Drawing (formerly at the Baird)
Drawing (formerly at the Baird) is pivoting to “Drawing sometimes at the Baird and also all over the place, but starting at the Baird more or less.” It’s a mouthful, but I’m workshopping it. Hopefully I’ll figure out a more succinct title by the time I make a flyer. Let’s call it “Urban Sketching” because a lot of people do.
Let’s be “guerilla” artists this time, flashmobbing existing gatherings and drawing & giggling in the corner the whole time like a bunch of stoned high school art kids. This has been my concept for the class the whole time, except for the flashmobs, the giggling in the corner, and the being stoned part. Those are all optional. Put down your phone, close your laptop, pick up some paper and a pen and take in your surroundings. These sessions are about drawing on location, indoors and outdoors. It doesn’t matter if you can’t draw a straight line. You can scribble the general shape of what you’re looking at and once you’ve got that, you can add more & more details. Like magic, you’ll suddenly have a drawing you never thought you could accomplish.
The simple act of slowing down to directly observe and record your surroundings can be immediately relaxing - almost meditative. It will help you discover beauty that you never recognized before.
Thursdays from 7-9pm.
Fee: $20 per week to me via venmo / cash / paypal / credit card doohickey / zelle, whatever. Honestly, it’s pay what you like. You’re helping me invent something new here.
This is a tentative list of places we’ll go. If it’s nice enough outside (and if it’s not too dark) we’ll do outdoor stuff. Otherwise, there are plenty of indoor options with infinite things to draw.
The Baird (inside the Player Agency)
Bunny’s
The Train Station
Spiotta Park
Other options
Reservoir
Fox & Falcon
100% open to suggestions!
Why these places? What are we even learning? You’re learning how to draw what’s in front of you. How to FIND something in front of you that’s worth drawing. It’s actually a remarkably easy thing to do! To find a sliver of beauty in an otherwise mundane setting. After you figure out how to frame a composition (use your thumbs & forefingers to make a frame), we’ll learn how to render it on paper. This will be fun.
Here’s a list of supplies you should bring. These are my recommendations, and nothing is *required* aside from something to draw on and something to draw with.
Pens. Chinco Pens - https://amzn.to/48N2NEB (my favorites) - You can also get Uniball pens at Staples – the finer the tip the better.
Pencils – any kind will do, but I’ve always been fond of Staedtler - https://amzn.to/3O1KFNI (You’ll want a range of darknesses. In this set, 6B is the darkest and 4H is the lightest). I almost never use pencils, but not everybody likes to dive straight into the commitment of ink right away. I get it!
Royal Talens notebooks - https://amzn.to/40JQDui - Or any kind of sketchbook. I’m just particularly fond of the Royal Talens ones. Keep it smaller than 8.5” x 5.5” though.
Tumuarta watercolor journal - https://amzn.to/4eyhflu – Also very fond of these. Great for watercoloring if you do that.
Little Watercolor kit - https://amzn.to/4epWacD - completely optional, but we may get into some coloring, and these mini kits from koi are cheap, decent, and come with an adorable little water brush.
I always recommend shopping local if you can. The closest art store is A Paper Hat on Ridgewood Road. Tell them Ken said hi! The next closest one is Jerry’s artist outlet in West Orange. Probably not worth the trip, but definitely worth the trip if you want to stock up on MORE art supplies. They don’t know me by name there, but tell them I said hi anyway.
