Instructor Portfolios

John Passmore

John brings a historical and theoretical understanding of Renaissance art and architecture which will inform our drawing practice, and add depth to your experience of Florentine culture.

Sample Drawings + Paintings

John’s undergrad work explored the urban landscapes most people overlook, focusing on industrial themes using charcoal and oil paint. Look for subject matter and authenticity off the beaten path, and you’ll be surprised what you discover.

His method is one landscape painters have often employed, and we’ll do the same: quick onsite thumbnail sketches to investigate composition, views, light, and other features that stand out to us. Then we’ll go back to the studio and expand on the ideas we capture, using a variety of media and papers that are more difficult to work with on site.

This approach can lead to greater experimentation and means of expressing our unique artistic expression of what we see and experience.

Dan Beert

Sample Drawings + Mixed Media

Dan’s 35 years of experience in design practice and education has focused largely on visual communication – design illustration, using traditional, as well as computer-generated drawing and rendering techniques.

Work on the following pages is from a recent trip to Italy, including time in Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Rome, and a weeklong drawing workshop in Civita di Bagnoregio.

Using pencils, felt-tip and fountain pens, watercolor, pastels and charcoal, this sampling shows techniques students will learn and practice while Drawing on Florence: quick sketches and longer studies, analytical drawings, and mixed media studio work.

We’ll also use drawing as a way to describe and analyze design ideas in interior and urban settings.

Instructor Porfolios

Various ink/pencil sketches: Florence | Civita di Bagnoregio

Piazza di San Pier Maggiore | FlorenceLamy water-soluble ink on 8.5x5.5 Canson 65lb paper

Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore | FlorenceLamy water-soluble ink on 8.5x5.5 Canson 65lb paper

San GimignanoNero pencil on 9x6 Aquabee 95lb heavyweight drawing paper

Super Deluxe spiral bound sketchbooks comes in a variety of sizes, and the textured paper is good for both wet and dry media.

Volterra2B lead on 8.5x5.5 Canson 65lb paper

Canson 180 Degree Sketchbook: highly recommend for paper and lay-flat binding.

Florence2B lead on 8.5x5.5 Canson 65lb paper

GRAPES – Ai Weiwei Exhibit | Palazzo Strozzi | FlorenceAnalytical drawing to investigate and describe stool sculpture assembly.

Florence3x5.5Focus on shape to compose scene. 1st step: outline of roofs, fill in tonal value/shading to ground the view, add window detail.5 minute sketch.

Florence3x5.5Watercolor wash, quick ink sketch of Piazza della Signora at night.5 minute sketch.

Orvieto9x6

Pre-applied watercolor wash of random shapes.

Quick sketch with water-soluble Lamy ink. It started to rain, the ink

ran, I went with that.10 minute sketch.

Hillary’s Retreat | Studio: the Depictive to the Evocative | Civita di Bagnoregio | Instructor: Anita Lehman12x15 | pan pastel, charcoal, Townsend Terrages soft pastels, eraser on paper

Election results came while in Italy. Draw your own conclusions. Pan pastels are an awesome alternative to paints.