Pamela Dunn - Click to enlarge
Pamela Dunn - Click to enlarge




Now you can learn to draw like the masters online
It's as easy as 1 – 2 – 3*


1. Read all the following detailed information about this special online course.
2. Enroll online as a student
3. Pay-as-you-go with easy online payments

* especially suited for those living in remote communities with limited or no access to drawing courses or studio instruction in life drawing

Note: the Drawing Course is available in English only.

The Canadian Academy of Drawing is an online educational arts initiative of the Drawing Society of Canada

Copyright © 2004, 2007, Drawing Society of Canada

1. Read all the following information about this special online course.

There is a lot to read, but once you understand how this course was created with you in mind, you will appreciate the time we've taken to ensure it is the best way to help you learn to draw. So get yourself a coffee or a tea, sit back and read carefully.

This is what you will be reading about….

The Introduction
What makes this course so unique in art education?
About the course itself
Course details

“So, what's wrong with copying?”

Course qualifications and entry requirements

What is online critique?

How much does the course cost?
How to register as a student for online critique?
Questions?

Introduction: Draw like the masters

Now you can begin to learn to draw like the masters or enrich your experience by studying classical drawing online. This course was first written and compiled in 2004, by Canadian drawing master Gerrit Verstraete, founder of the Drawing Society of Canada . In 2007, he rewrote the course having been granted permission to make the entire course available online without the purchase of any ( previously required ) book or other reference material. In addition, Gerrit Verstraete has added valuable information about the fine art of drawing the human figure from life, based on some of his earliest working drawings dating back to the late nineteen sixties and early seventies. The Drawing Society of Canada is very pleased to announce this drawing course as a Canadian first in home and studio education with a specific focus on learning to draw in the classical figurative tradition. What makes this initiative of the Drawing Society of Canada unique is the availability of online critique for everyone who studies the “Drawing Course.” Now you can learn to draw at home in the classical tradition and receive critique of your work throughout the course.

If you have ever wondered about those creative feelings you had about becoming an artist and you had a curiosity and desire to learn to draw, and you were motivated by the excellence of great masters of yesterday and today, read on. If you have asked yourself, “can I really learn to draw like that?” then it is important to read the following pages carefully, because you can learn to draw like that.

What makes this course so unique in art education?

1. The course is available with online critique only from the Canadian Academy of Drawing . The Canadian Academy of Drawing is an educational initiative of the Drawing Society of Canada .

2. The course is a Canadian “first” in home and studio art education with a specific focus on learning to draw like the masters in a classical figurative style.

3. The course is suitable for all artists ( recommended minimum age 18 ) at every level of drawing experience from beginner to advanced.

4. The course was first introduced in 2004, and has now been rewritten and expanded to offer artists a comprehensive online study course and a valuable resource for drawing the human figure.

5 . The course is especially suited for those living in remote communities with limited or no access to drawing courses or studio instruction in life drawing

About the course

  The “Drawing Course” is especially suited for home study use, but can be used in the studio as well as in the classroom. Whether you live in remote communities where there is no access to classical studies, and drawing from the live model is not available, or you live in major urban areas yet you are unable to access instruction because of time and/or career constraints, now you can learn to draw like the masters and receive valuable feedback about how you are doing as you progress through the course. The “Drawing Course” is without question one of the most valuable ways to study art wherever you live, In Canada , the USA , or abroad.

The “Drawing Course” is about drawing the human figure in the time-honored traditions of great masters and art academies of the nineteenth century. Realistic academy drawing is experiencing a unprecedented revival in Europe and North America . Anyone studying and practicing these classical methods will benefit not only from improving their fine art of drawing, but also in gaining a greater appreciation of drawing's unique position as the “fountainhead of all creativity,” according to Michelangelo.

“Had such a course been available to me as a young man and budding artist in the early sixties in my home town of Wallaceburg , Ontario , it would have prepared me infinitely better for my studies at art college,” says Gerrit Verstraete, founder of the Drawing Society of Canada . “If you live in a remote or small community anywhere in Canada , or elsewhere around the world, where there is no access to classical art training, then stop dreaming and start drawing. Who knows what budding artists are ready to discover they can learn to draw in the classical tradition in their own home, or even start a classical drawing group right in their community.”

Needless to say, the classical tradition is founded on the principle of observation from life. By carefully observing the human form and adding to that a solid foundation of anatomical and topographical information, the artist is able to experience drawing the human form in that grand manner of drawing while observing the nude and draped model. The Drawing Course is not a substitute for “life drawing.” It is a valuable tool to help students learn to draw, when “life drawing” is not available. Nevertheless, students can put The Drawing Course to practice by taking the skills and techniques learned through the course and draw people outdoors, in coffee shops, or anywhere. Gerrit Verstraete, designed of The Drawing Course, still spends every Monday morning in a local coffee shop, drawing his “coffee shop people” from simply observing real people in real time.

Course Details

The Drawing Course has been designed in three parts , totaling 100 fine art drawing plates, based on the renowned Drawing Course by Charles Bargue , first published in Paris in 1860.

You learn to draw by copying the plates

1. Drawing after Casts – 50 plates
2. Copying Master Drawings
– 20 plates
3. Classical Poses
– 30 plates

“So, what's wrong with copying?”

Nothing! This online drawing course is based on the value of copying masters, a tradition that dates back hundreds of years and practiced by the very masters themselves. The tradition of copying was built on a great respect for the level of commitment by artists to develop their artistic skills to the levels of excellence of the masters. Quality art education must fully embrace disciplines of copying as a demonstration of respect for the masters in whose footsteps artists choose to walk. The historical reason why great masters keep on inspiring and motivating artists for generations to come is the respect new artists have for the masters of yesteryear. This respect is rooted in the belief that each master in their own way develops artistic skills to such a level of excellence, it makes their creative voices worth listening to. Their voices remain as contemporary as if they were first spoken just days ago.

Course qualifications and entry requirements

There are only five qualifications required to take the “Drawing Course.”

1. a passion to learn how to draw in the classical tradition.
2.
a mature attitude of respect for the nude male and female form.
3.
a commitment to studying valuable drawing traditions over a long period of time.
4.
an acceptance of a minimum age being those students who enroll to take the course must be 18 years or older.
5.
a minimum requirement for levels of drawing skill. Even though previous experience in drawing, especially drawing the human form, is not a requirement, we recommend this course be understood at the approximate entrance level of art colleges or senior level art courses in high school. Therefore any other previous experience in drawing will always be helpful.

What is online critique?

Online critique is a constructive evaluation of your drawings to encourage you to continue and instruct and correct you along the way. This critique is made available to registered students of the Canadian Academy of Drawing and the Drawing Society of Canada , at the beginning and conclusion of each of the three parts in the course.

It is important to remember that the course is a comprehensive one and must not be rushed . It may take weeks to make a satisfactory copy of one of the plates and there are 100 plates selected for this course. Students in the academies took years to study the course and the rest of their lives to perfect their drawing. There is therefore no need to hurry. Above all, enjoy the satisfaction of learning to draw like the masters.

Drawings must be submitted as jpeg file attachments to an email. Critique will be in the form of specific commentary about drawings submitted. All critique will be confidential and given in the form of a reply email to the student. Critiques of drawings will be done at the beginning and completion of each of the three parts of the course.

In good faith, and to demonstrate how critique works, we will critique the first two drawings as you complete them. After that, and for all three parts of the course, critique will be as follows:

1. Drawing after Casts – 50 plates
critique:
critique based on a selection of 10 drawings when “drawing after casts” has been completed.

2. Copying Master Drawings
– 20 plates
critique:
critique based on a selection of 5 drawings when “copying master drawings” has been completed

3. Classical Poses
– 30 plates
critique: based on a selection of 10 drawings when “classical poses” has been completed

ACAD Certification

A “Certificate of Completion” will be issued by the Drawing Society of Canada to those who have completed the “Drawing Course” and who have registered with the Canadian Academy of Drawing and who have received critique of their work.

Graduation: upon successful completion of a minimum of 80 drawings of the total 100 plates in the drawing course, students receive ACAD Certification. This entitles the graduate to be an “Associate of the Canadian Academy of Drawing ” ( ACAD ). Graduates may use the initials ACAD behind their name, if they so wish. ACAD is not an accredited academic degree.

How much does the course cost?

All funds are in Canadian Dollars

1. Student Registration ( non-refundable ) for online “Drawing Course” is $50.

2. Critique is $10 per your drawing, as you complete them. In other words, you “pay-as-you-go.”

Note: Payments cover administrative and online critique costs. Payment does not mean students purchase plates to be copied, nor purchase any right to reproduce the original plates in any fashion, print or electronic. All plates remain under copyright protection of the publishers.

2. Enroll online as a student

How to register as a student for online critique

It's easy to register online as a student for the drawing course.

Simple send us an email at



including the following:

1. your name ( mr . miss, ms, mrs )

2. your postal address

3. your email address

4. your age

5. your claim to be 18 years or older.

6. a brief description of your artistic journey and artistic goals.

7. Online payment of student registration fee of $50. using convenient online PayPal * services

* If PayPal services are not available to you or unfamiliar to you, you can also pay by certified bank draft or money order. Send to: Drawing Society of Canada , P.O.Box 24 , Gabriola Island , BC , Canada V0R 1X0

Here's how it works…..

1. All payments by convenient Paypal services payable in Canadian Dollars or US Dollars ( at par ) to the business account of the Drawing Society of Canada and its email address drawingsocietyofcanada@shaw.ca

2. When you register and pay $ 50 ( using convenient online PayPal ) we will send you your first plate via email. You take your time and copy the plate and then send us an email with your drawing and payment of $10 ( non-refundable ) for the next drawing.

3. Then we will send you the second plate.

4. When you have completed your second drawing you send us an email with your drawing and payment of $10 for the next drawing

5. We will send you the third plate along with critique of your first two, as promised.

6. This simple “pay-as-you-go” process repeats itself throughout the entire course.

7. We will keep a detailed file on your progress.

8. We will encourage you to go slow and practice your drawing carefully.

Note: you can take as long as you want based on your time and budget limits.

( for example: if you spread the whole course – 100 drawings – over 2 years, that means one drawing per week - the cost ends up being just over $41 per month. Spread the course over 3 years and it's only about $27 per month. )

There is no obligation to finish the course. You can chose to stop anytime, should time or budget not allow you to continue. Then you can always “pick it up” again later if you wish.

3. Pay-as-you-go with easy online payment

What's the next step?

1. Register as an online student for $50. ( in Canadian dollars please ).

2. We'll send you by email the first drawing to be copied with the instructions for beginning to draw.

3. Send us your drawing. When you have completed a drawing, send it to us as a jpeg attachment to an email along with $10 payment for your next drawing. Use only our special academy email address at drawingsocietystudent@shaw.ca

It's as easy as 1 - 2 - 3

Questions?

If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact us at the Drawing Society of Canada .

Mail: P.O.Box 24 , Gabriola Island , British Columbia , Canada , V0R 1X0

Email: drawingsocietyofcanada@shaw.ca

Master/Student Blog: http://canadianacademyofdrawing.blogspot.com

Disclaimer: The term “online” is used in association with “Drawing Course” for the purpose of arts education only. The book “Drawing Course” by Charles Bargue , is available to anyone as a direct purchase from the Dahesh Museum of Art in New York ( if available ) and without any obligation whatsoever to the Drawing Society of Canada. The society's offer of online critique and registration is a fee-for-service program completely independent from any purchase made by anyone from the Dahesh Museum of Art, nor is the Drawing Society of Canada in any way responsible for any personal agreement of purchase or any other transaction between the individual artist and the museum. The Drawing Society of Canada is not an agent or distributor for the course, or the book titled: “Drawing Course” by Charles Bargue . The “online drawing course” of the Drawing Society of Canada is a value-added educational service based on a selection of plates from the book titled: “Drawing Course” by Charles Bargue and a unique Canadian initiative by the society in its overall aim to promote, preserve and teach fine art drawing traditions in Canada and abroad. All plates from the book are copyright protected by the publishers and used by the Drawing Society of Canada with permission from the Dahesh Musem of Art. Plates and/or jpeg files are not to be copied, sold or used for any wholesale or retail purposes. The Drawing Society of Canada's use of the plates is strictly for educational purposes only.

Copyright Note: Two main resources comprise the content of the Canadian Academy of Drawing Course in fine art drawing. 1. The book “Drawing Course,” by Charles Bargue - with the collaboration of Jean- Léon Gérôme ,“ by Gerald M.Ackerman , © Worldwide 2003, by ACR Edition Internationale , 20ter, rue de Bezons – F 92400 Courbevoie ( Paris ) France,   with copyright © photos of the plates – Musée Goupil of Bordeaux, France. The “Drawing Course,” by Charles Bargue was first published in Paris in 1860. A selection of plates are used for educational purposes by the Canadian Academy of Drawing and the Drawing Society of Canada with permission from the Dahesh Museum of Art , New York .

2. copyright © 2006, The Gerrit Verstraete Archives. Based on some of the artist's earliest working drawings dating back to the late nineteen sixties and early seventies, with accompanying notes.

**Download in PDF format**




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