Drawing: The Foundation of EVERYTHING
A comprehensive drawing class for painters.
Drawing skills are painting skills.
Understand art in a completely new way!
Experience more freedom in your work and
paint more like yourself.
Tools and skills you’ll use for the rest of your life.
What you’ll learn
Each section you’ll focus on one of these tools. Each section builds on the previous one. Each tool can be uniquely applied to your work personally.
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Learning how to start a drawing or painting can save a TON of time and build a good foundation for a successful finish.
Proportion and Placement are the first elements you need to learn to manage to make good compositions. You need to be able to control the size and location of your subject in order to create a design.
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Learn to understand perspective in a practical and intuitive way.
Understanding perspective will help you create a sense of 3 dimensions in your work.
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Good shading is built of solid form. You will apply the lessons learned from perspective to construction of the form. Lessons learned depicting simple forms are allow you create complex forms.
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Many people misunderstand how value expresses light effect. You will learn the distinction. You will also learn to identify key areas of light and shadow. You will learn how a thorough understanding of light effect is crucial for painting with color.
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This lesson will teach you how to simplify your value patterns to create powerful compositional designs.
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Once you have a solid foundation of accurate proportions, perspective, form and clear values, you’re ready for detail! Learn how to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to detail. Create form that turns and show texture through sensitivity at the edges.
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Composition is the secret sauce that takes your work to the next level. It’s never too early - or too late - to think about composition.
In this section you’ll learn what the human brain is visually attracted to and how you can harness that biology to attract your viewer’s attention to the right places in your work.
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In our final lesson we will review the previous components with fresh eyes to reinforce what you learned and put it into practice in your work.
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The first class you’ll learn how to approach this course. That “correct” and accurate drawing doesn’t always mean the best drawing.
You’ll learn how to approach the lessons in a way that protects your voice as an artist, while at the same time being rigorous and working hard.
Class Format
Nine sessions. Each session focuses on a single concept.
Slide talk that illustrates the concept through different artistic movements and media
Sarah will provide a short demo and exercise designed to learn and practice the skill.
Get feedback from Sarah for your exercises
Each lesson builds on the previous lesson.
Lifetime access to recorded lessons (anytime for as long as I host the class online)
Held Live January 15 - March 5, 2025
IN PERSON
Thursdays noon - 3:30 pm
Rogue Gallery & Art Center,
40 S. Bartlett St, Medford, OR
$400 for the series, (discounts for members, payment plan option available)
OR
ONLINE VERSION
New lessons available each week, beginning NOW - through mid March.
Online lessons are pre-recorded with a portal for turning in exercises for Sarah to see them and send brief email comments.
$229 (payment plan available)
Meet your instructor
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Meet your instructor ✳
Sarah Burns
Sarah Burns is a classically trained draftswoman and painter.
She has worked with countless artists of all types utilize drawing skills to realize artistic goals.
Sarah lives and paints in Southern Oregon. When she’s not working, she loves native plant gardening, looking for hot springs, and hiking in the mountains. She’s always up for a sauna and a cold plunge!
Course FAQ
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I get it! I remember thinking the same thing when I was a drawing student. Now, 20 years later, I truly believe that “Drawing is Painting.”
These skills will serve you for the rest of your life - whatever style or media you work in.
In fact, I venture to say that this could be the most important art class you’ll ever take!
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Email me! I’m happy to answer your quick questions over email. If you need in-depth support, I offer affordable artist mentoring over zoom or in-person, if you’re in Southern Oregon.
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You have “lifetime” access. Meaning, as long as I have this course on my website (which I’m planning to keep up for years).
Take it anytime, review it again and again.
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No! Probably not - lol! The foundations come from classical art, but I show you how they are applied to every type of art. We embrace expression, freedom and individuality. And it’s totally ok to be who you are - even if you’re uptight!
