Foundations in Art - Drawing II

Classes

Drawing II is designed to advance your technical skills and deepen your expressive potential as an artist. This course is designed to refine your technical abilities while expanding your creative vision. We guide you through mastering volume via hatching, understanding spatial planes, rendering textures with finesse, and culminating in a masterpiece that speaks your unique voice. Each session is a hands-on exploration of mediums and techniques, unlocking the narrative and emotional power of your art. Although we recommend completing Drawing I, this course offers the flexibility to join as a comprehensive program or dive into specific classes that resonate with your artistic journey.

Class 1: Measuring and Cross-Hatching with a Skeletal Composition (Conte Crayon)
This class focuses on drawing bones and skulls, where you'll practice precise measurement and cross-hatching to bring out the texture and volume of skeletal forms. Using conte crayon, you'll practice precise measuring techniques and cross-hatching to depict the intricate contours and volume of the skeletal structures while capturing the textures. This class emphasizes control of the medium and shading techniques to create life-like volume and detail. Careful observation and attention to detail is required to capture the intricate shapes. In addition, the smooth and varied surfaces of skeletal objects provide excellent practice for understanding how light interacts with form, offering a chance to study proportion and structure.

Class 2: Simplifying Objects and Understanding Planes to a Still Life (Graphite)
Dive into the principles of planes and three-dimensional form in this class. Working with graphite, you’ll study a simple still life, breaking objects into simple shapes and planes to understand how light and shadow interact to create depth. Improve your measuring skills by seeing the object’s envelope. Techniques like cross-hatching, blending, and observing tonal values will help you transform flat shapes into convincingly volumetric forms.

Class 3: Learn to Render Textures Like a Pro - Fur, Wood, Smooth Surfaces (Graphite)
Expand your ability to capture the tactile essence of materials. This session focuses on rendering textures such as fur, wood grain, and polished surfaces using graphite. By experimenting with pencil grades and techniques like stippling, hatching, and blending, you'll learn to convey light's interaction with diverse textures, adding realism and detail to your work.

Class 4: The Final Drawing - The Classical Bust (Charcoal)
The course culminates in a dynamic final drawing of a classical bust combining black and white charcoal on gray paper. You'll create a dramatic rendering of a well-known bust, using your mastery of contrast, texture, and form. This class brings together all the skills you’ve developed from measuring, line, planes, shading, textures and more, offering an opportunity to craft a piece that highlights your technical growth and expressive artistry.

Details

Cost (Course): $140 for the Full Course (4 class set)
Cost (Single): $38 for a Single Class (join any single class!)
Ages: 15+ All skill and creative levels welcome (younger artists are welcome with accompanying adult)
Materials: All materials are provided

Schedules

Spring Semester 2025 Dates:
Class 1 | Measuring and Cross-Hatching - February 17 - OPEN
Class 2 | Simplifying Objects - February 24 - OPEN
Class 3 | Learn to Render Textures - March 3 - OPEN
Class 4 | The Final Drawing - March 10 - OPEN

Time: Mondays 5:30-8pm

Location

3 Square Art - New Classroom (2F)
2415 Donella Ct, Ste 110
Fort Collins, Colorado

*Please note that we do not have elevator access to the 2nd floor at this time. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience.

Instructor

Craig A. McKee
BA Studio Arts, magna cum laude, Kenyon College, OH