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!


Observational Drawing Classes for Kids & Adults

IN-PERSON AND ONLINE CLASSES FOR 2025
ONLINE DRAWING TALKS ON A RANGE OF SUBJECTS

These 30-minute online talks include a presentation with techniques and examples, discussion/Q&A, and a PDF handout with important points and exercises to try. All skill levels are welcome and sign up is just via an email to me. The cost is $20.

  • Exploring The Power of Lines on May 6 at 7:00pm. Lines are incredibly potent visual tools, but they often don’t get the attention they deserve. We’ll explore some of the many ways lines can carry information, describing and/or suggesting everything from edges to shapes to movement and emotion.
  • Sketching Clouds & Skies on May 13 at 7:00pm. We’ll explore techniques and look at a range of examples.
  • Understanding Cast Shadows, Core Shadows & Reflected Light on May 20 at 7:00pm. Light falling on an object creates different types of shadow and light areas. Understanding how these work can help you to capture more volume, depth and texture in your drawings.
  • Drawing Rocks & Other Planar Subjects on May 27 at 7:00pm. We’ll explore ways of capturing rocks and other planar subjects (everything from interiors to the human face).
INDEPENDENTLY OFFERED ONLINE WORKSHOPS

These 2-hour online workshops consist of a presentation with techniques and examples, a period of discussion/Q&A, and plenty of time for drawing and individualized feedback. All skill levels are welcome and sign up is just via an email to me. The cost is $40. (See below for workshops offered through other venues, such as the Harvard Museum of Natural History, Rockport Art Association & Museum, and ArtSpace Maynard, along with other venues.

  • More coming later this spring, please see museum classes below and stay tuned!
INDEPENDENTLY OFFERED IN-PERSON, OUTDOOR WORKSHOPS

Join me for a morning of outdoor sketching in beautiful Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. All skill levels are welcome and sign up is just via an email to me. June workshops are listed below and more will be posted for July and August. The cost is $40.

  • Beginning in June - details TBA   
HARVARD MUSEUMS OF SCIENCE & CULTURE WORKSHOPS (ONLINE & IN PERSON)
  • Landscape Sketching ONLINE • Wednesday, 5/14 from 9:30am to 11:30am >> register online
ARTSPACE MAYNARD ONLINE WORKSHOPS
  • An Introduction to Crosshatching • Thursday, 6/5 from 9:30am to 11:30am >> register online
  • An Introduction to Nature Journaling • Thursday, 8/7 from 9:30am to 11:30am >> register online
PRIVATE LESSONS AND CUSTOMIZED WORKSHOPS
  • Currently online only. 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!)

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A BIT ABOUT ME

I'm an illustrator specializing in science, health and nature subjects, and I've been teaching observational drawing for over 20 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. I offer classes independently, and also through the Harvard Museum of Natural History, Rockport Art Association & Museum, ArtSpace Maynard and other venues. (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 Guild of Natural Science Illustrators' Visual Science Communication in Action Gallery. I also have a Facebook page and 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