This class explores the history of drawing materials in black and white. It explores how drawing materials were first used and how the making of those materials evolved. It explores pigment and binder combinations. It explores charcoal, graphite and silverpoint. It explores different drawing techniques, like smudging, blending, and chiaroscuro. It explores the history of drawing from Ancient times, to the Renaissance, to today. It explores different kinds of drawing like quick sketching and detailed drawing.

The section on color drawing materials explores what natural pigments people first used to draw in color, like red and yellow ochre, charcoal and clay. It explores the art of Egyptians, Renaissance Art, Fresco Painting, and Contemporary Art in terms of materials used. It explores different colored drawing materials, like colored pencils, colored conte, chalk pastel, chalk pastel pencils, and oil pastels. It explores the possiblility of combining these dry drawing materials with wet drawing materials like watercolor, ink, and acrylic to create mixed media works of art with drawing.

There are also two sections on wet media drawing or painting materials.  There is one section on the history of pen and ink.  Ther is one section on watercolor and gouache.  This class is for an introduction to art materials, their history, how they are used, and how they are made. 

This class is an introduction to different drawing materials and how they are used for beginners.

You can explore the different materials in your sketchbook.  You can try making marks or scribbles with charcoal, charcoal pencils, pencils, conte, and silverpoint.  For marks in color, you can use colored pencils, chalk pastel, chalk pastel pencils, oil pastel, or markers.  To test out drawing on mixed media, you can make marks ove watercolor, ink, or acrylic that is dry.  You can get a feel for the different materials, how to use them, and the ones you like best. 

Who this course is for:

• Beginners who want to learn about art materials