Drawing, like riding a bicycle, is a skill that never wanes. However, if you want to brush up on your hand and eye coordination, little is as effective as repeatedly drawing the figure from a live model. Luckily, New York City offers a wonderful selection of quality workshops, drop-in sessions, and other more social events that each offer their own version of that timeless method of artistic self-discovery. Sharpen those pencils and let's go.
The
Art Students League (215 W. 57th St.) is among New York's
oldest and most widely respected institutions, having had many a famous artist grace its halls including Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollack, and Louise Bourgeois. Situated in a land-marked building—the League's home since 1892—students come and go by the thousands. It offers more than
130 classes taught by 80 professional artists, a great bargain for anyone seeking part- or full-time engagement. Classes range from $71 to $200 per week. The League also hosts a popular
lecture series.
Spring Studio (64 Spring St.) is a professional art studio that offers daily life drawing sessions for a flat rate. Known for its excellent models, prompt starting times, and friendly atmosphere, the studio welcomes artists at all skill levels. It also offers ongoing workshops. The rates are $15 per session, with a sliding scale for multiple packages that are typically good for a year or more. Check the
schedule for more detailed information.
The Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Parkway) offers
adult education classes/intensive life drawing workshops on Thursday evenings beginning February 3. The program, now in its 25th year, includes all supplies. Students are taught anatomy and composition and can draw in mixed-media formats. Class sizes are limited to 15.
Register now to book your spot. $225 ($215 for museum members).
The Society of Illustrators (128 E. 63rd St.), like the Art Students League, is a long-standing institution
founded by artists in 1901 to promote illustration and related exhibits. The Society welcomes those with an interest in drawing the figure to drop-in to one of its two
weekly sketch nights typically held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Both feature live models; Tuesday's models are nude, Thursday's models are partially clothes and/or costumed. Admission is $15 ($7 for students) and supplies are available for purchase. Best of all, students are welcomed to dine in the swanky
Society Dining Room at a communal table.
The Educational Alliance (197 E. Broadway), a nonprofit group that has been serving New Yorkers since 1889, holds affordable ongoing
arts workshops throughout the year and
membership in the program entitles students to join its free Saturday night figure drawing workshops (non-members pay $10).
Finally, though many people don't realize it, the
Metropolitan Museum (pictured, 1000 Fifth Ave.) allows guests to bring sketch pads, easels, and dry media into the museum for the purposes of sketching. (Most New York art schools send students to the city's major institutions for the same purpose.) The lighting is often fantastic, especially in the new Greek and Roman Galleries, and you can't beat a huge museum like the MET for some meditative quiet time. With a suggested donation for admission, it's among the least expensive options for a day of drawing.
For those who want to turn sketching into a fun night out, try the live models at
Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, or a Drink-n-Draw session at
3rd Ward in Brooklyn. The poses are risque, the characters are colorful, and (at least some) alcohol is included.
Photo Credit:
A. Strakey/FlickrCC
