All of our online classes are recorded and made available for viewing for the duration of the session. Thus, missed classes or time zone differentials are not a major concern. You can rewatch a given lesson as many times as you want within the session you are enrolled.

CAN BE TAKEN WITH PORTRAIT PAINTING LESSONS #1004, FOR A $30 DISCOUNT

ADD BOTH TO SHOPPING CART AND ENTER THIS CODE: PORTRAITANNA2

In this Foundations of Portrait Drawing course, we will focus on how light and shade describe the structure of the head and facial features. The instructor will demonstrate a technique using graphite and white chalk pencil on toned paper. This combination allows for delicacy of detail and efficiency in creating three-dimensional form, enabling the artist to pull a wide value range of both highlights and shadows out of the midtone of the paper. We will start the drawing process with a block-in to place the general shapes of the pose on the page. Next we will refine the contours and find the shadow shapes. Before beginning shading, we will create a small value study of the lights and darks in the composition. Then we will begin to develop subtle value gradations with graphite and white chalk. Reference images will be provided for students to work along with Anna’s master copy demo.

RECOMMENDED MATERIALS

You may use materials you're comfortable with, but these are recommended:

• Range of graphite pencils from 6B to 4H, especially 2B and 3B

• Drawing board with clips

• Rubber eraser and kneaded eraser

• Optional: stick eraser such as Tombow Mono Zero

• Large soft brush to brush away eraser crumbs

• Pencil sharpener

• Ruler

• 9” x 12” pad of toned paper with medium-smooth texture (I like Strathmore Artagain (assorted colors), Strathmore Charcoal Paper (assorted colors), Strathmore Toned Gray or Tan Sketch Paper)

• White chalk pencil (most brands of white chalk pencil or white pastel pencil are fine, such as General’s White Charcoal. I usually use white wood-free Cretacolor Leads in a holder, sharpening with a knife and sandpaper block.)

Anna Wakitsch combines traditional fine art training and materials with innovative mixed media installation and digital media, exploring optical and ocular effects within intimately scaled spaces and moments. She holds an MFA in Painting from the New York Academy of Art, where she then taught as Post-Graduate Teaching Assistant and Adjunct Faculty. Previously, she received her BA in Art Theory and Practice from Northwestern University, and then began intensive study of painting and drawing the figure with artist Anthony Ryder in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she subsequently taught for several years as his assistant instructor. She has also taught at Vitruvian Fine Art Studio in Chicago and Altos de Chavón School of Design, as well as given private instruction and workshops. Her work is in public and private collections and has been published in ArtNews.com, American Artist Drawing, and American Art Collector. Anna has participated in group shows in New York, Santa Fe, Chicago, Nashville, Maine, Indiana, and Leipzig, Germany. She currently lives and works just outside Chicago.

I'm loving the class. Anna is super talented and I'm learning a lot. I've always had incredible experiences with the classes at Teaching Studios. In fact, they are the best I've ever had.

Virginia L.