Overview

Introduction to Portrait and Figure Drawing

Saturday I 9:30-12:00 PM I JAN 16 – MAR 20, 2027  I (10 WKS)

Location: Gallery Level Classroom

BEGINNER– with Paige Früchtnicht-Ponchak

This 10-week course introduces the fundamental principles of observational drawing within the classical realist tradition, with a focused emphasis on portrait and figure drawing. Students will build a foundation in accurate form representation by mastering proportion, measurement, perspective, value, and the behavior of light and shadow.

Through targeted studies, students will learn to identify key anatomical landmarks of the face and body, including the eyes, nose, mouth, hands, and feet, and an understanding of how underlying structure informs surface appearance. These focused exercises will culminate in direct, life-drawing sessions of the human figure.

Grounded in historical atelier methods, the curriculum emphasizes direct observation, disciplined sighting techniques, and the step-by-step development of a finished drawing from Bargue plates, the cast, and life. This course is designed for students with some prior drawing experience, though dedicated beginners ready for a challenge are welcomed. M $175 NM $200

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Supply List: 

Paper: Strathmore 400 drawing paper or similar paper (no toned papers).  Sizes 11×14 or larger are all fine.
Pencils: Traditional wooden pencils (OR) lead holders with lead refills: 4H, HB, 2B (Staedtler, Tombow, Faber-Castell, and Derwent are recommended brands)
Eraser: Gray kneaded eraser (and optionally a tombow mono refillable eraser or a stylus eraser)
Sharpener: Sandpaper pad + Xacto knife for wooden pencils if you prefer to hand sharpen; if not, a regular pencil sharpener is okay (preferably a long point one) (OR) a Staedtler Mars lead pointer for lead holders.

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INTERESTED IN A SCHOLARSHIP?

Click here to learn more: www.cvart.org/scholarships

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INSTRUCTOR :

Paige Früchtnicht-Ponchak

Paige Früchtnicht-Ponchak is a Cleveland-based artist, educator, and writer. She received her BFA from Columbus College of Art & Design, studied at the Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam, and received her MFA from the University of Cincinnati and her BA in Classical Studies from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Greece. She teaches classical realist drawing and painting in both private and public settings throughout Northeast Ohio. She is currently working on an illustrated edition of Virgil’s Georgics and continues to study Latin and Ancient Greek.