WELCOME
Hi, I'm Erica Beade, an illustrator and educator offering observational drawing classes in and around Cambridge, MA. View a full list of my classes or learn a little more about me and my approach. Thanks for visiting!
CLASSES
Outdoor sketching workshops will be held at Mt. Auburn Cemetery and indoor workshops primarily at the Harvard Museum of Natural HIstory or the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, unless otherwise noted. I am offering these workshops independently, so please contact me directly if you're interested in signing up or learning more.
Capturing Textures with Pencil: Thursday, August 23 from 9:00am to 11:00am
Botanical Sketching: Thursday, September 6 from from 9:00am to 11:00am
Sketching with Colored Pencils: Thursday, September 20 from from 9:00am to 11:00am
Cost and Sign Up
The workshop cost is $40, and sign up is via email.
If you're interested in future workshops, please sign up for my email mailing list by going to the "Contact" page, or check back here for more information.
- Family Drawing Workshop at the Hurley Street Neighborhood Farm - new date TBD.
- Sketching Fresh Pond (Sponsored by the Friends of Fresh Pond), postponed - to be rescheduled.
- Botanical Drawing at the Waltham Fields Community Farm - Fall dates TBD.
- Drawing the Animals • Next session, October 6, 13, 20 and 27, 2018. >> view full details
- Butterflies and Moths in Color • Next session TBD. >> view full details
- Sketching Mammals • Next session TBD >> view full details
- The Art of Botanical Drawing • Next session, March 30, April 6, 13 and 17, 2019 >> view full details
- Available for both adults and kids - please contact me for more information. I can be reached via e-mail, at: sketchclassATverizonDOTnet (please substitute "@" for "AT" and a period for "DOT" in the address - trying to avoid spam!)
DRAWING ANIMALS • Four Saturdays • The next session will be October 6, 13, 20 and 27, 2018
Adults • 4 sessions | Drawing is a great way to connect with our natural world, and close study of museum specimens can be an inspiring way to develop your drawing skills. Join us for a three-session course in observational drawing—a chance to explore the museum's zoological collections from a new perspective. Taught by artist and educator Erica Beade, this course introduces students to basic techniques that they can continue to expand on their own. The first half of each session will be spent in the classroom practicing techniques such as shading, working from general shapes to details, and capturing movement. The second half will be devoted to drawing animal specimens in the galleries, with support and feedback from the course instructor.
Time and location
4 Saturdays from 9:30am to 11:30am at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge
Registration and cancellations
Class sizes are limited and advance registration is required. Register online or call the HMNH Education Office 617.495.2341 or e-mail reservations@oeb.harvard.edu.
THE ART OF BOTANICAL DRAWING • 4 Saturdays • The next session will be March 30, April 6, 13 and 27, 2019
Adults • 4 Sessions | Explore the beauty and variety of plant forms using pencil, watercolor, and colored pencil. Taught by artist and educator, Erica Beade, this four-week course will introduce botanical drawing techniques through close observation and practice with contour, gesture, foreshortening, shading, and color. All skill levels are welcome.
Time and location
4 Saturdays from 9:30am to 11:30am at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge
Registration and cancellations
Class sizes are limited and advance registration is required. Register online or call the HMNH Education Office 617.495.2341 or e-mail reservations@oeb.harvard.edu.
THE ART OF DRAWING BIRDS • 1 Saturday • Most recent session was January 2018
Adults • 1 Session | Learn to capture birds with pencil and paper in this hands-on workshop taught by artist and educator Erica Beade. Explore avian anatomy as it applies to drawing birds, step-by-step methods for developing bird sketches, techniques for achieving greater accuracy and for capturing feather textures. Discuss tips for field sketching, particularly useful for birders and those interested in keeping field notes or nature journals. All skill levels are welcome.
Time and location
1 Saturday from 9:30am to 12:00pm at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge
Registration and cancellations
Class sizes are limited and advance registration is required. Register online or call the HMNH Education Office 617.495.2341 or e-mail reservations@oeb.harvard.edu.
AVIAN COLORATION: AN ART AND SCIENCE WORKSHOP • Most recent session, February 2018
Adults • 1 Session | The world of birds is full of diverse feather colors that combine to form amazing plumage patterns. How and why do birds achieve these decorative feats? Beginning with a microscopic look at feathers and expanding out to a broad perspective of patterns across bird families, Harvard University evolutionary biologist Allison Shultz will use feather and bird specimens from the university's collections to explore how and why this diversity of forms arose. Artist Erica Beade will show participants how to capture the nuance of avian color and form in their drawings.
Time and location
1 Saturday from 9:30am to 12:30pm at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge
Registration and cancellations
Class sizes are limited and advance registration is required. Register online or call the HMNH Education Office 617.495.2341 or e-mail reservations@oeb.harvard.edu.
BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS IN COLOR • 1 Saturday • Most recent session January 2018
Adults • 1 Session | Observe and draw the beauty of butterflies and moths in this three-hour color workshop. This program will introduce some observational drawing techniques with pencil, and then delve into colored pencils to create a rich, vibrant image. All skill levels are welcome.
Time and location
1 Saturday from 9:30am to 12:30pm at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge
Registration and cancellations
Class sizes are limited and advance registration is required. Register online or call the HMNH Education Office 617.495.2341 or e-mail reservations@oeb.harvard.edu.
SKETCHING MAMMALS • 1 Saturday • Most recent session March 2018 • 9:30am to 12:00pm
Adults • 1 Session | Learn to capture mammals with pencil and paper in this hands-on workshop that focuses on a wide variety of specimens from the museum’s collections. Explore step-by-step methods for developing your mammal sketch, as well as techniques for achieving greater accuracy and for capturing depth, volume, and texture. All skill levels are welcome.
Time and location
1 Saturday from 9:30am to 12:00pm at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge
Registration and cancellations
Class sizes are limited and advance registration is required. Register online or call the HMNH Education Office 617.495.2341 or e-mail reservations@oeb.harvard.edu.
ANIMAL ARTISTS • 4 Tuesdays • 3:40pm–5:00pm • No session currently scheduled.
Kids • 4 sessions • | This club is designed for kids who love animals and art. Sketch face-to-face with a zebra, ostrich, tiger, or moose as we learn to draw animals from the museum's zoological collections. With materials that we provide, students focus on different animal groups each week and practice using different media. Young artists will enjoy seeing their talents emerge while monitoring their progress with a portfolio of weekly drawings. By the end of this six-week course, students will have gained greater confidence in their expressive skills as well as a new appreciation for the animal world.
Time and location
4 Tuesdays, 3:40 – 5:00pm at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge.
Registration and cancellations
Class sizes are limited and advance registration is required. Register online or call the HMNH Education Office 617.495.2341 or e-mail reservations@oeb.harvard.edu.
CREATURE CREATORS • 6 Wednesdays • 3:40pm–5:00pm. No session currently scheduled.
Kids • 6 sessions • | Do you ever wonder how artists create imaginary creatures like the ones in Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or Monsters, Inc.? They study and draw real animals and then let their imaginations fly! In this 6-week drawing class we will take a close look at real animals in the museum, examining teeth, talons, wings and tails, and apply what we have seen to invent completely new creatures. The sky’s the limit!
Time and location
6 Wednesdays, 3:40 – 5:00pm at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge.
Registration and cancellations
For more information, visit the HMNH website. Class sizes are limited and advance registration is required. Fees: $120 nonmembers / $108 members. Register online. For info, call the HMNH Education Office 617.495.2341 or e-mail reservations@oeb.harvard.edu.
"CAPTURING ANIMALS WITH PENCIL AND PAPER" SERIES • Individual Saturday Classes • No sessions currently scheduled.
Kids • 1 session • | In a series of individual classes, we explore different groups of animals and drawing techniques.
Capturing Skeletons with Pencil & Paper: Saturday, October 28
Capturing Birds of Prey with Pencil & Paper: Saturday, November 4
Capturing Minerals with Pencil & Paper: Saturday, December 2
$25 members/$35 nonmembers • Class sizes are limited and advance registration is required. (Prices subject to change)
Advance registration required. Register online. For info, Call the HMNH Education Office 617.495.2341 or e-mail reservations@oeb.harvard.edu.
OUTDOOR SKETCHING WORKSHOPS SPRING & SUMMER 2018
These sketching workshops will be held at Mt. Auburn Cemetery, unless otherwise noted, but I am offering them independently, so please contact me directly if you are interested in signing up or learning more.
Time and cost
Workshops will be held from 9:00am to 11:00am.. The workshop cost is $40, and sign up is via email.
If you're interested in future workshops, please sign up for my email mailing list by going to the "Contact" page, or check back here for more information.
SOME EXAMPLES OF INDOOR SKETCHING WORKSHOPS THAT HAVE BEEN OFFERED IN THE PAST
Basic Sketching Techniques at the Peabody Museum
Sketching Birds in Colored Pencil at the HMNH
Sketching Animals at the HMNH
Capturing Textures with Pencil at the Peabody Museum
Sketching with Fine Tip Pens at the Peabody Museum
Time and location
Most spring and summer workshops are held from 9:00am to 11:00am at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. Indoor workshops are offered primarily at the Harvard Museum of Natural History or the Peabody Museum, although we may explore other venues as well.
If you're interested in future workshops, please sign up for my email mailing list by going to the "Contact" page, or check back here for more information.
A BIT ABOUT ME
I'm an illustrator specializing in science, health and nature subjects, and I've been teaching observational drawing for the past 15 years. I've always loved to draw, and really enjoy sharing that enthusiasm when I teach. Observational drawing is a fun way to connect to the world around you – to record your experiences, respond to nature, think through a problem, express yourself. If you're interested, but new to drawing, or want to build on your current skills, please check out my classes, which work well for people at all skill levels. Classes are located at the Harvard Museum of Natural History or are offered independently. (I've also taught at the Arlington Center for the Arts, Maud Morgan Visual Arts Center and other venues in the past). I also hold private classes and workshops for individuals and groups.
If you'd like to check out some of my illustrations, visit my freelance illustration website: www.mbcgraphics.com; and you can see more of my work (and work by lots of other amazing artists) at the Science-Art.Com website. I also have an online store for nature-related prints and gifts at: www.cafepress.com/mbcgraphics
For inquiries about current classes, or to receive e-mails about upcoming classes and workshops, please contact me.
Thanks for checking in!
-Erica Beade