Guide To Figure Drawing at While on Earth

Figure drawing, like most things at While on Earth is meant for anyone and everyone. Even if you have never tried figure drawing before, this is for you!

The event isn't about being good, its about play! It's your chance to unplug and relax for 2 hours. Get into flow state. Get out of your head and fart around with the human form.

Consider it a gift to yourself and your brain.

You don't need to bring anything with you (but you can if you want - bring a friend, bring a drink, the event is byob!) The entry fee will get you a figure drawing kit - paper, willow charcoal and a pencil - which is everything you need! 

On figure drawing nights, the door to the shop will be covered with kraft paper for privacy but come on in between 630 and 7 to get checked in and situated as we'll start promptly at 7pm! 

There's no assigned seating so once you're checked in, settle in wherever you like. We'll have chairs for everyone but not all chairs will have a table. There are some drawing boards you can borrow but your sketchbook has chipboard backing to make drawing in your seat easier. Folks can also sit on the ground or up in the loft if you'd like to draw from a different/interesting perspective.

IMPORTANT RULE: no photos of the model while they are on the stage as the model will be nude.

Charcoal is simple to use - the harder you press, the darker the line. It encourages big sweeping lines which is great when you are experimenting with gesture and form. You can blend and smudge charcoal with your fingers to create shadows and soft shapes. There's no eraser but you can rub out any mistakes or draw over them to create a layered effect. Your hands will get dirty, but that's part of the experience. (There's a sink in the shop and bathrooms down the hall to wash your hands after!)

Feel free to bring any other art supplies you'd like to use as well!

We'll start with some 30 second and 1 minute poses -- these will feel SO fast, they are! They are meant to get your brain warmed up, and your hand moving. Don't worry about capturing specifics of the body, but instead try to capture the motion, or gesture.

photo by Alokan Dipo 

We'll then move to longer poses/sketching sessions with a few 5 minute breaks ending with two 20 minute poses. This will be where you can really get into details! Try to capture the model exactly as you see them. Or pick one part of the body to really focus on. Or zoom out and sketch the whole room! Its up to you. 

At the end of the session feel free to chat with others and check out each others creations. Figure drawing is not about your output so don't worry if you don't like what you did. The benefits are from the act of creating, letting yourself play and experiment, not the end result. Maybe you'll fall in love with the experience and be back for the next one. We sure hope so.

Any other questions? Email us at info@letswhileonearth.com - we want everyone to feel comfortable and have a great time. Let us put you at ease and answer any questions so you can come in feeling confident and have a great time!