This course is also available on:

• Sun., Oct. 17, 10:00 a.m.
• Tues., Oct. 19, 2:30 p.m.

This course, a valuable introduction for beginners, teaches the basic skills needed as a strong foundation for drawing. Working with a variety of materials and techniques, including charcoal and pencils, students explore the rendering of geometric forms, volume, and perspective, with an emphasis on personal gesture marks.

The course covers still-life, architectural interiors and exteriors, and figure drawing. The instructor, working closely with students in class, provides individual guidance, demonstrations, and lectures, and encourages group discussion. A supply list is mailed prior to the first class.

The instructor is Max-Karl Winkler.

8 sessions, 2 1⁄2 hours each

Max-Karl Winkler has been teaching studio art courses since 1968, and began teaching part-time in the Studio Arts Program of The Smithsonian Associates in 1987. Along with teaching, he has worked as an illustrator and graphic designer. His clients have included The Washington Post, National Geographic Traveler magazine, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and various publications of the National Science Teachers Association. His works have been accepted into a number of national and regional juried exhibitions since 2004; they are in the permanent collections of The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Georgetown University, The National Museum of American History, The Smithsonian Institution, and The Library of Congress. More..

James McNeil Whistler had a command of drawing materials, expressiveness of line, and excellent draftmanship. With more than 1,300 of Whistler's works, the Freer Gallery of Art is an excellent resource for students learning to draw. You can also learn more about Whistler and view many of his works in an online exhibition; be sure to click on Timeline: "Show" at the bottom of the page to display individual pieces.