Stacy Kamin – Sketching from Nature (Online); Wednesdays, June 7-28, 2023

Date: Wednesdays, June 7-28, 2023
Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM Pacific Time (1:00-3:00 PM Eastern Time/6:00-8:00 PM London Time)
Level: All
Medium: Drawing

Supply List pdf

In this four-week class, we will delve into the beauty of nature and learn how to capture it on paper. Through the practice of direct drawings, we will focus on contour drawing. We will improve our hand and eye coordination, enabling us to create more accurate and detailed representations of the world around us.

We will begin by studying leaves from life, exploring their intricate shapes, textures, and patterns. By closely observing these details and learning how to represent them on paper, we will build a solid foundation for our future work.

From there we will move on to more complex subjects such as trees and bushes, learning how to depict the overall shapes and gestures; adding in the details of branches, leaves, and foliage. As we progress, we will explore different line weights and shading techniques to create depth and texture in our drawings.

Throughout the class, we will experiment with different mediums such as pen, pencil, and watercolor. Each medium offers its unique set of challenges and opportunities, allowing us to explore different techniques and styles.

Whether you’re an experienced artist looking to expand your skills or a beginner just starting, this class is an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of nature drawing and explore your creativity. So come join us and let’s get drawing!

Stacy Kamin studied illustration and traditional animation at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, earning a BA in 2000. After graduation, she interned with a small animation company long enough to realize that illustration was not her calling, although a fascination with capturing movement was. This she would explore through line and paint as a fine artist. Having grown up in the cosmopolitan city of Washington, D. C., Stacy Kamin has lived a life any aspiring artist would envy. Providence brought her into the world with a mother who nurtured Stacy’s interest in drawing and painting every step of the way. Noted artist and teacher, Jacqueline Kamin, indulged her child’s art supply caprices and enrolled her in children’s classes at the National Gallery at a very young age. Art was alive in this bright artistic spirit, and as Stacy herself says, “Creating images from pencils and paint was like magic to me. I knew early on that I had to be an artist.” She joined her family in Los Angeles and there found a well-respected Chinese artist, Shuqiao Zhou, to mentor her privately for six years. Zhou’s teachers came from the great Russian lineage of Ilya Repin and Valentin Serov, and through this expressive tradition, imparted a love of paint that is still a hallmark of Stacy’s work. Drawn to the dramatic effects of Rembrandt, Stacy sought out the instruction of two well-known masters of this knowledge—David A Leffel and Sherrie McGraw. She credits their influence for the startling light that she is able to achieve in her own work. “They introduced me to Abstract Realism, a way of painting so rich that I can’t imagine my education ever ending—I will be a student of this great tradition for my entire life.” www.stacykamin.com