I put together a short video on exploring light and shadow with forms. This is especially important when you are drawing my life and using your own light source and objects (forms). It can also help us when we are using our imagination and essentially "making up" the light source. This video will give us things to consider for where we choose to place our light source. I encourage you to try this exercise at home! 

Join me on Tuesday, 10/6/2020 at 5pm MST for a class that will show you how to draw the 4 basic forms in charcoal. At minimum you'll want some charcoal (vine or compressed), an eraser and some paper. You can full this post here for a full list of recommended charcoal supplies. You don't need a reference photo for this class, as we will discuss choosing our own light sources.

If you want to improve your shading skills with graphite, join me for a class on Monday 9/14/2020 at 5pm MST. This class is great for beginners and experienced artists alike, as it is always beneficial to brush up and hone basic shading skills. It's a great opportunity to try a new style of shading as well. You'll want some sketch or drawing paper and some drawing pencils. I recommend having at least an HB but I like to have a range of pencils, for example: 2H, HB, 2B, 4B and 6B. 

Below you will see the same scene in each type of perspective, 1-point through 5-point (6-point would be completely round, like a globe).  1-point and 5-point are actually a very similar process whereas 2-point, 3-point and 4-point have a somewhat similar process. Check out lessons on perspective drawing on-demand! To enlarge an image, click on it.

Above you can see the differences between 1-point, 2-point and 3-point perspectives. With 1-point perspective you begin with the "face" or front of the object, whereas in 2-point and 3-point you begin with a vertical line. In 2-point the line is always vertical and in 3-point that vertical line should point towards the 3rd vanishing point. Check out lessons on perspective "On Demand"! 

Join me on Friday at 2PM MST for an introductory live class on watercolor pencils. I will be using Prismacolor watercolor pencils, a handheld sharpener, Canson XL watercolor in coldpress, a cup of water, a paper towel and a variety of paintbrushes. Feel free to have some reference photos on hand of some flowers or birds, even landscapes can work. If you are unable to make the live event, it will be available on demand to view any time you'd like. If you have any questions, be sure to leave a comment!

I recently came across this article called "Art and the Mind's Eye: How Drawing Trains You to See the World More Clearly and to Live with a Deeper Sense of Presence." The article says "​Drawing, indeed, transforms the secret passageway between the eye and the heart into a two-way street — while we are wired to miss the vast majority of what goes on around us, learning to draw rewires us to see the world differently, to love it more intimately by attending to and coming to cherish its previously invisible details." 

What do you think? Has drawing helped you see the world differently? Let me know in the comments.

Below are some of the most commonly used drawing supplies for graphite and most of what you see below are items I will be using in our live events and classes. I linked the items below as well, but most of these things are available in most major craft and art stores or online. If you have any questions about specific supplies don't hesitate to email me or drop a comment below. I will be putting together supply lists for each drawing medium that I will be covering in our live classes, and I will do the same for painting mediums. While I do enjoy Prismacolor's drawing supplies, there are a lot of other great brands and companies out there too such as Staedtler, Derwent, Faber-Castell and many more. You can check out lots of other options here.  As far as pencils go, it's nice to have a little set or at least 5 to begin with. Usually I'll pick a 2H, HB, 2B, 4B and 6B but any range of graphite pencils can work. 

Below are some different types of papers that work well with graphite. You could draw on paper with graphite that is either smooth (hot press) or slightly bumpy (cold press). In each category there are several options. You could draw on thinner paper such as newsprint or sketchbook paper or heavier weight paper like watercolor paper or bristol. When you are finished drawing with graphite you can spray it with fixative to protect it from smudging. Canson, Strathmore and Bienfang all make really great art papers. For practice I will usually use newsprint paper, printer paper or thin sketchbook paper. If I am rendering a more complete drawing I like to use something smoother with some weight, like bristol or mix media paper.

What are some of your favorite graphite drawing materials or supplies? Let me know in the comments!