Thursdays 7 - 8:30 pm
March 13 - May 29, 2025
Online via Zoom. Free! Donations Welcome Register Here (preferably by Mar 9)
● Inspiration and tools to nurture your inner artist
● Try different approaches to drawing people
● Be in the moment. In your pjs? In the creative unknown!
Each week, we will do quick studies and longer drawings of people using images. You will need your phone or computer to see the photos and draw them in real time. We will
spend the first half drawing together, followed by a demo and you working on your own piece at your own pace.
This 12-week class focuses on loose drawing of the whole body, with different things to try each week related to proportion, expression and perspective. While there is
structure, the class is really about learning to see differently, finding what works for you, and being in the moment. Most of all, I hope you'll have fun!
You do not have to be on camera (audio only is OK) and you can share your drawings if you choose. This is for YOU! All are welcome, from people who have never drawn a
person before, to artists looking to grow their skills drawing people. By the end of this class, you will be able to sketch studies of people in real time at coffee shops,
parks or wherever you are. You will have the beginning tools to take your drawings of people and play with composition and storytelling.
Supplies Needed:
● Sketchpad
● Drawing pencils (recommended 2b, 6b)
● Drawing sticks (recommended conte crayon, nu pastel, graphite stick)
● Erasers (recomended kneaded eraser, hi-polymer white eraser and/or eraser caps - these are by Pentel and are at Walmart etc)
● Photo references (These will be covered in class. They can be printed out, on a phone/tablet or computer other than the one you are using for Zoom)
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COMMISSIONS
I enjoy painting a variety of subjects, from people and animals to landscapes and narrative compositions. When working on a commission,
getting to know the people I'm painting or working with is an integral part of my process, as I am curious and drawn to stories and people.
Inquiring about a commission may be new to you, so here are some steps to guide you through my process.
To begin, I will first need several photos and a conversation, either by email, text, phone and/or in-person. I am a visual translator,
taking what you share and interpreting it through painting. We will discuss timelines (yours and mine), size, cost and delivery options.
With logistics settled, I will work on a composition and send a draft. Once that is approved, I will begin painting and may ask for
additional photos or information during the process. I will send an update shortly before the painting is completed, and then when it is
done! There is no revision process; all of the input and feedback happens during our conversations and the initial composition(s).
Once I begin painting, a non-refundable downpayment is required. If you choose not to purchase the final painting, you are under no
obligation. This gives both parties flexibility in this artistic endeavor, as in all creative acts, one must dip into the creative unknown
and allow it to blossom. This said, after dozens of commissions, every patron has purchased their final painting, so I feel confident that
if you enjoy my work, you will be pleased with your custom painting! The best way to reach me about a commission is via email
or text.
Uyen-thi (T) Nguyen is an Oregon-based oil painter living in the rural town of Cottage Grove, where friendly strangers sometimes
hop on your shoulder as you’re walking home. She is a recipient of several grants and awards, including the 2023 & 2024 People’s
Choice Award at the National Spring Exhibition at Emerald Art Center. Her work has been exhibited
in New York City and Portland, Oregon, as well as in small cities throughout the state and U.S.
Nguyen is a member of the New Zone Gallery, Emerald Art Center, the Plein Air Painters of Lane County and Eugene Figurative Arts
Group. Figure drawing is at the heart of her practice.
Her artistic practice focuses on the following statement:
What does it feel like? In my best days, I remember to ask this question and listen for an answer. All things alive feel. This
is my work. To discover the relationships that are interlaced between within and around us each. Sometimes the exploration reveals
dark places, sometimes I simply bask in the ten thousand pretty things. I paint to express the inner world within exterior avatars,
our human condition, the beauty and life around me.
