The Coffee House

jcdeboever · Dec 28, 2017

When I taught beginners drawing class, I started them out drawing eggs. But really the first lesson was the tools, methods, and what they expected or wanted to accomplish. I had everyone draw a circle, freehand, the first day, so I knew what I was working with. They were allowed to practice the circle as much as they liked during allotted times. The next class was an introduction into basic composition and negative space. Their first drawing lesson was drawing and shading an egg. Then two or more students had to bring something in to incorporate with the egg, each lesson, depending on the amount of people that actually showed up, four drawings and the final was critiqued in detail for advanced instruction moving forward. People or life drawing was an intermediate class or people that had drawing skill but wanted to advance into 3D qualities, lighting, tonal quality, and perspective. The advance class taught how to execute realism into their drawing skill set. There was an additional advanced class available for people that met the requirement for abstraction as well. I taught years ago at a government funded program in the city of Detroit. I had to interview for the non paying job in several layers. It was a very interesting interview process and frankly didn't expect to garner the award, some considered it a step back. I did it for 3 years and it was an extremely rewarding experience. Many talented people and a few went on to secure a living with their renders. I don't take credit for that, the individuals that produced were exceptional from the start, they just needed some guidance and marketing help. I have posted a couple of pics of student work but would never take credit. Drawing and painting is different than photography. The photog is slave to technology, the artist is slave to oneself.

snowbear · Dec 28, 2017

jcdeboever said:
When I taught beginners drawing class, I started them out drawing eggs. But really the first lesson was the tools, methods, and what they expected or wanted to accomplish. I had everyone draw a circle, freehand, the first day, so I knew what I was working with. They were allowed to practice the circle as much as they liked during allotted times. The next class was an introduction into basic composition and negative space. Their first drawing lesson was drawing and shading an egg. Then two or more students had to bring something in to incorporate with the egg, each lesson, depending on the amount of people that actually showed up, four drawings and the final was critiqued in detail for advanced instruction moving forward. People or life drawing was an intermediate class or people that had drawing skill but wanted to advance into 3D qualities, lighting, tonal quality, and perspective. The advance class taught how to execute realism into their drawing skill set. There was an additional advanced class available for people that met the requirement for abstraction as well. I taught years ago at a government funded program in the city of Detroit. I had to interview for the non paying job in several layers. It was a very interesting interview process and frankly didn't expect to garner the award, some considered it a step back. I did it for 3 years and it was an extremely rewarding experience. Many talented people and a few went on to secure a living with their renders. I don't take credit for that, the individuals that produced were exceptional from the start, they just needed some guidance and marketing help. I have posted a couple of pics of student work but would never take credit. Drawing and painting is different than photography. The photog is slave to technology, the artist is slave to oneself.

Yes, they are different, but composition, and to an extent some of the decisions that need to be made are alike: What DoF do I want (I don't always draw everything out to infinity)? What parts of the scene do I want? What color palette (Color or B&W)?

vintagesnaps · Dec 28, 2017

Nobody brought in a chicken to go with their egg did they??

I used to use a darkroom at a local college and it was upstairs in this odd building that just had studio space. There was an open balcony up there where they held drawing class because there would be plain white cubes and blocks and balls set up and arranged. Reminds me of your egg lesson JC. I'd go in sometimes in the summer when it wasn't busy and nobody'd be there but the radio was going... then I'd come out of the glow of the safe light to rinse & dry prints and there would be people there, I could look directly down into the pottery studio.

Anyway, I haven't taken a 'real' art class in years! Took as much as electives as I could all thru school. I agree about drawing classes teaching perspective and proportion, etc. I remember learning how to use your pencil to measure the proportion. We did things like go out and sketch a small patch of grass onto a large piece of paper. I think it was to make us look at the details in each blade of grass.

I like to draw & sketch, and I'd buy good pencils and brushes and paper. Not cheap, but I have sable brushes that I've had for years. I have this watercolor calendar which is just to play around with but the paper is crap! lol and I mostly read the blurb about whatever artist or technique. I've done mostly craft so have used acrylic/craft paint. Never took a watercolor class and I don't seem to have the hang of blending.

vintagesnaps · Dec 28, 2017

If nothing else, Bob Ross was a happy man! lol kept blobbing paint into happy trees! I suppose his techniques are about comparable to doing paint by number kits, which seems fine for people who don't really know how to paint but want to do it as a hobby. Kind of like those mosaic kits we had when we were kids, where you just glue the pieces onto a preprinted pattern. Something to keep busy, or keep us busy and out of our parents' hair when it was too cold to send us outside to play! Or after we'd been outside with the sled and crashed into the trash cans enough for one day.

snowbear · Dec 28, 2017

Eggs, at least un-cracked ones, are a decent starting subject. Crumbled paper is complicated - lots of little shapes, shifting planes, and shadows.

vintagesnaps · Dec 28, 2017

I was on the high school paper (co-editor actually my senior year). We used to make paper wad balls and rolled up paper bats and run around the staffroom playing baseball (desks as bases).

Rubber cement can be fun too, we used to pour it out on a table, let it dry, then roll it into balls and bounce those around the staffroom. I don't know how we ever got the paper to bed...

I don't know how I got good grades either. We only had 6 periods and I had one journalism/school newspaper and one study hall which got changed to the paper, so spent 1/3 of my day in there.

jcdeboever · Dec 28, 2017

vintagesnaps said:
Nobody brought in a chicken to go with their egg did they??

I used to use a darkroom at a local college and it was upstairs in this odd building that just had studio space. There was an open balcony up there where they held drawing class because there would be plain white cubes and blocks and balls set up and arranged. Reminds me of your egg lesson JC. I'd go in sometimes in the summer when it wasn't busy and nobody'd be there but the radio was going... then I'd come out of the glow of the safe light to rinse & dry prints and there would be people there, I could look directly down into the pottery studio.

Anyway, I haven't taken a 'real' art class in years! Took as much as electives as I could all thru school. I agree about drawing classes teaching perspective and proportion, etc. I remember learning how to use your pencil to measure the proportion. We did things like go out and sketch a small patch of grass onto a large piece of paper. I think it was to make us look at the details in each blade of grass.

I like to draw & sketch, and I'd buy good pencils and brushes and paper. Not cheap, but I have sable brushes that I've had at least 15 years or more. I have this watercolor calendar which is just to play around with but the paper is crap! lol and I mostly read the blurb about whatever artist or technique. I've done mostly craft so have used acrylic/craft paint. Never took a watercolor class and I don't seem to have the hang of blending.

Watercolor blends itself. The key is to let it happen. Puddle baby, puddle, drip the tip, drip the tip. Makes me want to do it, just talking about it. Draw with clear water, dip the color in the beginning of the clear water draw....

vintagesnaps · Dec 28, 2017

I just heard them announce that the outdoor game in the World Jrs. on Friday is a go. They have to get the game in as part of the tournament somehow somewhere (not like the pros where they could reschedule). I guess the weather prediction for Queens, New York is a lot of snow (but we're playing hockey in it anyway).

vintagesnaps · Dec 28, 2017

See I never knew that, should've taken a class! I'll try that. Drip, tip; water outline - OK, got it, I can remember that.

Unless I get that confused with tri-tip and sous vide...

vintagesnaps · Dec 28, 2017

What size brush?

Frank F. · Dec 28, 2017

I met my cousin today & did a fun shot in Cologne!
My cousin in Physics Professor in Berlin, therefore a periscope is sticking from his head!
Do you like the editing?

jcdeboever · Dec 28, 2017

vintagesnaps said:
What size brush?

Whatever your drawing with.i like long, pointy sable brushed to draw with. The longer the better, they hold more water. Then dip the tip in color baby

davidharmier60 · Dec 28, 2017

I can't draw water. Really I can't draw.
I used to paint, houses inside and out.
Got pretty good with a camera though.

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