The Foundations of Drawing

The Barnes Foundation is hosting a one-day drawing workshop, The Foundations of Drawing, on Wednesday, December 2, from 10 AM to 4 PM. It's an on-site session, so you'll be working right there in the museum rather than in a separate studio. The whole day is built around studying works from the Barnes collection, which means you'll be drawing from the actual art on the walls.

The session covers the core building blocks of drawing: line, proportion, composition, gesture, and shading. It's a good way to get a handle on the basics in a single stretch, and because you're working from the collection, you'll see how those concepts play out in established works. No prior experience is required, so it's open to anyone who wants to pick up a pencil, whether you've never drawn before or you're just looking to get back to the fundamentals.

Leading the day is artist Michael Kowbuz, who brings a lot of teaching experience to the table. He's the co-proprietor of Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio, which he runs with his wife, Tina Rocha. He holds an MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and an MA in community college teaching from Northern Michigan University, and he spent 16 years as the director of continuing education programs at PAFA. Between the MFA and the years spent running continuing education, he knows how to break these concepts down for a mixed group.

Places are limited to 25, so it's a small enough group to get some actual attention throughout the day. The cost is $180, or $162 for members. It runs from 10 AM to 4 PM on Wednesday, December 2, at The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia.