Hello Family, Friends and Fans, I will be teaching a beginner’s drawing class at the Delaplaine Art Center this fall. Class starts on October 15th. Its perfect for beginners!
Tag: drawing
Why Artists Should Make Drawing a Daily Practice
About a century ago (well I exaggerate a little); I was a college student studying art at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD. I had a brilliant and successful art teacher named Steve, who demonstrated how the practice of art making and the hatching of new ideas could be brought to life. He taught me many useful things, such as how to keep an art sketchbook pasted with photos of art work by artists I admired, and how to write about my art in a way that expressed my unique artistic voice. Above all, his most important advice was that I should draw every day. At the time, that task seemed quite difficult. I was always an inpatient artist as a student and I often rushed through the drawing stage to hurry up and get to the painting. Now that many years have passed since my graduation from McDaniel, I can truly see the wisdom of his advice.
With hindsight, I realize that he was so right about drawing every day. I no longer rush art work and I have learned to love drawing, whether it becomes a painting or not. In fact, I have embraced his advice of a daily drawing habit and I have worked on several art challenges for both human portraiture and pet portraits on my Instagram account. One of these challenges is called 100 faces in 100 days, in which I drew a pre-selected photo of a celebrity using only pencil and paper. I did not add in a lot of detail or shading and I limited myself to 45 minutes a day.
At present, I am struggling to carve out time for drawing. Sandwiched in between working, and other responsibilities, I am striving to make time at least 1x a week to draw. This time, I am focusing on making simple graphite sketches in my sketchbook, mostly portraits or figures.
The most important take away I can say about drawing and getting good at it, is that it really helps your art practice to flourish. For instance, once you have the drawing and composition mastered, you can enjoy the next step more fully, whether its collage, painting or some other art form such as graphic design or sculpture. With an accurate drawing, you won’t have to worry about continuing to fix it and can fully embrace your next steps.
If you want to put this idea of drawing as a practice into effect, you are in luck! I will be teaching two drawing classes at Delaplaine Art Center this Fall. The first class, Drawing for the Absolute Beginner, is tailored on those who have never taken an art class, and need the basics such as shading, measuring, and drawing techniques such as contour and blind contour drawing.
And the second class is for more seasoned artists who want to learn how to draw a portrait. This is a great class for those who have always wanted to draw portraits but don’t know where to start. I will teach you construction techniques such as using shapes to construct, the Loomis Method and anatomy to give you a solid foundation to build upon. Check out this links to learn more: https://delaplaine.org/class/?id=25-2-DR06 (Drawing for the Absolute Beginner) and (Advanced Drawing: How to Build a Portrait): https://delaplaine.org/class/?id=25-2-DR07.
Fall Art Courses at the Delaplaine
Hello Friends, Family, Former Students and Fans,
I wanted to share my latest art course news. This fall I will be teaching two art courses at the Delaplaine Art Center in Frederick, MD. Do you think you can’t draw? Take my beginner drawing course, Drawing for the Absolute Beginner, and challenge your assumptions! Drawing for the Absolute Beginner, will focus on basic drawing skills, inspired by the teachings of art teacher, Betty Edwards, and incorporate various drawing media, such as: pencil, charcoal, and ink. Class starts on 10/15/24 at the Delapaline Art Center, Frederick, MD.
Did you know that drawing is a learned skill, and that you can improve your skills with guided instruction and practice? Based on my experience as an artist and art teacher, I have learned that it really isn’t about talent, and there are specific skills which you can learn such as: drawing from photos, drawing from life, sighting, smooth shading and incorporating drawing templates like the Loomis method, to help you achieve more realistic results. Both of my courses, Drawing for the Absolute Beginner, and Advanced Drawing will explore these fundamental skills, and provide you with plenty of open studio time to practice what you learn. Step by step instruction will be provided, and constructive critiques are available upon request to help develop your skills.
Have you always wanted to draw portraits, but didn’t know where to begin? The other course, Advanced Drawing, is tailored for artists who want to advance their drawing skills, and will focus on techniques for drawing the portrait. Techniques including: the Loomis and Reilly method, will give you a frame work for constructing a portrait in a realistic style. I will provide you with the skills you need to draw in beginner level or advanced level, so there is a place for everyone!
Whichever course you choose, making art work in my class can bring peace, calm and creativity to your life. Make time for self care, meet other artists, and re-engage with your creativity! In one of my courses, a former student reports that: “Now I have many tools to use for practicing art!”
Tap the link below to learn more about my Beginner and Advanced Art Courses: http://www.delaplaine.org. Don’t wait, sign up today before classes fill up. Fall is one of the busiest seasons for art courses at the Delaplaine! If you wait, you might not be able to get a spot, and I only teach these courses two times a year.
New Art Class Forming this Fall!
Spring Courses I am Teaching at Frederick Community College
Join me for a chance to relax and be creative at Frederick Community College this May and June. I will be teaching noncredit courses, so there is no pressure to earn a grade or do homework, however, I teach it like a college class so you get to learn some of the critical fundamentals of art such as color, line, and value. To learn more, visit: https://www.frederick.edu/class-schedules/downloads/ilr_spring_2023_schedule.aspx. My Continuing Pastels course starts on 5/5. Sign up today to reserve your spot!
Or, if that doesn’t work with your schedule I am also teaching a mixed media course entitled, Drawing and Painting: A Mixed Media Survey on 6/15, also at Frederick Community College. You can sign up for this course at the above link.
New Art Courses I am Teaching this Spring/Summer
Hello Friends,
I am teaching a cornucopia of art courses at Frederick Community College in the Institute for Learning in Retirement department. These classes are short, and art is not graded like traditional credit courses. However, I teach the basic elements of art and offer group critiques, which are a vital part of credit art courses, so you get all the benefits of a credit course, without the grade.
They are perfect for those who want a short-term art course without a long time commitment. As a student, you will receive the benefit of my extensive art expertise as a student and art teacher, and receive constructive critiques, education in the basics of art, such as value, shape, color, etc., as well as individual art instruction. My courses will empower you to self-critique your own work and that of others, so that you can have the confidence to improve the quality of your artwork on your own. I offer a variety of mediums to choose from such as soft pastels, pencils, and mixed media!
To learn more, click on the following link: https://www.frederick.edu/class-schedules/downloads/ilr_spring_2023_schedule.aspx. The courses I am teaching are ACR187 Continuing Pastels with Landscapes, 5 sessions, 15 hours,5/5 – 6/2.
ACR434 Advanced Drawing: How to Build a
Portrait Using Face Mapping, 6 sessions, 18 hours, 4/18 – 5/23.
ACR181 Drawing and Painting: A Mixed Media, Survey Course. 5 sessions, 10 hours, 6/15 – 7/13.
New Classes, I am teaching this winter
I am currently on a break from teaching art classes at the Delaplaine, but I will be resuming teaching in February! One course is a several week’s long class on drawing animals in graphite, starting in February 2023!
The other course is a two-day workshop in which I explore color theory, painting in acrylics, and how to apply it to animal portraits! Meanwhile, I will be re-grouping and trying to re-kindle my love for art by looking at lots of art on Pinterest, trying out new mediums, and doing one of my favorite art challenges, Inktober!
The classes are Drawing Animals in Nature with Graphite, a course inspired by draftswoman extraordinaire, Lee Hammond, and, Whimsical Animals in Acrylic, inspired by another artist, Megan Wells, who wrote the book, Colorways: Acrylic Animals: Tips, Techniques, and Step-By-Step Lessons for Learning to Paint Whimsical Artwork in Vibrant Acrylic!
In the first course, we will learn all about how to draw and shade animal drawings, with a special focus on drawing supplies, such as blenders, mechanical pencils, what types of papers to use, and more! Lee Hammond specializes in making drawings that simulate old master techniques, such as gradients and smooth shading to create a realism that goes beyond your wildest dreams!
And in the two-day workshop, we will have fun with color, utilizing the color wheel to create dynamic color combinations such as complementary colors to bring new life to animal subjects. Rather than sticking to local color, we will explore how to abstract farm yard animals with color and bold, painterly brushwork to make painting a more fun experience! To learn more, visit https://delaplaine.org/.
Mixed media: A Fun new class I am offering
Are you in a creative slump or want to try out other forms of art media? Then, my course, Drawing, and Painting: A Mixed Media survey is the perfect fit for you! To learn more about this wonderful course, visit https://www.frederick.edu/. Go to the schedules link and select, ILR Fall Schedule 2022 to view a detailed description about this course.
In this course, I will provide you with detailed art demonstrations, with different art media provided each week. We will draw and paint our way through different art styles such as Impressionism, and even abstraction. The wide variety of art media and styles will stimulate your creativity, and provide a space for you to create in a judgment-free learning environment. Beginners and seasoned artists are welcome, no experience is necessary, although some experience with drawing or painting can be helpful. This is an in-person, noncredit course at Frederick Community College.
The Ultimate Drawing Class for Beginners!
Are you a beginner artist? Do you want to learn how to draw but feel overwhelmed about which method to try? Contour drawing, blind contour drawing, drawing upside down, constructing with shapes, etc. Then my class, Drawing for the Absolute Beginner is perfect for you! I will offer you guided instruction focusing on specific drawing methods every week, such as Contour drawing, blind contour drawing, drawing upside down, etc. Trying a variety of drawing methods can help you find the one that suits you best! This course is inspired by Betty Edwards’s book, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. To learn more, visit https://delaplaine.org/instruction/.
And if this class is full, try your hand at another course I am offering, Classic Drawing, and also at the Delaplaine. This course is also a great fit for beginners, or artists who are rusty in their drawing skills and want a brush-up. This course has a slightly different focus. We will be focusing here on specific elements of art, such as line, shape, form, and texture. I will alternate the class projects with step-by-step handouts and drawing from observation. The focus here will be on applying each element of art every week to your exercises and projects to build more aesthetically pleasing artwork. Whichever class you take, learning the skill of drawing, or improving your drawing skills is a fundamental tool in your artistic toolbox and will greatly improve your artwork, whatever medium you choose, whether it’s: collage, painting, sculpture, pastel, etc! I’ve been drawing and painting for many years (since about age 2) and find that drawing weekly keeps me to tackle any painting with confidence!
Continuing Landscapes in Pastel, Summer Course Update
There are still some spots available for my upcoming, Continuing Landscapes in Pastel at the Delaplaine Art Center. If you are an oil painter or love to work in color, but would like to try out a new medium, this might be a great course for you.
Or, if you want to work in a more forgiving art medium than watercolor, pastel could be the perfect choice for you! It’s a wonderful medium that combines all the characteristics of drawing which is generally a dry media, with the painterly characteristics of color and texture, such as oil painting, but in contrast, pastels have no drying time.
Working in soft pastels also doesn’t require a full complement of art supplies, such as pallets, brushes, or water jars. Instead, you can get started with just some soft pastels, erasers, pastel pencils, and pastel paper to begin your creative journey. Easy to set up and easy to clean up. No brushes or palettes to clean! And it’s so easy to correct your mistakes, with a kneaded eraser. What could be better? Here’s a sneak peek at some of the projects we will work on colorful meadows, fall scenes, and even a mixed media garden landscape. Please visit: https://delaplaine.org/ to sign up or learn more about this wonderful course!
Art of Schmidt 