Figure Drawing in Red Pencil.

The 5-Minute pose: Setting Yourself Up for Success in Figure Drawing

Class | Available

2107 Westlake Ave Seattle, WA 98121 United States
First Floor Studio #4
All Levels
4/7/2025-6/9/2025
6:30 PM-9:30 PM PST on Mon
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$567.00
$510.30

The 5-Minute pose: Setting Yourself Up for Success in Figure Drawing

Class | Available

No Class: 5/26/2025 (Memorial Day)

When drawing from life, most of the key decisions are made within the first 5 minutes. How do we start a drawing in a way that captures the original freshness and excitement of the pose? How do we make sure that, as we build on a (hopefully) strong start, we do not lose the driving momentum? How to be clear about what our intentions are, and how to have the drawing be their articulate expression, rather than rambling marks on paper? 

In this 9-week class we will focus on those first 5 key minutes. Drawing from the live model, we will learn a simple and intuitive approach that will allow us to quickly and effectively lay in the figure, capturing the action in front of us before it stiffens into a ""pose"". We will devise strategies to sharpen our decision-making skills and learn how to tell the essential from the inessential. The 5-minute pose can be an art in itself that stands on its own, or it can be the groundwork that will set you up for success in a longer pose. Our goal in this class is to have it be both. We want it to work for us whether we have only 5 minutes, or 50 hours. 

The class will include demonstrations, lectures, drawing from the live model, and plenty of hands-on individual feedback. All levels are welcome.

Topics we will cover include: 
• the general model and the basic lay-in 
• streamlined proportional system 
• the key landmarks of the body 
• gesture, line of action, and how to push the pose 
• streamlined figure construction 
• the rhythms of the body 
• streamlined dynamic anatomy 
• line quality and calligraphic mark-making 
• light logic
• the 2-value system

  • Misc:
    • 18 x 24 inch Drawing Board
    • Kneaded Eraser
    • Hard Eraser
    • Utility Knife or X-Acto knife (for sharpening pencils)
    Paper and Pencils There is no “best” paper or pencil: what matters is the paper + pencil combination. Some pencils go great with certain kinds of paper, but not so much with others. Below are some recommendations.

    Paper (choose one):
    • SMOOTH Newsprint 18” x 24”pad
    • Sketch (bond) paper 18” x 24” pad (Strathmore Sketch pad or Canson XL pads are good choices)
    Pencil (bring a selection):
    • Charcoal Pencils (2B or 4B) – works with either paper choice above (General’s and Ritmos are good brands)
    • Pastel Pencils – also works with either paper choice above (Stabillo Carbothello or Faber-Castell Pitt Pastel are good brands – pick a neutral or earth-color hue; avoid overly saturated, bright, or light colors)
    • Wax-based color pencils – works with Sketch (bond) Paper (Progresso Woodless Colored Pencils, Faber-Castell Polychromos, and Primacolor Premier are good brands – pick a neutral or earth-color hue; avoid overly saturated, bright, or light colors)
Brenno Kenji