COURSE OFFERINGS MODEL DRAWING 2024-2025

Ilse has been teaching model drawing classes in Maastricht since 2020. Once again several courses are offered. You can improve your drawing skills by following the year program and/or individual workshops.

DEEPENING OBSERVATION & MASTERY OF DRAWING CONCEPTS

Are you a beginning student and wish to improve your drawing skills? Or do you
already have extensive experience with drawing and painting and wish to deepen your
knowledge of classical drawing techniques? You are welcome to participate in our
program.

Just like great masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Raphaël and Michelangelo, we focus
on model drawing. The human body is one of the most complex subjects to master. It
challenges us to study drawing concepts, such as the correct rendering of proportions
and tonality, but it also trains our perception. Therefor the lessons you learn are
universal and can later be applied to other genres, such as landscape or portrait.

In recent years, we have had the opportunity to mentor many students and have seen
inexperienced draughtsman grow into college-level students. This has strengthened our
confidence in our course offerings. So it is with great enthusiasm that we start the new
academic year 2024/2025.

THE PROGRAM

Our program consists of a first year (model drawing) and a second year (portrait
drawing), divided in three courses each. Experience shows that students achieve
significant progress when they follow the program in chronological order. However, if
you wish to attend only a part of the program, this is also possible (with the exception
of the first two portrait courses).

FIRST YEAR: MODEL DRAWING
(On Friday mornings from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.)

PART 1:

Seeing the big shape, learn to draw the human figure better.

Drawing from life can be an overwhelming experience. After all, the human figure
consists of so many elements to take into account! That's why we start with the most
important concept of our model drawing classes: make sure that the big shape works
before you add information, such as facial features, fingers and so on.

Knowledge of the three-dimensional shape of the main volumes is essential during this
process. That’s why we added three sculpture lessons to this course, given by an
experienced Sculpture who just graduated from Figura, the Dutch Academy of
Figurative Sculpture in Amsterdam. She will teach you how to make figure studies in
clay, while focusing on the main volumes of the figure and how they relate.

PART 2:

Lessons from the masters.

In part two of the annual program, we delve into tonal values: light, dark and
everything in between. We work with Still Life objects to learn how to translate values.
Later during the course we will draw the human figure, and apply the lessons learned
to this genre.

In addition to drawing 4 sculpture classes are added, in which we work on a reliëf. This
exercise teaches us more about the three-dimensional aspects of the human form, and
the use of values by analyzing the shapes. Knowledge that will improve our drawing
skills as well.

PART 3:

Open atelier model.

We conclude the program with six lessons in which we work exclusively from life/ the
human figure. This allows us to practice with the knowledge we have acquired.

After this first year, you will find that your drawing skills have improved significantly,
and you will have developed techniques that allow you to draw other subjects as well.

SECOND YEAR: PORTRAIT
(On Friday from 2 pm to 5 p.m.)

For the student who has completed the first year, we offer a specialization, namely: the
portrait. We learn a lot about the structure of the head, and how to draw a convincing
portrait in which we focus on the likeness of our model.

PORTRAIT PART 1.

During the first part of the course we will analyze the structure of the head and the
features.
In addition to the drawing classes, four sculpture classes are scheduled in which we
deepen our understanding of the structure of the head by analyzing the main elements
and their form in space.

PORTRAIT PART 2.

During the second part of the course, model sessions are primarily scheduled so that
we have plenty of time to practice drawing from life.
In addition to the drawing classes, four sculpting classes are scheduled in which we
will work on a self-portrait in clay. Knowledge that proves to be beneficial for our
drawing skills.

PART 3: OPEN STUDIO PORTRAIT

We conclude the program with six lessons in which we work exclusively with a live
model. This allows us to practice with the knowledge we have gained.

WORKSHOPS ON REQUEST

We offer workshops on request, like company outings, or private sessions to further
deepen the knowledge of certain topics.

For more information, or if you want to subscribe, please visit my website:

https://www.ilsenassart.com/nl