Portrait&Figure Drawing Outline

**Instructor:** Alena Liapko

**Course Description:**

**Portrait Drawing Studies (1-4 sessions):**  
We begin with skull drawing to equip you with an understanding of the bone structure beneath the soft tissue of the face. Following that, you will draw from casts images, which will prepare you to comprehend the complex shape of the human head before transitioning to actual portrait drawing.

**Figure Study (5-9 sessions):**  
The first session concentrates on the basics of the human body—specifically, the skeleton. You will familiarize yourself with the bone structure, crucial for understanding the specifics of human body forms. Sessions 8, 9, and 10 will investigate weight distribution and balance in static figures.

**Different Approaches to Drawing and Sketching:**  
- **Linear Drawing and Sketching:** This method is fundamental and effective for gaining control over your line work, enhancing your fine motor skills. 
- **Tonal Drawing:** Utilized predominantly by painters, tonal drawing emphasizes color and tone based on the interplay of various masses of tone.
- **Complex Approach:** You will also master a combined technique that incorporates both linear and tonal methods.

Progressing through these sketching techniques will provide you with numerous advantages, including enhanced eye training, the ability to capture movement, and the immediate understanding of proportions and composition—all without a lengthy process.

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| 1    | Skull Drawing | Gain a solid understanding of the bone structure beneath the soft tissue of the face.                                                                                  
| 2    | Cast of the Human Head  | Dive into the head shape, free from tonal distractions such as hair or makeup.                                                                                         
| 3   | Portrait Sketching  | Develop your sketching skills by learning to perceive and capture significant facial features from models.                                                              
| 4   | 3 hour Model Drawing | Master the positioning of your drawings on paper, selecting the correct scale and proportions while capturing the essence of the model. Explore tonal values effectively.   
| 5 | Facial Elements and Character Revealing Drawing | Conduct close-up studies to refine your depiction of facial details.

| 6 | Skeleton Drawing   | Master the creation of accurate compositions, deepen your understanding of human proportions, and analyze the skeleton as the solid foundation of body shape.             |                          | 7  | Figure Drawing |Learn about balance and dynamics, base proportions, ways to  use aerial and linear perspective to enhance your drawing techniques.                                                      |
| 8 | Figure Sketches| Sharpen your ability to use broad field vision to grasp large objects and understand balance distribution while effectively depicting motion.                             |
 

**Materials List:**
- Graphite pencils (HB, B, 2B, 3B, 5B)
- Staedtler type eraser, or brown eraser and soft eraser
- Drawing paper (size A2 or larger), sketchbook
- Paper artist tape or masking tape or clips.

-If  you using separate sheets of paper- you will need a drawing board

**Note:** Feel free to incorporate various dry media, such as charcoal, sanguine, conte, sepia, and more. Embrace the materials that work best for you!

s a charcoal, sanguine, conte, sepia, etc...