CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

The ASCR has several programs available to the serious art student and professional artist alike. In addition to the Old Master Drawing and Painting Technical Program, the Certificate Day Program in Drawing and the Saturday Figure Drawing & Anatomy Course, we offer a variety of Summer Enrichment Programs.


CERTIFICATE DAY PROGRAM IN DRAWING

The program meets Monday through Friday, from 9am to 4 pm with a lunch break from 12pm to 1pm. Classical drawing methods followed in the Academies of the 18th and 19th centuries by Prud'hon, Gerome, Bargue and their colleagues are explored. There is an emphasis on the sight-size method for training the eyes to see and the hands to follow, accurately measuring, blocking in and developing light and shadow shapes and finishing artwork with precision. Learning to see proportion is key. Students work first from still life objects, next from casts. Cast drawing is alternated with copying Bargue drawings. In the final phase of their training, students work with the live model as well as make precise drawings from the Old Masters. Critiques of drawing copies done outside of class will be held during regular class hours.

Students in the Certificate Day Program in Drawing are expected to enroll in the Saturday Figure Drawing and Anatomy Course as part of the program. Tuition is separate.


SATURDAY FIGURE DRAWING & ANATOMY COURSES

The initial course is divided into Part I and Part II, each part being conducted separately on alternate Saturdays during a trimester. The second course is divided into Part III and Part IV with both parts conducted on the same day on alternating Saturdays during a trimester. Each part is three trimesters.  The classes are all day from 9:00AM to 4:00PM with a lunchbreak from 12:00 noon until 1:00PM. Parts must be taken in sequence.

The Part I Class format generally begins with gesture warm-ups and an illustrated anatomy and/or figure drawing lecture/demonstration normally lasting between forty-five minutes to one hour.  The student artist then implements what was learned in lecture, first in a series of short poses from 5 to 20 minutes in duration and then in longer poses later in the day. The focus is on gesture, proportion, foreshortening and anatomy using line drawing to get a solid understanding of form.  A class critique of optional homework assignments is included.

The Part II Class builds upon the anatomy and drawing skills learned in the Part I Class.  Beginning with line, the class moves into the use of value to describe the form and texture of the figure.  Facial features and rendering hair and drapery are covered in detail.  Several drawing techniques for rendering value are explored.

Perspective and some theories of composition are introduced so that the student artist will have a number of tools available to create complete pictoral compositions.

The Part III and Part IV Figure Drawing Classes are for the advanced student and professional artist who wants to further hone his or her figure drawing skills.  Study focuses on three main areas; materials and technique, the aesthetics of the figure, and the history and how-to of composition.

Materials and technique study includes working with sanguine, charcoal and chalk on toned paper.  A variety of other papers and techniques both traditional and modern are explored for creating different and unusual effects.

The aesthetics of the figure includes developing greater figure drawing accuracy, anatomical review, and capturing character nuance all the way from gesture drawing to the long pose.

The history and how-to of composition looks at more composition theories of the master artists of the world.  Aspects of these theories will be applied to create finished compositions.  As part of that goal students will work with multiple figure poses, longer poses, and the clothed as well as the nude figure.


OLD MASTER DRAWING and PAINTING TECHNICAL PROGRAM

The program consists of the Technical Foundation Course and the Monday Evening Long Pose Figure Workshop. The on-going format allows the instructor to work with students at various stages of artistic development concurrently.

The Technical Foundation Course is held Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 9:30 for 9 hours each week.  It is an ongoing course in two parts; the Core Drawing Class and the Painting Class.  The Core Drawing Class is prerequisite to the Painting Class.

Core Drawing Class study begins with drawing exercises to develop the understanding and skills necessary to use value (tone) for realistic rendering. Visual memory comparison measurements are used.

Scheduled demonstrations explain drawing processes.  Students explore Old Master techniques for creating depth, distance, atmosphere, solid form, and convincing surface textures on a two-dimensional surface. Subjects range through cast studies, self portraits and still lifes.

The Painting Class is begun once students have mastered the drawing segment of the course or its equivalent (subject to approval).  The study of COLOR TEMPERATURE at the ASCR is one of the most thorough and helpful being taught today.  The dynamics of color as affected by pictorial lighting come alive for the student artist.  Advanced students learn the direct approaches to PLEIN AIR oil painting followed by coaching in Old Master layered glazing techniques.  Critiques are given for figure paintings done in the Monday Figure Drawing and Painting Workshop.]  Critiques are also given for landscapes done outside of classes. No work done from photographs will be considered.

First-year Painting Class students are encouraged to do cast, still life and self portrait paintings during non-class hours using monochromatic oil stain rub outs and direct opaque monochromatic oil painting techniques.  Critiques of these studies will be held during regular evening class hours. Second-year Painting Class students work on independent painting projects using advanced painting techniques with glazing.  Critiques of these studies will also be held during regular evening class hours.

The Monday Evening Long Pose Figure Workshop is held each week from 6:30PM to 9:30 PM.  The model takes one pose for the night and it is usually repeated for several weeks. This is a time for independent study and development of individual initiative.   Poses are held not only all evening, but are also usually repeated for about three months and, when desired by a majority of those participating, even longer.  This permits students to study the anatomy of the model in detail.  A marvelous opportunity is also presented to gain experience in the final finishing of a figure drawing or figure painting. There is no instruction during this workshop, but critiques are available during regular class hours.



2010 SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM

These special focus workshops are offered between the spring and fall trimesters. They are short but intense. Subjects range from Introduction To Making Perspective Behave, New and Old Approaches to Design and Composition, Grinding Your Own Paints, Landscape Painting: Theory and Practice (includes on location field trips), Preparing Your Own Maroger Mediums, and How to Deal Successfully With Both Drapery Folds and Changeable Hair Without Going Crazy. Program schedules are announced in late Spring.

STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHS

Click on the link to the right to view ASCR studio photographs.