Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center Sketchers: Level 1: Weeks 1-3: Lines, Shapes, Proportions, Positive/Negative Space, and Getting Sketchy

The Level 1 drawing class at SCM Art Center got off to a flying start in learning various skills and techniques including measuring proportions, drawing negative/positive space, basic composition, and sketching like Van Gogh. To view everyone's drawings, scroll down and click 'Read more' at bottom of this post.

Art Center Sketchers, above left and right, get into the Zone and have fun drawing on Wednesday evenings. New classes are forming for March. Join the fun! Info/Registration

Above left and right are Liz's drawings made during an evening of exploring the sketching techniques of Vincent Van Gogh and learning the basics in perspective drawing, without using rulers to draw guidelines.

Shonti's egret drawings show how she learned to see and draw negative space around the contour edges of the bird's body.

Tod did study sketches (above left) to find accurate proportions of the dragonfly's body and wings before doing his finished drawing (above right). The lesson helped students learn to draw realistic proportions and contour edges.

On a large sheet of paper, using lines and shapes from their first lesson, students constructed abstract/surrealist compositions. Starting clockwise above left: Liz, Shonti, Tod

During the first lesson, students learned to draw light guidelines for the shapes of animals while measuring proportions and overlapping shapes; then they finished with darker outlines and tones. Below are warmup exercises students did while learning to hold the pencil sideways and moving the whole arm.