic shapes, since you use OiLS to make these shapes) So this lesson covers how to use OiLS to make the common Sphere, Cone, Column, and Cube, and also some ideas how to turn those into some objects.

Age Range 6+

This is a NEW LESSON. I completed it too late last year, and didn’t want to overwhelm anyone, so it was parked until this year. But, once you’ve created some basic shapes, shading is the next step to actually create the illusion that something is a three-dimensional shape. Covered in this tutorial are different styles of shading (tone, scrumble, hatch, ect…) examples of all of them, and how, step-by-step, to shade the simple shape family.

Age RAnge 6+ (to be used after at least Lesson 2a, unless your class already knows how to do this)

This lesson will show how to convert simple shapes into everyday objects such as trees, books, and lamps, then combine them to make a single composition.

Tomorrow, I’ll post the “real” Perspective tutorial. The castle kind…got out of hand…