Cabrillo Extension Class: Large Scale Figure Drawing
L. Silas
Welcome to a short course in the Atelier Style Teaching. These methods of teaching were developed for four
hundred years in Europe and Russia. The methods were intended to help train a person’s eye to see, perceive,
and study objects, figures, and landscapes in order to bring realistic descriptions of our reality into paintings
and sculptures. The lineage I studied came directly down to my teacher from The Florence Academy of Art,
Daniel Graves from the artist Gerome’ who was the premier artist of his time and influenced all of Europe and
the French Ateliers. There are methods from the English schools as well. In this class you will glimpse these
methods and get a taste for what is to come.
The tools used can be used and developed from here on out in your art career and if you want to continue this
study it is a challenging but beneficial in many aspects for whichever art medium you prefer. Because this is
the study of natures forms, it affects not only what see, it affects the way you interpret the world. Any one
can see something is wrong with the structure of a figure, not many can pinpoint it. Many of our great
expressionists of the early part of the last century were classically trained.
This course will guide the student through use of tools, charcoal, how to stand and view the model, to produce
a figure in charcoal using a model as reference, on a large sheet of Canson paper. The class will run for 3 hours
and drawing techniques will be supported by lecture and demonstrations as well as critiques.
Art supplies will be provided.
Looking forward to our working together,
Lisa Silas
Director of The Neoteric Renaissance School of Art
1050 River Street Santa Cruz CA
www.neotericrenaissance.com
neoteric.office@gmail.com