Draw Past Your "Defaults"

Join us Thursday evenings in June, live over Zoom. 7:30-9:30pm (NYC Time)

Most of us who've drawn portraits for a while, or have kept a sketchbook practice going for a bit, have a default material, the one we trust, the one that does what we expect. This course is about putting that material in conversation with others and seeing what arrives when we continue to experiment, play, and challenge ourselves!

Join us for four evenings in June as we work across graphite, ink, colored pencil, watercolor, and build a mixed media approach: we want to go beyond thinking in a sequence, and start to consider these materials in combination: what colored pencil does over a watercolor pass, how ink sits under watercolor, or "breaks" when it gets pushed around with a wet brush, what happens to your drawing decisions when the material starts pushing back against our usual working methodology? The emphasis is on design and experimentation, not on getting a "perfect" likeness, though I'll give feedback on both as the work develops.

Recordings don't expire on The Open Sketchbook- so please feel confident that the course material will be available for you to return to, even if you can't make it to each live session!

Whether you’re filling a brand new sketchbook or diving back into one you’ve already started, this course is built to fit your goals. All experience levels are welcome. Come draw with us!

Course Calendar:

Each session we'll explore a different material concept and a new portrait!

  1. Welcome to the Course!

  2. Week 1 (6/4): Graphite & Ink

  3. Week 2 (6/11): Colored Pencil

  4. Week 3 (6/18): Adding Watercolor

  5. Week 4 (6/25): Mixed Media

  6. Sketchbook Resources

About this Course

  • $179.00
  • Thursdays, 6/4 - 6/25, 7:30-9:30pm
  • Live Online Course (Zoom)
  • Recordings (No Expiration)

"Before The Open Sketchbook, I thought too much about what to draw and doing it 'perfectly'. I feared portraiture, especially self-portrait; I was too used to drawing from photos. The Open Sketchbook has pushed me to feel comfortable making a master copy or whatever comes to mind, from my own imagination, or from real life. I now pay more attention to finding the relative space between two or more objects (the ears in relation to the nose) and locating 'the darkest dark and the lightest light', or, as I learned in the DICHOTOMIES course, exploring opposites like 'sparse vs dense', 'soft vs hard', or 'simplicity vs complexity'."  -Asima, Virtual Studio Member

Four Thursdays in June, live on Zoom

Recordings Never Expire

Enroll today

Instructor

Evan Kitson

Evan Kitson is a draftsman, painter, instructor, anatomist, curator, podcaster, and all-around art enthusiast whose practice is split between New York City, where he exhibits and instructs, and Lancaster, PA, where he maintains a focused studio practice. He holds a BFA from the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art, and has studied with the renowned painter Odd Nerdrum. Kitson has taught across every level of artistic development: the curious public at the Art Students League of New York, undergraduates at the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, and graduate students at the New York Academy of Art. He has brought his approach to a worldwide community online through The Open Sketchbook, and produces the Open Sketchbook Podcast. His exhibition record spans almost two decades, notably including Echoes, a solo drawing show at Millersville University, and the recently co-curated exhibitions 10x6H and 6x10B with curio Gallery. His teaching, making, and writing all run on the same fuel: the belief that sustained, rigorous looking is the thing no shortcut can replace.