Fun Fridays with Michael Sastre
"Ultimate Beginner Drawing" Six-week Class  FULL!
July 26, August 2, 16, 23, 30, September 6 (Note Update to Class Dates)
9 am - 12 pm

All Levels Welcome, But Beginners Encouraged!

Fee: $189 payable to Wanda Boyd.

Please use the registration form to mail in payment
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Picture
Michael Sastre
Class Description:

Discover the joy of expressing yourself through art with our beginner drawing class. Whether you're picking up a pencil for the first time or looking to enhance your skills, this welcoming and supportive environment is perfect for artists of all levels.

In this class, you'll learn the fundamentals of drawing, from mastering basic shapes and lines to exploring shading and perspective. Our experienced instructor, Michael Sastre, will guide you step-by-step, providing personalized feedback and encouragement along the way.

Get ready to unleash your imagination and see the world in a whole new light. Join us and embark on a journey of self-discovery through the timeless art of drawing.
(Pictures are examples of Michael's art, not what students will do in class.)
Class Syllabus:
Week 1
  • Introduction of materials and their best uses.
  • Understanding simple geometric shapes as they exist in perspective.
  • Understanding how these shapes (objects) relate to each other in the drawing page using measurement scaling and overlapping.
  • Exercises will be linear at this point with no shading, and we will learn how to maximize dimension and depth by varying the thickness of lines: i.e., lines can be darker or thicker towards the front and lighter and thinner towards the back.

Week 2 
  • Continue with simple geometric shapes with the introduction of some shading techniques to achieve more 3-dimensionality effects.
  • Understanding different ways of lighting the subject to achieve certain effects and moods.
  • Understanding and practice of value ranges (gray scale) and how they are used in drawing.
  • Understanding terminology of shading: i.e., core shadow, highlight, cast shadow, reflective light, etc.

Week 3
  • Introduction of more intricate subjects (objects) that still retain those original geometric shapes and learning to see beyond the surface detail and still capture the fundamental shape.
  • Introduction of what makes an effective or pleasing composition such as using the entire page, positive / negative space, asymmetrical balance, foreground, middleground, and background.
  • Continue the development of shading techniques if time allows.
  • Introduction to the technique of "thumbnail sketching" to get quick ideas and/or refine issues before they go to the larger drawing.

Week 4
  • Understanding how contrasting shapes or textures can be used to create a focal point (point of interest) in a drawing.
  • Understanding the benefits of placing the focal point off-centered in the page towards one of the "sweet spots" using asymmetrical balance or the golden mean.
  • Continue the development and use of all drawing techniques that have been learned up to this point.

Week 5
  • Introduction to drawing where at least half of the subject matter is organic, such as fabric, plant life, leather, etc.
  • Introduction to the technique of atmospheric perspective to enhance the illusion of depth and 3-dimensionality in a drawing.
  • Begin final projects where participants are encouraged to go a little larger and more ambitious than previous efforts. This project will be carried over to the final class and should be completed by the end of the class. 

Week 6 
  • Continue working and completing final project. Tie up loose ends with any additional lessons and drawing techniques not previously mentioned that the instructor believes the participants are ready to assimilate. 
  • Do an informal overall assessment of how students did from their first drawings to their last works.
  • Blowout party!

Supply List:  Students will need to bring a pad of drawing paper, at least 14" X 17", a support board as large as the pad (can be as low-tech as a piece of foam board or as high tech as a drawing board with clips and a rubber band), a set of drawing pencils, a kneaded eraser, and a pencil sharpener.

.Click for Michael Sastre Bio