If we hope to make “art”, mere facility and objective accuracy in figure drawing are not enough.
Something else is needed. What is it about the figure drawings of Rembrandt, Matisse, and
Schiele that stops us dead in our tracks? Discover that every mark can be felt as well as seen
- that the best drawings possess a dynamic “life” where expressive content is found at both
the figurative and abstract levels.
Working from the model, students will begin the term sharpening their powers of observation
while strengthening their knowledge of anatomy. We will discover how we can effectively
utilize line, shape, value, volume, space, and texture to bring expressive content into our
drawings. How can we better understand the structure - the armature - of our drawings? As
the term progresses, we will employ this heightened understanding of the visual elements,
geometry and abstract qualities of the human form to delve into transcriptions - borrowing from
historic and contemporary references to challenge ourselves to reach a more complex
understanding of composition.
“Drawing is the basis of art. A bad painter cannot draw. But one who draws well can always