New Adult Drawing Classes in September and October at the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center

Attention: past, present, and future adult students! I'm planning for Fall classes and am excited that so many of you wish to continue exploring ways to Draw the Moment! It's also WAY cool that a lot of people are interested in taking our beginners Level 1 class. A special thanks to Gretchen, Linda, and Rhea at the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center for helping with scheduling and providing such an awesome facility for our sessions. I look forward to drawing with everyone soon! --Rob



New! Beginners Class (Level 1) at the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center

Explore drawing for enjoyment, work, and school. Draw the Moment is a fun and informative series of 4 adult workshop/classes for beginners, especially those who think they can't draw! Students are encouraged to express their own styles as they build confidence in spontaneous doodling, sketching ideas, and drawing realistically.

•Wednesdays, September 8, 15, 22, 29, 7:00-9:15 p.m.

To register: Click here

New! Advanced Class (Level 3) at the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center

By popular request, I'm combining the previous Level 1 and Level 2 groups (Val, Kirsten, Helen, Sharon, Matt, Michele, Penny, Allison) for an advanced Draw the Moment session. We'll further explore techniques and principles including composition, form, and light and shadow.

• Wednesdays, October 6, 13, 20, 27 7:00-9:15 pm

This session with the Santa Cruz Mountains Sketchers will be a lot of fun! Cost is $100 for members, $125 non-members; $10 material fee

Questions?: email

Attn: Val, Kirsten, Helen, Sharon
I'm offering 2 special classes to help you prepare for Level 3. We all decided that it would be nice to have a couple of lessons to catch up with the Level 2 group. If you're still interested, here are the evenings available at the Art Center: Wednesday, August 25, 7:00-9:15pm. Wednesday, September 1, 7:00-9:15pm. Cost is $50

Please let me know asap if you can join us: email

New Music Video: Exploring Colored Pencils

Adult students at the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center, Ben Lomond, California experiment with the unique blending qualities of Prismacolor pencils. They started with a yellow base color, then built up layer upon layer of blue, red, and yellow resulting in vibrant hues. The music video features Penny, Michele, Allison, and Matt from the SCMAC Sketchers. Turn up the volume on your computer speakers and enjoy!

To view our videos in large HD splendor please visit our YouTube channel.

Online Student Show: Drawings from Fall, 2009 to Spring, 2010

drawings left to right: Miranda, Zach

What a Year! Our Online Student Show features student drawings from six different schools in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. The theme of the show is Drawing from Observation and Imagination. All students have drawings posted!

To check out the wonderful drawings: Click here

Drawing Students Get "Squashed" and Other Learning Adventures

Salinas Sketchers and Rancho Cielo Sketchers Get Squashed!
Students launched into drawing from life as they drew squash and other 3D objects. Some REALLY fine study sketches emerged out of the session.
To view Rancho Cielo Sketchers: Click here
To view Salinas Sketchers: Click here

Exploring 3D
Adult beginners at the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center learn about roundness and perspective drawing. Check it out: Click here

Lots of Drawing Happening in Monterey!
Students at Monterey Community Day School learned about positive and negative space, form, and proportions.
To view Monterey Community Day Sketchers: Click here

Online Exhibit: Getting Surreal & Absolutely Abstract

This ongoing exhibit features the highly imaginative work of students from Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. After studying the art styles of abstract artists (Kandinsky and Mondrian), the Surrealists (Miro and Dali), and the Cubists (Picasso and Braque) these students cut loose with compositions of their own. If you drew an abstract, it's posted! To view exhibit: Click here

Drawing by Darrian, Success Academy

Getting Sketchy at the Art Center

Adult students at the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center learn the value of study sketches, positive and negative space, and proportions.

Check out their stellar drawings: Click here

Exhibit Your Best Work: Online Student Show, 2010

Attention all sketchers, show your best drawings! Enter your work in our Online Student Show, opening May 20, 2010. Your drawings will be featured with students from other schools in the Drawing League Gallery. Choose 2 of your favorites, either from your lesson drawings or work you've created during your own time at school. One drawing is to be from observation (drawing things you're looking at) and the second drawing is to be from your imagination. For Details: Click here

Sketcher Spotlight: Juan Arroyo

"Drawing is important for me because I love to draw what I have inside of me and what I imagine."
Read about Rancho Cielo sketcher Juan Arroyo and view his amazing drawings: Click here

Sketching Like Van Gogh

Drawing of Vincent Van Gogh's artwork by Miranda, Highlands School

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890), one of history’s most important artists, taught himself how to sketch quickly. I always encourage my students to use Van Gogh’s energetic line work and ’sketchiness’ in their pencil strokes. We all know about trying to draw careful, ‘perfect’ lines. But for the brave students who take on the challenge of drawing from Van Gogh’s rapid sketching technique, the experience can transform their skills and move them to an exciting new level. –Rob

Visit our online gallery to view sketches by students and teachers (they like drawing too!) from different schools who cut loose and got sketchy with Van Gogh. Is your Van Gogh in the gallery?: Click here