Degas, Manet, and Cassatt achieved remarkable results in their portraits by employing the strong line and luminous color of pastels. Participants in this workshop are introduced to methods for achieving similar results, through the immediacy of either a sketch or a detailed portrait study. Intermediate students work in the studio with a live model and focus on the elements of portraiture and pastel technique.

Beginning and experienced students work directly from still-life arrangements as they explore the techniques of cross-hatching and layering of color in this one-day workshop.

As an investigation of drawing beyond the introductory level, this class offers practice in using traditional media. Sessions focus on the four traditional subjects of drawing (still-life, landscape, portrait, and figure).

Popular theory on right side brain activity holds that the right brain is primarily responsible for the intuitive understanding of visual and spatial relationships. Designed to improve the way people see and record objects on paper, this class provides a set of visual exercises to help build the ability to draw.

Spend three summer Saturdays capturing a range of distinctive architectural styles as you produce freehand sketches of Smithsonian buildings and places around the Mall.

This introductory class teaches the basic skills needed for drawing. Working with a variety of materials and techniques, including charcoal and pencils, students explore the rendering of geometric forms, volume, and perspective, with an emphasis on personal gesture marks.

The depiction of the human form on cave walls and the rendering of the figure throughout history, across cultures and artistic styles, underscore the significance of its continued study. Students make use of this venerated artistic form in this class designed to help develop their skill in capturing the figure on paper.