Introduction to Observational Drawing
August 26 – September 16, 2025 | 1:30–4 p.m.
Location: High Museum of Art, Yellow Workshop, Greene Family Education Center
Registration Required
Not a member? Join today!
The registration fee includes all materials, weekly access to world-class art on view in the museum’s galleries and special exhibitions, hours of expert instruction, and additional access to a Friday afternoon open studio during the run of the class.
The registration fee includes all materials, weekly access to world-class art on view in the museum’s galleries and special exhibitions, hours of expert instruction, and additional access to a Friday afternoon open studio during the run of the class.
Explore a wide variety of techniques and materials in this exciting, comprehensive introduction to drawing. Experiment with lines, mark making, shapes, texture, tone, and composition to create drawings from observation, and learn how to use the principles of design to support your compositions.
Incorporating the teachings of Betty Edwards, author of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (1979), you will build skills through exercises in contour drawing and depictions of negative space. Enjoy the opportunity to draw from works in the museum’s collection, still life props, and photo references under the guidance of a professional teaching artist.
Week 1: Begin with an introduction to the class and an outline of the drawing materials and techniques that will be explored. Then, experiment with contour drawings, lines, and mark making.
Week 2: Explore the significance of space and value to strengthen your understanding of negative space.
Week 3: Create visual texture and experiment with composition while working on drawings made from observation.
Week 4: Complete your drawings using a combination of previously explored techniques. We will conclude our time together with a discussion about our work and a reflection on what we have learned.
About Studio Classes
Expand your art-making skills through guided, step-by-step instruction with expert teaching artists. Over multiple weeks, you will learn alongside other creative adults and delve deeply into the artistic process, explore new techniques, and build your practice.
This is an introductory-level Studio Class: it is designed to accommodate all levels of skill and talent. If you have never taken a drawing class before, this is a great place to start. You will learn new skills that you can use in your artistic practice.
The registration fee includes all materials, weekly access to world-class art in the museum’s galleries, hours of expert instruction, and access to a Friday afternoon Open Studio during the run of the class. Participants will also have the opportunity to exhibit select works in a Studio Classes student exhibition opening in December.
About your Instructor
Jaffia Royes is a visual artist and art educator who lived and worked in New York City for seventeen years before moving to Atlanta. As an educator, she has worked with various art organizations, museums, and schools and has taught artists of all ages, including portfolio development for those entering art and design colleges and universities. While Royes’s primary medium for over two decades has been oil painting, she began developing a body of work in clay as a creative way to house her ever-growing plant collection. Her passions for art and plant life allow space for her to practice mindfulness, serenity, and self-care, which she brings into the classroom and hopes to encourage through her teaching.
Please note that in the event of a session being canceled, September 23 is reserved as a makeup date.
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