An 18-hour online course spoken in English via Zoom, about methods and materials for the colored pencils technique applied to natural science illustrations, botanical art etc. There will be demonstrations, questions & answers, discussions, and individual feedback on the students' practice.
A thorough guidebook is available for free download (regardless of enrollment in the course), with extensive discussion and recommendations on materials, as well as many technical tips.
DOWNLOAD THE GUIDEBOOK NOW!
(you will be redirected to Dropbox, into a folder entitled "English translations", where you can download this and other guidebooks in English. Better using a desktop, as it may be hard to find out the pathways to download them to your mobile phone or iPad. Please send me an email in case you're not able to obtain it)
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Please read through the information below and
do not hesitate to email me to ask any further questions
— How, where and when will this course happen?
This is a course in English transmitted via Zoom with live meetings
One edition is appropriate for time zones of the Western Hemisphere of the WORLD (USA, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, as well as part of Europe and Africa, etc.) - on six Saturdays, February 18, 25 and March, 4, 11, 18 and 25, 2023 — from 4 pm to 7:15 pm UTC.
Another edition is appropriate for time zones of the Eastern Hemisphere of the WORLD (Australia, China, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand, Russia, India, Middle East, part of Europe and Africa etc.) - on six Wednesdays, February 22 and March, 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29, 2023 — from 9 am to 12:15 pm UTC.
Obs. - Check what those times mean in your time zone by clicking here. Watch out, Eastern and Western Hemispheres are not related to the East and West of the USA, but to the whole world.
All classes will be recorded and uploaded on YouTube as private videos available to all registrants permanently. Individual guidance and critique of each student's practice are offered via recorded videos.
The time of the Western Hemisphere course means classes start in the morning on the West coast of the USA and Canada, noon on the East coast, and afternoon or evening in Europe and Africa.
The time of the Eastern Hemisphere course means classes start in the morning in Europe and Africa, noon in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, afternoon in India, China, Taiwan, Singapore, and evening in Korea, Japan, Australia etc,
Plus – there is this introductory 3.5-hour demonstration lecture that occurred on October 29, 2022, with thorough discussions and demos about the technique and materials. All students that enrolled in the lecture in 2022 will have the price of the lecture discounted from this full course, whereas students that were not present in the lecture and are enrolling now solely in the course, although paying full price will be provided with free access to the video recording of the lecture on YouTube. The total time of classes (3.5 hours lecture + 18-hour course) adds up to 21.5 hours.
In addition to that, individual critique is offered via the recording of extra video classes with individual advice, thus everyone can make better use of the time of live meetings with explanations, demonstrations, questions & answers, and interaction with other students.
— What is this course about?
There will be discussions on several materials and their quality, techniques to obtain better results, refinement of perception and choice of color, demonstrations, and much more (detailed information on the lecture's content can be found at the foot of this post further below).
— What's the price?
For non-registrants in the 2022 introductory lecture (full price, but with access to the lecture's recording) – USD 288 (Two Hundred and Eighty-Eight American Dollars) – via PayPal. The price can be split into two installments of equal value, USD 144 (without any additional fee).
For registrants in the introductory lecture (price with discount) – USD 244 (Two Hundred and Forty-Four American Dollars) – via PayPal. The price can be split into two installments of equal value, USD 122 (without any additional fee).
For those who prefer to split the payment, the first installment is paid at the moment of registration and the second one by the third day before the course starts (February 15 for the West course, February 19 for the East).
— What if I miss classes, entirely or partially? What if my connection is unstable?
All classes will be entirely recorded and uploaded on YouTube as private videos. Access will be provided to all registrants, whether they are present at the live meetings or not. There is no deadline to watch the videos, as the registrants' access will remain permanently open.
— Are there any prerequisites?
It is very important to have a good understanding of analytical drawing and some ability to perceive and represent light and shade at least in graphite or ink. Should someone not have this kind of background, it is possible to benefit from the course even so, but the individual practice may be impaired by some limitations from the lack of previous knowledge.
— What technological apparatus do I need?
You must have the application Zoom installed (on any device with internet access) and a camera or at least a microphone.
— How can I enroll?
— The email message for registration must contain the following data (except if you are already enrolled in the lecture, in this case just send me a simple email manifesting your intention to enroll in the full course, stating that you signed up for the lecture, and responding only the item 4 below):
1. Your full name
2. The country where you live
3. The email address you use to log in on YouTube (this is to provide you with access to the private video with the recording of the class)
4. Your preference for payment (in full versus split into two installments)
5. Are you enrolling in the Western or the Eastern edition (please double-check above if necessary)
6. Have you enrolled in my demo lecture on colored pencils in October 2022?
7. May I ask you how you have come across this course?
As you receive my PayPal payment request and the process is completed, I will reply confirming your registration and sending your invoice.
Detailed information on this course's content
In the classes, we will:
• Explore the physical aspects of colored pencils in their dry modality (without solvents) and how to obtain the best result.
• Understand the importance of choosing the best paper’s texture for our own individual style and of maintaining our pencils always sharp.
• Learn to work softly and gradually to capture the correct contrast and precise strength of light and shade, and also avoid damaging the paper.
• Examine the use of the colorless blender and discover the advantage of lighter colors overlapping darker ones.
• Comprehend the importance of planning which should be the first and last color in the layering sequence, and how different is the resultant color depending on the order of layering.
• Experiment with a simplified and summarized take on the color theory, through a visual rather than a conceptual understanding of the relationships between colors.
• Approach and represent colors by detecting first their general aspects regarding temperature, vibrance, and position in the color wheel.
• Assess the convenience of using colored or toned papers and understand how they participate in the color building.
• Explore methods to detect, represent and match multiple colors appearing on every subject with all their subtle variations.
