Paramount Center for the Arts

Experience Level: Beginner, no prior experience needed

Saturday September 26, 9am-3:30pm (one session)

Ages 18+ (Please contact us at dsegerstrom@paramountarts.org if you have a younger student interested in participating)

Join professional artist Suzann Beck, for this class focused on the introductory skills needed for drawing! Ideal for artists who are beginning to draw or intermediate artists who want to reinforce a good foundation for their drawing skills. Students will learn and practice fundamentals including:

• Line and Tone

• Light and Shadow Values

• Techniques for Comparative Measuring

• Developing Good Compositions

Students will learn how to render a drawing from start to finish with still life setups to fit individual skill levels.

MATERIALS, please bring the following:

Notebook and pen/pencil for taking notes

Soft Vine Charcoal

Generals (brand) Charcoal Pencils—Black and white. (A General’s pack that has 3 hardnesses, a white pencil and kneaded eraser is ideal for the workshop.)

Generals (brand) 6B or 8B Graphite Pencil

2 or more sticks of square compressed charcoal.

Kneaded Eraser

Economical Sketching Paper (I recommend Strathmore sketching paper or similar, at least 14” x 18” notepad or similar).

1 or 2 sheets of tinted Strathmore Charcoal paper or similar for your final drawings.

Masking tape or clips to secure your paper.

A drawing board to attach your paper to (small, medium, or large size).

Paper towels for blending charcoal.

Pencil Sharpener.

If possible, a grayscale/value finder to help you identify and duplicate shadow values.

Optional: A couple of simple objects to use in a still life—plain in texture and color.

Optional items, not needed for the workshop but fun to have!

Chamois cloth for lifting/blending charcoal.

Dry erase pad for soft erasing and cleaning up backgrounds (used in mechanical drawings)

A travel sketchbook and .07mm mechanical pencil and leads—used for sketching on the run.

Studio Practices- What to Expect While You Are Creating with Us!

The Paramount Center for the Arts welcomes all people to the Studios with the expectation of inclusion and respect towards all, including yourself, fellow students, instructors, staff and volunteers.

Instructor Prep Time: Please allow your instructor time to prepare your classroom; if you arrive more than 15 minutes earlier than the class start time, please explore one of our onsite exhibition spaces or wait in the Lobby in the Visual Arts Department.

Cleaning: Please help keep the Studios a welcoming space by cleaning up your area before departing the building.

Food and Beverage: The Visual Arts Department offers a Lobby Area for students and instructors to enjoy food and beverages. There is an onsite microwave and refrigerator, along with vending machines. For your safety, we ask that you please do not eat in any of the Studios.

Ceramics Studios: To ensure the appropriate firing temperatures and to protect the kilns, all clay must be purchased through the Paramount Center for the Arts, no outside clay bodies or glazes should be introduced to the Studios. If you have any questions about clay and glazes, please connect with our Ceramics Technician.

Supplies and Materials: For the safety and wellbeing of all visitors to the Paramount, we ask that materials that are used in the studios are the recommended brands and grade, as described in the materials list, or are approved by Paramount Staff.

Open Studio Access: Ceramic Artists are welcome and encouraged to utilize the Studio outside of class. September to May Studio availability is Monday through Wednesday 10am-9pm and Thursday through Saturday 10am-4pm, when classes are not in session. Please check the calendars posted outside the Pottery and Handbuilding Studios to see when studios are open and available for use!  

Weather Closures:  In the event of severe weather, the Visual Arts Department will update the phone messages on the Information Desk (320) 257-3125, announce closures on the Paramount website homepage, and will communicate via email to any students whose class meeting time is impacted by the closure.

Accessibility Statement: The Paramount Center for the Arts welcomes all guests, artists and patrons alike, and affirms our commitment to offering programming and services that are accessible to all. 

The Paramount welcomes comments and suggestions about how we might continue to improve our programs and services for visitors with disabilities and is committed to improve experiences for every patron.

Please contact our Box Office, to offer feedback or make requests: BKing@paramountarts.org  or call  320-257-3127.