Plaster Cast Drawing: The Russian Approach (Level 1-2)

Plaster Cast Drawing: The Russian Approach

In this part of the Russian Academic Drawing program, follow instructor Iliya Mirochnik as he walks you through the centuries-old tradition of plaster cast drawing. In this course, you will refine your understanding of form and proportion and develop a sensitivity to rendering light and shadow. Each lesson will build on the last, providing you with a structured approach for analyzing the forms and anatomy of the features of the face and head.

LEVEL 1

1. Cast of David’s Left Eye

As an introduction to the plaster cast series, you will start with the eye. You will observe and learn the structure and form of the eye and further develop your process for blocking in and refining your drawings.

2. Cast of David’s Mouth

You will learn how to draw and render one of the most expressive features of the face; the Lips. You will learn techniques to better describe the forms of the mouth on a 2-dimensional surface using clear shadows and modeling the subtle forms of the lips with halftones.

3. Cast of David’s Nose

You will analyze and render the forms of the nose, starting with the simple pyramid shape and working towards the smaller forms that define the structure of the nose.

4. Cast of David’s Right Ear

You will learn how to draw and render the ear, breaking down the complex forms and understanding the process of identifying and rendering the cast shadows of the ear and the subtle variations in halftones.

LEVEL 2

5. Cast of The Cadaver

You will be introduced to the forms and anatomy of the head as it occurs in life. You will break down and analyze the complex forms of the features, using your knowledge from the previous lessons.

6. Pre-Renaissance Bust

You will learn an alternative method of blocking in the features to emphasize the round forms of the face. You will build upon what you’ve learned from the previous lessons and explore rendering the subtle features of the Pre-Renaissance Bust.