Drawing Lab
Every Monday since 2021, our CFAER Teaching Artist Riley Strom has led students through a creative hour exploring the art of drawing in her beloved weekly Zoom workshop, Drawing Lab. With each class, Riley introduces a unique prompt designed to deepen our student artists’ artistic voices and expand their skills, all the while having a relaxed and fun time.
With over a year of drawing together, we are so proud to present these works from our committed and delightful student artists: Carolyn Kim, Marley Mell, MJ Wodkowski, Lisa Davis, and Tai-Ling Wong. Join us in celebrating their generous work and flourishing artistic voices. We are looking forward to their future artworks, and to future Drawing Lab students to come!
If YOU are interested in joining Riley Strom in our free, weekly, virtual Drawing Lab workshop, please see more info on how to register below.
“The main part of my creative process is to think about what I want people to feel when they look at my art. Then once I do that, I spread that message to make a piece of art.”
Drawing Lab has meant a lot to me since the first day I started, as the youngest of the class. It has taught me that working with different media, and learning new techniques can improve who you are as an artist. Drawing lab means a lot to me and I have really enjoyed it and hope to still enjoy my time with Riley, our fantastic teacher, and all of the fantastic artists in the class. It has been an incredible, fulfilling experience, and I hope to learn many more techniques and work with many more media to come.
We have worked with many media in Drawing Lab but I have to say my favorite media has to be Sumi ink. Sumi ink has been a very different, out-of-the-box media, and that’s why I think it’s so enjoyable to work with. I’ve made many artworks with Sumi ink, and it has really developed my skill to learn to work with different mediums. I’ve really loved working with this medium.
All in all, Drawing Lab has been an amazing experience with many memories,
astonishing artists, amazing pieces of artwork, and even more to come. My creative process is a journey and I hope to continue it. The main part of my creative process is to think about what I want people to feel when they look at my art. Then once I do that, I spread that message to make a piece of art. All in all, my creative process is a very intricate process. Drawing Lab has had some stunning moments in class but my top two is when we drew the dogs, and when we drew the distorted fruit behind a glass. In this class I have learned about numerous techniques, and that even if you are the youngest in the class you can do anything you put your mind to. All in all, Drawing Lab is an amazing class, with a marvelous artist and teacher Riley. I hope to grow even more. Thank you everyone in the class for always encouraging me and I hope more memories are to come.
— Marley Mell
“[Riley Strom] has been so encouraging, and has helped me deal with physical issues which often make drawing difficult for me.“
Drawing Lab has been fun and a challenge. It's something I've always wanted to explore. Riley Strom is a such talented artist, and a patient and supportive teacher. She's been so encouraging, and has helped me deal with physical issues which often make drawing difficult for me. I've enjoyed learning about value and perspective, and experiencing how different it is to use pencil, charcoal and ink. I still haven't decided which is my favorite. I feel so lucky to have found this class at CFAER and look forward to continuing to learn, grow and improve.
— Carolyn Kim
“After taking this class, I feel so much more confident as an artist, and I am more open to a diverse range of mediums and styles.“
My name is Mj Wodkowski, I am 12. I have always loved art, ever since I was young, especially drawing. A year or so ago, I became very invested in drawing, especially pushing myself in realism and figures. When I discovered drawing lab, I was shown new ways to look at color, light, space, and medium. In this class, every week I learn something new, whether learning how to use charcoal or a nitty-gritty trick for reducing colored pencil streaks. After taking this class, I feel so much more confident as an artist, and I am more open to a diverse range of mediums and styles. I think my favorite medium was sumi ink, and though I have used it from time to time since I was very young, in drawing lab I learned how to really show light and form with it. This class has made me a much stronger artist, and it has taught so, so much about art and every aspect of it.
— MJ Wodkowski
“I can see that my powers of observation have greatly improved over the year of classes. Noticing to how one area relates to another in location, size and value has been a very useful skill that I've been able carry over onto other art projects.”
I've appreciated the opportunity to practice drawing every week, free of charge, and to learn how to work in different media. It's been helpful that Riley will review more difficult techniques, such as perspective, several months later or when we ask for a review. And that she'll spend several sessions on a new medium, so we have more time to practice. I've also appreciated her patience and supportive manner.
Especially during the more restricted periods of the pandemic, Drawing Lab was the only chance to see the faces of good friends.
I was pleased to discover how much I enjoy using a brush and sumi ink. The looseness of this kind of painting is very freeing, since I
tend to tighten up on detail otherwise. I'm still learning and look forward to discovering what I can do with this technique and how I can improve.
I can see that my powers of observation have greatly improved over the year of classes. Noticing to how one area relates to another in location, size and value has been a very useful skill that I've been able carry over onto other art projects.
One tip that has been especially helpful was using a pencil to match the angle of an object.
— Tai-Ling Wong
“I want this class to never end, and learn more and more: enough to go out and sketch my environment, faces I meet, and things that catch my attention."
"This class appeared on the cfaer radar at the dark time of the pandemic. The title Drawing Lab intrigued me from the first - a laboratory is a place where one can experiment. Of all the art forms I have tried, I like drawing the best. Riley is a gifted teacher. Talented, encouraging, and patient, she has a kind word for every effort. I want this class to never end, and learn more and more: enough to go out and sketch my environment, faces I meet, and things that catch my attention."