Discover the Best Life Drawing Classes in Chicago
Life drawing is a fundamental skill for artists who work in any genre. It provides a solid foundation for understanding the human form, developing technical skills, and expressing your unique artistic vision. Also known as figure drawing or nude drawing, it involves drawing the human form from live observation. Life drawing helps you learn to simplify your subject to the essential details and become more strategic about how you depict your subject.
In life drawing sessions, artists draw a live model who poses in various positions. Renderings can range from highly detailed studies to loose and expressive sketches. They may even be gesture drawings, which quickly capture form, action, and pose with minimal strokes. From the richly detailed depictions of classical Greek and Roman art to the new styles and interpretations of modern artists, life drawing has helped artists refine their skills and express their ideas.
Why You Should Learn Life Drawing in Chicago
Chicago has a thriving art scene with renowned art institutions, galleries, public art, festivals, and artists. The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the oldest museums in the country and houses masterworks from various periods and cultures. The architecturally distinct Chicago Cultural Center, with its striking Tiffany stained-glass dome, is a hub for arts in the city and offers exhibits, performances, films, and artist lectures. Chicago gallery districts like West Loop Gallery District and River North Gallery District attract art enthusiasts, collectors, and the city’s estimated 63,000 artists. There is a wealth of public art in Chicago; the downtown core alone features more than 100 sculptures, mosaics, and paintings. Chicago ranks among the top 20 large communities on the Arts Vibrancy Index developed by Southern Methodist University’s National Center for Arts Research.
Whether you are an aspiring professional artist or a dedicated hobbyist, practicing life drawing will improve your artistic skills and creative expression. It provides a new and novel activity for the creative side of your brain and refreshes your ability to truly see your subject. Plus, you’ll enjoy time spent with people who share your love for art.
If you want to pursue a career in art, create a portfolio to show off your work and network with people in your classes, professionals in the field, social media, and industry shows and events. Many artists pursue their work as a side hustle, selling artwork online or at festivals and galleries. The median annual wage for fine artists is $50,000.
In-Person Life Drawing Classes & Schools in Chicago
Introduction to Figure Drawing at Evanston Art Center in Evanston, Illinois is an intermediate-level class for both people who are new to figure drawing and those with experience. Each week you’ll complete a series of quick gesture drawings to prepare for longer poses that incorporate more detail. This class covers many ways to work with charcoal as your primary drawing medium and experiment with ink wash as well. You’ll gain an understanding of composition, contrast, and line quality in your drawings.
In Methods for Successful Drawing at Evanston Art Center in Evanston, Illinois, you’ll learn the keys to composition and eye-catching value patterns. Using a variety of drawing materials and techniques, this class covers foundational skills and creative approaches to drawing the still life. You’ll practice drawing in charcoal, graphite, and micro pens.
Pen & Ink & Watercolor uses still life exhibits and reference materials to create drawings and paintings. You’ll work in a variety of pens, watercolors, and inks, using a range of brushes and papers. Evanston Art Center is a non-profit visual arts organization that offers education, outreach, and exhibitions.
Virtual Life Drawing Classes & Schools
In-person life drawing classes build your drawing skills quickly, with real-time instruction from a professional artist and access to live models. You’ll get to know other aspiring artists and build connections in your local art community.
If there are no life drawing classes in your area, hone your skills in virtual classes with personalized instruction from expert teachers. You can choose courses with professional artists no matter where you live, without leaving your home. You may need to provide your own materials from a supply list provided by your teacher. Take a look at some of the online life drawing classes you can choose from at CourseHorse.
Figure and Nature Drawing/Painting by Evanston Art Center will improve your drawing techniques through lectures, warm-up drawings, and longer finished poses. You’ll master techniques like gesture and organizational line, contour line, shape-plane-volume-modeling, value, foreshortening, and anatomical studies. You’ll have the opportunity to work from a clothes model and receive critiques on your work. You can work in either drawing or painting mediums.
Figure and Portrait Drawing Combined at 92nd Street Y dives into the study of anatomy and will teach you how to render realistic figures and portraits. Using graphite, charcoal, or your other favorite drawing medium, you’ll create lively drawings that hone your skills in the proportions of the human body.
In Portrait Drawing: Black and White to Color with 92nd Street Y you’ll work with live models to develop expressive and dimensional drawings. Begin in graphite and move to colored pencils while you practice creating expressive drawings and honing your skills in depicting the proportions of the human face.
Private Group Life Drawing Classes in Chicago
Do you want to schedule a fun life drawing class as a team-building event for your business or organization? How about a drawing night for a group of friends? Coursehorse has life drawing classes for private groups in Chicago that they can deliver to you, wherever you are.
In Virtual Group Drawing & Sketching Class you’ll complete a graphite still life drawing. Your group will learn how to use hatching and cross-hatching techniques to build value and create depth in your drawing. You’ll practice using basic shapes to build objects and learn the tricks of using dynamic composition to make a beautiful drawing. Customize your artistic experience by choosing from still life, landscapes, botanicals, faces, or another drawing style you like. All you need for this class is a graphite pencil and your preferred drawing paper. For a $150 fee, you can customize your course by adding a game or a second event with all materials included. This class can accommodate up to 255 people.
If Coursehorse doesn’t have the drawing class you are looking for right now, they can create one just for you. It’s simple to book a class with CourseHorse. Click on the “Contact Us” button on the website to start your booking. Estimate the number of people in your group and submit the minimum deposit amount. There are no booking fees or extra charges, and you’ll receive a confirmation within 24 hours.
CourseHorse recommends joining your class on Zoom, but they can accommodate Google Meets, Microsoft Teams, and WebEx. If you’d like an in-person activity, some courses can even come right to your office or home.
