‘Figure Drawing: Creating Depth and Naturalism in Mixed Media’
with Scott Garder
Course Fee: £ 800
Total Spots on Course: 10
This course is open to students of all experience levels & is beginner friendly.
Course Times:
Morning: 10 am-1 pm | Afternoon: 2 pm-5 pm
Course Dates:
September 14th — 18th, 2026
Join Grand Central Atelier graduate and instructor, Scott Garder for this intensive figure drawing workshop, in which he will teach you the fundamental techniques for creating both accurate and compelling figure drawings whilst working from the live model.
Beginning with a linear block-in that focuses on gesture, the visual impression and the underlying structure of the human form, Scott will teach you how to utilise both optical and conceptual drawing methods simultaneously. He will help you to balance keen observation with judicious conceptualisation in order to achieve accuracy of shapes and proportions whilst rendering a dynamic figure drawing. Scott’s approach focuses on a thoughtful combination of interpreting visual information and conceptualising three-dimensional form, so that students get the best of both worlds—the naturalism and specificity that comes from the optical, and the rock solid sculptural quality that comes from a conceptual approach.
“Learning to exploit mixed media on toned paper helped me create luminosity and depth in my work in an efficient and painterly way; this approach facilitates the rendering of forms and gets one to a sophisticated result more quickly than when working in graphite on white paper alone.”
-Scott Garder
Book Your Spot
Spots on this course are highly limited in order to create an intimate learning environment and to maximise each student’s time, one-on-one with Scott, so don’t hesitate to book now!
Join Grand Central Atelier Instructor, Scott Garder for this intensive, 5-day figure drawing class! In this course you will learn the fundamental techniques for creating both highly accurate and compelling figure drawings whilst working in mixed media from the live model.
Course Structure
Each day of the course will be divided into two sessions with a lunch break in between. Over the course of this workshop, students will receive thirty hours of studio time with ample individual instruction. Scott will guide students through the entire process via comprehensive lectures, in-depth technical demonstrations and one-on-one individual critiques. In addition, Scott will display a selection of current works from his own portfolio as well as a curated selection of master drawing reproductions from art history in order to inspire students and provide essential visual examples of the concepts he is teaching.
Morning Session (10am - 1pm)
Students will learn the process by watching an in-depth demonstration by Scott, whilst he simultaneously lectures on the various concepts to be covered that day.
Afternoon Session (2pm - 5pm)
Students will then spend the afternoon session working on their own figure drawings. Scott will go around the class giving individually-tailored critiques to each student.
What you will learn in this workshop:
During this class, Scott will guide you through the technique of creating a figure drawing in mixed media. You will also gain an understanding of various core principles and concepts of academic drawing in general.
A back pose in graphite by Scott.
Key Stages & Core Concepts:
How to accurately simplify the figure, first into construct lines and then into abstract shapes representing light and shade
How to measure for proportion through comparative measure technique
Fundamentals of the anatomy and structural drawing
How to render form through conceptualisation based on knowledge of the light source
How to make keen and specific observations via ‘The Visual Impression’
Various properties of drawing materials, including pencil sharpening and application of graphite to build up tone
BOOK NOW
Join Grand Central Atelier Instructor, Scott Garder for this intensive, 5-day figure drawing class! In this course you will learn the fundamental techniques for creating both highly accurate and compelling figure drawings whilst working in mixed media from the live model.
Required Course Materials List
We recommend you buy all your supplies in advance of the workshop.
All materials can be purchased on either Jacksonsart.com or at the Cass Art Store in Glasgow, which is a 40 minute’s train journey from the studio. Otherwise, you may buy your supplies before travelling and pack them in your bag (with the exeption of the stanley blade). We cannot have supplies shipped to the Atelier in advance of the course, though. Thank you.
Other Materials:
1 Stanley blade (for sharpening pencils)
1 soft round paintbrush to flatten shadows
1 roll of masking tape
1 sketchbook for note-taking
Required Drawing Materials:
Staedler Mars graphite pencils: 2B, B, HB, H, 2H
Required Paper:
A sheet of hand-toned paper will be provided for you.
Your Instructor: Scott Garder
Scott at work on a portrait in his studio in New York.
Born 1986, Northern California.
Contemporary realist artist Scott Garder is an Instructor and Artist in Residence at the prestigious Grand Central Atelier in New York City. Draftsmanship and craft are both central in his philosophy and approach to art making. His work primarily focuses on portraiture and figurative work, through which he aims to convey both broad conceptual truths and the beauty of the shared, human experience.
Scott has recently won several prestigious awards, including both 1st & 2nd place in the 2025 ARC Salon’s ‘From Life’ category. His work hangs in collections ranging from North America to South America, Europe & Australia.
Accommodation & Travel details
Please visit our About the Studio page for more information on traveling to Largs and on finding accommodation.
BOOK NOW!
Join Grand Central Atelier Instructor, Scott Garder for this intensive, 5-day figure drawing class! In this course you will learn the fundamental techniques for creating both highly accurate and compelling figure drawings whilst working in mixed media from the live model.