Understanding how to draw different materials is a key step in developing realism and visual storytelling in your work. In this session, students will explore how pencil can be used not just to describe shape, but to communicate surface quality, texture, and material behavior in a believable way.

Through guided studies, we’ll break down how light interacts differently with a variety of surfaces—how it reflects, absorbs, scatters, or distorts depending on the material. Students will learn how small shifts in line work, pressure, and shading technique can completely change the feel of a drawing, transforming the same pencil into wood grain, glass reflections, soft fabric folds, or rough natural textures. The focus is on observation, patience, and learning to translate what you see into intentional mark-making.

Students will practice
• Drawing wood and understanding directional grain and texture flow
• Capturing the reflective and transparent qualities of glass
• Rendering fabric through folds, weight, and soft shadow transitions
• Observing natural surfaces and translating irregular textures into controlled shading
• Adjusting line work and pencil pressure to suggest different materials

Details
• $35 per student (non-members)
• Limited to 8 students for a more personalized experience
• Open to teens (13+) and adults