In this lesson, Glenn draws quick sketches from life, taking Da Vinci’s suggestion to “go to the market place and draw real people doing real things.” It’s not enough to know how to do something, you have to actually do it! Glenn draws his grandchildren and his wife as they play in the backyard– interacting with each other, their pets, and their environment. Regularly tackling the challenge of drawing from life as it happens, rather than choosing something specific or hiring a model, is a key step in the evolution of an artist. Getting past the frustration of the chaos of moving figures that make up a college campus, a festival, or train station will give way to great reward as you train your mind and hand to capture figures and create compositions more quickly.

In his 50 years in the fine arts industry, Glenn Vilppu has gained fame for his renaissance approach to drawing and painting. He’s displayed his work at dozens of one-man-shows, and is represented in collections throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Glenn’s books and DVDs are used by universities and art schools across the globe. His traditional observational techniques for teaching drawing have become the standard for professional artists everywhere.

In this series, Glenn takes the New Masters Academy team out of the studio and into various environments for on-location landscape and figure drawing. He demonstrates techniques for drawing with gouache, graphite, and fountain pen.