Rain, Rain, Come and Stay! Drawing Rain, Weather, and Dew
Lafayette Library and Learning Center 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. , Lafayette, CA, United StatesTo help call in the rain to drought stricken California, we offer a special workshop on drawing weather. Learn how to suggest a downpour in graphite pencil and watercolor. We will also draw fog, snow fields, and a blizzard. After the storm clears we will learn how to draw raindrops or dew on plants and Read More
The Five Principles of Better Drawing
Lafayette Library and Learning Center 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. , Lafayette, CA, United StatesYou can learn to draw. Representative drawing is a skill, not a gift. There are five principles that I wish I knew when I started. Practicing these with exercises, and keeping them in mind as you sketch or paint will improve the accuracy, speed, and clarity of your work. Learn how to modify and adapt these techniques for any Read More
Sketching with Ballpoint Pens
Lafayette Library and Learning Center 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. , Lafayette, CA, United Statesn a recent trip to Rwanda, I realized that I would fill my sketchbook long before returning home. I usually sketch with soft pencil and leave the opposite page blank so that facing pages will not smear each other. To conserve paper, I gave up the pencil and started sketching with a ballpoint pen. Within Read More
Composition
Lafayette Library and Learning Center 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. , Lafayette, CA, United StatesA strong composition is the backbone of a successful drawing. In addition, creative composition will open alternative ways of seeing a subject and give you new and exciting avenues to explore in your art. Composition is not hard to master and with a few basic principles under your belt you will see a dramatic improvement in Read More
The next step: Making your nature drawings come alive
Lafayette Library and Learning Center 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. , Lafayette, CA, United StatesThis workshop will be taught by the wonderful nature journaler and teacher Laurie Wigham. You’ve been working hard to make sense of the underlying structures: why a bird’s leg seems to bend backward in the middle or how to get the proportions right when you foreshorten those flower petals. It’s time to set aside all the careful measuring and Read More
A Rainbow of Colors from Three Primaries
Lafayette Library and Learning Center 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. , Lafayette, CA, United Statesou do not need a palette of a million colors if you understand the way colors mix. There is a lot of misinformation and dogma that confuses people when they try to mix colors. If you have ever accidentally mixed dull or muddy colors, it is not you. Learn how to create a rainbow of Read More
How to Draw Wildflowers-Part II
Lafayette Library and Learning Center 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. , Lafayette, CA, United StatesEnjoy the beauty of spring wildflowers. Drawing them will help you get to know them better and will help you see aspects of your favorite wildflowers that you have never noticed before. This workshop will teach you: How to draw tight clusters of white flowers (yarrow etc). How to draw curling and twisted petals and Read More
Thinking like a Naturalist: Reclaiming the Art of Natural History
Lafayette Library and Learning Center 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. , Lafayette, CA, United StatesLearn how to get more out of every nature ramble. Developments in neuropsychology have opened doors in our understanding of the brain and cognition and how you can train yourself to see more and to be more curious about what you discover. Naturalist and illustrator John Muir Laws will demonstrate simple and fun techniques you Read More
How to Draw Wildflowers-Part I
Lafayette Library and Learning Center 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. , Lafayette, CA, United StatesEnjoy the beauty of spring wildflowers. Drawing them will help you get to know them better and will help you see aspects of your favorite wildflowers that you have never noticed before. This introductory workshop will teach you: How to understand basic flower structure. How to capture the symmetry of wildflowers with simple lines. How Read More
Nature Journaling 101
Lafayette Library and Learning Center 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. , Lafayette, CA, United StatesSo you want to keep a nature journal or bump your current practice to a higher orbit. This workshop will help you see the possibilities of what a journal can be and how to move from new years resolutions to a life changing habit. If you already have a journal kit, bring it along plus any personal favorite Read More