Join artists Paul Richmond and Melissa Forman for a class focused on the fundamentals of drawing. Learn how to work with value to add a more realistic sense of dimension to your drawings. We'll start by looking at some examples from art history and discussing how the artists utilized light and shadow in their work. Then we will do a simple value scale to explore the range of values your pencil can create. Next, we will draw a sphere that looks three-dimensional with shading and a cast shadow, followed by a more complex still life set-up with multiple objects and a dramatic light source. For our final project, we will do a reverse drawing, covering the paper with graphite to create a middle value and then adding shadows with the pencil and highlights with the eraser.

This class is for everyone - from beginners to more experienced artists - with an emphasis on foundational skills.

As professional artists and teachers, Paul and Melissa have met many artists who commonly face a lot of the same issues when creating their art. Learn how to master those struggles and add refinement and polish to your work. It’s never too late to get back to basics!