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After waiting years for a chance to study in-depth with legendary Artist and teacher, Steve Huston, I finally headed to the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art (LAAFA) to take part in Steve’s annual workshop. This workshop was a 5 day intensive focused on drawing and painting the figure. Although it was taught as a figuartive class, I learned so much more. I learned about art, myself and how Steve, aka “The Man” thinks, plans and executes his renowned gallery work.

The event was held at LAAFA in Van Nuys, California, from March 24-28th. This is a breakdown of the class each day and my thoughts going through the workshop.

Day 1  ( Wednesday, March 24th )

Day 1 was an introduction in a way. First we got to know The Man and his philosophy on art and creating art. In fact, one of his points is that, ‘an artist is a philosopher’. Steve’s teaching method, like his art or like any good philosopher is to start with the general idea and then work to refine it. For Steve, it is all about the idea, or the expression of that idea.

Steve breaks down figurative art into 2 fundamental elements: parts and relationships, or gesture and structure. This principal is so fundamental to his approach that it was echoed throughout the 5 days and is echoed throughout his work.

Parts and relationships.  Gesture and structure.

Since the gesture line comes first, we spent the entire day on this core principal. After an hour or so of lecture, we got our first chance to try out our new ideas and draw from the model. Of course Steve was there to observe and work with us individually. Like I said, ,day 1 was about getting to know each other. Teacher and students. At the end of the day, I knew I was in the company of talented and hungry students that were going to lift each other up throughout the next 4 days.

Steve Huston getting his quick sketch on. 5 min. poses from Day 1.

Day 2 (Thursday , March 25th)

Having our first taste of Steve’s method, we dived right into the second major principle of his philoshopy, structure. Steve is renowned for a lot of things, but dynamic structure is what his work resonates with. In my opinion he is probably the greatest living teacher on the subject of structure, so we were in good hands. Learning how Steve approaches structure was what I personally wanted to learn most, so I was glued to the lecture.

The information in the lecture hit the class like his boxers. Powerful information hitting my brain like a left hook and a right straight. Steve not only hit us with technique, but with fundamental ideas.  The core of this idea is that structure is movement. In Steve’s words:

“If gesture is movement between forms, then structure is movement over forms.”

He also demonstrated that structure can be used to design the figure, instead of just ‘copying’. Once, I was able to grasp this concept, I finally understood why I liked some of my drawings and what was working in them. After the lecture, we gathered around Steve for a demo from the model. The remainder of the day was spent drawing, with Steve working with us individually, one on one.

This is what I came to see.  Steve’s structure demo from day 2. He wanted us to focus our practice by isolating a body part or form.

By request, Steve also touched on head drawing. So much great information here, if only we had a whole year to spend on this class.

My ‘homework’ for the day. I was so fired up, I could of drawn until morning. I wanted to review and internalize as much as I could of  Steve’s teaching in the short time we had. 10 min. quick sketch, ballpoint pen and colored pencil on toned paper.

Clearly, 2 days is not enough to fully grasp this unique approach to drawing. It could easily be a 1 to 2 year course.  However, the class had to switch gears and dive into our first painting class on day 3.

Day 3  (Friday, March 26th)

Friday was our first painting day. Even though I hadn’t painted in months, I was fired up and itching to paint with Steve. Upon entering the studio, I could feel my classmates excitement as well. The room was alive with the electricity of anticipation.

Canvas, check. Brushes, check. LAAFA flavored coffee, check. Good to go! The mood in the class was electric today.

Like any good painting teacher, Steve focused our first painting day on tones and values. Black and white was all we would use today. The lecture focused on light and shade. Steve introduced us to the concept of using a 2 value system (something I was familiar with from studying Reilly method). Then Steve hit us with another huge left hook and introduced us to the Laws of Light.

There were 4 Laws of Light (5 total) that he touched upon. I won’t spoil them all for  you, but 1 that did strike me and would have a dramatic impact on my drawing was the first law:

Different Value = Different Plane

Or inversely, same value equals same plane. Again, this was another major insight on why some of my drawings were working and how I can really push the illusion of forms turning into space.

The class was divided up into lecture and tonal painting from the model. Steve had us focus on small tonal studies, limiting us to only 3 values, light, dark and mid-tone. This was a great visual exercise and a great warm-up to painting. Which we would definitely need heading into day 4.

Day 4  (Saturday, March 27th)

Having built some confidence from tonal painting the day before, I was looking forward to our first day of painting in color. That confidence wouldn’t last because color would prove to be a formidable foe.  Even though color is an incredibly complex subject, Steve was able to break it down quite well. He went to his roots and to his biggest influence, the ‘Tonalist school’ and specifically Rembrandt.

The tonalist, or ‘Brown School’ painters, also known as ‘indoor painting’, limits the palette and relies on draftsmanship (drawing) and tone to turn forms and create impact. This was good news to me, because I could approach the painting as a draftsman.  Bad news because it was still oil painting and mixing color, and my lack of mileage showed. The only thing that saved me today was the core principal of Tonalist painting:

Cool shadows, warm light.

Sounds simple, but could take a lifetime to master. Once Steve broke down how Rembrandt approaches painting shadows, and how to turn shadows into a cool, grey brown, I felt like my eyes had been opened to a world of possibilities. Being a drawing fanatic, this approach resonated with me.  I finally had the tools and workable system to practice and apply in my oil paintings.

Steve’s 25 minute demo of tonalist/’Brown school’ painting. An insight into Rembrandt’s elegant approach. The palette includes: ivory black, titanium white, indian yellow, lemon yellow, cadmium red, aliziron crimson and ultramarine blue.

Huston Live Painting Demo (Saturday evening, March 27th)

LAAFA had booked Steve for a 3 hour painting demo with a live audience. Since the demo was included in the price of the 5 day workshop, our class had front row seats.

Steve in action at the live demo. It was a beautiful space for a demo. There were about 40 in attendance.  I wonder if there will be a dvd release of the footage?

After today’s lecture and painting for 3 hours,  I was exhausted by the time the demo started around 7pm. Having seen Steve paint for 2 days, I had an idea of what to expect. Despite this, it was still a great experience to be in that audience and watch Steve work his magic.

Steve not only painted, but used his charm and humor to put on a show. I got the sense that he enjoyed talking and sharing his ideas more than the painting that night. Being able to articulate  ideas and philoshopy is a gift among artists.  Hearing his 30 years of teaching and practice distilled into refined ideas was invaluable.

The main thing that I took away from tonight’s demo is that it’s not the technique that makes an artist’s figures stand out, it’s their unique idea.  I also learned the value of allowing the painting to emerge, experimenting with techniques and cultivating happy accidents.

Day 5 (Sunday, March 28th)

Final day of the workshop. Despite being exhausted and have my confidence crushed by yesterday’s painting exercises, I didn’t want the workshop to end. I could sense that my classmates felt the same way.  Knowing this was our last day together, everyone brought a lot of energy and was ready to dive into impressionist painting.

Steve characterized Impressionism, or ‘outdoor painting’ by their use of value and color. The impressionist value scale was much brighter than the Rembrandt/tonalist school. Their color palette was also much more complex. There was white, and a cool and warm for each primary. Black was strictly prohibited because it was an outdoor method, and the bright sun tends to wash out (lighten) dark shadows.

After the brief lecture, Steve did a quick demo focusing strictly on color studies. Specifically, how to harmonize colors on the palette, how to pick a color scheme by ‘keying’ off a color and how to add depth and interest using a color’s temperature (cool or warm) and intensity.

I needed a lot of help mixing, so Steve worked with me on mixing and being patient. He demonstrated on my palette his technique of ‘chasing’ to get to the right color and how to subtly mix colors. He continuosly stressed the importance of getting exactly the right color and being disciplined enough to mix until the color was just right.

I spent the majority of the day practicing mixing and observing color’s value and intensity. This day taught me that impressionism, and solid painting in general, is more about patience and discipline then technique. This insight was not just an artistic lesson, but a philosophical lesson that taught me something about myself. Quite fitting considering that’s how Steve approaches art and teaching.

Summary

I can sum up this 5 day workshop into 3 words, everything and more. It was everything I expected, but so much more. The first two days of drawing was exactly what I needed to break me out of a rut and put a spark into my drawings. I finally got to work one on one with my long time hero and learn gesture and structure from the master himself.

The 3 days of painting felt like a rock climb and a boxing match all in one. It was both a tremendous learning experience and a personal challenge that led to tremendous growth and insight.  Having learned Rembrandt’s simple and elegant approach to tone empowered me as a draftsman. Having learned the impressionist approach to color and mixing gave me the tools to observe color and the confidence to experiment with color.

Overall, it was a trememdous experience. I highly recommend Steve Huston as an artist and teacher. I congragulate LAAFA on organizing this event. It was well orgainzied and worth far more than the asking price. The have such a beautiful space that creates the perfect environment to learn and inspire. I also feel blessed to have the classmates that I had that week. We were constantly feeding off each other creating a dynamic and nurturing environment. I look forward to seeing their progress throughout the year.

My only gripe is that it was only 5 days. At the close of Sunday’s class, I didn’t want the experience to end. This could easily have been a 1 -2 year course, but Steve did a masterful job of condensing the information into the time we had.  Much love to Steve and LAAFA for this event. I will see you again in 2011 for the next Huston Workshop.

Myself (in the black shirt) gaining a new appreciation for Monet. Steve (grey hair and huge arms) working with a student on our last day of the workshop. Photo courtesy of LAAFA. See you guys next year!

www.laafa.org

Steve Huston:
Eleanor Ettinger Gallery /  Skotia Gallery

For these next set of Bay Area Figure Drawing workshops, we’re going all the way to San Francisco for 2 open workshops and to Oakland for an all day figure marathon. I’ve organized them by day, but times and day may vary. Please contact the organizers for their current schedule.

MONDAYS

San Francisco @ 23rd Street Studio
3747 23rd Street, San Francisco, CA 94114
http://users.rcn.com/mcm.dnai/
Time: 6:30 – 9:30 pm (also available Monday afternoons, Sunday and Wednesdays)
Fee: $16

Having the day off for President’s day, I was itching to draw. I decided to make 45 mile drive up to San Francisco and draw at 23rd Street Studio, and it was well worth the drive. First, I corresponded with artist and organizer Michael Markowitz and was able to secure a drop-in slot.

The feeling I got upon entering Michael’s studio was a sense of awe and relief. The studio is well lit, well organized and well designed for drawing from the model. Having Michael’s beautiful and expressive figure drawings on the wall makes an inspiring background. The lighting set-up is exquisite and is by far the best lighting and room I have seen in the Bay Area. There was also a lot talent in the room that night which always raises everyone’s drawing level.

Overall I highly recommend Michael’s studio. It was an excellent environment for figure drawing and Michael is a great host. He even served homemade cakes and tea. The night I attended was Monday, but he also offers drop-in workshops on Sunday, Wednesday and Monday evening. Please contact Michael and sign up for his mailing list to get the latest schedule and updates.

The model was incredible, and the stage and lighting were excellent. What a night! 2 minute poses, 2/15/10, charcoal on paper.

5 minute pose, 2/15/10, charcoal on paper.

20 minute head drawing, 2/15/10, charcoal on paper.

SATURDAYS

San Franisco @ SOMArts Cultural Center
934 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
http://blog.somarts.org/post/101240149/figure-drawing
Time: 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM / Fee: $8

Having a free weekend means I’ve got time draw. I decided to spend a day in San Francisco and start my day at SOMArts. This workshop is one of the longest, ongoing workshops in S.F. The drawing room itself is medium size. Tables and horses are available. The only downside is the poor, ambient lighting.

Despite the lighting, I still recommend SOMArts. The group was very welcoming, the drop-in fee is low ($8), and it’s at a perfect time slot to start your day with a figure drawing session.

The lighting was ambient and was brutal to work with. Luckily I was able to squeeze out a few decent drawings. 5 min pose, 3/6/10, charcoal on paper.

20 minute head, 3/6/10, charcoal on paper. The lighting was really tough to work with, but still makes good practice.

SUNDAYS (Occurring Quarterly)

Oakland @ Merritt College
12500 Campus Drive, Art Bldg., Rm. A122, Oakland, CA
http://bayareamodelsguild.org.tripod.com/marathons.html
Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (event occurs quarterly)
Fee: $40 full day, $30 half-day/students/seniors

OK, where do I start? Having taking a year off of life drawing, you would think I would warm up gradually, but that wasn’t the case. I jumped right in to my first 6 hour(!) drawing marathon. This one happened to be the legendary Bay Area Models Guild quarterly marathon.

The room set up for this event is a huge converted warehouse. Which was a good thing because it was filled up with artists, and models on 4 stages. Thats right, 4 stages. One of the reasons why this event is so revered is the set-up of 4 stages, each of which are dedicated to a set time. One stage was 1-2 minute gestures, the second was 5-10 minute poses, the 3rd was 20 minute poses, and the fourth stage had 3 hour long pose. This made for an amazing experience and a visual feast for a ‘figure addict’, and for a lot of drawing variety.

There were a few horses, easels and chairs available. The only lighting was ambient daylight was the only downside. However, the excellence of the models at this event made up for this shortcoming.

Overall, I highly recommend the BAMG marathon and I will definitely plan to be there when it happens next in April.

5 min pose, 2/7/10, charcoal on paper. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Only my 3rd drawing session after taking a break of over 1 year.

2 – 5 min poses, 2/7/10, charcoal on paper. Like I said, lot of variety at the marathon.

2 min. poses, 2/7/10, charcoal on paper. I started my day at the gesture pose stage, but got a little burned out on gestures after a couple of hours. The rust is evident here…bleh.

***

If you are in the San Francisco area and would like to attend one of these workshops, please contact their organizers to confirm time and day. Once again, I would like thank Andrew Cahner of www.artmodelbook.com for his incredible directory of figure drawing workshops.

I’ve recently caught the ‘figure drawing bug’ again, and have been drawing non-stop since early February of this year. Since then, its been a personal mission and obsession to attend as many figure drawing workshops as possible in the San Francisco Bay Area where I currently live. This is a field report of my recent drawing journeys.

These reviews are of the recent workshops I’ve attended, organized by day. There’s also contact info for anyone who wants to draw at their local workshop, and support the Bay Area life drawing community. This report is currently ongoing, so check back for more updates, artwork and reviews.

MONDAYS

Mountain View @ Finn Center
230 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View, CA 94040
http://www.arts4all.org/
Time: 7:00 – 10:00 pm / Fee: $10

I first found this workshop on Febuary 22nd, and I had a blast here. There are horses and tables available. There is ample space and the Finn center is a beautiful location. Best of all is the single source lighting set-up which is ideal for quick sketch and is my personal favorite. So far, the best lighting set-up I have seen in the South Bay/Silicon Valley area.

10 min pose from Mountain View, 3/8/10. Charcoal on paper.

Santa Cruz @ Santa Cruz Art League
526 Broadway, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 426-5787
http://www.scal.org/classroom.php
Time: 7:00 – 10:00 pm / Fee: $16

I attended this workshop on a cold, rainy night, which made through the winding roads of the Santa Cruz Mountains an adventure. The room is quite small. The model stage is surrouned by tables. There were easels available, but no horses (drawing benches). Being Santa Cruz, the vibe was very laid back, which reminded me of San Diego.

The only downsides are the crowded room arrangement and the poor lighting. The $16 drop in fee is quite high in comparison to other open workshops. Overall, it was a good, first time experience in Santa Cruz. I recommend this workshop for those in the South San Jose, or Monterrey County area.

5 min pose from Santa Cruz, 2/8/10. Charcoal on paper.

TUESDAYS

Palo Alto @ Palo Alto Art Center
1313 Newell Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301
website
Time: 7:15 – 9:45 pm / Fee: $5

This was the very first workshop I attended since moving to the Bay Area in 2009. It was also the first time I drew from a model in over a year. Yikes!

This workshop is very well known and the studio fills up quickly. Partly because of the central, Silicon Valley location and the low $5 drop-in fee, which is a great deal.

The room itself is huge, but the massive tables surrounding the stage take up a lot of space. Because the tables are so big, seating gets packed and awkward. There are few horses and easels available for those who prefer to draw on boards. The lighting is ambient, which tends to wash out the shadows.

Despite the downsides, I really enjoy drawing here. It felt good to be drawing with such a large group of artists. If you plan on joining us, take my advice and get here early.This is a regular spot for me, so you’ll definitely see me there.

20 min pose,  2/2/10 (first drawing session in over 1 year). Charcoal on paper.

20 min poses,  2/16/10, charcoal on paper.

WEDNESDAYS

Sunnyvale @ Cogswell Polytechnical
1175 Bordeaux Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94089
http://www.cogswell.edu/
Time: 7:00 – 10:00 pm  / Fee: $5

I first discovered Cogswell’s workshop in mid-March.  This workshop is only the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month. Since it is organized by their animation department, short poses are their forte. 5 minute poses are the longest.

The figure drawing room is quite nice. They have horses, easels and plenty of space. They also have really nice lighting equipment, but it was not used well this night. For a short pose night, it worked out ok. Overall, I recommend Cogswell if you’re in the mood for short poses and gestures.

They love short poses here. 2 min poses, 3/17/10, charcoal on paper.

Lighting was terrible this night, but I was able to squeeze some decent 5’s. 5 min pose, 3/17/10, charcoal on paper.

San Jose @ Alameda Art Works
Studio #11, 1068 The Alameda, San Jose, CA
http://www.thealamedaartworks.com/
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm (time may vary) / Fee: $10
Contact: Deanna, 408-390-5430, deannabeye@earthlink.net

Alameda Art Works was the 2nd workshop I attented in the South Bay Area and I was very happy to find a Wednesday night of drawing. This studio is the home of local artist Deanna. The studio space was quite small and the lighting was ambient. Because of the limited size there was only room for chairs which were provided.

Despite the small size, I really enjoyed drawing here. Deanna was very welcoming and gracious and it was well worth the $10 drop in fee. Please note, that day of the week and room # may vary. If you plan to attend please contact Deanna in advance for more details and updates.

5 and 10 min poses, 2/3/10 (2nd drawing session after 1 year of absence). Charcoal on paper.

THURSDAYS

Campbell @ Stone Griffin Gallery
411 East Campbell Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008
http://www.stonegriffin.com/events.html
Time: 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month, 7:00 – 9:00 pm / Fee: $15

I was first attracted to this workshop because it was very close to my office. Because of the convenience, I was able to bring a fellow Concept Artist from the studio with me on this outing.

The drawing session is held in the gallery itself. There is not much room and there is no stage for the model. Tables and chairs are provided, but it is not an ideal set-up for figure drawing. They did have single source lighting, which was a pleasant surprise and created some nice light and shade. The $15 drop-in fee for 2 hours of drawing is relatively high and the space is quite cramped. Overall, it was an enjoyable night and besides Mountain View, is the only workshop in the south Bay Area that lights the model well.

5 min and 10 min pose, 2/11/10, Charcoal on paper.

20 min head drawing, 2/11/10. Charcoal on paper.

San Jose @ San Jose State University
SJSU, Art Building, Room 312, 1 Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192
http://www.shrunkenheadman.com/
Time: 6:30 – 9:30pm / Fee: $3

I recently discovered this workshop through a new friend made at the workshops, and now I’ve gone 3 weeks in a row since then. The organizers are the SJSU Illustration Club, also known as Shrunken Head Man. They currently run 3 workshops a week, so please visit their website for a complete listing of additional days and times available.

The Art Building is located at the East end of campus near the Student Union Building. Room 312 is huge and there are plenty of horses available. The stage is placed against the wall with track lighting on the model, which tends to wash out the shadows. Despite the lighting conditions, this room is well set-up for drawing from the model.

I had a blast drawing here. I enjoyed the energy of the room and being around the students. Even though there is plenty of space, it’s been filled to over- capacity every week I’ve attended, and it fills up fast so get here early. One of the challenges I discovered was parking and finding the room itself. I recommend street parking within 1 block of campus, or the public pay garage on 7th street. Overall, I highly recommended this workshop which has quickly become a regular spot for me.

5 min pose, 20 min head drawing, 3/4/10. Charcoal on paper.

2 min poses, 2/23/10. Charcoal on paper.

****

Like I said, this is an ongoing report and I have a few reviews to write and a lot more artwork to share.  For further information please contact the workshop organizers/ and or venues.

A very special thanks to www.artmodelbook.com for his incredible and comprehensive national listing of classes, open and instructed workshops. Please visit his site for a well organized and detailed directory listing of life drawing locations in your area.

Pick up a copy at your local newstands. A must have for Trek fans and fans of the Star Trek Online MMO.

For those who missed the issue, here’s a sneak peak below. To order this issue, or other back issues please visit the Imagine FX site.

This tutorial demonstrates a rhythmical and gestural approach to laying in and drawing a head in 3/4 or side view. We will use the major thrusts, or gestures, and basic geometric shapes, like the “pie shape” to capture the head. This tutorial will show you how to add a lot of life, movement and dynamism to your head drawings.

There are 3 demonstrations in the video. The tutorial will take you through the entire head drawing process from start to finish. Topics include gesture drawing, construction and shading.

This approach is inspired by the work and teaching of Steve Huston, with a touch of Reilly Method. The static, text version of this tutorial can be found here:

http://www.freshdesigner.com/how-to-draw-the-head-in-3-quarter-or-side-view/

This tutorial will introduce a more fluid and gestural approach to drawing the head. The focus is on the major gestures, or “thrusts” as Steve Huston refers to them, and their relationships to one another. We’re also want to keep our lay-in simple, by using geometric shapes. The first shape we will use is the “pie”.

Step 1: Using The “Pie” Shape

The geometric shape we will use to capture the head in side or 3/4 view is called the “pie”. The name comes from the resemblance to a pie slice or wedge. We get the pie shape by connecting the major thrusts of the head.

The first major thrust is the frontal plane of the face. To get the frontal plane, simply draw a gesture through the point of the forehead (sometimes will be defined by the edge of the hairline) and the tip of the chin (Fig. 2).

This defines where the features of the face will lie and the general length of the subject’s face.

The next step is to draw a line through the point of the forehead to the back of the cranium (Fig. 3). Often times this point will be hidden because of hair. In this case you will have to rely on intuition to guess or estimate where that point is.

To develop this intution, first observe and then use your minds eye to imaging the subjects cranium. With that line and shape in mind, confidently make your mark. Through study and practice of drawing from life, your judgement and observation will naturally improve.

The final major thrust is drawn through the back of the skull to the tip of the chin (Fig. 4).

As you can see. you’ve created a pie shaped triangle. However, it really has all the essential movement and information that the rest of the drawing can be built upon.

Step 2: Grounding The Head

Having captured the pie shape, draw 2 thrusts for the neck that will anchor our head to the torso (Fig. 5).

The key is observation and good estimation. Use the point of the back of the head as a guide for the back of the neck, and the point of the chin as a guide for the front of the neck. The key is good observation, confident estimation and fluid marks. As you make your marks, always consider their relationships to the whole.

Stpe 3: Laying In The Features

First, I plot the major anatomy such as the brow ridge, bridge of the nose, mouth and mandible (Fig. 6). At this stage, I still want to stay fluid and rely on observation and instincts. I dont want to get too caught up in measurements and structure.

Next, I draw a fluid curves for the jawbone and then follow the rhythm up around to give me the back of the ear. Then, I more accurately fill in the cranium, or shape of the hair, hats, etc. (Fig. 7). Of course, I could also add as much construction as needed to guide me when adding details, light and shade.

Satisfied with the lay-in I can flesh out the features and add light and shade (Fig. 8).

For more info on lighting and shading, check out the head drawing tutorials and videos. For reference, here’s a step by step diagram of this process.

The great thing about this approach is it’s fluid nature. It’s also a good way to quickly establish the tilt of the head. Fig. 9 below is an example of the always tricky up-tilted head. Fig. 10 is a down tilt. The numbers are the stroke order.

Below are 2 step by step diagrams for reference.

A lot of this approach is inspired by the work and teaching of Steve Huston. If you want to study this approach further, there was a recent American Artist article featuring Steve’s drawing approach. If you can’t dig it up, I’ll post a review of that article in the future.

In the meantime, find yourself a live model session and try drawing your 3/4 or side view heads using  the pie shape and major thrusts. It will be great exercise in observation and intuition and really add some dynamic ‘punch’ to your head drawings.  As always, I would love to see your drawings and progress so please comment or drop me a line.