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(This information is for 2009)
Thanks to everyone who attended
A Sense of Drawing: Artists Teaching Artists
* schedule still posted *
* photos! *
on May 15th and 16th, 2009


Open Figure Drawing would like give a special thanks to everyone who helped make this years A Sense of Drawing possible:

The Art Store (Commercial Art Supply), 935 Erie Boulevard East, for donating
  • "Goodie Bags" for the first 50 attendees, each containing:
    Five 8" x 10" sheets of Bristol Drawing Paper,
    3 sticks of compressed charcoal,
    a 3" x 9" sketch book,
    a 3" x 5" clayboard,
    a white charcoal pencil,
    a 2b drawing pencil,
    a woodless graphite pencil,
    and a needed easer,
  • our door prize: $250 worth of art supplies, including:
    PanPastels and soft tools,
    a Derwent Sketching Collection (includes sketching pencils, graphite sticks, pastel pencils, compressed charcoal, and other accessories),
    a Princeton brush set,
    an Ampersand Aquabord,
    a Strathmore charcoal pad 9x12,
    a Strathmore pastel pad 9x12,
    and a Strathmore watercolour pad 6x18,
    all in a Field Portage utility bag!
Acropolis Pizza House, 167 Marshall St. for donating 2 veggie pizzas for lunch;
The Mission (Pan-American cuisine), 304 E. Onondaga St. for donating rice & beens for lunch on Friday, and fresh salsa and chips on Saturday.
King David's Restaurant (Greek & Middle Eastern food), 131 Marshall Street, for donating Greek salad;
Funk'N'Waffles, 727 S. Crouse Ave, in Campus Plaza, for donating 2 $10 meal credits for our raffle prize;
Kind Coffee, 715 W. Fayette St. for providing free Coffee for all participants;
Mardia Warner, for volunteer help on Saturday;
Dave Williams and John Allis from Syracuse University, for providing Audio Visual support;

Our presenters: for sharing their knowledge, time, & dedication to carrying on the tradition of figurative drawing;

and the OFD board members, for their planning, preparation, time, and more.



The schedule is included for anyone who missed this years event & is curious about what was offered.


View Printer Friendly Schedule
Friday, May 15th
8:00 – 9:00 am     Registration
9:00 – 10:00 am
Keynote Presentation
Auditorium
The Qualities of Drawing
Jerome Witkin(brief bio), Considered one of America's most important living figurative artists, Witkin is revered for his penetrating psychological portraits and haunting political narratives. His work can be found in many public collections and he is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. The Monograph Life Lessons: The Art of Jerome Witkin by Sherry Chayet, published by S.U. Press is now in its 2nd printing.
Witkin will talk about how his own drawings have evolved from 1970 to the present. His early figurative drawings were in pen and ink, and they were "timid and precious," Witkin says. "Lately the drawings are kick-them-in-the-teeth unprecious. So you'll see that evolution." Witkin will illustrate his talk with 84 slides of his work in chronological order. While drawing has routinely served Witkin as a rehearsal for painting, he now takes that exercise to greater depths, using colored pencils to explore color schemes, and correcting the work by patching it with fresh paper and drawing anew, instead of using erasers.
10:15 – 11:15 am
Rm. A
Start a Drawing in 30 Seconds   (offered twice)
Iver Johnson, graduate of Syracuse University with a Masters in Art Education. Iver is a Creative Resource Teacher at the Jowonio School and leader and long-time host at Open Figure Drawing.
Johnson will teach participants how to visualize the figure as a series basic forms, and how to capture those forms quickly as the basis for a fully developed drawing.
Suggested materials: Newsprint pad, charcoal, erasers, rag
Rm. B
Drawing & Thinking   (offered twice)
James Ransome (brief bio), graduate of Pratt Institute in New York, illustration professor at Syracuse University, and illustrator of over 50 children's books.
"My philosophy is very simple," says Ransome. "I believe in drawing, strong design, and beautiful colors. At its best a painting should feel handcrafted, but also very simple and fundamental." Ransome will lead participants in a series of drawing and thinking exercises designed to question and stretch artists' routine approach to drawing.
Suggested Materials: 18x24 paper, white masking tape, Sharpie fine point marker
11:30 – 12:30 am
Rm. A
Drawing & Thinking   (offered twice)
James Ransome
Rm. B
Start a Drawing in 30 Seconds   (offered twice)
Iver Johnson
12:30 – 2:00 pm     Lunch
Room A
Uninstructed Figure Drawing
2:00 – 3:30 pm
Rm. A
Portraiture from Photos
Mark Topp (brief bio), graphic artist for the City of Syracuse Parks Department, 1987- 2008, and supervisor of the community murals program, 1994-2008
Topp will present the work of artists who use the camera for figurative studies - specifically portraitists (Daniel Greene) and illustrators of graphic novels (Alex Ross and Richard Piers Rayner). Working with a model, he'll demonstrate lighting and photography techniques and, if time allows, drawing from photographs. Participants are encouraged to bring a digital or film camera and drawing materials.
Suggested materials: 11x17 toned paper, sketchbook
Rm. B
The Figure: Light & Shadow   (offered twice)
Johnny Robinson (brief bio), Assistant Professor, School of Film & Animation, Rochester Institute of Technology
Robinson will show how to use light to define form on the figure. He'll discuss coherent light, such as sunlight, versus soft light, and give an overview of three kinds of shadows: form shadows, cast shadows, and core shadows.
Suggested materials: cigar-sized vine charcoal, square dense charcoal, white dry pastel, medium toned paper
3:45 – 5:15 pm
Rm. A
Drawing Hands & Feet
Mark Topp
Topp will give an overview of effective portrayals of hands and feet by classical masters, focusing on the expressive potential of hands and feet. He'll introduce the basic structures of hands and feet, then lead the class in practical exercises, working from a model and from participants own hands and feet.
Suggested materials: 11x17 toned paper, sketchbook
Rm. B
The Figure: Light & Shadow   (offered twice)
Johnny Robinson

Saturday, May 16th
8:00 – 9:00 am     Registration
9:00 – 10:00 am
Keynote Presentation
Auditorium
Winslow Homer's Empire State: Houghton Farm and Beyond
David Tatham (brief bio), Professor Emeritus, Fine Arts Department, Syracuse University.
Tatham will focus on a crucial turning point in Homer's career when the artist began to achieve stylistic maturity in his work; the years he spent at Houghton Farm in Mountainville, N.Y. The presentation will bring together a number of Homer's watercolors, drawings, wood engravings, oil paintings and ceramic tiles of the period from galleries, private collections and museums across the country. Some of these works of art will be coming to Syracuse's SUArt Galleries this August.
10:15 – 11:15 am
Rm. A
Facial Structure   (offered twice)
Bob Dacey, (brief bio) professor in the illustration program, Syracuse University, and well-established illustrator of children's books
Dacey will introduce basic facial structure, and demonstrate how to plot out the structures, using vertical and horizontal alignments.
Rm. B
Color Portraiture
Mark Topp
Topp will present the color portrait work of his former teacher, Robert Hofmann, a native of Vienna, who practiced professional portraiture in Syracuse. Topp will then give a brief portrait demonstration, working from a model, using toned pastel paper and a limited palette of pastels and pencils (white, red, black, and yellow ochre). During the demonstration, participants are welcome to draw along.
Rm. C
Master Class Part 1: Extended Gesture: Going Beyond the 30-Second Doodle
William Benson (brief bio), of Ithaca, graduate of Cornell University, with a BFA from the Fine Arts Department. Benson is a well-established painter of landscapes and portraits, represented by the Dyson Gallery of Boston, and Portraits Inc., of New York, among other portrait services. More info: www.wmbenson.com
Benson will lead participants in a series extended gesture drawings from a model. The workshop will emphasize the importance of carrying the essential qualities of gesture drawing - freshness and immediacy - through to the finished drawing. Participants in this morning master class have priority enrollment in Benson's afternoon master class.
Suggested materials: 18x24 newsprint, charcoal (stick, vine, compressed) erasers (kneaded and Staedtler Mars plastic), Rag (soft cotton)
Registration for the all day Master Class is limited to 16 participants.
11:30 – 12:30 am
Rm. A
Facial Structure   (offered twice)
Bob Dacey
Rm. B
Visual Thinking Strategies
Marlene Roeder (brief bio), Associate Curator of Education and Public Programs, Everson Museum of Art.
Roeder is an artist and educator who has worked in schools and museums over the last 25 years. She has facilitated large scale professional development initiatives in Visual Thinking Strategies and Stanford University's Complex Instructions. She has spoken nationally and internationally on the importance of community partnerships in the arts.
Optional: bring work to be critiqued
Rm. C
Master Class continued
12:30 – 2:00 pm     Lunch
Room A
Uninstructed Figure Drawing
1:00 – 1:45 pm
Auditorium
History of Charicature   (lunchtime presentation)
Bob Dacey
Dacey will retrace the broad history of how caricature has been used to comment on political and social personalities and issues, from the work of Thomas Nast in the 1880s, to the work of Steve Brodner and other contemporaries.
2:00 – 3:30 pm
Rm. A
Archeology of the Soul   (offered twice)
Michael Sickler (brief bio), associate professor, Studio Arts Department, Syracuse University.
Sickler will team up with an assistant, Carmel Nicoletti, to dig into the notion of figure drawing for a deeper level of content. The presenters will give an overview of work by Nathan Olivera, Alberto Giacometti, and others. They'll then lead the group in drawing from a model, working in charcoal and pencil with lots of erasure and re-working.
Suggested materials: 18x24 pad of paper, any drawing materials
Rm. B
Large Format Drawing   (offered twice)
Donalee Peden-Wesley (brief bio), adjunct professor, Syracuse University, and instructor, Onondaga Community College
Peden-Wesley explores contemporary approaches to drawing. By working large scale, participants will lean how to transform ordinary imagery into something new and original. The workshop will focus on the challenges of using such a format. Participants will gain the knowledge needed to successfully render a drawing in a large scale using still life as subject matter. The exercise will begin with small charcoal/pencil sketches, and work up to a large drawing that can incorporate other media including watercolor washes.
Suggested materials: Rives BFK 30x40 or larger paper (large paper of a lesser quality provided), newsprint pad, charcoal, erasers, rag
Rm. C
Master Class: Part 2: Proportion: Measurement & Correcting By Eye
William Benson
Benson will address proportion: how to achieve effective proportion through a combination of initial measurement and ongoing judgement. Participants will develop an understanding of what works and why. Participants in Benson's morning master class will have priority enrollment in this afternoon class.
Suggested materials: 18x24 newsprint, charcoal (stick, vine, compressed) erasers (kneaded and Staedtler Mars plastic), Rag (soft cotton)
Registration for the all day Master Class is limited to 16 participants.
3:45 – 5:15 pm
Rm. A
Archeology of the Soul   (offered twice)
Michael Sickler
Rm. B
Large Format Drawing   (offered twice)
Donalee Peden-Wesley
Rm. C
Master Class continued
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
 
As part of its mission, OFD Inc. presents special events that promote figure drawing within our community at affordable prices. This conference is open to all interests and abilities. We also offer Wednesday drawing sessions at Syracuse’s Westcott Community Center 7−10pm. You can contact Iver Johnson for more information.

This program is made possible with public funds provided by the New York State Council on the Arts Decentralization Grant Program, a State Agency, and administered through the Cultural Resources Council, a Regional Arts Council.

A Sense of Drawing Photos!
 


Quite a bit going on at ASOD headquarters
Friendly staff helps with registration
Each day starts with a keynote presentation
Jerome Witkin speaking at the keynote
Brief art show with OFD participants' work
Jerome Witkin and fan
Drawing and Thinking with James Ransome
Iver Johnson explaining how to start a drawing quickly
Johnny Robinson demonstrating drawing and squinting
Drawing hands and feet with Mark Topp
David Tatham on Winslow Homer
Facial Structure with Bob Dacey
Color Portraiture with Mark Topp
The Master Class, with Bill Benson, filled up early
Bill Benson helps a student
Visual Thinking Strategies with Marlene Roeder
Carmel Nicoletti did a fantastic job substituting on short notice
Large format drawing with Donalee Peden-Wesley
Donalee Peden-Wesley encourages participants to draw large pictures
Large format drawings
Staff members with their finished large drawings