Return to Classes

 Welcome to all students!

This year I will be teaching at:

Victorian Artists Society, Monday nights 4pm to 6.30pm VAS
Mentone Mordialloc Art group, Thursdays 1.30 to 3.30pm and 7.30 to 9.30pm MMAG

Some spots are still available, contact the relevant society to inquire.

For those students I have not met yet and do not have contact information for please note the following to bring to your first class:

1.  Visual Diary: A4 size or larger
   • If you wish to bring a better quality pad of paper then please do so.
2. Tracing Paper: A4 size. Note this is NOT baking paper.
3. A kneadable eraser. This is preferred, white erasers or hard erasers are not required - we will discuss why I discourage the use of hard erasers!
4. A means to sharpen your pencils. Sharpener, or knife and sanding block
5. Graphite pencils. Students are requested to bring ONE BRAND of high quality pencils. (so, not a mixed collection of different brands from the kids drawer, or cheap $2 shop brands). The bare minimum range required is: 2H, H or F, HB, 2B, 4B. If you do not have a complete branded set bring what you have and we will review with you.
6. A drawing board and prop - due to Covid, boards may not be available in class, so it is best if you supply your own.

Other materials and papers will be required during the term and will be discussed with the class prior.

Re Covid: I will be wearing a mask. It would be appreciated if you did so also.
- Kitchens will be closed so please bring your own thermos of tea or the like if you wish a hot drink.
- Be on time, the door will be locked once class begins and we are not allowed to let in late comers.

*NOTE to EM: please contact me.

Staying Sharp

I love my pencils to be sharp and have a fine point when doing detailed work, especially fur techniques. I am often asked asked if I use an electric sharpener. Well, every electric sharpener I have ever had I have burned out the motor fairly quickly. I sharpen that often I have yet to find one that withstands constant use - even the very expensive $300 one I bought started to smoke and died after week of use.

So in the end I find the good old-fashioned hand held type suits me best  and I have many! But what is the best and what type or brand do I use? Well, for regular wood cased pencils, I find the small little metal or plastic ones do the job fine. No particular brand, just the ones you find for a couple of dollars at the art or stationery shop. I have a variety of these and they are indispensable.  You can replace the blade if you are keen, or just toss into the recycle bin when they go blunt. Depending on your pencil choice, be aware of the size of the hole in your sharpener. It is worthwhile having a few of the wider hole versions on hand for pencils that have a wider diameter such as some of the color pencils.

Other types are what I call 'Travellers', and are self contained units that hold the shavings.  A wide variety of these around, but I do like the little Faber Castell model.

For my Staedtler Mars Techno clutch pencils, nothing can beat the Staedtler 502 sharpener designed especially for these pencils.

Just a few from my sharpener collection!

And when I don't need a super sharp point I use a Stanly knife to whittle the point and then create a chisel or rounded end with a sandpaper block.

But my all time favorite is this novelty sharper. It actually doesn't sharpen all that well, but it makes me smile every time I look at it.