Rachael Duchnycz's Portfolio

Link to mini-course Figure Drawing

About Me

My name is Rachael Duchnycz. I am an artist and an art teacher. I am from Utica, NY and I attended Nazareth College in Rochester, NY. At Mohawk Valley Community College, I received an A.S. in Fine Arts and at Nazareth, I received a B.S. in Art Education. I am excited to be completing my degree in curriculum and Instructional Technology at SUNY University at Albany.

I teach art to high school students. I teach studio art, ceramics, and sculpture. Ceramics and sculpture are my favorite courses to teach because they are advanced, students are more engaged, and 3D art is very compelling. I have the goal of teaching my students to use art as a manner of visual communication to express and consume any knowledge they wish to share, as well as a way to add depth to their daily experiences.

In my art, I create paintings of structures that are weathered and can be found on our daily commute. Something about the weathered nature adds character and makes the viewer question why or how the structure has been used. I attached a photo of myself as well as a painting!

My Topic and Purpose

This mini course is about figure drawing, which means creating drawings that represent the human body. The course’s emphasis will be on representing the body accurately—because proportions of the figure are an essential part of so much of the art world.

I chose to teach figure drawing because it is a passion of mine! I draw from a live model for three hours almost every week, and I always look forward to it. The human figure is the most challenging yet also the most satisfying thing to draw. Learning new techniques can transform the entire feel of a drawing.

Scope of Learning Outcomes and Content

Essential questions:

How are figure drawings used in pop culture?

Why is it important to understand the figure?

How do artists make figures look convincing?

Needs Assessment

The educational problem or opportunity

Weekly, I attend a figure drawing club. It makes sense for us to come together as a club because we all pitch in to pay for a live model. While I was here, I surveyed members of the club on their opinions on the role of figure drawing in contemporary society. I asked questions like, "What are people's biggest challenges with figure drawing" or "What are the greatest barriers in getting people to draw the figure?" The club members' answers contributed to my responses in the categories below.

My club members responded that some of the greatest barriers in getting people to draw the figure are access to models and overall intimidation of the subject.

It is hard to find a live nude model. I am in a privileged situation to have a car and a club to go to for only $10 a week. Many people do not make it to my drawing club because of lack of transportation or lack of funds. Many communities, especially rural communities, do not have groups like this at all. Some people are fortunate to have partners or friends who would be willing to model for them, even if it is just sitting for a clothed portrait. My course will offer some online resources as well as tips for finding and sustaining figure drawing models in one's community.

The other problem was that artists often feel intimidated by the complexity of the figure. This is understandable, and one of the main goals is to break necessary techniques down into chunks so that figure drawing feels more manageable. Social media does not make this easier. Some of my club members talked about how 1 minute timelapse videos on Instagram make people think that being an artist is so much easier than it is. Truly, it takes years of practice to be able to achieve high-quality figure drawings.

The learners/participants involved (be brief here; more detailed analysis to be added in the following section)

The learners or participants involved can be anyone from high-school age to elderly who are interested in figure drawing. They should have some basic drawing skills-- for example, they should know how to shade and what vocabulary terms like "contrast" and "hue" mean. The participants should have the goal of wanting to understand the significance of figure drawing and learning how to make a convincing figure drawing.

Analysis of gaps in term of know vs. need to know (reality vs. ideal)

Reality:

Limited access to structured figure drawing instruction in high schools and community programs.
Lack of a standardized curriculum for figure drawing at the high school and adult education levels.
Insufficient emphasis on the importance of figure drawing in fostering artistic skills.

Ideal:

Accessible figure drawing instruction integrated into high school art curricula.
Establishment of a standardized curriculum that has both foundational to advanced figure drawing concepts.
Recognition of figure drawing as a critical skill in artistic development.

I understand it is unlikely for high schools to welcome nude models, but more emphasis should be placed on gesture drawings, portrait drawings, and full drawings of models. Students can pose for one another. In fact, many students enjoy posing! This also gives them practice for potentially becoming a paid model as they get older.

Existing efforts to address this gap

While some art programs may utilize figure drawing, there is a lack of uniformity and depth in the instruction. Existing resources such as online tutorials, books, and community classes provide information, but their accessibility and effectiveness vary. Some of these resources are very expensive. There is a need for a centralized and structured approach to figure drawing education.

Intent statement

This figure drawing course emphasizes accessibility. It has the goal of making the difficult subject of figure drawing simple by breaking down and chunking the most important aspects. I aim to cater to many different learning styles as another method to accessibility. While participants may feel intimidated by the subject and may have little access to figure drawing communities-- this course is a resource that allows individuals to attain the skill of creating convincing figure drawings.

Analysis of the Learner and Context

The learners participating in this course can be anywhere from high school-aged to elderly. The learners should have a strong interest in visual arts. Maybe art is a hobby, or perhaps they are interested in pursuing a career in a field such as illustration or tattooing which would require a good understanding of the human figure.

Homeschooling- This mini course would be ideal for a teenager who is part of a home school program. Perhaps they are seeking advanced knowledge in art and find figure drawing to be a good route to do this. The student will be able to participate in the course on their own, at their own pace.
In-person or hybrid schools- Whether a school is in person or hybrid, a teacher can assign this mini-course to students to allow them to receive standardized, comprehensive figure drawing instruction. This would especially benefit an advanced drawing class where students tend to work at different paces.
Professional Development- This mini-course would be wonderful professional development for artists in fields such as illustration or tattooing who are interested in refining their skills. An administration could offer this to their employees in hopes of increasing the quality of their work. Artists could also use this course to develop their skills so they can move up in their competitive industries.

Artists should plan to spend 20 hours total on this course. The time can be divided as they wish because it is asynchronous.

Necessary materials include:

9x11 drawing sketchbook
Pencils and erasers
Faber Castell Artist Pack of 8 Assorted Sizes

9x11 watercolor paper sketchbook
Round Watercolor Paint Brush Set
Watercolor paint set, 48 colors recommended
Paper towels
Cup for paint water

Performance-Based Objectives

After completing this mini-course, learners will be able to:

Understand the significance of figure drawing in the overall history of art.
Develop a foundational understanding of human anatomy and proportions.
Develop a range of mark-making skills to convey movement, emotion, and energy in drawings.
Understand the principles of light and shadow and their role in creating form and depth.
Provide opportunities for self-expression and experimentation with various approaches to figure representation.
Demonstrate growth in technical abilities, creative expression, and understanding of figure drawing principles.

Task and Content Analysis

Understand the significance of figure drawing in the overall history of art.

The participant should have some context of art history, such as major differences between pre-and post-Renaissance art, as well as how the invention of the camera changed the art world and prompted Modernist art.
Content/ activities: Art history lesson finding examples of figures in art history on Google Arts and Culture.
Articles and videos on artists who are famed for their figures such as Bougereau and Da VInci.

Develop a foundational understanding of human anatomy and proportions.

It is okay if the participant has never drawn a proper figure before. The participant should have a good understanding of the elements and principles of art, such as shape, form, line, and value. They should be an “intermediate” artist and should have practiced with these concepts before.
One of the first modules focuses on human anatomy and proportions. Proportions are not always the most necessary, but the basics of proportion are a good way to start and can greatly assist someone who is trying to create very basic figures.

Develop a range of mark-making skills to convey movement, emotion, and energy in drawings.

The participant should have some drawing experience and therefore will understand the significance of variations in pressure and how to control the direction of the lines. They should also have some water coloring or painting experience, so they understand how to control the paintbrush along with the pigments.
The participant will explore mark-making in a guided practice in one of the last modules of the mini-course.

Understand the principles of light and shadow and their role in creating form and depth.

The participant should have some prior experience with this. For example, they should know how to shade a sphere with the light source on the left and the shadow on the right.
Shading and value will be included in one of the last modules of the course. The participant will learn how to translate basic shading skills into the human form.

Provide opportunities for self-expression and experimentation with various approaches to figure representation.

Self-expression in figure drawing becomes complicated, so the participant likely will not achieve this until toward the end of the course.
The participant should be a creative individual who is not afraid of failure! This is a learning experience and experimentation should happen throughout the course.

Demonstrate growth in technical abilities, creative expression, and understanding of figure drawing principles.

The participant should have a sense of what it means to grow their technical drawing skills. They should understand that practice takes hours but leads to skill development.
The participant should have the ability to pay close attention to the figure drawing principles mentioned at the beginning of the mini course. They should know that these skills transfer into everything else they will learn. This mini course is a spiral curriculum, meaning that everything we learn will contribute to future lessons. In addition, future lessons reflect on past lessons.