(Fogra 29) Job:11-41057 Title:Drawing club Handbook
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001-144_41057.indd 55 4/24/14 7:17 PM54 The Drawing Club(Text)
ExErcisE:Set up
When I started The Drawing Club in 2002, I basically created
the workshop I would want to go to. For me, the setup is key.
The lighting, props, and colors need to create the right atmo-
sphere onstage. The music needs to set the right mood. If it’s
not what you would normally listen to, even better, because it
might make you think in a new way. Our models are artists, too,
so it’s fun to see how they react to and interact with the setup.
All of this mixed together creates an experience that is much
more interesting than a person in costume standing on a box in
the middle of a room lit with just a fluorescent light on in the
center of the room. To me, it’s like the difference between eating
a hot dog at a ball game where you can smell the grass, feel the
energy from the crowd, and get engulfed in the drama of the
game versus eating the same hot dog in your basement staring
at a cinderblock wall. The hot dog tastes way better at the game
because it is part of a bigger experience. The atmosphere makes
the difference.
If you want to draw a character from life yourself, don’t forget
your setup. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. Start with your model
and the character. (If you are drawing with friends, maybe you
could take turns being the model.) Try using a scene that is
already set up. For example, if you are working in the garage, a
mad scientist or car mechanic character could work great. In thekitchen, you could set up a chef. In the living room, you could
stage a wide range of characters. The family stereo or a com-
puter stereo could supply the music. Just like that, you could be
drawing a really great character from life! Additional lights can
be purchased from a local home improvement store if you want
more control over light and shadow.
The more you do this, the better you get at it. Allow yourself
to be influenced by your favorite films, photographers, and
artists.Michael Swofford as the devilBrant Maynard as a motorcycle
action guyJohn Tucker as the Howard Pyle pirate Peggy Moore as a zombieJohn Tucker as the 1930s
gangsterSara Streeter as the gangster’s
girlfriendMichael Wood as the samurai Daniella Traub in a 1980s fashion Larva in a Tron-inspired theme
theme(Fogra 29) Job:11-41057 Title:Drawing club Handbook
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55(Text)
kitchen, you could set up a chef. In the living room, you could
stage a wide range of characters. The family stereo or a com-
puter stereo could supply the music. Just like that, you could be
drawing a really great character from life! Additional lights can
be purchased from a local home improvement store if you want
more control over light and shadow.
The more you do this, the better you get at it. Allow yourself
to be influenced by your favorite films, photographers, and
artists.Michael Swofford as the devilBrant Maynard as a motorcycle
action guyQuante Love as the kung fu master Sara Streeter as the French maid Malo as the Bride of FrankensteinSara Streeter as the gangster’s
girlfriendSteve Jacobsen as the circus
ringmasterJee Teo in a Hong Kong cinema
themeJennifer Fabos Patton as danger girlLarva in a Tron-inspired theme Marissa Gomez as Annie Oakley Karole Foreman as Nicki Minaj Richard Marchetta as the rock starChapter 3: Concept and Story(Fogra 29) Job:11-41057 Title:Drawing club Handbook
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