Life Drawing for Beginners | Annette Raff

"I sometimes think there is nothing so delightful as drawing” Vincent van Gogh

Join us in a supportive and non-judgmental environment to begin your life drawing experience! 

Professional artist and tutor, Annette Raff has designed this class specifically for beginners or those that have tried untutored life drawing classes and found them to be a daunting experience.  Annette's patient and encouraging teaching style will help you to feel at ease and ensure an enriching experience.     

What will I learn?

Day 1 morning:

With the belief that fear hinders learning, Annette begins her workshops with fundamental   drawing exercises prior to introducing the life model to relax and familiarise students:

• workshop overview and easel set-up
• mark-making practice
• material familiarisation
• hand-eye coordination exercises
• basic human proportioning methods using photographs

Day 1 afternoon:

Introduction of our professional life model:

• measuring techniques to observe proportions
• 'fleshing out' building blocks of the body
• angles, sight lines, shapes, refinement
• describing volume and foreshortening

Day 2 morning:

• revision and consolidation of day 1 learning
• warm-ups - variety of poses and durations with guidance

Day 2 afternoon:

• refining technique and drawing development
• introduction to light and shadow and shading techniques

Who is this course suitable for?

Anyone who would like to learn to draw the human figure.

What do I need to bring?

Kits are available for purchase on the first day of the workshop for $45. To pre-order your kit, please select “Annette Raff Materials Kit” at checkout or you can see the list of required materials below.

• 2-4 sticks of Willow charcoal - a variety of fine, medium and thick
• Graphite Pencil (option of 3B, 4B or 5B_
• Butcher’s paper
• Sanding Pad to refine tips or a small piece of very fine sandpaper
• Sharpening Blade
• Paper Stump for blending (tortillon)
• Chamois Cloth (real leather, not synthetic)
• Kneadable Eraser
• Wet wipes to clean your hands

Optional:

• Compressed charcoal in pencil or stick form
• Tinted charcoal in neutral colours
• Conte A Paris sketching pencil or stick

What is provided?

• Professional life model
• Easels
• Backing boards
• Chairs
• Tea and coffee (please bring your own mug)
• A friendly, supportive and encouraging learning environment
• Connection to the Bienarté art community

About the Tutor

Annette is a professional artist with a Bachelor of Fine Art and Advanced Certificate in Art and Design and is a Fellow of the Royal Qld Art Society. She has taught a variety of mediums in regular classes and workshops for over 26 years.

She is particularly interested in drawing and has developed a unique approach with emphasis on teaching fundamental drawing and observation skills, ensuring students’ ability to see and interpret what they see using graphite pencil and charcoal onto a two-dimensional surface. Her workshops address different learning styles and include practical demonstrations and media application.

Annette encourages her students to explore possibilities, make mistakes and extend on their own unique style while learning in a relaxed, friendly environment.

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