Draw with me every Wednesday afternoon in person Spring 2026

Spring Classes 2026

Color Pencil Portraits (in person)

Gage Academy, Seattle WA
9:30-4:30pm March 21-22
All Levels

Learn a painterly approach to drawing the portrait in color. You will learn techniques to quickly find and block-in major shapes and color relationships from the portrait. Limited palettes will help you use color more effectively in your work. Color pencils are a low stakes, approachable way to see the practical principles of color theory at work. You will learn a logical system that will improve your painting and drawing regardless of medium.

A detailed sketch of a tool resembling a hammer with a wooden head wrapped in twine and a long handle.

A sketch of a dumpster on wheels, featuring a closed lid and side handles, rendered in pencil.

Core Drawing: It All Starts Here

Gage Academy, Seattle WA
Tuesday afternoons 1:30-4:30pm starting April 2026
All Levels

This is an introductory class that helps students acquire and develop fundamental drawing skills. The class emphasizes traditional drawing techniques including line, value, composition and linear perspective. Students will work on still life and basic forms from observation and communicate ideas through a variety of black and white media.

A seated, nude figure resting casually on a chair with a dark background, illustrated in soft, muted colors.

Painting the Figure – Color First (in person)

Gage Academy of Art
Wednesdays 6-9pm April-June 2026
All Levels

In the class we will approach the figure through color as the primary structural force. Working in oil with a limited palette, students will explore how temperature shifts and value relationships build form, light, and spatial depth. Through sustained poses and targeted studies, we’ll simplify the body into clear, interlocking color shapes. Emphasis is placed on color mixing, intentional palette control, and developing a strong sense of structure through gestural shape and color.

A colorful portrait sketch of a man with tousled hair, featuring soft, blended pencil strokes and a vibrant background.

Color Pencil Portraits (Online)

Penn Studio School
Fridays, May 8th -June 5th 2026
All Levels

This 5-week course is designed to help students balance “the site taken as seen,” as inspired by Edwin Dickinson and the legacy of color spot painting, with the structural and anatomical demands of capturing a likeness. We will build drawings using color pencils as a means to develop sensitivity to the abstract impact of color shapes and relationships.

Studies in graphite will develop students’ understanding of the structural foundation supporting those shapes. Working primarily in layered washes of color pencil, students will learn to slow down their observations and focus their attention on their work as it is developing. Using master studies, direct and indirect observation, students will practice finding interesting and meaningful abstract compositions of shape and color to describe their subject.

Upcoming Classes Spring and Summer 2026

Pencil sketches of two human faces on blank paper, showcasing facial features and expressions.

Portrait Structure

5 Week Online Class, offered over Zoom and Padlet.

Tentatively scheduled Friday Mornings

October-November 10-1pm

Weekly demo and feedback limited 8 participants, with an uninstructed demo-only option available

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Ongoing Classes and Mentorships

Private Mentoring

(Online) January-June 2026

Single Session

Get feedback on existing work, ideas for further practice or a structured weekly meeting with assignments, feedback and accountability. Private study is a great way to take your work to the next level and address specific issues that are missed in larger classes.

5 Sessions

Past Classes