Foundations of Drawing
Build a solid foundation in drawing in just 10-weeks. Learn to draw anything, from people, objects and scenes.
Student Artwork
This class is full. Please send an email to [email protected] to be on the waiting list.
You can also check out our Intro to Digital Painting, and Analytical Sketching classes.
Foundations of Drawing
Learn the fundamentals of drawing: light, shade, line and form, perspective and proportion. Learn the basics of human proportions and anatomy through portrait and nude studies.
This class is perfect for beginners and is a pre-requisite for all other classes. Everyone can learn to draw!
Our curriculum blends classical drawing instruction (techniques of the masters) with modern teaching methods (e.g.: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain) so that beginners can see rapid improvement in their skills and creativity while developing a unique style.
- Course Type Traditional Drawing Courses
- Duration 10 weeks
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Skill Level
Beginner/Refresher Beginner/Refresher
This class is for people who have never taken art courses before, or would like to solidify the techniques they already have.
- Language English
Schedule
Note: This class will be offered online only
Section A) Starts: Monday, January 11th and is once a week from 2 PM to 5 PM, Eastern Standard Time (EST or UTC-5h) - English - Donna Shvil - This section is full
Section B) Starts: Saturday, January 16th and is once a week from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM, Eastern Standard Time (EST or UTC-5h) - English - Donna Shvil - This section is full
Section C) Starts: Wednesday, January 13th and is once a week from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM, Eastern Standard Time (EST or UTC-5h) - English - André Pijet- This section is full
Duration: 10 weeks
If you are unable to attend the class during the times listed above, you will still have access to video recordings of the class lectures and will still receive personalized feedback from your instructor.
Pre-Requisites
This class is for beginners and there are no prerequisites.
Language requirements: You need at least intermediate level English to take this class (the teacher will use many visual examples and can help you if you don't understand something).
*Note that the students at Syn Studio are mostly all adults and you should be 16 years or older to take any classes here.
Required Materials
- Pencils: 1 HB, 1 B, 1 2B (we recommend Derwent or Staedtler)
- A sharpener of good quality
- Erasers: Kneaded eraser, white eraser, pen shape white eraser
- Sketchbook, white pages (11x14 recommended, should be able to remove individual sheets easily)
- Tracing paper 9x12 (very translucent) the recommended brand is Canson - Foundation Series
- 1 white pencil; Faber Castel Polychromos
Optional but used in most classes:
- White Bristol Vellum paper pad
- Kraft paper 3 Pages
* - List subject to change, the official material list will be sent before the beginning of the term.
Tech Requirements for Attending Syn Studio Online Classes
Minimum Requirements
- A strong uninterrupted broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE) connection with a minimum 600kbps bandwidth (up/down).
- A Laptop/Desktop computer equipped with a single core processor (at least 1 GHZ processing speed) or a smartphone/tablet with equivalent processing capabilities
- Good speakers/earphones to listen to the classesÂ
- Browser - IE7+, Safari 5+, Firefox, ChromeÂ
- Operating System - Windows XP, Mac OS 10.6, Linux distro based on 3.0 kernel, Android 5.0, iOS 10
Syn Studio Recommendations
- A strong uninterrupted broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE) connection with a minimum 1.5Mbps bandwidth (up/down). You can also connect to the internet directly using your ethernet cable to improve your experience.
- Laptop/Desktop computer equipped with a dual core processor with at least 2 GHZ processing speed and a 4 GB RAM
- High Quality speakers/earphones to listen to the classes
- Browser & Operating System - We recommend using the latest version of the browser and operating system for an optimal online classroom experience.
Course Outline
Build a solid foundation in art by learning the theory and techniques required to draw people, objects and scenes while receiving professional feedback from your instructor.
*Please note that this outline is from the last time we held this class and we may make some updates and improvements for the coming term
Week 1 – Learn about essential materials and the basic skills of drawing.
Week 2 – Understand form and negative space and learn all about the proportions of the face.
Week 3 - Important perspective exercises and the proportions of the human body.
Week 4 - Understand light and shadow with exercises on various shading techniques.
Week 5 and 6 – Learn essential principles of composition: Figure and/or portrait drawing exercise, and sketching and gesture drawing.
Week 7 - Perceive form, negative space and shadow shapes.
Week 8 and 9 - Analyze angles, proportions and perspective.
Week 10 - Unite all the basic skills of drawing to create a harmonious finished drawing with wholeness and personality.
Instructor Info
Donna Shvil
Donna Shvil is an accomplished figurative artist with over 25 years of experience, specializing in figure studies and realistic-style painting.
André Pijet
André Pijet is an art director, painter, author, illustrator, caricaturist and graphic artist who has worked, taught and exhibited throughout Canada and Europe for over thirty years.
Speak to an advisor
Feel free to send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call at 514-998-7625