Euclid Art Association Holds a Portrait Workshop with Artist Dottie Geisert
On Saturday, October 28, 2017, Euclid Art held a “Development of the Portrait in Black and White” workshop by local, award winning artist and member, Dottie Geisert. It may have been a rainy and dreary Saturday and everyone came bundled up, but once inside the Gallery (on the 2nd floor of the Euclid History Museum), things warmed up quickly. There was lots of coffee and tea flowing. Brownies, pumpkin roll, and veggies with dip kept the 17 participating artists fueled and warm.
Dottie opened the workshop with an hour of instruction, going over her procedure for developing a portrait. Her students watched as she demonstrated, by drawing, Kristin, the “live” model. Throughout, Dottie gave her students several things to think about, and tips on how to approach the drawing of a “live” model. The mantra for the day became, “wherever there is a quick change in surface, there is a light”. Another tip from Dottie - “look for shapes in the face, not actual features.” After Dottie explained the several types of charcoal and when to use them, it was time for her students to start drawing!
Initially the model posed for 20 minutes while everyone did their best to draw her. Some students even took photos of the model with their phones and iPads in order to help with drawing the details. Dottie walked around to each student to give them the personal attention they needed to improve their drawings.
In the afternoon, Dottie provided additional instructions concerning values, where the light source is coming from, and how it will affect the portrait. She used her pastel drawing of an old woman to make several important points. There were many 20 and 40-minute poses throughout the day, giving the artists opportunities to draw the model from various poses. It was amazing how still Kristin sat for each pose. As the day progressed, student confidence grew and the drawings reflected it. Dottie was thrilled with their progress. The students enjoyed the workshop so much that they asked Dottie how soon she would have another one!
Euclid Art Members
Euclid Art Association purpose is to stimulate an interest in the visual arts among our members and to provide a focus on the fine arts for the community.