Outdoor Nature Drawing – Spring

Outdoor Nature Drawing – Spring

Register for class

Explore the outdoors! Join us for a chance to observe and draw outside on the UC Berkeley campus. This workshop will allow students of all abilities to develop their drawing skills, exploring and deepening their experience with materials and drawing the natural environment. Drawing warm-ups and technical strategies will be introduced.

 

Required Materials List:

• 1 Sketchbook (mixed-media paper recommended)
•  1 Graphite Pencil, H or 2H
• 1 Pencil Sharpener
•  1 Quality Eraser (White Vinyl/Plastic, such as Staedtler Mars, or Kneaded Eraser)
• 1 Fine Black Drawing Pen (such as Micron)
• 1 Roll Artist/Drafting/Masking Tape

Choose one (or more!) of the additional media below, along with the required supplies.

• Graphite Drawing Pencils Set (with a good range of H and B pencils)
  •  Recommended brands: Staedtler, Derwent

•  India Ink, Sumi Ink, or Other Liquid Ink
  • Related supplies: cup/jar for water, a few bamboo brushes or watercolor brushes (different shapes/sizes), a basic calligraphy dip pen, a few clean cloth rags

• Colored Pencils
  • Recommended brands: Faber-Castell, Prismacolor, Derwent

• Watercolor Pencils
  • Recommended brands: Derwent, Caran d’Ache
    Related supplies: cup/jar for water, a few watercolor brushes (different shapes/sizes), few clean cloth rags

• Pastels
  • So many options! (Check with store clerk for recommendations on good starter sets.) Choose from Soft Pastels,  Hard Pastels, Oil Pastels, or Pastel Pencils
    • Related supplies:Blending Stumps, Small Cloth Rag

• Watercolor and/or Gouache Paints
  • So many options! (Check with store clerk for recommendations on good starter sets.)
    • Related supplies: cup/jar for water, palette or other mixing surface (small tray or plate), a few watercolor brushes (different shapes/sizes), a few clean cloth rags

Feel free to bring in other drawing-related materials you are interested in exploring! If you are new to drawing/painting, I suggest choosing something you are somewhat familiar with. I also encourage everyone to keep things simple by choosing only a few materials, unless you have a lot of experience. There is so much one can do with a just a simple set of colored pencils or some graphite pencils and plain black India ink or watercolor. You can always purchase more items as we go, but you shouldn’t feel pressured to spend a lot on materials.
See if you already have some of the things listed below! We will be focused on different observational strategies, so less really may be more! Final note: When selecting materials, please avoid solvents (such as mineral spirits) or other fume-producing materials (such as Sharpies or Prismacolor illustration markers).