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How Does One Teach Drawing?

I've just started teaching a 10-week Beginning Drawing class. I have taught short workshops in drawing before, but this is the first time I've taught a full semester long class in drawing. In preparing for the class, I had to consider the question: how does one teach drawing?
"One must always draw, draw with the eyes, when one cannot draw with a pencil." Balthus

My answers, based on my own experience of learning in the classic, traditional manner:

1. Familiarise the students with the materials.

2. Set clear goals for what drawing is and isn't (e.g., not a photograph, though one can strive for realism; mistakes are acceptable;, etc.)

3. Start with simple objects, then work up to more complex objects and groupings.

4. Begin with soft pencil, then graduate to charcoal, conte, coloured pencils and pastels.

5. Give guidance, but don't stifle people's expressiveness.

6. Make most of the guidance about looking, and looking again, at the thing or things that you are drawing.

7. As a teacher, learn to give the students long drawing times, and don't move them too quickly from one project to the next.

Even in the first class, some nice drawings came onto the paper.


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